Information about Girona

Girona is one of the largest cities in Costa Brava, it’s considered one of Spain’s oldest towns. It’s renowned for its medieval architecture and colourful houses by the river.
Girona is a city with a rich history and culture. It was developed by different communities and empires through history, including the Iberians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Jews and the Carolingian.

The old town has archaeological remains representing a variety of styles (Reflecting the different historical periods the city’s been through).
The city is really beautiful and unique, proved by the Game of Thrones series filming several scenes there. Girona is also known as a beloved destination for cyclists, thanks to its excellent bicycle trails (Lance Armstrong trained there). Additionally, there are beautiful walking tracks there.

How to reach Girona?

There are many ways to reach the city. First of all, it has its own airport (Mostly for domestic and private flights). Furthermore, you can reach it by car from Barcelona or another part of Costa Brava (We came from Lloret de Mar in Costa Brava). There are free parking areas (Usually full) as well as paid parking. There’s an option to arrive by direct train from Barcelona (A 40 minute ride), as well as busses from Costa Brava.

Things to do in Girona

Tour of town

We went on a guided tour of the city with our guide, Anna. She has lived in Girona her entire life, so it was nice to hear a local tell the city’s stories, as well as describing the excitement when Game of Thrones filmed a few famous scenes from the 6th and 7th seasons there.

I honestly recommend doing a tour of the city, as it has a fascinating history. Anna also took us through all sorts of shortcuts and we reached less known, less touristed areas. We visited several landmarks during this tour, so if you don’t do it, they are worth visiting on your own.
E-mail for booking a guided tour puntdebenvinguda@ajgirona.cat.

Landmarks in Girona

Bridges on the river

Along the river are short bridges leading to the old town. You’ll definitely pass over them, but they are important for me to note, since I really liked the view of the colourful houses with the river and the cathedral seen over them.

Girona Cathedral

Also known as the Santa Maria cathedral of Girona.

Its building began in the 11th century, in the Romanesque style and continued during the 13th century in the gothic style. In its design you’ll find mixed styles including Romanesque, gothic, Baroque and neo-classic. (Map.)

Tip: I recommend going up the cathedral stairs (Not to be lazy and avoid the 90 stairs :)), then go to the right and up another flight of stairs (Only 5 stairs this time). There you’ll find a hidden gem of beautiful, not touristed gardens – Jardins De La Francesa (Map). From there you can continue to walk on the city’s walls.

Arabian-styled bathhouse, Banys Àrabs

Entrances requires a fee (2 euros for an adult and 1 euro for child/student)
The building is in a Romanesque style, but draws inspiration from the roman bathhouse, the Arabian bathhouse and the Jewish mikvah, a tradition which was restored in the 11th century. From the 14th century onwards, the building has operated as a public bathhouse. In the 20th century the Arabian baths were restore to their original look (Map).
This is one of the areas where they filmed a Game of Thrones scene 🙂

City walls

There are two walls you may walk on, one is short and the other is longer (About a km).
If you have time, it’s recommended to walk both walls, as each one offers a different view. However, if you’re short on time, go straight for the longer wall (Map).

The walkable trail was created by expanding the Roman walls and is known as “Passeig de la Muralla”. Some parts are really ancient (Some claim they date back to the first century), but many parts are a restoration after planned deconstruction (Which was done to expand the city).

The Jewish quarter

Girona had a Jewish community for 600 years which lived in the Jewish quarter. The community enjoyed the protection of the king, which saw it as a profitable business (Thanks to the taxes they paid). It was the 2nd largest community in Catalonia. Over time, its situation deteriorated, as it did in all of Spain (The beginning of religious prosecution), and some of them converted, some were murdered, and some were expelled.
To preserve and immortalize the Jewish community, a Jewish museum was built in Girona.

Jewish museum

Together with Anna we also toured the museum itself. The museum’s main purpose is to preserve and reflect the history of the Jewish community in Catalonia and Girona in particular.
The museum is large and interesting, even without a tour it’s recommended to go in and look around. It’s divided in a very comfortable way, each part reflecting a different aspect of the Jewish heritage and their lifestyle in Girona. Some parts of the museum teach about the Jewish traditions, such as tefillin, the Pesach Haggadah, the marriage ketubah (There are examples of items and a written explanation of each).

Other parts contain original items from Girona, form the days of the Jewish community, such as tombstones (They’ve found tombstones in the backyards of people which used them for construction, there are photographs showing how they were extracted and brought to the museum), There’s a memorial wall commemorating the names of important rabbis who lived in Spain and more. There’s an organized trail, allowing the visitors to learn about the aspects of day to day life, the culture and history of the Jewish communities of Catalonia and Girona during medieval times. Map.

La Rambla de la Llibertat street

This is one of Girona’s main streets and is found outside the old town. It’s a modern street where you’ll find many cafés, restaurants and shops. Map.

Where to eat in Girona?

Konig 2 bar-restaurant

After our tour we asked Anna for a recommendation for where to eat. We told her we wanted something light, and she recommended a restaurant-bar she eats at sometimes. The place is called Konig 2 and serves a wide variety of dishes;

Local tapas, salads, sandwiches, as well as regular western food like pasta and hamburgers. It’s not an exceptionally good place, but if you’re looking for reasonably priced, light food, this is a good option. I ordered a bagel with avocado and salmon and Roman ordered patatas bravas (A local potato dish) and a hotdog. Map.

Super cool ice-cream shop, Rocambolesc ice cream

Anna had another good recommendation for us, to go to an ice-cream place after our meal, which sells popsicles in cool shapes and different flavours. It’s an ice-cream shop famous for casting raspberry sorbet and rose water into a nose shape on a stick (And other cool shapes like a lion on a pole).

The owners are three of the most influential people when it comes to Catalonian food – The brothers Roca, Joseph and Jordi. I got the nose shaped popsicle and Roman got the lion. The popsicles are quite expensive at 4 euros a pop, but it’s worth it for the pictures, and honestly the nose was really tasty too 🙂 Map

The shop has additional branches in Barcelona and Madrid.

Lloret De Mar is a beach town in Costa Brava. Beyond the beautiful beaches and the lively night life, you’ll find museums, gorgeous gardens, vantage points, walking tracks and more.

How to reach Lloret De Mar?

We got there using a car we rented through the Papam Papam website. The drive is just over an hour.
There’s also a train going there, after which you’ll need to take a short bus ride or a direct bus route from Barcelona. There is also an airport in Girona (Which you can get a bus from).

If you’re planning to travel a lot, it’s recommended to rent a car/motorbike/ATV. However, you can rest easy if you decide to use public transportation, as there are busses to every area.

Where to stay at Lloret De Mar?

We stayed at Hotel Delamar, a rally high quality 4-star hotel for adults only (18+). We were invited to stay at this hotel and decided to accept the offer when we saw the great reviews it had received. Upon our arrival, it was clear why it was reviewed so highly. It’s the perfect hotel for a calm, sunny vacation. It’s a minute away from the beach, is surrounded by places to eat at and by all of the city’s night life. An extended post I’ve written about our experience at the Delamar hotel. Reviews of the hotel and hotel prices comparison.

Things to do in Lloret De Mar

Activities offered by the Lloret De Mar office of tourism

Lloret De Mar’s tourism office invests a lot in free or symbolically priced activities for the town’s residents and tourists. You can find them on their website – A schedule of their activities per month.
We were on a tour combining the history of Lloret De Mar with a visit to Nicholas’ house (Which now serves as a museum). I highly recommend visit their website and checking out which activities are on while you’re there.

Tour of Lloret De Mar

During august, the office of tourism offered a tour of the town and Indianos’ house (Which now serves as a museum). Since there weren’t any tours planned for the duration of our stay (We were only there for three days), the tourism office of Lloret De Mar was really nice and arranged for us to take the tour privately, so we could experience one of the town’s tours.

