Laura Cosoi

Laura Cosoi was born on January 2, 1982 in Romania. She is a famous Romanian actress.

Biography and Career :

Laura Cosoi started her acting career having a role in the La Bloc Tv Series on Pro Tv. Her role in the movie is Adina - a simple-minded and naive blonde girl. She is a beautiful and passionable girl but unfortunately she believes all the stupid things she hears. Her friends trick her easily so that she always takes care of all the things in house.

Quotes :
- When I was a kid, I used to have a small boutique just in front of my house. I used to sell the sweets my father brought me, my clothes, my cousin's clothes and many other things.

- I feel sexy, I dress sexy, I'm a sportive woman, I dress sport and I pay attention the way I look.

- I don't like to stay 2 hours in front of the mirror like other women. I like to combine different styles of fashion like classic and elegant. I like to feel confortable and I love quality clothes, they make me smile.

- I love shopping. I have a huge shoes collection. I usually do shopping when I leave country because I want to have were to choose from.

- I try to dress different from others around.

- I guide myself after new fashion trends when choosing the right clothes.

- When I'm wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I want them to be quality and to have a message. Even if I dress simple clothes I want to be fancy in them.

Trivia :
- In March 2006 she appeared in Playboy

- Her boyfriend is Smiley (romanian singer)

Filmography :

- Fete cu lipici (Serial TV) (2005) - Adina

- La bloc (Serial TV) (2002) - Adina

Romanian forest 'could be voted one of the Seven Wonders of Nature'

An ancient European forest is among the contenders for accreditation as one of the world's most amazing spectacles, those looking at the Romanian forestry industry may be interested to discover.The Retezat National Park in Romania has reached the second phase of voting in New7Wonders New Seven Wonders of Nature contest.It is competing in the forests, national parks and nature reserves category and the public will determine which of the contenders is named the most amazing site of its type.The other categories, which may interest those involved in the Romanian forestry industry, are landscapes and ice formations, islands and mountains and volcanoes.In addition, the most spectacular instances of caves, rock formations and valleys, lakes, rivers and waterfalls and seascapes will be democratically selected in an online vote.The Retezat National Park's website reveals that there are 1,190 species of plants in its confines, more than a third of those found in Romania.Of these, 90 are endemic plants which can only be found within the forest.

http://www.kms.ee/

CATALIN BOTEZATU

Catalin Botezatu is one of the most important Romanian designers who has been "The Designer of the Year" 6 years in a role, has received not once, but twice " The Award for Excellency in Fashion" .
The Romanian designer has done fashion shows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas for the Ford Agency event " Supermodel Contest", at Windock in Namibia, at Sun City in South Africa, at Moscow, Budapest, Ibitza , Rome, Malta, Indonesia, Tunis, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Greece, Italy and many more.
1999 is the year when- for the first time - a Romanian designer has a shooting and a fashion show abroad, at the Amir Palace in Tunis. We are talking of course about Catalin Botezatu who was followed in Tunis by a very impressive staff. He does the same thing in 2000 when he has his shootings in the sacred places of Egypt.While in Egypt Catalin Botezatu has 2 fashion shows in Cairo and Luxor.

In 2002 Botezatu did 3 fashion shows and the shooting for a great calendar in Kusadasi, Turkey.
On the 2rd of October 2002 Botezatu was officially invited at the famous "Milan Fashion Week", his collection being presented at the last day "Gala" at Palazzo della Permunente right after Versace's collection.
Catalin Botezatu has had 23 male underweare fashion shows, most of them being broadcasted by Fashion TV.
He is the only romanian designer who does his own scenography, directs his own shows, makes the accessories (jewlery, shoes, hats). His clientele comes from the high-society (vips, politicians, singers etc) The products of Catalin Botezatu are meant to make everybody focus on the woman wearing them, making her sensual, refined sofisticated, without prejudices – a femme fatale.
One of the most important colections - Kyoto - was inspired by the Japonese warriors and was first presented at Jimmi'z in Monte Carlo. For this collection Catalin Botezatu was awarded at the Bali Fashion Week (May 2004) and in Malta (june 2004).
On 2005, may, 3, was officialy show his first women underwear colection. His collection was maid especially for the Fashion Tv show : "FTV Midnight Hot".
On 2005, may, 12, Catalin Botezatu opened the FTV Model Awards 2005 with the FTV Women Underwear Colection in Paris and it was the first fashion show on the faimous stage of "Moulin Rouge". The show was broadcasted live on 160 country from all over the world. After that he has fashion shows in Cannes, Monte Carlo and Rome (Italy).
Another haute - couture colection named "Sukar Collection" was first presented this year in June at the most important Asia's Fashion Week: "Bali Fashion Week" and was awarding for being "The Best Haute Couture Collection" in Island at Iceland Fashion Week and after that in Malta.
In december 2005, international press (Der Stern (Germany), Book Moda (Italy), Financial Times (London) ) write about „the new king of fashion”: Catalin Botezatu and his entired activity were broadcasted by EuroNews and Deutche Welle channels.
On 2006, february Catalin Botezatu was awarded by VIP Magazine – Romania for his apport to the new image of Romania.
On 2006, march Catalin Botezatu has 3 fashion shows in Tunis at the “Tunis Independence Day” and was awarding for “The Best International Collection”. In the same time his collection was boadcasted by the most important televisions from Italy such Rai 1, Rai 2, TG3, Italia Piu.
In april 2006, the romanian designer has 2 fashion show in Cannes at the International TV Festival – MIFA 2006 and one fashion show in Monaco, Jimmi'z Club- Monte Carlo. All the shows was broadcasted by FTV -Paris and another 18 televisions too.
On 2006, june Catalin Botezatu started a fashion tour in Europe and Asia. His collection was presented in Atena -Greece (Grand Opening of Miss Fashion Tv -Greece), Jakarta – Indonesia, Colombo - Sri Lanka, Malta and Catania. All over the world Catalin Botezatu's fashion shows has a big succes.

In august 2006, at “Summer Fashion Festival” - Romania, Catalin Botezatu presents 2 new collection : men underweare collection and women haute-couture collection. After that he was invited and awarding in Italy at the Modalivemediteraneo International Fashion festival.
In november 2006, Catalin Botezatu was awarded for “Excellency in Fashion” by Fashion Tv Romania and one month later VIP Magazine awarded him like “The Best Designer of the Year”.
In february 2007, Catalin Botezatu was presented again in “Der Stern” magazine like one of important romanian VIP.
In april 2007 the romanian designer presened his new men underweare collection at Bucharest Fashion Week and everybody (including Fashion Tv Paris and Book Moda Magazine) was focus on his fashion show.

Maramures Geography

Summary: The County of Maramureş is one of the northernmost areas of Romania, just south of the Ukrainian border. The modern administrative county of Maramureş is comprised of three “countries” (ţări) and two zones: the Country of Maramureş, the Country of Lăpuş, the Country of Chioar, the Zone of Codru and the Zone of Baia Mare-Baia Sprie. Out of these five, the Country of Maramureş is the largest, covering about one half of the total surface area of the administrative county. To the north is the Ukraine, beyond the natural border formed by the River Tisa. To the east is Suceava county, to the south-southeast Bistriţa-Năsăud county, to the south Cluj.

In 2003, there were 509,534 inhabitants, out of which 52.5% lived in urban environments and 46.5% in rural areas. The capital city of the county is Baia Mare with 137,318 inhabitants, while other municipalities are Sighetu Marmaţiei, Târgu Lăpuş and Cavnic, and towns are Seini, Baia Sprie, Borşa and Vişeu de Sus.

