Up in the citadel everything is quiet. During the week you get that freedom given by the lack of weekend visitor’s flock. You can quietly walk through the old city walls, photograph the wonderful panorama of Rasnov surroundings, talk to the people. It is how I met Mr Samoilă – the city guardian, on a sunny winter day 4 years ago.
Within the fortified walls, the cold air of the mountain invades your lungs. Nearby lay the ruins of the Catholic Chapels. It makes you think about the times long ago when people were climbing up the mountain to pray. Today tourists have paid transportation into the old city, about 3 E a ticket per person. Easy access in discovering the fortified walls, the well-preserved houses – a world of the past that makes you forget about the present. On the highest point of the city, at the place where once was the Evangelical Chapel telescopes have been installed, to better see the surroundings. On a clear day, you can have a great view and it is also an excellent point for panoramic photos. Back in the main square, the first attraction is the well. According to some historians it was built by the Saxon craftsmen of the area. For a fee and if you’re not claustrophobic, you can descend into the well to a depth of 80 meters. In short, you have a few hours to spend outdoors, in one of the most beautiful historical sites of Romania.
I recommend you to visit the antique boutique of Samo – Rosenau Souvenir
Enter the small museum of Mr Samoilă, on whose business card it is written “Samo – gardianul cetatii /the guardian of the city”.
Dressed in traditional clothes of the old times, this sentimental collector gathered between four walls decades of history. It is full of energy at 75 years old and tells you in details the city’s history and that of the people who have crossed the threshold of Râșnov. In this small space, you will find amazing evidence of the place past events. Photos, clothes and accessories, money and badges, maps, and more, much more – all old and precious. If you will find him there, he will tell you unique tails and stories about the fortress and the mountain, as his father was the first mountain guide of Rasnov.
On departure, I received a special gift – an edelweiss which Samo cultivates with love for its guests 🙂
This post is also available in: Romanian
English
Română
RSS