The tour guide was Martha, who was very nice and interesting, as well as a local resident living right in the middle of things. The boardwalk was created by piling sand in the sea and pushing it back from the beach. The reason for this was an attempt to create more space for houses for the returning Indianos. The Indianos was a nickname for those who found their fortune in the United States before returning to their homeland. They usually built fancy houses, only two of which remain in Lloret De Mar.

The tour started at the boardwalk, which has a fascinating history – We then visited Iglesia de Sant Romà church, its exterior design reminding me of the palace from Aladdin. I was very excited by it.  A part of the church was destroyed during the civil war, but through considerable efforts, some parts were saved during the war and others were reconstructed. It was interesting to learn about what happened there.

We then continued to Cant Font, a house ordered by Nicolau Font i Maig. Nicolau was a 27-year-old man who returned from Cuba after building his fortune there (He was sent to work there when he was a boy). The house was built in 1877. It has a cellar, three stories and an attic, and is design in a modern fashion.

The house is really cool! It’s hard to believe it was designed 141 years ago. It seems Nicolau had an extremely modern taste which was ahead of its time. Lloret De Mar’s city council purchased the property in 1981, to conserve one of the original houses from the Indianos time period left in town. We really enjoyed the tour of this house. Most of the furniture is the original from the days of Nicolau, with only some of it being restored.

It was nice imagining him living there.
Tip: This house is very unique and has an interesting design. There’s no way to visit it on your own, so if you visit Lloret De Mar and there isn’t a tour to Cant Font while you’re there, you can visit this link ahead of time and arrange your visit in advance.

Santa Clotilde Gardens

If you’re looking for something mentally soothing, you’ll like these gardens. The gardens were designed by the famous architect Nicolau Rubió i Tuduri. They have fountains, stairs, trees, Mediterranean plants and one of my favourite things, a vantage point over one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. There are also benches to sit on and just enjoy the quiet.
Admittance is by a fee.
Map.

Cala Boadella beach by the gardens

While you’re at the gardens, you can view the gorgeous beach. I recommend not only viewing it, but actually going to visit it ? You can follow a path to reach it. There’s no way to access it directly by vehicle. You’ll have to park in the garden area and walk from there. There’s a turn onto the path (Landmark) and after walking for about five minutes, you’ll arrive at the beach.

We got there during lunch hours and were hungry, so we decided to first eat at a restaurant on the beach, before going to sit on the beach itself.
The restaurant is nice and has classic beach food. We ordered pasta, a hamburger and fries which were alright (The price is also good, coming out to about 20 euros for the whole meal).

Afterwards we laid down our towels and rested on the beach.  The sand itself is actually tiny rocks, rather than your typical sand, which for me was great, as it didn’t stick to our bodies. It’s also important to note that if you follow the beach to the right you reach a nudist beach, so make sure to avoid that direction if that’s less your speed ? Map

Sant pere del bosc vantage point with coffee

This place was recommended to us by our tour guide, Martha. Without her we never would have found it, and I think it’s a super cool and unique suggestion. This place is about 20 minutes away by car. There’s no way to reach it by public transport.

It used to be a sanctuary for vulnerable people , and now serves as a hotel.
First off, if you’re looking for a hotel in a secluded area for a few days of peace and quiet, this is one you might want to check out. It’s on the mountain side, as a pool and incredibly beautiful views.
We dove there to enjoy the view and what’s really nice is that there’s a small bar by the hotel pool, where we ordered coffee and then sat upstairs on the sofas opposite the amazing view of the sea and the surrounding area.

The hotel also has a restaurant where you can eat and another great option is visiting during dinner hours, There’s a restaurant just outside (Not belonging to the hotel) where you can have a romantic dinner across from the stunning view.

Map. Phone number for restaurant reservations: 972-36-1248 Additionally, there are marked walking routes if you want to go on a nice trek on the mountain.

Beach by the hotel

One of the fun things about Lloret De Mar is her beaches, after all, it is a beach town. Our hotel, Delamar, is situated right by the sea and we really enjoyed going over to it. You can rent a tanning bed with an umbrella or just bring a towel and sit on the beach.

Night life

Lloret De Mar is famous for its lively night life. Many people come there for the bar and party night life. Honestly, we walked so much during the day that we were too tired to enjoy the night life, but we did walk along the bar and restaurant filled streets, as well as the boardwalk. Those coming there to party won’t be disappointed.

This trip is my 3rd time in Barcelona, and despite being short, it’s the one that made me fall in love with Barcelona and wish to return to it again. The combination of a great hotel in the gothic quarter, local food tour and meeting a couple of friends who live there made me see Barcelona in a different, better light. Since this time, we were short on time, we didn’t get to do all the must-do activities, so you may find further recommendations in this post of ten things you mustn’t miss in Barcelona.

Our trip began in Barcelona and continued to Costa Brava. In fact, we’ve done this trip due to a tourism convention in Berlin, during which we were invited to stay at hotels in Barcelona and Costa Brava.

Time of trip

The beginning of September

What did we do for 48 hours in Barcelona?

Santa Caterina market, la Boqueria market, Rambles avenue, Robata – high class Japanese restaurant, riding a tour bus between different sites, Sagrada Familia, Güell park, science museum, food tour, tour of the gothic quarter, hotel pool.

Renting a vehicle

Generally, a car isn’t required in Barcelona and I might even advise against it give the heavy traffic and difficulty of finding parking. However, since we were planning to move on to Costa Brava afterwards, we ended up renting a car. We picked it up from the airport, from the Avis company, having preordered it from the Papam Papam website. The hotel we stayed at had free parking for hotel guests.

Flights to Barcelona

We booked our flights with Vueling through the Skyscanner website. Since there aren’t low-cost flights to Barcelona, the flights are kind of expensive. If you want to find a cheap flight, you should book it a long time in advance, during the off-season and go for an indirect flight. We also got flight cancelation insurance for any reason, since the price was quite high.

Hotel in Barcelona

We stayed at the boutique Catedral hotel, which we were invited to. It’s a 4-star boutique hotel in an excellent location within the gothic quarter. It’s a 5-minute walk away from Rambles avenue and 20 minutes from the sea. It’s adjacent to public transport. It has a rooftop pool and a restaurant-bar. It offers cheese tastings with a free glass of wine for hotel guests, as well as two tours of the city on Sundays and Wednesdays. Here’s an extended post I’ve written regarding the hotel.

Additional reviews and hotel price comparison.

Transportation in the city

Barcelona offers very comfortable public transport. Since we were on a tight schedule, without much time to explore the city, we decided to go on the tourist bus which visits key locations in the city. It’s the first time we rode such a bus and honestly, the experience was more positive then I had expected. Barcelona’s tourism office was lovely and gave us a press ticket, one of the benefits of which is riding the tourist bus.

For those without a press ticket :), it is possible to buy a regular bus ticket before boarding and there are also daily/48-hour tickets. On the bus, you’re given headphones which you can connect to the bus’s audio and listen to explanations about the city in 16 different languages, one of which was Hebrew. There are three routes of busses (A blue, red and green route) and stops where the colors intersect, so as to allow you to board a different route.

The explanations on the bus were nice and we felt as if a tour guide was there with us. We sat on the top floor, so there was a pleasant breeze, as well.

When’s the time to visit Barcelona?

Beaches and parties – The best time is between late May and September. Visiting Interesting sites – The beginning of March or May, and the middle of September through October, are the best time to visit the city. There are less crowds, less lines into famous attractions and it’s not as hot. Visiting on a Tuesday or Wednesday may also help with avoiding the crowds.
Shopping in Barcelona – There are two major sales that are worth visiting Barcelona for. The winter sale starts during the 2nd week of January and lasts until the end of February. The summer sales start during the 1st week of July and last to the end of August.

Barcelona itinerary

Day 1 – Landing in Barcelona, arrival at the hotel, a round of the markets and an amazing Japanese restaurant

We landed in Barcelona at around 12pm, collected our rented car from the airport and drove on to the Catedral hotel. We were then given our room and went out for lunch.