Winters are very long and as Maramureş is surrounded by mountains, it is quite hard to reach it during the cold season: the roads rising to the mountain passes are mostly closed between November and April.It rains a lot in Maramureş, especially along the valley of the Iza River, due to the southwesterly winds that are caught by the ring of high mountains. In the valleys the yearly precipitation is about 790-820 mm, and in the mountains around 1000-1390 mm.

Vişeu is the wettest zone in Maramureş. There are about 140 rainy days in a year, while there are only about 30 days in a year when it snows. The rains are most common at the beginning of spring, as well as during June and September. The month with the heaviest snowfalls is January. The relief of Maramureş is varied, the altitudes ranging from 200 to 2,300 m above sea level. The land is 43% mountains, 30% hills and plateaux, and 27% flatlands and meadows. The views from the hilltops embrace beautiful green valleys, meandering rivers and snowtopped mountain peaks. Mountains surround the Country of Maramureş: the Maramureş Mountains are to the north-northeast, the Prislop Pass to the east, the Rodna Mountains to the southeast, the Țibleş Mountains to the south, the Lăpuş Mountains to the southwest and the Gutâi and Igniş Mountains to the west. It is here that the Eastern Carpathians - the 300 km long natural divide between Moldavia and Transylvania - reach their highest altitude with Mount Pietrosu (2302 m) in the Rodna Mountains. The single easy point of access into the area is around the town of Sighetu Marmaţiei where the valley of River Tisa forms a wide plain.The Gutâi and the Tibleş Mountains form a part of the longest volcanic chain in Europe (600 km long). The volcanoes are no longer active, but it is possible to see astonishing calderas at the height of 1,000-1,830 m.

Two river systems - the Tisa and the Someş - drain the county. To the north, the Tisa drains the rivers that flow down the surrounding mountains and across the Maramureş basin: Vişeu, with its main tributaries Ruscova and Vaser, and Iza with its main tributaries Mara and Cosău. Săpânţa is another branch of the Tisa, situated on the western borders of Maramureş, but worth mentioning for its two waterfalls of more than 12 m high. The Someş drains the rivers in the southern part of the county: Lăpuş and Sălaj. The River Tisa’s sources are in the Ukraine. From its joining with the River Vişeu in the east to the village of Teceu Mic in the west, the Tisa marks the frontier of Romania with the Ukraine. The valley of Tisa from Vişeu to the village of Bocicoiu Mare is so narrow that the railway is hardly able to carve out its path between the mountain and the riverbed. The view from the train is very beautiful, this being one of the most impressive landscapes in Romania.

Maramureş is characterized by its rolling hills. Thick forests of oak, beech and pine cover many of them, while orchards of apple, plum and cherry trees dominate the surroundings of villages. A rich variety of flora thrives in the hills and among the network of rivers and streams that covers the region. The Maramureş Mountains in the north are among the wildest areas in Eastern Europe, and bears, deer, wolves and lynxes live in the virgin beech forests. The mountains are dotted with beautiful landscapes, small lakes, caves and very interesting and rare flora. The Rodna Mountains, the highest not only in the region of Maramureş but in the long ridge of the Eastern Carpathians, are capped with snow all through the year. These mountains are among the best-preserved natural regions in Europe.

In the Rodna National Park is the Pietrosu Mare Biosphere Reserve, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The park preserves untouched ecological systems, with many very rare flora and fauna species, such as Lychnis nivalis, a small flower found nowhere else in the world. Here one can see waterfalls, e.g. Cailor Waterfall, which is over 80 metres high, and more than 20 stunningly beautiful glacier lakes, such as Lakes Iezer and Lala.
From Vişeu de Sus it is possible to go up to the wild mountains in a steam engine train (Mocanița), built in 1953. The tracks run for 41 kilometres along the Vaser River up to hamlet of Comanu, and its lumberjack camps, near the Ukrainian border. The Vaser Valley is also a good location for kayaking enthusiasts. The Maramureş Mountains are in general considered among the best places in the region for hiking, paragliding, mountain climbing, cave exploring or bird-watching and photo-safaris.

Baile Govora - One of The Oldest Romanian Spas

You can find Baile Govora, one of the oldest balneological and climatic resorts in Romania at an altitude of 360 metres and surrounded by thick forest. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Govora was famous for its luxurious hotels, medical treatments and huge potential of entertaining tourists. The fame goes on today, as the spa is know as a resting and treatment location for most visitors.
Baile Govora is situated in the southern part of Romania, in the Subcarpathian Depression with the same name and only 20 kilometers away from Ramnicu Valcea. The name of this spa is related to that of the Monastery of Govora, from Govora Sat. Among the great figures that played an important part in making Govora what it is now, I.C. Bratianu and doctor Popescu Zorileanu are worth mentioning.
120 years ago, the two founded the resort, as a medical facility for treating respiratory problems and other related illnesses. Baile Govora is open to the public throughout the year and it's famous for its iodinated mineral and sulphurous water, used for external treatment and magnesium, calcium and sulphurous-rich water, used for internal treatment.
These treatments are in use since 1866 and this spa is very important to those that suffer from respiratory diseases like bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung emphysema, microbial or viral pneumopathies, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis etc. Also, they have been known to cure degenerative diseases (spondylosis, arthrosis, polyarthrosis) and abarticular rheumatic diseases (tendinitis, tendomyositis, scapulohumeral periarthritis).
Tourists can take advantage of mineral water baths and mud baths (the mud is brought from Ocnele Mari), electrotherapy, kinetotherapy, honey-based cures etc. In Govora you can also find a children's sanatorium for rheumatic and respiratory diseases.

Aside from treatments, the visitors of Govora can also play tennis and enjoy a stroll in the midst of Mother Nature. One of the place's landmarks is surely the Govora abbey founded at the beginning of the fifteenth century and rebuilt by the rulers Vlad Calugarul and Radu cel Mare at the end of the same century.
Constantin Brancoveanu also had an influence on the look of the monastery, as he financed the wall paintings between 1710 - 1711. This place is also a historical and cultural landmark, as in 1640, the great ruler Matei Basarab, installed here a printing press, that created the book Pravila de la Govora, the oldest collection of printed laws in Romanian.
If you plan on going sightseeing, you might want to stop and check out the "Gheorghe Petre" archeology and art collection, the ruins of the Roman castra of Pons Vetus from Caineni, or the Anton Pann memorial house, plus the famous Polovragi and Muierii caves.

Local celebrations:
"Cocosul de Hurez" - a craftsmen fair organized every year in the first Sunday of June; it includes the "Vicsoreanu Memorial"
"Invartita Dorului" - pastoral gathering, organized annually in the third Sunday of June at Vaideeni
"Sarbatoarea Capsunilor" - organized annually at Bunesti in June
"Florile Govorei" - musical festival, that's organized in the last week of July in the Baile Govora town
"Cantecele Oltului" - a popular musical festival, organized annually in the first week of August in Calimanesti and Ramnicu Valcea. This festival also integrates the popular arts fare "Lada de Zestre".

Govora Monastery

Bears Cave

Known as one of the spectacular touristic objectives of Apuseni Mountains, Bears Cave lies in the vicinity of the location called Chiscau, in Pietroasa Commune, Bihor District, at an altitude of 482 meters.The name of the cave is due to the numerous bear fossils, which were found there, so therefore it represented a favorable place for shelter for the animals that used to live there 15000 years ago. Owing to the falling of a huge rock, the mouth of the cave was blocked and more than 140 bears were trapped inside. Being hungry, the bears attacked one another until they all died.

