Buhui Cave

The Buhui Cave is situated on the left slope of the Buhui Valley in the mountains of Anina, Southwestern Romania, at an altitude of 600 m. With a length of 3217 meters, the cave Buhui is the second longest cave in Banat and owns one of the longest underground routes in Romania; the Buhui Rivulet forms inside the cave several lakes and waterfalls.

The Buhui Rivulet is a tributary of the Caraş River in Romania. The river first flows through Buhui Lake. Thereafter it flows through the Buhui Cave and, after emerging from the cave, flows through a reach of narrow gorges before joining the Caraş River.

The cave has a gallery of various sizes, with many turns and a few big rooms along. Both of the main gallery and the rooms start as short side galleries, the end is clogged with concrete or alluvial material. The Buhui Creek appears in upstream end of the main gallery, receives the tributary stream Certej next the entry with the same name, partially losses water through sinkholes and some tears. It completely disappears next the second entry (Dolina, 975 m downstream), then it reappears 108 m downstream through an intermittent spring, forming waterfalls and deep domes up the dam at Buhui entrance. The cave can be crossed from one end to another, but to avoid more difficult obstacles is recommended the use of the three successive entries.

The Buhui Cave is impressive not only in size but also by the wide variety of galleries and halls with concretions and fossils. It has a great scientific importance due to its karst hydrology and bio-speleological aspects. Therefore it was proposed in 1969 as a speleological reserve.

Photos from here

Macea Castle

Macea (Hungarian: Mácsa; German: Matscha) is a commune in Arad County, Romania, composed of two villages, Macea and Sânmartin. It is located 23 km from Arad and 6 km from Curtici.

Although the traces of settlements on this place are very old, traces from the Neolithic and from the Bronze Age having been found on its territory, Macea was first mentioned in documents only in 1380, while Sânmartin in 1477. The Macea domain belonged over time to many Austrian, Hungarian or Montenegro noble families. After the wars concluded with the peace treaties from Karlovitz (1699) and Passarovitz (1718), the Imperial administration from Vienna donated or sold the Macea domain several times. Thus, Macea belonged since 1715 to the Edelspacher family. Sigismund Edelspacher sold part of its properties to Arsenie Ciarnoievici, a Serbian noble from Montenegro. He and his son contributed to the release of Banat under Ottoman occupation and were ennobled by the House of Habsburg.

The first design of the castle dates from 1724. Yhe arboretum was then the main attraction of the domain. After his second marriage, Pavel Cernovici - Arsenie Ciarnoievici's nephew - retired to Macea. Cernovici was preoccupied with planning the reconstruction of the castle. The Macea Castle was built in a neoclassical style with a single level and a rectangular plan, in the first part of the 19th century and it has a sober architecture. Both the front and the back terrace are guarded by columns with Doric capitals.

Pavel's son, Petru, became a deputy. His connections with the Serbian and Romanian national movement leaders, but also with a number of foreign diplomats in Belgrade have been seen with bad eyes by Austrian police and fell into disgrace. In 1862, the castle was lost during a cards game. The new owner, Count Karolyi of "Nagy Karoly", was one of personalities of Hungary. Between 1862 and 1886, it was built the second wing of the castle, much larger, with eclectic elements. That gives the entire building a French style look.

The arboretum and the botanical garden were designed by the famous gardener Joseph Prochaska. He arranged the garden, built a fountain and a swimming pool, a tennis court, alley and brought many plants. After the First World War, both the park and castle went through a period of regression. In 1939, the park has come into possession of a doctor, which cleared over 10 acres of forest. The first large-scale repair of the castle was made ​​in 1956. Only in 1968 the garden and the arboretum were declared a dendrological park and protective measures were taken for maintaining and and redevelopment. Subsequently, the complex became the siega of a local agricultural association, then in the castle was moved a school for children with disabilities.

After the Revolution, the "Vasile Goldiş" University in Arad renovated the castle and the botanical garden - with a surface of over 20 ha. Currently, saved from ruin, the Macea castle hosts international events - scientific Congresses, symposia, research meetings.

A few days ago, the first hunting museum in Western Romania opened to the public at the Macea Castle. The trophies on display include some awarded gold medals in national competitions or animals coming from the Socodor game fund, killed during Nicolae Ceausescu’s hunting trips. The museum is the third in the country, after those in Posada and Sibiu. The trophies on display in the museum in­clude stags, wolves, bears, wild boars, foxes, lynxes and a number of birds. Alongside the trophies, visitors can see images of the animals in their natural habitat, hunting rifles or various hunting objects.

Fănuș Neagu

Motto: I loved life as a rake! (Fănuș Neagu)

Ştefan "Fănuș" Neagu (April 5, 1932, Grădiștea-de-Sus, Brăila County - May 24, 2011, Bucharest) was a Romanian storyteller, memoirist, short story writer, novelist, and playwright, one of the most talented contemporary authors. A terrible child of the literary world, a bohemian par excellence of that were forgiven all the excesses and drift, bon viveur, he has become extremely popular as a man and a writer.