Lunch

We went to the Santa Caterina market – A market in the famous style of la Boqueria, only much smaller. The market is a few minutes away from the hotel by foot. We toured the market a bit, then sat down in a restaurant by the entrance to the market. This restaurant was very nice, and there’s seating outside, inside or at the bar, as well as a sitting area with tables.

On the menu you’ll find a large variety of dishes sorted by style, Tapas, seafood, meat, pastas and more. We ordered a dish of Calamari on the grill with asparagus (I think this is one of the place’s flagship dishes, as we’ve seen many people order it), pasta with shrimps and a salmon tapas, and of course – Sangrias. The prices there aren’t cheap. The meal cost us 40 euros. The pasta was nice, but the Calamari dish was amazing, you should definitely visit just to have it.

Las Ramblas

You can’t visit Barcelona and not go for a walk on Rambles avenue. It doesn’t matter when you visit, as it will always be crowded, but that’s just part of the experience. There are many stalls along the avenue, as well as many restaurants and bars on both sides of it. We strolled the avenue and took photos.

La Boqueria market

While you’re on Rambles avenue, you have to visit la Boqueria market. It’s a giant market where you can find absolutely anything, cheeses, hams, sweets, chocolates, fruits, vegetables, fish, meats and more.

There are many little bars you can visit and order food and drinks at. The prices at the bars and the restaurants in the market aren’t cheap, but the food is made of the freshest ingredients and everything is of a high quality. At the stalls themselves you can buy many fun snacks at low costs, take them with you and have a picnic around town (There are beautiful parks in town that are worth taking the time to have a picnic at).

Dinner at Japanese restaurant

For dinner we met a couple of friends who moved to Barcelona. They took us to their favorite restaurant, the Japanese grill restaurant Robata and I can tell you straight away that if you’re looking for a luxurious restaurant with incredible food – this is the place to visit. Every dish we ordered was fantastic. Some of the dishes were grilled, which have them an excellent crunch, such as the Gyoza and the Edamame.

The sushi was great and the Sangria there is a bubbly Sangria, and one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of drinking. We ordered a lot of different dishes, since we shared everything and wanted to try as many as possible. By the end of dinner, I was stuffed, but our friends convinced me to try the cheese cake. It was one of the best I’ve ever had. Shortly put, the restaurant is excellent. The meal there isn’t cheap, but definitely worth the price if you’re looking for delicious, high quality food.

Day 2 – Extensive tour of the city by tourist bus and tasty, intoxicating food tour

Breakfast

We started our morning with breakfast at the Catedral hotel.

Tourist bus

After breakfast, we went to plaza Catalonia square, where we boarded the tourist bus (Map).

The first stop we got off at was Sagrada Familia.

It is one of the most famous churches in the world (Map), designed by Gaudí and still under construction. We didn’t go into the church itself. It’s recommended to buy tickets ahead of time with the option of skipping the line, as the line there is very long. We walked around the church (On our last visit to Barcelona, we went on a tour following Gaudí where we learned a lot about the church). From there we went back to the bus, which comes by every five minutes and so is very comfortable. In fact, if a bus is too crowded, you can simply went for the next one to come by.

Our second stop was at Guell park

The bus stops about 10 minutes away from the main entrance. Map from the stop to the park. If you go through the main entrance, it costs about 7.5 euros per adult. You may also arrive from the other side and go up a rather long climb to where the entrance s free. Our last time in Barcelona we took the stairs, but this time decided to use the main entrance. Despite already visiting the park once, I was excited to go there once more, as it’s one of the most unique parks I’ve ever seen. While it’s a bit busy there, it’s a must see when visiting Barcelona. We then went back to the bus.

Our third stop was at the science museum

We honestly hadn’t planned to stop there, but while on the bus, we heard it was one of the most impressive science museums in the world. Since we’ve never visited it before, we decided it was as good a chance as any. The CosmoCaixa Barcelona museum (Map).

About the museum

It is a massive museum where you could spend an entire day. It has a replica of the amazon rainforest and a ton of cool super cool things from the world of physics. It also has robots and mirages, there’s no one who could stay indifferent to it, adults and kids alike. It has a replica of the ecological system of the amazon rainforest, including alligators and other animal species and plants native to the area. There’s the “Geologic wall”, which includes seven parts of stunning rocks, showing the different geologic structures of the world.

There’s also the “Room of interest”, an intriguing journey through the evolution of matter and lifeo n our planet, complete with experiments, real chunks and life forms. To top it all off, the “planetarium” invites you to go on a journey of time and space, and more.

It’s an excellent activity for the whole family (There were many families present), especially on rainy or hot days, when looking for unique activities. Even if you aren’t museum enthusiasts, I’m sure this one will impress you. We only spent two and a half hours there due to a tight schedule and wished we could have stayed and explored the museum some more.

There’s a cafeteria in the museum, so you could have lunch there, or get coffee and a snack. You must pay to enter. The museum also has different workshops for kids.
From the museum we went back to the hotel.

Tapas and drinks tour

We were exhausted from exploring the city, but didn’t have time to rest, as we had to be at the meeting point for a tapas tour we’d booked in advance at 17:00. We hurried to the meeting point, where we met Adrian, the tour guide, and 6 other fellows who joined us on the tour and went on a nearly 4-hour tour of the most local and delicious places there are. Here’s an extended post on the tapas tour.

Day 3 – Tour of the gothic quarter, time in the pool

We had breakfast at the hotel, then joined a free tour of the gothic quarter offered by the hotel.

Tour of the gothic quarter

There’s the option of going on a free tour of the gothic quarter for those not staying at the Catedral hotel. There are many companies offering free tours of the city. The last time we visited Barcelona, we went on a tour with the Runners company following Gaudí, and they also offer a tour of the gothic quarter (Link to website).

The tour itself is really interesting, and I personally like free tours, as they are an excellent way to learn the history of your destination while discovering places you may want to return to later on your own. The guides always have recommendations for less known local locations as well as helpful tips. So, I always recommend trying at least one free tour (Tip based) at your destination.

Pool time at the hotel

Since the sun came out on our third day, and it was really sunny and warm, we decided it would be a good time to enjoy the hotel’s pool. If you’re staying at a hotel or an apartment without a pool, a sunny day may be the perfect opportunity to visit Barcelona’s beaches. Yes, Barcelona also has beaches that are worth visiting. And in case you’re looking for a few days of beach vacation, there’s also the Costa Brava area, only an hour and half away from Barcelona by car.

Places that are worth a visit if you’re staying in Barcelona for a longer while, which I’ve also dedicated another post to are: Ciutadella park, The singing fountains, Montjuic (Ascent by cable car) and Barcelona harbor.

Drive to Costa Brava.

A few months ago we visited a tourism convention in Berlin, at which we got to meet Anna, a hotel director in Barcelona and Costa Brava. She was excited by the blog and the Israeli audience and invited us to stay at their hotels.

After reading the reviews for their hotels and checking out their locations, the decision was simple, and we ordered flight tickets right away. The hotel we were invited to in Barcelona was the boutique Catedral hotel.

Catedral hotel in Barcelona

We arrived at the hotel by car. In principle, a car isn’t required in Barcelona and might actually prove redundant, but we rented one since we knew we would continue to Costa Brava. The hotel also had a parking lot which is excellent, since parking is difficult to find in Barcelona.

We arrived at the hotel in the afternoon and were really excited by its design, a meticulous, modern design – everything was clean and innovative. There is a lot of greenery and many sitting areas, such as the bar and restaurant area, seating outside, in the lobby, the bottom floor, and the pool area upstairs.

From the entrance to the hotel, reception is immediately in front and the bar is to the left. At the reception we were greeted with a smile, they told us that every day at 17:00 there is a cheese tasting and a free glass of wine for hotel guests, and that on Sundays there is an hour long tour of the gothic quarter and Wednesday evening there is a night fairy-tale tour (The tours are free for hotel guests). Since we were only there for two nights, from Friday to Sunday, we only joined the Sunday morning tour.