The cave was discovered in 1975 during the limestone exploitation works in the quarry from Chiscau. Until 17th September 1975 the cave was closed and in this time the subterranean pit was artificially opened through the dynamiting of the entrance gate. The first man who went down the open pit was the miner Traian Curte from the same location. The way that he covered was from the access gallery to the Great Hall. At 20th September 1975, a group of amateur speleologists called “Speodora” accomplished the first exploitation of the cave and five years later the cave entered the touristic circuit of the country, being considered the first subterranean cavity arranged after the level of the world technique.

At the entrance of the cave, one may see a pavilion which consists of a waiting hall, a booking office, a speleological museum and a counter with artisan items. Being more than 1500m long, the cave presents galleries situated on two levels: the upper gallery is 488 meters long and is intended to tourists and the lower gallery (521m in length) is destined to the scientific research.
In this cave there are three galleries and four halls: The Candles Hall, The Spaghetti Hall, Emil Racovita Hall and The Bones Hall. One may visit this cave starting from The Bears Gallery (called The Bones Gallery as well), where 1500 items, 140 skulls and numerous shelters for the cave bear can be seen. On the walls of the gallery, one may notice scratches left by the paws of the bears.

In the second gallery, called Emil Racovita, one may see a bear skeleton exposed just in the position the bear died and besides that, the fossils of other animals which disappeared hundreds of years ago: a black goat species, the cave lion and cave hyena. The distance between the walls of the cave is somewhere between 10-15 meters and its vault is at 10 meters height, being adorned with numerous stalagmites, domes, water basins and stalactites.

The last gallery, The Lights Gallery, welcomes us with its exciting stalagmites and stalactites which created some true statuettes (“The Mastodon”, “The Curtains from The Bears Gallery”, “The Portal”, “The Pagodas”, “The Lake With White Lilies”), statuettes that look familiar to the ones of wax, revealing a pure white that gives freedom to any visitor’s imagination. The gallery ends with a 16 meters long artificial tunnel, which is less accessible to the tourists, but it finally leads the way to surface.
How to Get There
How to arrive there: following the road DN-78 (Oradea-Deva), making a diversion at km 86 in Sudrigiu Commune, at DJ-763. 16 km farther one may find Chiscani village, where the accommodation offers are various. The subterranean line can be covered in 45 minutes. The temperature is near 10 C degrees in every season of the year.

Black Sea Coast

Limited in-between Capul Midia and Vama Veche, the Romanian Littoral zone of the Black Sea extends on 245 km. Along the European road E87, there are aligned the 15 resorts, offering the tourists over 250,000 accommodations.

This is Romanians’ favorite destination for holidays.
The most important resort is Mamaia, situated north of the city of Constanta, on a strip of land separating the Black Sea from the Siutghiol Lake.
Mamaia is a popular destination during summer time, for Romanians as well as for foreign tourists, as a result of major programs of investment.

Other important resorts are: Neptun, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter,Olimp, Eforie.

Costinesti is the traditional resort for students, while Vama Veche, at the southern extremity, at the border with Bulgaria, is the place for fishermen, also known for the “hippie” atmosphere.

The main cities in the region are: Constanta (the biggest port at the Black Sea), Mangalia and Navodari.

.The beach, oriented east and south-east, has a width varying between 150 – 200 m, mostly covered by fine sand. The slope is smooth and easily accessible, the salinity of the sea is reduced and water’s temperature is approximately 24 C degrees during the summer season.
The climate is mild thanks to the sea breezes, rich in aerosols which alleviate the heat of summer days. During the season, one can sunbathe 10 – 12 hours a day.
The Black Sea is the third in size in Europe, and the second for what concerns its depth. Marine currents are weak and the tide is of approximately 10-20 cm. There lives a species of sharks (Squalus acanthias - “the sea dog”) of small dimensions, but harmless for humans and which does not approach the shore.

Moreover, for those who wish to follow medical treatments, there are different balnearic resources with mineral and mineralized waters, therapeutic muds, in the treatment bases near the lakes of Techirghiol, Tatlageac, Neptun, Belona, Siutghiol, Corbu, Sinoe, Navodari and Tasaul.
There are multiple possibilities for accommodation, from five stars hotels to boarding houses, campings or even in the houses of the natives. Usually, starting with the 1 of September, prices lower because it’s extraseason.
For entertainment, there are numerous bars, discotheques, casinos, one can play bowling or billiards, ping-pong, there are especially designed areas for playing sports like European football, tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball, and for the most daring there is the possibility of practicing nautical sports.Aqua Magic aquatic park, lying on an area of 27,200 square meters, is located at the entrance of Mamaia and has a capacity of over 2500 visitors.
Points of Interest:
The Casino from Constanta stands for a guide mark on Constanta’s touristic map. It was built in 1909 following the plan of the architect Daniel Renard, and it represents the only element of the “art nouveau” style.
In front of the casino there is the Aquarium from Constanta, inaugurated in 1958 which offers the tourist a fascinating incursion in the sea world. There can be admired different species of fish both of fresh waters and also of salt waters, exotic fish, the thornback ray, the seahorse, the dragonfish, the scorpionfish, a collection of sturgeons, all the species living in the Black Sea being represented, and innumerable species of invertebrates.
We mustn’t forget about the Genovese Lighthouse, octagon shaped, 8 meters high, situated on the sea-wall in Constanta, built between 1858 – 1860, in memory of the Genovese merchants.

Another significance points
The most important archeological objective is the Citadel of Histria, situated on the shore of Lake Sinoe, an ancient Greek colony, set up 2,600 years ago. Beside that, in Constanta can be found significant vestiges of the ancient city of Tomis, where the poet of Latinity, Ovidiu, spent the last years of his life. An important place is represented by the Roman edifice, with mosaic, an architectural complex that has been discovered and which is considered to be, by the archeologists, among the first of this type in the entire world. Then, at Mangalia, previously called the city of Callatis, it can be found the oldest Latin document in the entire South-Eastern Europe. In the department of Adamclisi, there are the ruins triumphant monument Tropaem Traiani and also the traces of the fortified city Tropaem Traiani, built to honour the emperor Traian, after having conquered Dacia. Among the museistic institutions, we must mention here the Archeological Museum of Mangalia, the History Museum in Constanta, the Folcloric Museum, Biserica Sf. Petru si Pavel (Church Saint Peter and Paul ) in the historical area of the city of Constanta, the Mosque from Constanta, the Mosque from Mangalia, the monasteries Cocos and Cilic-Dere.

Other touristic attractions along the littoral are represented by the caves from Cheile Dobrogei and from Limanu, the maritime dunes from Agigea, with the floristic reservation and Hagieni Forest at 15 km from Mangalia, a distinct floristic reservation, unique in Dobrogea.

We should also not forget about the well-known vineyard from Murfatlar where they produce the famous and flavored wine bearing the same name, and the vineyard from Sarica Niculitel.

Transport possibilities
In order to reach the Romanian seaside by car, you have at your disposal the Bucharest-Fetesti-Constanta National Road or the European Road E60 Urziceni-Slobozia-Constanta, or the European Road E87 Tulcea-Constanta, with derivation for Braila and Galati, or the National Road Calarasi-Ostrov-Constanta.
On the railway, you ca choose direct routes to Constanta from almost any corner of the country. Or, there is the possibility of changing the route in Bucarest. During the season, the numver of trains going to the seaside is increased. In between Constanta and Mangalia, there are train stations and flag stations from where one can reach any of the resorts. This way, from Constanta’s station, one can reach Mamaia and Navodari; the following stations are Agigea, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, flag station Tuzla, the station of Costinesti, the flag station Costinesti and the flag station Neptun, in order to reach the resorts Neptun, Olimp, Jupiter, the station of Mangalia for Mangalia, Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, Cap Aurora, Neptun, Olimp, 2 Mai and Vama Veche.
For those who want to use air routes, The International Airport “Mihail Kogalniceanu” is situated only approximately 20 km away from Constanta. This airport serves the entire Romanian coast of the Black Sea and it is connected to the main European capitals through charter flights during the summer season.

