Right around Halloween, a new challenge set in a beautiful part of Romania was released from The Conqueror: Transylvania.
I’m giving it a go, as I do.
With my first distance posted I also received my first postcard. The email portion begins by telling me…
The “Land Beyond the Forest” lends an air of mystery and adventure. Such is the English translation of the Latin word Transylvania, a magnificent mountainous region in Romania that in modern times has been closely associated with the fictional character Dracula and the legendary warlord Vlad Dracula otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler.Occupying nearly 42% of Romania’s total surface, the region is hugged by the Carpathian Mountains (“the Carpathians”) to the east and south and the Apuseni Mountains to the west.
It tells me more about the people groups and history that shifted Transylvania from Hungary to Romania, and then goes into more info about my starting point.
I learn more about the resort town and the castle (shown) built by King Carol I.
Built at the end of the 19th century the castle has a Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival architecture. Completed with more than 170 rooms, it is a beautiful structure of spires, wood panelling, a clock tower and highly detailed frescoes. The grounds are filled with terraced gardens, niches filled with statues, fountains, grand lion statues standing guard and more.
A lot more content describes the grounds and the apparently quite beautiful interior as well as its use today.
But this is just the beginning – I have much ground to cover.
Wish me luck!
aka gringita 