The hotel room

We got a room on the 3rd floor. The room was charming, with large windows and a view of the street. It has a luxurious bed (We had a hard time getting up in the morning), an armchair and desk with a coffee stand, a minibar and TV. The shower room has a bath and toilet. As usual I took a few pictures before messing up the room with all of my stuff, then we went up to the hotel’s crown jewel – The rooftop pool.

The pool

We arrived on a rather wintry day, but still had a good time resting on the reclining chairs, especially after getting up early, and felt like resting for a bit prior to exploring the area and grabbing lunch. On our last day in the hotel the weather was hot, so after our tour of the gothic quarter we decided to pass two hours in the pool and enjoy the perfect weather.

Of course, no Spanish vacation is complete without a Sangria, so we called room service from the pool and asked them to bring us Sangrias to the pool. We took a few photos and I read a book while Roman was in the water.

Cheeses and wine

At precisely 17:00 we came down for the cheese and wine tasting (It’s one of our favourite activities, so we definitely didn’t want to miss the opportunity). We took a plate of some quality cheeses, crackers and olives. We asked for two glasses of wine and sat down on the sofas next to the bar, enjoying every moment of it. At some point, I wanted to get some more Bree but discovered the cheese station had already been closed (So be aware that the cheese station only lasts 10-15 minutes, so arrive on time :))

Breakfast

Roman is a fan of buffet meals, while I enjoy eating à la carte off the menu. I was glad to see this hotel had a breakfast menu. You may sit inside or outside (There are very nice sitting areas outside). At first, our table was set with a pastry basket, a bread basket, a variety of jams, a plate of purée, a bowl of fruit and milk and coffee pitchers. The menu has a large selection of breakfast dishes and you can order as many as you’d like.

On our first morning, Roman ordered smoked salmon and an English breakfast and I ordered salmon. On the second day I had porridge (I explained to the waiter how I’d like it made and that was exactly what I got – A porridge with soy milk, banana and berries :)), and Roman had salmon and hard-boiled eggs.
There’s also a table with cereal, breads, fruit and desserts to pick from. I was also pleased to discover I could order a Cappuccino with soy milk.

The hotel bar and restaurant

The bar has a food and alcohol menu available to anyone, not only hotel guests. On our final day at the hotel, after spending two hours at the pool, we needed to continue to Costa Brava. We were already hungry and tipsy off the Sangrias 🙂 so we decided to have lunch at the hotel.

We ordered two dishes of poached egg with purée and truffle oil, I also ordered a fish ratatouille and Roman had meatballs with fish and ham. The dishes were excellent. I really liked the poached egg (The secret ingredient is the truffle oil) and the ratatouille with fish was great. Roman was very excited about his food as well, and honestly, the prices were very reasonable. The meal cost us 25 euros for 5 large dishes and a bottle of water.

Tour in the gothic quarter

As I mentioned in the beginning, the hotel offers two free tours to its guests. We joined the tour in the gothic quarter which leaves the hotel at 10am. There’s no need to sign up to it, just show up 10 minutes early and wait at the reception desk. We were a large group of about 20 people and got on our way. The guide gave us a short tour of the central areas of the gothic quarter and told us about the place’s history. It was a nice, light tour and a good way to get to know and learn a bit more about the area.

The hotel’s location

The hotel is located in the gothic quarter, which after this trip, we decided is our favourite part of Barcelona. It’s central and close to everything, yet quieter than Las Ramblas and Catalonia square. I’ve been to Barcelona twice already, staying in the areas I mentioned and honestly didn’t enjoy myself quite as much. Everything felt more touristic and with fewer good places to eat at.

In the gothic quarter are many small, high quality restaurants, as well as boutique cafés. The are itself, with its many little alleys, was much more exciting in my eyes. On Saturday we also went on a tapas tour, part of which was in the gothic quarter, which convinced me even further that it is the best part are to visit. Additionally, it’s close to the main touristic areas and Barcelona’s beaches.

A 3-minute walk away from the hotel is the Santa Caterina market (A smaller version of la Boqueria market), a minute away from the hotel is the only cathedral in Barcelona and about 20 minutes away is the sea. Rambla avenue is a 5-minute walk away. There is also public transport by the hotel.

A few months ago, we were at a tourism convention in Berlin where we met Anna, who is a director of hotels in Barcelona and Costa Brava. She was excited by the blog and the Israeli crowd and invited us to stay at their hotels.

After reading reviews about the hotel and seeing their location, the decision was easy, and we ordered tickets right away.

The hotel we booked in Costa Brava was Delamar hotel in Lloret de Mar.

Delamar hotel in Costa Brava

We arrived at the hotel with a car from Barcelona. It’s possible to reach Lloret de Mar by bus or by train then bus. The hotel has paid parking if you come by car and there’s also a free parking a bit further from the hotel.
We personally loved having a car on hand but it’s possible to travel the area by public transportation and taxis or rent motorcycles and ATV.

We arrived at the hotel during the afternoon, parked our car and went to the reception. We were greeted with a smile and received the card to our room. We were told that at 17:30 there is a cheese tasting, along with a free glass of wine, for hotel guests at the pool area. There’s a pool area downstairs as well as a terrace with a pool on the top floor. Additionally, we were given a straw hat (Which Roman really liked and wore the entire time) and a beach bag.

The room itself

We got a room on the 6th floor. The room was cute and basic with two beds, a TV, a room with a shower stall and a toilet. It had a nice balcony with a table and two chairs and view of the pool.
After we got the room we decided to go down to the pool.

The pool

The pool area is a lot of fun, there are sitting spots, some with tables and chairs and others with reclining chairs, tanning beds with mattresses and pillows, access to the hotel bar and a modern design.
We laid down on the reclining chairs and I read a book as usual, Roman was on his phone. Then we noticed it was already five and a half, which meant it was time for the cheese tasting to begin.

Cheese tasting and glass of wine

So, at precisely five thirty, they brought out a large table on wheels, covered with different varieties of cheeses, crackers and olives. A line of people waiting for the cheeses formed quickly, but we managed to be among the first and each of us got himself a plate of cheeses. Afterwards, we ordered two glasses of white wine from the bar and returned to the reclining chairs.

The bar

On our second day at the hotel we decided to have two cocktails after dinner. I ordered a sangria as usual and Roman has a Tequila sunrise cocktail. What’s nice was that we could have them on the tanning beds and just spent two hours there, talking and drinking our cocktails.

Food at the hotel

Our stay at the hotel included breakfasts and dinners. Breakfast is a buffet and is highly varied, there’s some of everything. There are fruits, vegetables, cheeses, sausages, breads, desserts, eggs to your taste, hot stews and more.

Dinner is a buffet as well, and what I liked about it is the option to order meat or fish straight off the grill. There were many stews, salads, vegetables, soups, breads, varied sides such as Risotto and pasta, as well as a dessert area which included a chocolate fountain for Fondue (There were fruits and marshmallows you could dip in the chocolate).

Dinner didn’t include drinks, so if you want light beverages or alcohol you may order them from your table’s waiter and get it for an extra price (The price is very reasonable).
We enjoyed the food a lot, the variety and quality of it. The dining room itself was very clean and felt like a restaurant.

More about Delamar hotel

The hotel has a gym we unfortunately didn’t get to try out due to a busy schedule. There is also the top floor with the terrace, which offers a beautiful view, it’s highly recommended to go up there during sunset. There are other sitting areas such as reclining chairs and tanning beds, and also the pool. Additionally, there are yoga classes in the morning and a massage room. There are also lockers to keep your things in (I really liked the concept of coded lockers, rather than a storage room).
The hotel is quite large and had many guests, but the feeling is very nice, clean and quiet.