Romania 'plagued by corruption'

Romania and Bulgaria are fighting alarming levels of lawlessness with contract killings, criminal mafias and corruption still plaguing the eastern European members of the European Union.
That was the verdict yesterday of a six-month progress report from the European Commission, raising doubts about how qualified the two newest EU members are to belong to the continental club.
The EU singled out Bulgaria for its worryingly high number of hit-man assassinations. "Contract killings continue to be of great concern, and in particular most recent killings of local politicians since January. To date no prosecution and conviction had taken place," the report said.
Romania and Bulgaria escaped sanctions from Brussels. But they were both criticised for failing to tackle high-level corruption and enact promised judicial reforms since they joined the Union in January.
"High-level corruption is still one point of weakness and both the governments are aware of this," said Franco Frattini, the European Commission's vice-president. Too few results are shown concerning practical results ... too many indictments still need to be translated into a final decision of a court, that's why we say, very frankly, progress made in this field is still insufficient."
The final version of the reports on the two newcomers omitted a warning that there "was no room for complacency" in either country and Mr Frattini was forced to defend the report from accusations it had been watered down.
Bulgaria and Romania had been threatened with bureaucratic sanctions that would have in effect stopped them participating in joint justice and interior decisions until they had met EU standards.
Now they have until June 2009 to get their houses in order although critics doubt how much incentive there is for Sofia and Bucharest to act now they have been accepted into the EU fold.
The Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov, was defiant. "We are already a member of the bloc, a member who strictly and correctly implements its commitments," he told national radio, according to Reuters. "I hope Brussels will look at this behaviour of ours in a more responsible manner."
Victor Alistar, executive director at Transparency International in Romania, said the EU verdict was more positive than the reality, with less judicial progress made in either country than the reports implied. In Transparency International's world rankings, which measure perceptions of corruption, Bulgaria languishes in 57th place and Romania 84th, making it the most corrupt country in the EU.
Bulgaria has Europe's highest per-capita rate of organised crime killings, with some 150 people murdered in connection with organised crime between 2000 and 2006.
As if to emphasise the scale of the corruption plaguing Sofia, the country's top investigator resigned yesterday following a corruption scandal which allegedly involved the energy minister, blackmail and embezzlement.
Prosecutors have said that they lack the evidence to bring charges but are still investigating whether there has been an obstruction of justice.
And things are no better across the border in Romania. The former prime minister is accused of blackmail and taking bribes worth millions of euros although he denies all accusations.
With hearings suspended for three months on Monday, the EU report specifically questioned the willingness of the judiciary to prosecute cases into former politicians that are currently in limbo.

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS

While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Romania is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Traffic accidents are arguably the single most dangerous threat for American citizens visiting Romania. The World Economic Forum ranks Romania 126 out of 134 states for road quality. Currently Romania has a total of only 270 kilometers of freeways. While major streets in larger cities and major inter-city roads are generally in fair to good condition, many other roads are in poor repair, unpaved, badly lighted, or narrow, or lack marked lanes. Part of the problem is that the infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the dramatic increase in motor vehicles since 1990.
Roads, especially in the mountains, can be particularly dangerous when wet or covered with snow or ice. Pedestrians, animals, cyclists, and horse-drawn carts share many roads with motor vehicles and can be extremely difficult to see, particularly at night in rural areas. Vehicles often block sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to walk in the streets. Maintain vigilance when driving to avoid hitting those who are walking in the streets. Cross the street only in crosswalks and always look both ways before crossing. Crosswalks are generally poorly marked and drivers may ignore crosswalks even if there is a traffic light.
Driving practices in Romania can be aggressive and/or inattentive. Combined with the substandard road conditions noted above, the result is a significant traffic mortality rate. According to the European Union Road Federation, Romania has the highest per vehicle rate of traffic fatalities of any country in the E.U. It is essential for drivers to practice defensive driving techniques.
Romanian traffic laws are very strict. The traffic police can confiscate any form of driver's license or permit for 1-3 months, and payment of fines may be requested at the time of the infractions. Some examples when this might occur are failure to yield the right of way, failure to stop at a red light or stop sign, or failure to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks. While, in theory, drivers must yield to pedestrians at all marked pedestrian crosswalks, many of these are poorly maintained, difficult to see, and sometimes located in unexpected places for foreign drivers. Pedestrians must take extreme caution when crossing any road.
Romanian traffic laws provide for retention of a driver’s license by the police and possible imprisonment for driving under the influence of alcohol or for causing an accident resulting in injury or death. There is zero tolerance for driving under the influence of alcohol and police are required to give breathalyzer tests on the scene to all drivers involved in an accident. Refusal to take a breathalyzer test will result in criminal penalties regardless of whether or not alcohol was involved.
U.S. driver's licenses are only valid in Romania for up to 90 days. Before the 90-day period has expired, U.S. citizens must either obtain an international driving permit in addition to their U.S. driver's license or a Romanian driver's license. Wearing a seat belt is mandatory. Children under 12 years of age may not be transported in the front seat.
Unless otherwise marked with road signs, speed limits are as follows:
Inter-city traffic on highways
130 km/hr for cars and motorcycles (80 miles/hr)
110 km/hr for vans (65 miles/hr)
Urban traffic - 50 km/hr (30 miles/hr)
Express and European roads
100 km/hour for cars and motorcycles (60 miles/hr)
90 km/hour for vans (55 miles/hr)
All other roads
90 km/hr for cars and motorcycles (55 miles/hr)
80 km/hr for vans (50 miles/hr)
Motor vehicles with trailers and drivers with less than one year of driving experience have speed limits 20 km/hr (or 12 miles) slower than those listed above.
Inter-city travel is generally done via trains and buses, which vary in terms of quality, safety, cost, and reliability. Pickpockets pose a danger on night trains and in train stations. Inter-city travel by taxi is much more expensive, and safety depends on the quality of the driver. Many older taxis are not equipped with seat belts. To avoid being overcharged, passengers should request the taxi by phone through a reputable company and make sure the taxi has an operational meter or agree upon a price before entering the taxi. The meter rate per km is posted on both sides of the taxi vehicle.
The host country authority responsible for road safety is the Traffic Police of the Romanian Ministry of Interior . Emergency roadside help and information may be reached by dialing 9271 for vehicle assistance and towing services. For ambulance services, fire brigade, or police, dial 112.

ROMANIAN WEDDING TRADITIONS

The wedding is the most interesting family custom of all. It is also a complex custom which has various traditional forms all over the country and combines economic, law, ritual and folkloric elements. The popular "show" is almost fabulous. The acts from the marriage foundation are ritual and ceremonial meant to bring prosperity, fecundity, happiness and social integration to the young family. In this moment the popular costume gains some specific significances and the act of the ceremony is composed from many customs: the well - wishing at the bride's gate, the dowry dance in the bride's yard and the parents forgiveness, then the wedding at the groom's house, the gifts and the bride's adorning.The musical repertoire is suitable: "the dowry dance", "the big dance", "three times around the table", "the bride's grief song", "the bride's ring dance", "and the big ring dance".

MOLDOVA:Moldavian marriage is a bouquet of traditions and culture. People sit together and are served with food and wine. Traditional dances also take place. In Moldova, people speak of "wedding parties" instead of just "weddings,” The wedding ceremony itself isn’t the focus of the festivities; it can be a small, understated event leading up to the wedding party proper, usually an all-night celebration.Wedding ceremonies today are held at "casa mare" or House of happiness. The modern ceremony includes the old wedding custom of bowing to the parents as a token of gratitude and respect. The traditional wedding party is magnificent in its arrangement, and intense from the moral ethical point of view. The singing and dancing continues until the daybreak. At dawn everyone sits down for a minute and the bride is given a child to hold in her arms. According to tradition, the bride will then be sure to have a home full of children. The young husband then leads her to the threshold of their house. But before they step over the threshold the couple is showered with grain - a sign of prosperity.A Moldovian maxim says: "The person who has failed to build a home, to raise a son, to dig a well and to plant a tree has wasted his life". That's why the Moldovian villages are so green, the houses are so beautiful and you can see wells along the streets.

MARAMURES:The wedding in Maramures has a unitary structure and as most important sequences, the asking-in-marriage, the "belief" (engagement) and the wedding. The secondary characters, but with a very important position within the ceremony are the "callers" to the wedding, the bridesmaids, the "socacita" (chief-cook), the "man with the larder", the musicians, the group of the lads and the wedding guests.Taken as a whole, the ceremony is simple. A trustful person of the groom's part is going to the bride to ask her in marriage on the groom's behalf (most of the time he gets an affirmative answer only the third time), then the girl's dowry is discussed and the date of the engagement is set. The way to the wedding and the wedding itself contain many preparations and ritual objects, each one with its own significance. A great deal of attention is paid to the details in dressing, arranging of the table and most of all, the orders and priorities. There will exist, for example, an order for entering and coming out of the church, in serving the wedding guests, etc.The rituals preceding every sequence or level represent the picturesque of the traditions. For example, on the night before the wedding (which is called "the flag evening") the "flagman ", accompanied by a group of lads and musicians goes to the groom's house with the flag. Here they start dancing a certain ritual "flag dance", with the adequate witty couplets.The clothing also deserves a very special attention. The bride will wear a white shirt, white skirt with a white apron over it. Over the shirt she will wear a woolen sleeveless sheepskin coat and a woolen thick fleecy overcoat, tied on the waist with a red belt. The groom's clothing is even simpler: hempen white shirt, the sleeveless woolen sheepskin coat, and the "large pants" (or in winter time the white woolen stretch pants). The body is tied up with a broad belt with six buckles containing the knife, the tobacco, the pipe, the moneybag and other necessary small things. As a last element, in his case he also wears clinkered boots. His only decorative objects are the hand sewn cuffs, a bag over his shoulders, and he sign for being a groom - the white artificial flowers on his chest.Emotional scenes for the relatives are the "forgiving" moments - when the bride and the groom ask for forgiveness from their parents on the account of possible former mistakes.When the groom is going for the bride, the godfather, the "flagman" and a great deal of the wedding guests accompany him. Of all the rituals met with at the wedding ceremony, the most interesting is the one of cleaning the cheeks of the groom and bride by the mother-in-law. As this is the first time she comes to her mother-in-law's house the gestures may be considered as a ritual of acceptance of the bride in the new "house" (the "house" house meaning in the mentality of the peasants in Maramures the family/relatives). After the wedding, the entering of the young woman into the new category of married women implies certain beliefs and practices, like the chopping of a wood piece by one hit with an axe (in order to give birth easily) or the spinning of the wool (in order to be a good status host).

TRANSYLVANIA:The wedding dress of the maidens was a proof that the girls knew to sew and weave, which was a very important condition for marriage. Some garments could also indicate an occupation (the long leather cloak of the shepherds, worn on the shoulders, with the fur on the outside or their hood or the “chimir”, a large belt worn by those who worked in the wood) or the social status (only married women worn kerchiefs).Some garments have a ceremonial role. They are only made on specific occasions. The bride, helped by the girls from the village, was supposed to make the groom’s shirt in a single night. The “plague shirt” also had to be worked entirely in a single night. These clothes are only worn on special moments. At the wedding the most beautiful decorated costume is worn (many times it is especially made for this occasion). In Transylvania there are places where both bride and groom wear wool clothes, no matter the season. The most characteristic elements for the wedding are the bride’s head dress, worn only on that occasion.At the funeral, the deceased is dressed in the wedding clothes, which are especially kept. The practice of weddings includes the moments when young people separate from their social groups. Additionally, there is the separation of the bride from her parents which is followed by her joining the bridegroom's family. Lastly, there is the union of the two young people and the integration of the bride into her new family. (Prior to the marriage is the betrothal which is followed by a long process of acceptance towards the prospective couple by the existing group of those who are already married.) The wedding is a performance with well-established rituals. Poetry, song, dance and ceremonial costumes all have a detailed role in the wedding ceremony. This ceremony begins when the spokesman of the bridegroom comes to the bride's home to woo her. During this time, the best men go throughout the village inviting the relative and friends to the wedding. Then, before the closed gates guarded by the bride's relatives, the bridegroom's best man tells a story. It is the story of a young emperor who gathered a great army and went hunting. While hunting, he saw a fairy and sent his warriors to look for her. Following the fairy's trail, they arrive at the bride's house. They have been told that there is a certain flower in the garden. This flower cannot bear fruit because of the unsuitable soil in which it grows. The warriors came to pick the flower and plant it in the young emperor's garden. There, the soil was known to be good and provide the nutrients enabling the flower to bear fruit. The dress and hairdressing of the bride is also important. She wears a ceremonial costume and flowers in her hair.In the western part of Transylvania, in Bihor, the bridegroom must pass a test of cleverness. He must solve a series of riddles in order to prove that he is able to be part of the married community.The entrance of the bride into the community of married women is marked by a change of her hair style, and the covering of her head with a scarf. The scarf is a symbol of the married women. This ceremony is also accompanied by a song.Just as for a medieval meal, the wedding meal provides an opportunity for singing, dancing and listening to epic hero songs. Dance forms, especially for the young people, are an essential part of the wedding, as well as the birth ceremonies. One dance, called a "hora" marks the decisive moments of the ceremonial. It is a seal of the marriage contract. The above wedding ceremonials in Romania last for three days. The final day ends with a "dance of masks."

Timisoara

Timisoara city is situated in West part of Banatului Field between the rivers Timis and Bega, being one of the most important city of the country. The city is a harmonious combination between historical centre and the development which had been periodical in arround of this centre. In this way, the oldest buildings had made since beginning of the XVII. Century, in the periode when in Europe enters the Baroque style. Was supposed that the city had founded much earlier of this building’s lifting. The testimony in this sense give the Huniade castle, which still keeping numerous documentations from XIII. Century. Due to its strategical position (connection point between Austro-Hungarian Empire and East Europe) Timisoara knew a fast development being builded in arround of the city a fortress which was the wish of the all sultans of Turkish Empire (suited to the writings of the Turkish chronicler Mustafa Seldzade). The city’s conquest by the Turks (1551) made to the ethnical change of the city and also to the commerce’s development. Since 1716 the city is under Austrian-Hungarian empire’s rule. The German colonies, which peopled more and more the city, had a big role in Timisoara’s development. Between 1728 and 1761 were created the first navigation canals on the rivers Bega and Timis, which lead to river commerce’s development. Also in this periode was changed the fortify plan of the city, increasing the city’s surface. The city-fortress was organized in arround of 2 squares: Piata Paradei (today Piata Libertatii) and Piata Iezuitilor (Piata Sfantul Gheorghe). Later in north of the city was builded the Piata Unirii square, where were lifted the Cathedral, the Episcopal Palace and Governor’s Palace. At the beginning of XIX. century had part the city’s industralization which lead to apperance of : public lighting with gaslamp, the city’s connectation to European railways network, public transport with horse-drawn trams, the telegraph’s and the telephone’s appearance, replace of wood bridges with stell bridges, later (1884) the city’s electrical lighting (the first city from Europe) and apparition of the electric tram (1899). Between 1890 and 1910 the city’s fortress were demolished being replaced by parks, Timisoara being named as the “Parks’ City” or the “Flowers’ City”. Between the 2 world wars, the city knew a magnificent development through building of many cultural institutions (Metropolitan Cathedral and National Theatre). After the Second World War the city’s industralization grew up: new districts, cultural and education institutions (schools, museums, theatres, concert halls) and also the entertainment possibilities’ growth (terraces, restaurants, bars, discos, night clubs). Today Timisoara fills the all conditions to be named an European city.