The hotel’s location

The hotel is in a very central location, a two-minute walk away from the beach. The beach is nice and clean, with tanning beds and sun umbrellas for rent (7 euros per chair and 7 for an umbrella), though you can simply lie on a towel. The beach is actually made up of many tiny rocks rather than sand (I personally preferred it, that way the sand doesn’t end up sticking to your whole body). The beach was rather crowded, but you can find calmer areas. There are also water sports like boats with little slides and paragliding.

In the evening, the area by the hotel becomes lively and you are a minute away from all the action. There are many bars, restaurants, cafés, stores and clubs within walking distance. There is also the boardwalk, with more bars and restaurants. There’s fast food and a supermarket. Also next to the hotel is a bus stop for those without a car.
The Lloret de Mar museum is a few minutes’ walk away. Despite the central location, the hotel itself is quiet, as are the rooms. Put short, it’s an excellent location.

Our experience at the hotel

I must say I’ve had the chance to stay at many hotels in vacation towns. Most are crowded and noisy, not to mention – of lower quality. This hotel is a whole other hosting experience. The mere fact you are given a hat and bag, as well as the free tastings, is already a tell. Service is excellent, the design is modern and innovative, everything is clean and quiet.

There are many sitting spots by the bar as well, the cocktails were great, as was the food, and the location is central and comfortable.
I can understand why this hotel gets such a high rating and such positive reviews.

Before arriving in Barcelona, it was clear to me that one of the attractions we had to do over there is a food tour. Barcelona is known for its tapas and wine scene and I felt like trying out as much of what Barcelona has to offer as possible. I looked for a food tour which included wine and had a local tour guide and came across the tour with Adrian  (Link to the tour). It received great reviews and I ended up mailing a request for us to join the tour straight away.

Adrian replied to me and was very pleasant, so on Saturday, at 5pm (Early September) we joined the food tour. Adrian had a ton of energy and stories and I immediately knew it was going to be an interesting tour, and hopefully a tasty one. In retrospect, it was even better than I had anticipated.

Food tour in Barcelona

We had 4 stops.

Stops along the tour

We started the tour at the meeting point by the metro station. The group consisted of Roman and I and six other guys. Three guys from South Africa, a girl from the Netherlands and a couple from the USA. The first place we visited was a local bar. There’s no chance of you seeing a tourist there, there isn’t even a sign with the place’s name. Only the locals know it.

We got sparkling wine, Manchego cheese, Jamon (ham) and spicy sausage. Simple food, yet really delicious, especially for cheese and ham enthusiasts. Afterwards, we got a glass of Cava. Adrian told us about the food and drinks and the difference between sparkling wine and Cava. After the first stop I already felt a bit tipsy. Oh, and it’s also possible to purchase wines and other local produce.

We moved on to the next stop, a place that serves the best Potatos Batats (a very popular potato dish you’ll find in every restaurant). Adrian said it’s the recommended spot to have this dish. We also tried a tapas named Bomba which was spicy and delicious and for dessert we had bread with tomato tapas. There’s a whole ritual that goes into preparing the dish, which is simple and super tasty. At this stop we had a light beer mixed with lime soda (a fun, refreshing drink).

The next stop was at a lovely bar where they served us excellent olives, Chorizo and ratatouille (roasted vegetables) tapas on toast. We drank such delicious wine there, that by the end we decided to buy a bottle of it to take back to Israel with us.

The last stop was a restaurant-bar where we drank wine (Rosé) in the traditional manner (It didn’t sit well with me haha) and ate tomato salad with onions, friend anchovies (I was surprised to discover how tasty they are) and killer sausages (At this point I was stuffed and drunk and didn’t try them, Roman claimed they were excellent as well)

Experiences on the tour

During the tour, Adrian told us a lot about Barcelona’s history, I was surprised by how knowledgeable he was despite only living in Barcelona for only 3 years. He’s originally American and lived in many different countries. He knows every location in Barcelona well and showed us where we should hang out at night, where good bars are, where there’s really recommended food, delis and more during the tour. The people on the tour with us were super nice and there was a fun and light atmosphere.

This was my third time in Barcelona and I must say I wasn’t incredibly impressed by it, I found it very touristic and commercialized, but this tour made me realize I simply hadb’t visited the right places. Adrian managed to show us the authentic Barcelona with its unique, hidden locations, the goth quarter was very magical in my eyes, full of alleyways with cool bars, modern little cafés and different boutique shops.
If you want to fall in love with Barcelona, I highly recommend this  tour which will allow you to experience Barcelona through an experienced local guide who’s full of knowledge and affection for it.

Notes on the food tour in Barcelona

• Come hungry!!!
• Bring comfortable shoes
• The tour is 3.5-4 hours long
• The tour started at Carrer del Doctor Aiguader and continued to the goth quarter.
  If you have any food intolerances or preferences you should notify in advance
• The tour price includes all food and alcohol
• If you’re looking for a highly class tour in terms of food and drink, as well as knowledge about Barcelona and its history – this is the one for you.
• Our participation in the tour was as part of a cooperation with the company.

Our itinerary in Romania. It took place during August 2018, but I keep it updated. I recently updated it on March 2024.

Sibiu city – Ocna Sibiului salt lakes – Gura Raului village – Walking route in the Cindrel mountains – Dam and park – Transfăgărășan road

A year ago we went on a different, 10-day trip in Romania. Link to 10-day itinerary in Romania.

Tips before traveling to Romania

SIM card

I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.

The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.

Car rental in Romania

I think this is the most convenient and fun way to travel. Car prices are low and the roads are easy to drive.

You can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.

Attractions in Romania

You can get ideas for other cool things you can do on the various attraction sites and even order through them (sometimes at a discounted price). The first attractions site is tiqets the second is Get your guide and Viator.

Places to stay at in Sibiu district, Romania

Update: this apartment is no longer available on airbnb, a nice apartment with a luxurious garden, a bit far from the city center – about a 20-minute walk. Suitable for those looking for a quiet place in Sibiu’s residential area. Next to an excellent restaurant.
Airbnb apartment in Gura Raului village (A half-hour drive from the city). Apartment with magical view in a charming little village in Sibiu district. One of the best apartments we’ve stayed at, while only costing 80 shekels a night! Link to extended post about the apartment.

On our final night we stayed at Floare de colt apartment house, relatively close to the Sibiu airport. The apartment doesn’t have an air conditioner, only a fan, and so it’s better from the cold months.

You can search for places to stay in Romania via Booking.

How much did our trip to Romania cost?

The whole trip (7 nights in Romania) cost us around 1300 euros , or even less. Including flights, lodging (200 euros for a couple, for 7 nights), a car we rented through Paapm Paapm for five days (230 euros), food and drink (Supermarkets, markets and restaurants).

Here’s our itinerary detailed by day in Romania:

Days 1-2, Sibiu city

We found a cheap flight to Sibiu during August and decided to take advantage of the low price to keep exploring Romania (We traveled to Romania last year as well but visited different areas). We landed in the afternoon and the Airbnb apartment owner came to pick us up at the airport. You could also take a cab, as taxi prices are very low – a taxi, not during high traffic hours, will run you about 15-20 lei.

Afterwards, we went to an excellent local restaurant by the apartment, called Prima. Then, after getting some rest at the apartment, we went for a stroll around the old town.

The next day we kept on exploring the city, went up to a vantage point in a tower, went on the bridge of lies, visited some nice cafés, bought souvenirs at stalls and more. Here’s an extended post about the things you can do in Sibiu.

Day 3 – Ocna Sibului salt lakes

In the morning we collected the car we ordered through the Paapm Paapm rental cars search engine. We took the car from the airport, since it was cheaper that way, and could therefore return it straight there on the day of our flight back home (We didn’t rent it from day one since Sibiu really doesn’t require a car). After picking it up, we drove to Ocna Sibului salt lakes, which are half an hour away from the city.

We spent the entire day there and it was a ton of fun. It’s a great activity for hot days in Romania (Which don’t come around frequently, but it’s a great option when they do :)). I’ve written a full post about our experiences at the salt lakes, along with other important information. Link to post about salt lakes.