The Customs House -Bran

The Customs House, historical and art monument situated at the feet of the castle, in the southern part, next to the Brasov – Câmpulung road, is a building put up in several stages, from stone and bricks, with brick vaults and wooden floors masked by mortar, with a wooden framework covered by sharp scaled tiles. The Customs House is an architectural complex made up of several buildings: a central pavilion having a partial basement, ground floor and one floor (with two houses united by a gangway) and three annexes united by stone and brick walls. At the end of the XIX century the customs buildings and the fortress become property of the Forestry Administration until December 1st 1920, when the authorities of the city of Brasov offer the castle, along with the customs buildings, as a gift to the royal family, becoming property of Queen Maria. At this point, some annexes were added and new floor. Out of the information given by Mr. Soare Constantin, lord of the castle of the royal family, who lived in the central pavilion of the house, in the attic rooms, we learn that, before the arrival of Queen Maria, the customs house had only a ground floor with “an attic as the barns have”, being inhabited by foresters having different things and tree seeds, among them being also “an engineer from Brasov, named Albrich”, who worked several times for Her Majesty the Queen, at the arranging works of the forests from the Bran castle.
The restoration and fitting out works were conducted by the same chief architect of the royal house, Karel Liman, who also worked at the restoration of the castle, the modifications resembling those made at the castle, using the “fachwerk” technique, where the wood is used both as construction material and as decorative element. The époque images confirm the architectural adjustments caused by mansard-roofing the attic, also appearing some Neo-baroque architectural elements. After 1929, col. Eugen Zwiedineck, Queen Maria’s aide, “was appointed responsible with the works taking place at Bran”; he requested the amount of 250.000 lei for the expenses for the year of 1929, in order to continue the works began at the “Suite House – a complete house with 6 rooms”. The fitting out works equipped the Customs House with current water supply gotten by collecting some springs from the Magura Mountain. The electric power was introduced in 1932, the same time the small power station on the Turcu river was brought into operation; the small power station supplied the electric power for the castle, for the other buildings belonging to the royal domain and for a series of other households in the vicinity of the castle, in January 1944 reaching a number of 96 subscribers.
From the memories of the Princess Ileana we learn that, during Queen Maria’s age “the entire building had been the headquarters of the people working for her – the aide, the secretary, the post officer – and accompanying her everywhere. The building also had guest rooms set up for the persons who were not her intimate friends, but to whom she wished to offer a mountain vacation, in fresh air”.
Between January 1st and May 30th 1930 “new works” are registered at the dwelling of the lord of the castle: the administration house, an old terracotta stove, 4 double windows, slats for the floors, isolation works for the walls, repair and painting works at a cooking machine, all these works being executed by Josef Schnell, master bricklayer at the Bran castle, and also works at the direct connection of the water installation with the safety hydrant from the yard of the administration buildings. In the same period a series of other expenses is registered for some maintenance works, executed also by Josef Schnell at the dwellings of the suite: 17 m2 of floors are repaired with new boards, the wet soil is removed and replaced with stone and dry gravel, the walls are plastered up with cement, 51 m2 of doors and windows are painted white, 170 m2 of floors are painted and waxed, three windows are repaired, windows are framed and three iron locks are assembled at the gates of the garages, and in July 1930 a door is built to “Mr. Colonel” – the suite entrance – and modifications are made to the pedestal from the “aquarium” in the castle’s yard , the name used for the decorative water pool, and to the one in front of the bathroom inside the customs house.On April 1st 1941 the staff of “The Administration of the A.S.I. Goods Archduchess Ileana” registered General Zwiedinek, assignee, and other three persons for administration, a list of other 14 men “in active service” at the Poeni Estate, and the bellow mentioned 7 persons for the Bran Castle: Soare Constantin, lord of the castle, Schabel Gheorghe, administrator, Toanci A., coachman, Reit Veta, maid, Mocan Nicolae, gardener, Iorgu Veta, worker, Nan Maria, worker, some of them living in the Customs House. Beginning with 1942 Carol Guttmann is appointed administrator of the Bran Castle, thing which caused a series of other new works, to arrange the dwelling of the administrator, probably in the Customs House. In 1944 the customs building would become the house of the Princess Ileana, for the next four years, “exception making some short periods during the summer”, when they could afford living at the castle. In 1948 the royal family was compelled to go in exile, the estate entering the state patrimony. In April 1944 some expenses were made with the”setting up of the downer apartments (The Customs House), as dwelling for Princess Ileana”, the carpentry and painting works being executed by M. Rucareanu, the works at the electric system were done by Ion Fânaru, the ones at the water systems in the bathroom and at the sewers were made by the Fabricius Company from Brasov. They used this opportunity to install a Schmidt terracotta stove and to clean other three stoves, task accomplished by Gheorghe Stefan.
We find a description of the customs building in the memoirs of Princess Ileana: “In the spring of 1944, since the weather was still cold, I took the youngest children to a pleasant building, at the feet of the hill the castle was built on. This building used to function as a customs point, because Bran was situated at the former border between Romania and Transylvania. There were actually two houses with one floor, connected by a wide gangway, we used as a dinning room. The walls were thick, the ceiling down, and the floors were made of wide and dark colored boards. The interior was painted white, as most of the Romanian houses. The windows had flower pots with nasturtiums; it was generally a very enjoyable place for what we considered at the time to be a temporary dwelling. The two bodied house was continued at each end with high walls. At one end they formed a farm-like yard, where we kept some chickens, gooses and the children’s pets – rabbits, including a white Angora rabbit and an orphan deer cub. At the other end, between the high walls, a garage and the watch room were sheltered because, as the custom may be at any royal residence, we always had a small guard and a sentinel at each door.” The époque inventories of the Customs House interiors specify pieces of different origin, most of them disappearing after 1948, only a small part being present in the museum’s collection. We learn from Mr. Constantin Soare that the rococo furniture was placed in the “first room” of the customs house and, according to the inventory from 1938, the neo-rococo pieces were mentioned in the 1st room (shop). In 1948, most of the pieces belonging to these furniture sets were deposited in the Large House (The A.C.F. Colony), at the Customs House remaining only the sofa and the crystal-boarded table, moved into the dressing room.
The paintings chosen for the decoration of these interiors were mostly paintings with marine themes or family portraits, some of them being kept today in the museum’s collection: the oil painting “Princess Elisabeta” by Lucasievici from the children’s bedroom, two paintings by Dimitrie Stiubei from Stefan’s room, with marine themes “sail ship on a stormy sea”, “agitated sea and flying seagulls”, a painting by Lucasievici “Ileana by the stove” and one by C. Constantinescu representing “a sea corner with three boats”, “Princess Alexandra” by Lucasievici from the dinning room, work painted in 1945 and a landscape from Balcic, painted by C. Constantinescu. The painting “Rider with a red flag” signed by Rouband in 1892, was hanged in the room of Princess Ileana. The colonel’s rooms preferred the war scenes signed by Stoica. From 1922 until the end of 1947, in the southern annex with garage, workshop and telephones operated “The Bran Castle Post Office”. The garages were inside the customs, two cars being specified for the Bran Castle on 29.03.1945, out of the 8 cars belonging to the Archduchess Ileana, a Plymouth Livraison, for luggage and persons and a Farge Camion (a truck), inherited from Queen Maria. After 1948 the customs building becomes property of The Ministry of Forestry, in the main body of the building functioning the offices of the Forestry Administration – at the ground floor – and the protocol rooms – at the 1st floor, the rooms for the staff being also at the 1st floor, in the southern part. In December 1957, the projection theme for the repair, maintenance and arranging works for the “Bran Castle Complex”, suggested, concerning the customs building, setting up a museum presenting the commerce, transportation and customs relations, and, as concerns the building of the Forestry Administration, organizing staff dwellings, administrative offices, warehouses and a documentary department to present the history of the Bran Castle. The restoration in a museum of the medieval customs institution from Bran was realized only in 1987, when the exhibition “The Bran Customs Point” was set up in several rooms from the ground floor of the central pavilion.

DRACULA`S CASTLE- BRAN HISTORY

BRAN CASTLE (1377-1920)


The Bran fortress was built on a cliff between Măgura and The Hill of the Fortress, its position conferring an outstanding view towards both the hills of Moeciu and the ones from the Land of Bârsa. The building of the fortress was imposed by strategic and economic reasons. The strategic reasons underlined by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire which, by the end of the XIV century, began threatening the south-eastern borders of Transylvania; the economic reasons, given by the fact that the commercial road, one of the most important access ways connecting Transylvania to Wallachia, crossed this area. All these reasons determined the Hungarian king Louis I of Anjou to develop strengthening works of the Bran pass.jointly interested in raising the fortress were also the people of Braşov, aiming to secure their geographical position on one hand, and the economic one, on the other hand, by supervising the commercial road passing through the valley. These mutual actions materialize on November 19th 1377, when Louis I of Anjou grants the people of Braşov the privilege of building the fortress “unforced and unbound, but willingly they have generously and unanimously promised to build a new fort in Bran, on their own efforts and expenses, and to cut the forest thereabouts”. It was remarkable the fact that, by the death of the Hungarian king in 1382, the fortress was already built. After finalizing the construction, the fortress becomes property of the Hungarian royalty, who settles here a garrison of mercenaries, made up by archers and ballista men. In order to fulfill the needs of the fortress, the king grants it a domain formed by the villages Baciu, Cernatu, Satulung, Turcheş, Tărlungeni, Zizin, Purcăreni, Crizbav, Apaţa, Zărneşti and Tohan (the latter two until 1395), with permission to exploit the forests and waters, to hunt and fish, and to use the mutual fields and hay fields. The Hungarian royalty assumes its right to appoint a lord of the castle to run the fortress. The Szekler committee was sometimes entrusted with this prerogative, this position being mostly taken by the Voivodes of Transylvania. Yet, by the act of 1380, it is specified that, generally, a Saxon can be appointed in this position. The lord of the castle fulfilled several military tasks (command of the garrison, organization and supervising of borders) and also administrative – jurisdictional tasks (as lord of the mansion, he checked the incomes resulted from the fees owed by the inhabitants of the domain, as well as from other economic activities related to the city of Braşov).
About the same time, a customs point was built in the vicinity of the fortress, collecting a duty of 3% from the value of the goods being transited on the commercial road connecting Transylvania to Wallachia. At the beginning of the XV century, as product of the collaboration between the Hungarian king Sigismund of Luxemburg and the Wallachian ruler Mircea cel Bătrân with respect to the anti-Ottoman politics, the Bran fortress is transferred to the possession of the Wallachian ruler and to his descendants, with the purpose to strengthen the Transylvanian – Wallachian border. With this occasion, the customs point from the feet of the fortress was moved to Braşov.
Mircea cel Bătrân replaced the lord of the castle with one of his chief magistrates, appointing him with the supervising of the commercial road. On August 6th 1413, he grants the people of Braşov the well known commercial privilege, emphasizing “the establishments left by their forefathers for customs purposes through the boroughs from Wallachia and on the road from Braşov through the Bran pass up to Brăila”. The descendants of Mircea cel Bătrân disrespect the commercial privileges conferred to the people of Braşov, driving them to the Hungarian king with a complaint. This state of facts, corroborated with the persistent Turkish attacks (culminating with the one in 1421, when the Turks rob The Land of Bârsa) determine Sigismund of Luxemburg to entrust the Bran Fortress, on February 3rd 1426, to the Prince of Transylvania, entrusting him to appoint the lord of the castle. In exchange for granting new privileges to the people of Braşov, these had the obligation of supplying the fortress with food and informing the Transylvanian prince in case of imminent Turkish danger.The summer of 1427, Sigismund seems to have personally come to Bran in order to check the defense works and yet, in spite of all safety measures taken, the Turks penetrate The Land of Bârsa through the Bran pass and rob it again
The summer of 1441 the Turks initiate a new incursion in Transylvania, but are defeated in the district of Bran by Iancu de Hunedoara, prince of this province, who paid an extreme attention to the Bran Fortress and to the commercial road passing through this area, confirming the old commercial privilege granted to the people of Braşov by Mircea cel Bătrân and confirmed by Sigismund. Within the first months of the year 1459 the armies of Vlad Ţepeş, a Wallachian ruler, attack the city of Braşov through Bran, burning the suburbs and the old church of Bartholomew; this action came as a consequence of a commercial litigation between the Wallachian ruler and the merchants from Braşov. Bran was also the pass used by the armies of prince Ştefan Bathory, when supporting Vlad Ţepeş in his second reign (1456-1462). The acts of abuse committed by the lords of the castle from the fortress Bran caused inconvenience to the commercial activity of the city Braşov – which had become one of the most important commercial centers of Transylvania – making the people of Braşov try to get into its possession. In order to achieve this purpose the people of Braşov needed, besides the approval of the king, the actual owner, also the consent of the Transylvanian prince who, being appointed with the defense of the borders as representative of the Szekler committee, had military authority over the fortress of Bran. The arrangement seems to have been made only between the people of Braşov and the King of Hungary Vladislav II Jagello, and on the 1st of January 1498, the latter pledging by himself the Bran fortress to the people of Braşov “along with all possessions and rights of usage” for ten years, in exchange for 1000 florins. In 1508, after expiration of this term, the Hungarian king renews for another twenty five years the pledge contract for the domain and the fortress of Bran, in favor of the city of Braşov. At the end of this period the royalty had to pay to the people of Braşov the amount of 6300 florins, as ransom, or else the fortress remained property of the city of Braşov. In 1513, King Vladislav Jagello issues an act by means of which he removes the Bran fortress from the jurisdiction of the prince of Transylvania, and grants it to the people of Braşov “to keep and administrate” for twenty five years, should they always be truthful to the king, ensure keeping the fortress and support the spies in Turkey. By means of this document the city of Braşov gains possession over the fortress and domain of Bran, having absolute rights as possessor. Once the Bran fortress became property of the city of Braşov, the duties of the serfs grew ruthless and more numerous, making the serfs often complain and rise up against them. In addition to all that, by a decision ruled by the king, dating from the beginning of the XVI century, they were bound to perform the military duty for the city of Braşov and, in need, to take up arms at its request. This provision made the serfs from the villages in the Bran domain run away. This state of facts concurs with the riot of the Transylvanian villagers from 1514. The serfs from the Bran domain refused to rise up against the rebels – as presented in a letter from the voivode of Transylvania addressed to the king of Hungary – and above all that, “they refuse to pay their regular duty to our citizens from Braşov. This major disobedience came close to causing a riot of the common people even in our city of Braşov and in the Land of Bârsa”. The position of the villagers from Bran vexed the leaders of Braşov who, at first, did not dare take any actions, waiting for the denouement of the riot. Only after the riot was repressed the people of Braşov had the courage to ask the king for his support. By rule of the king, Ioan Zapolya, the prince of Transylvania, set off to Braşov, in order to punish the rebels. As a consequence of this action, Braşov was reinstated by use of weapons. As expected, the Bran fortress had also been involved in