Day 4 – Gura Raului village

Our fourth day happened to be a Friday, so at first we drove to the local market in Sibiu, by the cathedral (The market is only open on Fridays, from 10:00 to 13:00). It’s a small market with good, local produce. We bought fruit, vegetables, honey and cheeses, then continued to an Airbnb apartment in the village.

It was a half hour drive from the city before we reached a beautiful, authentic, pastoral village. We had a picnic in the apartment’s garden with the products we bought (We also bought bread and sausages from the nearby supermarket), then we rested and walked around the village and in the evenings went to a romantic dinner in a restaurant in the adjacent village – Conacul Maria Theresa

Day 5 – Walking track in the Cindrel mountains

We really enjoy walking tracks and while were in the village, we decided it would be a good opportunity to look for a nice trek in the area. Since it was the middle of August, we looked for a track in the mountains, so it wouldn’t be too hot and lucky for us, then route we chose was shaded for the majority of the way, which made for a nice experience. We also ended the trek on an excellent meal at a restaurant with a breath-taking view of the mountains and greenery. Link to extended post about the walking track we went on and the restaurant.

Day 6 – Park and dam

Dam

15 minutes away from the village we stayed at is an enormous, impressive dam and a little river. We saw many families go there to have a picnic and get a tan, while the little kids played in the shallow waters. Arrival there is by a kurkar road, on the right (Map). If you continue on the paved road on the left side (Meaning, avoid turning onto the kurkar road and keep driving down road 106m), you reach the dam from above, and can even keep driving to the other side of the dam – which is beautiful.

Dumbrava Sibiului National Park

After visiting the dam, we continued to Dumbrava Sibiului National park. It’s a giant park with a lake, a museum – Muzeul ASTRA, with exhibits in different pavilions throughout the park, and restaurants.

It’s a great park to simply walk around, check out the museums exhibits, eat local food at the restaurants and just sit and enjoy the park. We ate at Cârciuma din Bătrâni (Map). The restaurant was full but service was relatively quick. We ordered Mămăligă, soup and a plate of starters. The plate had many fatty foods, so I didn’t enjoy it as much, the Mămăligă and soup were good (Not the best restaurant we’ve been to, but a good option for lunch if you’re in the park)

Day 7 – Transfăgărășan road

There’s a reason why this road is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. We drove there in the late morning hours on a Monday. We were lucky enough to have great weather and spent a whole day there. We spent two hours at lake Bâlea and stopped to take photos a ton of times, enjoying the views. I’ve written a full post with information about the road and our experience there. Link to post about Transfăgărășan road.

While this post was originally written after the trip we took to Romania in August 2018, it is updated for October 2024 with comments and corrections I received from friends and followers of the blog who visited Transfagaran up until October 2024. It means you can trust the prices and the content being up-to-date. Surely you are welcome to write me in the comments.

Last year we were in Romania and wanted very much to drive down Transfagarasan road, but unfortunately didn’t get the chance. So this time, while visiting Romania in August, we decided to visit this road no matter what. We travelled the Sibiu district and the day before coming back home, we drove to Transfagarasan and spent the entire day there. We found a really good rental car deal through Paapm Paapm website and the actual car rental service provided by the Romanian Autonom car rental company.

A bit about Transfagarasan

Transfagarasan is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world, crossing the southern part of the Carpathian mountains. It was built in the 70s and is 90km long. It has many twists and turns, and passes adjacent to Bâlea Lake, Bâlea waterfall and Vidraru lake.
It starts out in Cartisoara village and ends in Curtea de Argeș village.

Make sure to check your GPS navigation to go through the actual Transfagarasan road and not through an alternative road.

How to reach Transfagarasan road

The closest cities are Pitesti and Sibiu.
Pitesti is 37km away (south).
Sibiu is 48km away (north).
Brasov is 105km away (east).
Bucharest is 154km away (south).

We arrived from the Sibiu area and got on the road within an hour. We started at Cartisoara village which is marked A on the map.

When is Transfagarasan open? Updates for October 2024

The road is open year-round, but during the winter 25km of it are closed. The closed part is between Piscu Negru and Bâlea Cascadă. That part is closed since during the winter it might prove dangerous to drive through. This part is closed between October 31st and the 1st of July. During the winter, more sections of the road might be closed depending on the weather and how safe it is to drive there.

In the past I recommend following the Blogger Martin, who leads bike tours on Transfagarasan and posts updates regarding the weather and whether parts of the road are closed off but he is no longer actively sharing updates.

You may check this live video stream from a camera on the Balea Lake (Lacul Balea) at around 2,034 meters altitude.

The most recent updates (6th September 2024) from travelers say that the road is open fully and you can drive to the top and to the other side. It is expected to close on October 31st between Bâlea Cascadă (Waterfall) in the north to Piscu Negru in the South. This section should open up again on July 1st 2025. In case you happen to arrive and find it closed, you may take the cable car to Balea Lake, if the weather allows it and there are 10 persons (you can park the car at the Balea Waterfall parking).

Our experience at Transfagarasan road

We arrived at the road on an August weekday, in the late morning hours (Around 10am) with a ton of expectations, and we were delighted that the road met our expectations and even surpassed them. We happened upon a great day, with excellent visibility and without many clouds. Honestly, whenever a cloud popped up, it only added to the magical feeling on the road.

An unexpected stop

We started the ride and after a few minutes of driving suddenly had to stop, since apparently there was a rock collapse. Since we already started the drive up the mountain, the weather was pleasant so even the stop was a nice experience. Everyone left their vehicles and waited for the go ahead. I think we stopped there for about a half hour.

Transfagarasan road length

The road is 90km and at first, I thought we’ll quickly reach its end, but since its full of turns the maximum speed is 40km/h. Plus, you stop on the side of the road to take pictures every two minutes (Its really beautiful around there). Take into account that this trip takes half a day at the very least, perhaps even a full day.

Balea waterfall – cable car and hiking trail

At about the height where the forest ends and a treeless alpine area begins, you will see many vehicles stopping on the side of the road. This is the entrance to the cable car that goes up from the Bela waterfall to the lake. You can park for free along the road and I think there is also an internal parking lot for the restaurant which operates there.

The cable car goes up to Lake Bela (and as I mentioned we didn’t do it because we continued with the car to the lake). The price is 50 lei one way for an adult and 30 lei for a child and payment here is still only cash as of October 2024.

If you are visiting on a pleasant day and you like hiking, you can do a hiking route from here to the Bela waterfall – about an hour of climbing and another hour back to the parking lot. The route is steep and not recommended for children under the age of 5 according to several groups of travelers we met along the way who said it was difficult for them. If you are with a baby – the track is not accessible for strollers. Note that you are following the route marked with a red circle.

If you just want to dip your feet at the cold water – you can do it at the beginning of the route at the point where the route starts to rise from the parking lot.

Balea lake – The hidden, magical lake

There was a point when cars started slowing down and we realized we arrived at the lake (Map). You can’t see the lake from the road, you arrive at a parking area with many stalls. We parked our car at the lot, which cost 10 leu an hour (prices are updated on September 2024).

At the stalls we could buy local street food, such as a cheese filled Mămăligă ball, hot corn on a cob, different types of sausage, local cakes and more. There’s a food court with plenty of seats where you can buy local grilled food.

At one of the stalls that sold sausages, the woman said that one of the sausages was a bear meat sausage. I don’t know if that’s for real or not but that’s what she said. Anyway, you can also buy there the local drink – Ţuica made from plums.

From the parking and stall area you walk for less than 5-minutes and reach the hidden lake.

The fun part about it is that you can buy the local food and sit by the lake, have a little picnic an amazing view of the lake and the mountains.
I highly recommend arriving on a weekday and relatively early in the day, as it’ll be much less crowded. The lake is really beautiful, we had a fun time sitting there, watching it and taking photos.

Things to do at Balea lake

The lake area has walking routes, so if you’re looking for a nice physical challenge, you can visit and do a walking track.

The simple route is to go around the lake and is comfortable even with children and will take less than an hour. There are additional and longer routes and you can go up and go about a kilometer south to the other side of the ridge and return on foot through the Balea tunnel to the parking lot. We didn’t do this route and it is suitable for those with who love to hike. You should find out more details about this route in advance and prepare for it.

Another nice thing is two restaurants with balconies overlooking the lake. We visited the first restaurant from the top.

I ordered a cappuccino and Roman order Ciorba soup, as usual.
Although it’s a lake and the middle of August, since it’s located at a 2000m height, it’s relatively chilly up there, one might even call it cold. I wore a short shirt and scarf and was very cold.

So another recommendation is bringing long trousers and closed shoes, and bring a jacket (If you visit during another season, bring a coat and toque, since there are also strong winds).
There is also a cable car which goes along the road. As I mentioned we didn’t try the cable car as we drove the car, but it seems like a nice experience and you will have to take it if you want to get here once the roads are closed. There is also a really high and long Omega ride which seems really extreme.

Silly experience we had at the lake

Before returning to the vehicle, Roman decided to buy some sausages and I bought a local dessert and paid in cash at the restaurant. When we came to the car we realized we didn’t have enough cash left to pay for the parking. Apparently, there aren’t any ATMs in the area and we had to look for a couple of Leu to pay for parking. Eventually the guard at the entrance let us go, but we felt quite embarrassed and it wasn’t very pleasant. As of September 2024 – both parking lots at the lake operate electric gates and accept credit cards at the exit. The current cost is 10 lei per hour and they charge by every half an hour (15 lei per one hour and fifteen minutes for example).

Capra waterfall

The Capra waterfall is a relatively small waterfall that can be seen from the road when continuing south from Lake Balea. After passing through the Balea tunnel, the road begin to descend steeply and within a few minutes you reach a section of the road where everyone slows down. There are not many parking spaces near the waterfall, so one of the lanes is sometimes blocked and turns into a parking lot (because there are also no curbs to stop at). There is not too much to do except take pictures there and maybe buy something at the nearby stall.

Where do you see bears?

You can see bears all along the road, in different sections. Most of the reports from travelers who were there in September 2024 were about encounters with bears on the section of the road between Capra Falls and southwards to the Vidraru Dam and even a little south of it. You can meet the bears by driving slowly on the road, sometimes they will cross it or walk / stand next to it, on the side of the road or in the forest. It is difficult to pass the entire road without meeting bears. Even if you drive fast, you will probably slow down because of a car that has slowed down or stopped to take a picture of them, so pay attention and watch for unexpected stops or cars standing behind every turn.

Vidraru Dam (and lake)

The southern point of interest on the Transfagarasan Road is the Vidraru Dam – it is a huge dam that creates an artificial lake with the same name. You can park along the road and cross the dam on foot, take pictures and admire the view, the lake and the huge structure of the Dam. You can spend fifteen minutes there and move on.

Accommodations in the area of the Transfagarasan Road

We reached the Transfagarasan road from Sibiu , but if you want to sleep in the area of the road, here are some places I found with good reviews:

Hotel Posada Vidraru

Simfonia Boutique Hotel

Casa Sima guesthouse

Complex Pastravaria Albota

There is also a guesthouse at Balea lake if you want to stay in the road’s vicinity.

Questions and answers about Transfagarasan Road

Q: Are there any attractions or activities nearby along Transfagarasan Road?

A: Many people come to the road and have picnics along the way, there are stopping places along the entire road. Some even go camping there. There are several hiking trails and picturesque observation points along the route. In addition, you can stop at the Vidraru Dam, one of the highest dams in Europe, or visit the historic Poienari Castle, which stands on a cliff overlooking the Argeș River.

Q: What are some safety tips for driving on Transfagarasan Road?

A: There are many cyclists and motorcyclists on the road so you have to drive slowly and carefully. It is important to drive carefully and adhere to the speed limit, because the road is narrow and winding with a steep descent. Be prepared for sudden changes in weather, including fog and rain, which can reduce visibility. In addition, make sure that your vehicle is in good condition and equipped with tires suitable for driving in the mountains.
It is recommended to reach the road in the morning and in the middle of the week, otherwise there can be traffic congestion, especially in the area of Lake Bala.
We went mid-week in the morning, when we made the way back from the other side (around five o’clock in the evening) there was quite a long traffic jam in the lake area.

Q: What clothing is recommended to wear when visiting the Transfagarasan Road?

Bring warm and long clothes with you, even in the summer months. I didn’t do it and it was really cold for me to go outside the car.

Q: Are there places to eat along Transfagarasan Road?

A: There are food stalls and a restaurant at Lake Bala and stalls occasionally along the road.

Q: When is the best time to visit Transfagarasan?

A: The road is usually open to traffic from the end of June to the beginning of October, depending on the weather conditions. The best time to visit is during the summer months when the weather is milder and the road less likely to be blocked by snow or ice. As I mentioned already, I think it is best to enjoy the road during weekdays rather than the weekend or public Holidays, so it gets less crowded.

Q: How much time to spend in Transfagarasan Road?

A: We spent the entire day, from morning to evening. Consider just crossing the 111km or road will take you approx 3 hours of driving, from one end to the other. Some people actually spend the night or few nights along it, so they can enjoy the sights in a more relaxed schedule.

Q: Can I enjoy the Transfagarasan Road with public transportation?

A: I actually checked and didn’t find any public transportation services to go through the Transfagarasan Road. There is a bus and rail service which goes on a parallel way to the west, between Râmnicu Vâlcea and Sibiu which you can take but it would only be 20km to the west of the Transfagarasan Road. You can find few tour operatours via Get your guide and Viator to take you for a guided trip, but personally I really like to drive around myself with a rental car and stop whenever I want.

Q: What is the meaning of Transfagarasan Road?

A: The road was built in the early 1970s as a strategic military route by the regime of Nicolae Ceausescu, the former communist leader of Romania. It was designed to provide quick access over the mountains in the event of a Soviet invasion. Today, it is known for its stunning scenery and challenging driving conditions, attracting tourists and driving enthusiasts from around the world.

Q: What are the most worthwhile places along Transfagarasan Road?

A: One of the most iconic features of the Transfagarasan Road is the Balea Lake and waterfall, located at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. The second place not to be missed is Lake Vidraru and Vidraru Dam. In addition, there are several tunnels and canals along the route, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Q: What is the distance between Transfagarasan Road and major cities?

A: Bucharest: The distance between Bucharest and the Transfagarasan road is about 160-180 kilometers, depending on the exact starting point in Bucharest. It takes about 3-4 hours to drive from Bucharest to the beginning of Transmigration Road.

Sibiu: Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, located about 50 kilometers from the Transmigration Highway, depending on the specific route taken. The trip usually takes about an hour.

Brasov: Brasov is another city in Transylvania and is located approximately 90-110 kilometers from the Transmigration Highway, depending on the starting point in Brasov. It usually takes 1.5-2.5 hours to drive from Brasov to the Transfiguration road.

Cluj-Napoca: Cluj-Napoca is located further north in Romania and is about 250-300 kilometers from the Transmigration Highway. The trip usually takes about 4-5 hours.

These travel distances and times are approximate and may vary depending on factors such as the specific start and end points, road conditions and traffic. It is always a good idea to check with Navigation apps like Waze or Google Maps before traveling, just make sure it actually takes you through the Transfagarasan road and doesn’t navigate you around it like it originally happened to us.

A half-hour drive from our Airbnb apartment in Gura Raului village is a nice walking track in the mountainous woods, starting out in Platinis village (Post about our Airbnb apartment).
We like trekking and so, while in the village, decided we’d like to go on a nice track in the area. We looked for interesting tracks and found out about the Cindrel mountains. I’ve learned that there is a 3-4 hour route, a 5-6 hour route, and a 10 hour route.