this political action. Thus, at first, after the denouement form Mohacs, the people from Braşov, supporting Ferdinand of Austria, adopted a hostile attitude towards Ioan Zapolya, who had succeeded to take over Transylvania. This explains why, in 1529 when Lăudat, the commander of the Wallachian armies, tried to cross to Transylvania to help Ioan Zapolya, he came up against the resistance of the garrison from the Bran fortress, lead by the lord of the castle Ioan Hock. Although the siege lasted several days, the fortress could not be conquered. The year to come, the Bran fortress stands up against Mehmed Beg, stopping the Turks attempt to break into Transylvania, aiming to support the same Ioan Zapolya. In 1531, seeing that their resistance against Zapolya caused only prejudices, they cross to his side, being sworn in faithful to him. In exchange, the prince reinforces their privileges and grants them possession of the forests from the Transylvanian part of Buzău.Even after 1541, when Transylvania becomes an autonomous principality under Turkish suzerainty, the Bran fortress remains property of the city of Braşov. Yet, the serfs belonging to this domain are bound to pay the Turkish yearly toll until 1602, when the prince suspends it in favor of the people of Braşov. In December 1596 Mihai Viteazul, on his trip to Alba Iulia used the road passing through Bran and his wife is likely to have stayed in the fortress for three days. In the year 1600, the son of Mihai Viteazul, Nicolae Pătraşcu, tries to penetrate The Land of Bârsa through the Bran pass, aiming to punish the people of Braşov, who had revolted against the domination of the Wallachian ruler. Unable to conquer the fortress, they had to withdraw. In the decades to come, the prince of Transylvania, Gabriel Bathory, temporarily occupying the Bran fortress, contested the property rights of the city of Braşov over the fortress. This action caused major economic damage to the people of Braşov, by cutting the commerce with Wallachia, as well as political and military prejudices. In 1613 the people of Braşov regain the property rights over the Bran fortress, consequential to a treaty signed with Gabriel Bathory. The same year, during the campaign of the Turkish army lead by Ali Pasha Maghiaroglu, aiming to install Gabriel Bethlen as prince of Transylvania, the Pasha requests the lord of the Bran castle to use their cannons, in order to prevent the “Tartar sultan” from passing through Bran. The permanent tendency of the city of Braşov to interfere with the Transylvanian politics determines Gabriel Bethlen (in the meantime prince) to raise the question of verifying the endorsed possession rights over the Bran fortress and the inherent domain. In 1625 the Transylvanian prince agrees to let the Bran fortress and the domain remain property of the people of Braşov.
The spring of 1651, on 25th of April, Braşov signs with the prince of Transylvania Gheorghe Rackoczi a sale-purchase contract according to which the city “irrevocably and for ever” bought the Bran fortress and the inherent domain, including the villages belonging to the castle, as well as the communes: Purcăreni, Zizin, Tărlungeni, Satulung, Cernatu, Turcheş, Bacifalu, Crizbav and Apaţa, becomming owner with full legal rights over these estates. In exchange for yielding the rights over the fortress and the domain, the people of Braşov had to give up, besides the amount owed by Vladislav II, also the amount of 11.000 florins (paid to the exchequer), along with several villages being up to that point in their possession. The sale-purchase contract for the Bran domain was confirmed by the Transylvanian states through the law Approbatae constitutiones regni Transsilvaniae III, title 84, paragraph 1. After a constant and tenaciously fought fight of over one hundred fifty years, the city of Braşov succeeded to consolidate its lawful rights over Bran.
At the end of the XVII century, as a consequence of the defeats suffered by the Turks, first at the siege of Vienna in 1683, then at Zenta in 1687, The Habsburg Empire gets dominion over Transylvania. Since the “Leopold Diploma” from 1691 confirmed all privileges and donations made by the princes of Transylvania, acknowledging the old laws of the country, the old administrative and judicial stabilities, the old privileges granted to the Saxons and the Szeklers, the city of Braşov also remains rightfully owner of the Bran fortress and domain, in conformity with the contract from 1651. The Habsburg economic politics and military strategy in the XVIII century lead to a diminution of the fortresses purpose, hindering the commerce of the people of Braşov with Wallachia, and even the lords of the castle in fulfilling their responsibilities on the Bran territory.
This way, on May 1st 1706, a customs officer is appointed to administrate the Bran customs point, a clerk of the Austrian Treasury who, besides the task of collecting the customs duties, took over from the lord of the castle also the table lands and the paths in the mountains Bucegi and Piatra Craiului, in order to prevent the illicit commercial activity and the illegal crossing of the border. To the same purpose, the Austrian state set up a sanitary cordon along the mountains Carpaţi, establishing, middle of the XVIII century, a quarantine office at Bran. Planning to strengthen the Bran pass, the castle was restored in 1723, as results from an inscription on the inner wall. The basic purposes of the fortress were practically reduced to those of head office of the domain administration and residence of the lord of the castle. Yet, it still constituted a defense residence which could possibly face a potential attack.
In spite of all these impediments, the Bran fortress continued to be mentioned in chronicles and also to partially fulfill its military and customs point role. Carol XII, king of Sweden, after being defeated in Russia, passes through Bran on the way to his country, accompanied by his armies that took refuge at the Turks. In 1737 an Austrian army company passes through Bran, attacking the Turks in Câmpulung.
During the Russian-Austrian-Turkish war from 1787, the Bran pass was invaded by the Moslem armies, who attacked the fortress, but failed to conquer it.
The amplification of the economic crisis from the second half of the XVIII century made the Austrian state stiffen the taxation policy, introducing the so-called “cadastral registers” in Bran too.
The major decline in the living conditions of the tenants from Bran generated several riots. The most important one, in the context of the events that took place in the years of the uprising led by Horea, Cloşca and Crişan, was in July 1785, when the tenants from Bran refused to pay their taxes to the city of Braşov.
The XIX century brought the decay of the last military tasks of the Bran fortress. The fortress failed to remain an efficient keeper of the border, due to the change in the military strategy and to the spreading of the performing fire guns.
In 1836, along with the transfer of the Transylvanian borders with Wallachia upper in the mountain, at Pajura, the Bran fortress loses its task as customs point at the border of the Austrian state and, along with that, the control over the commercial transit from the area.
The activity of the fortress becomes exclusively focused on the administration of the domain, which will generate numerous abuses coming from the land agents and lords of the castle. In the context of the rebellious movements from 1848, these abuses lead to a local riot, when the inhabitants of Bran organized themselves in “national guards”, acting against the lord of the castle and the garrison, banishing them from the fortress.
The imminence of the Russian-Romanian-Turkish war from 1877 determined the Austrian army to execute defense works along the eastern border of Transylvania. In this context, the Austrians occupied the Bran fortress, replacing its roof (easily exposed to any shelling) with faggots, thing which caused its severe decline.
Taking into account all that the city of Braşov asked the Austrian authorities to restore the fortress. Eventually, they accepted to support the expenses made within the period 1883-1886, and on July 22nd 1888, they handed it over to the city of Braşov.Not long after the city donated the fortress to the Forestry Administration from Braşov. From that point, the fortress was inhabited by forest keepers, foresters from Bran and, at times, in the expressly fit official chambers, by the forest inspectors came from Braşov. The Forestry Administration had the fortress in possession until 1918.