Since it was the middle of August, I was worried it’d be too hot for a long track and we decided to go with the 3-4 hour route.The information regarding the different walking tracks in the Cindrel mountains I found on this website. There isn’t a lot of information about these routes, but this much helps some.

You can reach this track from Sibiu itself, as well. It’s about an hour drive away. (Post about recommended things to do in Sibiu).
We arrived with a vehicle we rented from the Papam Papam website, through the Autonom company.

Hiking in the Cindrel mountains

On this track, you pass several notable checkpoints and it’s important to be aware of them, as there are forks in the road and taking the wrong path might lead you onto a longer route. The route is circular.

My recommendation is to visit the large map by the cable car. There you’ll see the possible walking routes. I recommend taking a picture of the map and your route, to make sure you are able to follow it properly.

The trail’s checkpoints

Păltiniş – Vf. Onceşti – Poiana Muncel – Stâna Găujoara – Izvorul Dorul Clujului – Păltiniş

Every time you come across an intersection with signs, pay attention to the next checkpoint and walk in the direction of the arrow pointing to it. Additionally, pay attention to markings along the road – A blue triangle at first, then two red lines, a blue circle and lastly a red cross.

Beginning of the hiking trail

The walking route, in its first part, is a long climb up the mountain for about an hour, on an organized trail. You start at a height of 1450m and climb to a height of 1700m.
The ascent isn’t steep or especially difficult, but if you’re not into climbs – you may skip this park and simply take the cable car up the mountain.
The trail starts out near the cable car parking in the village (Map). From the parking area you need to keep walking straight until you see a blue triangle marking on the trees, there you start the climb.

Information about the hiking trail itself

The route is considered an easy one. The only part that is somewhat difficult is the climb in the beginning, but if you’re in decent shape you shouldn’t have too much issue with it. We’ve seen a family with children take the route as well.
The route is marked all along the way with markings on trees, as well as bright pink markings on stones along the way.

For the most part, the track is a walk through the woods, so you don’t get to see too much any impressive views, but there are some very pretty views in the beginning, and it is a light and fun trek.

When is it recommended to do the track?

My recommendation is to do the track during the summer. The advantage to this route is that most of the walking is done in the forest, and so is mostly in the shade – which was great, since we did it in the middle of August. Additionally, since the route is mountainous, the weather is very pleasant.

During the route there are several streams you need to cross by walking over rocks. During the summer, the current is slow and it wasn’t a problem to cross them, but if you’re traveling during the fall or spring, It’s important not to go on the track while it’s raining/after a rainy day, or the current might be much stronger – and you won’t be able to get around it.

Restaurant with hypnotizing view after the trek

One of the fun things about this route is that after walking (About 5 hours with stops and filming), we sat down at Restaurant Bar Tiffany Paltinis (Map), right by the cable car. This is a very popular restaurant and the main reason is the balcony, which overlooks the green mountain view. At first we sat at a corner table, not great in terms of view, but of course I was looking over the tables in the better locations, and as soon as a couple left their table, I asked the waiter to move us there.

Restaurant’s menu

The menu at the restaurant is in Romanian only (They don’t have an English menu), which was a bit challenging and for a moment we considered just ordering a hamburger, since we couldn’t understand the menu.

But then we pulled out our phones and used Google Translate, which has the option of translating from pictures. So, I took a photo of a part of the menu every time and saw the translation, which helped a lot in making our order.
Roman ordered Ciorba soup for starters, and for mains – Puree with meat.  I ordered sliced vegetables, and fish fillet with Risotto for my main course. We were worried of the food being of low quality, but it was actually really tasty (It might have been due to how hungry we were after 5 hours of walking).

We also ordered local beer, and for dessert a cheese cake with chocolate and a chocolate profiterole with coffee (We deserve it after that much walking, don’t we? :))
In summary, the restaurant is highly recommended for both a full meal and just coffee with cake. It was one of our wonderful moments on the trip to Romania.

We arrived at Sibiu on a cheap flight we found for August (2018). In Sibiu we stayed at an Airbnb apartment (Search for other accommodations), Then went on to spend three nights in another apartment at Gura Raului village. A village about half an hour drive away. You can reach it by train, but the area is hard to get around without a car, so I would recommend making the trip with a rental car. We found a vehicle though Papam Papam website, and the lease was from the Autonom company.

We made the trip to Romania after a luxurious cruise in the Adriatic Sea, so we decided to make our trip to Romania on a low budget. We wanted a rural trip with a lot of nature, and that’s what we ended up getting.

If you’re traveling to Sibiu for more than two-three days, I’d recommend renting a car and traveling the surrounding area – Since it’s really magical. Another recommendation is to sleep in the adjacent villages, to enjoy the authentic, local experience.

The apartment we stayed at in the village

We found this apartment through the Airbnb website, and honestly (Link to the apartment), we picked it due to its low cost (About 20 euros a night) and because it seemed to offer a beautiful view. It turned out to be one of the most magical apartments we ever had the pleasure of staying at, mostly because of its well-tended garden and the stunning, green views it offered. Additionally, the village itself is really charming and has a grocery store within walking distance of the apartment. There is also a great restaurant in the village, an 8-minute drive away and a supermarket right by the restaurant (Map to the supermarket).

Information regarding the apartment

The apartment itself is located in a compound with several apartments belonging to the family. It is a two-floor apartment, with two bedrooms on the second floor, one with two single beds and the other with a double bed and a small balcony with a beautiful view of the mountains.

There’s also a bathroom with a shower. On the first floor is the living room, food area and another bathroom. The adjacent house has a giant shared kitchen (We didn’t get to see anyone else there and were always alone in it), as well as a giant, well-tended garden with many flowers and a pagoda area with a table, chairs and swing. There’s also a cute little dog named Toto who will always come out to greet you.

The apartment doesn’t have an air conditioner, only heating. Before our arrival I was somewhat worried about that part, since it was the middle of august, but the owner told us the apartment itself is pleasant and cool and so it was. At night we slept with a blanket on and even wore a jacket in the evenings, since it got chilly.

Picnic in the garden

Before going to Gura Raului, we passed through a local produce market in Sibiu, which is open on Fridays between 10:00 and 13:00. We bought cheeses, fruit, vegetables and honey. We also bought bread and ham at the store next to our apartment. It turned out to be a great purchase, since the apartment’s garden is perfect for a fun picnic. We took the picnic photos on a sheet in the middle of the garden, but afterwards sat down to eat under the pagoda and it was great.

Restaurant for dinner in the adjacent village

We spent three nights at the apartment, on two of them we cooked dinner at home, and on the other we decided to go have dinner at a restaurant. There aren’t many options of dining in the area, so we chose the restaurant based on the best looking google photos.

The restaurant we ate at is called Conacul Maria Theresa, address: nr. 632, Strada Victoriei, Orlat 557170, Romania. (Map)
We came there for dinner and sat outside. It was a very pleasant and even a bit chilly, despite it being the middle of august. We ordered two glasses of white wine and for starters Roman had Ciorba soup, while I ordered a trio of salads – Grilled eggplant, roasted pepper salad and a potato salad (Russian styled).

We were also served fresh bread along with our food. For mains, Roman ordered ribs served with potatoes and I ordered fillet of beef, also with potatoes. All the dishes were really good, and the atmosphere was nice. The service was a bit slow, since all the tables were packed, but it didn’t hurt our experience and we had a great time.

Gura Raului village

The village is a half hour drive from Sibiu. All the houses are colourful, there are about three grocery stores and no restaurants. The experience in the village is very authentic and there is a feeling of traveling back in time. While there are cars, there are also many horse-pulled carts.

A 15-minute drive away from the village is an area with a river and a gorgeous, ginormous dam. The whole area is very pastoral, you’ll see many cows and horses along the way.
You can travel the area and drive along the road by the dam, to see its other side.

An hour away are the fun Ocna Sibiuliu salt lakes (Extended post about the salt lakes).