He was born in a modest peasant family. Neagu studied for five years in his village. Between 1944-1948 he continued his studies at the Military High School in Iaşi and Câmpulung-Muscel. Then he followed the Pedagogical School in Bucharest in 1952, and by the year 1953 became student of the School of Literature "Mihai Eminescu" in Bucharest. Here he was colleague with Nicholas Labiş and Radu Cosaşu. Between 1954-1957 Neagu studied at the Faculty of Philology in Bucharest, but he could not complete a degree.

Fănuș Neagu published in 1954 the story "Enemy of the world" (Dușman cu lumea) in the "Young Writer" magazine. In 1960 has editorial debut with the volume of stories "Was snowing in Bărăgan" (Ningea în Bărăgan), volume reprinted in 1964 under the title "Left Canton" (Cantonul părăsit). He developed high-density epic deployments with ample availability of original and verbal invention. The Danube Delta, the surroundings of Brăila, the Bărăgan make up in his prose a spiritual geography that finds expression in an unmistakable style. He was editor of the Luceafărul and Amfiteatru magazines, he wrote highly appreciated sports chronicles in Literary Romania magazine. He was director of Ţara magazine and Cronica Română newspaper.

He received the Writers' Union Award four times, for The left canton, The beautiful madmen of the great cities (Frumoșii nebuni ai marilor orașe), The noises team (Echipa de zgomote), and The midnight house (Casa de la Miezul Nopții). Between 1993-1996 he was director of the National Theater in Bucharest. In 1993 he became Corresponded Member of the Romanian Academy, and in 2001 full Member. Fănuș Neagu died today at 3.30 AM. God rest his soul!

Historic houses of Romania

Historic houses of Romania is a very well documented blog focused on the architectural heritage of Romania. The author is Valentin Mandache, a market analyst and historian, who publish his analyses and opinions on the subject of period buildings, architectural heritage and traditional habitats from Romania’s historic provinces.

Valentin Mandache has a particular passion for Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings, and presents also exhaustively the flamboyant Neo-Romanian architecture.

If you want to know more on the historic houses of Romania, visit the blog here.

It happens in Romania

Wakeboarding is a water sport where the rider stepped on a board is pulled over water by a boat, using the techniques of skiing, snowboarding and surfing.

An extremely dangerous and spectacular sport, which the Dutchman Duncan Zuur made it even more spectacular. World vice-champion, nicknamed the Flying Dutchman, Duncan has achieved a world first in Romania. Zuur (36 years) was wakeboarding on Lake Techirghiol pulled by a train traveling between Eforie Nord and Eforie Sud.

"I am very happy that I had the chance to be the first athlete in the world to make a train pulled wakeboarding. It was a unique experience, new, and full of adrenaline. If I have the opportunity, I would do it once" Duncan Zuur said immediately after concluding the project.

Images from GSP

The Romanian Communism Photo Archive

The project Online Communism Photo Collection was initiated as a result of an increased interest of the public towards the communist regime in Romania and because of the unavailability of the photographic sources for the respective period. The project became possible in July 2007 after the real and total opening of the archive of the communism preserved by the National Archives of Romania.

On 14th of November, 2008, the National Archives of Romania and The Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania, concluded an agreement of cooperation in order to bring into being the Online communism photo collection, which is the first and the largest Romanian free data base, containing photos from 1945-1989 and 1921-1944, available on the Internet.

The photos cover a vast period and a huge number of events, from inter-war period, the World War II and Ceausescu dictatorship. There are images from communists’ meetings in illegality, portraits from their youth, photos from the prisons where the communist leaders were locked. Most of the photos pertain to the period 1944-1989: the entering of the Red Army in Bucharest, the political events from 1944-1947, the visit abroad of some communist leaders, aspects from the private life of Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej and Nicolae Ceausescu, official visits in the country, Communist Party’s conventions, cultural reunions, communist nomenclaure on different hypostasis, manifests, meetings, official portraits, public events etc.

The photos within this data base were made between 1945-1989. However, photographic documents pertaining to the Romanian communism prior to 1945 may be found. The users should understand that most of the photos from this data base were made for propaganda purpose. ANR and IICCR specify that the photos’ captions are the original ones wroted down at the time when the photos were made and do not represent the version of NAR and IICCR experts.

The Photo Collection

Gherla Fortress

Gherla Fortress (Martinuzzi Citadel) was built in 1540, on the order of the Bishop of Oradea George Martinuzzi, chancellor and treasurer of the Hungarian royal court.

The fortress was built on the right bank of the river Someşul Mic at a distance of only a few kilometers from the ruins of the Roman camp Secunda Pannoniorum and around the small village of Gherla small village, now a city. Led by architect Domenico da Bologna (1540-1551), the fortress was built as a quadrilateral with bastions at the corners, surrounded by 3 to 4 meters thick walls and a moat, with a mobile bridge (on east side), and there is access through a series of underground tunnels. As building materials were mainly used the remains of Unguraş citadel. Over time the fortress became possession of several noble families, including the princes of Transylvania - Sigismund Bathory (1580) and George Rákóczi II (1648), making it a princely residence.

Postcard from here

In the early 17th century the fortress lost its strategic importance, so in 1706 it was originally transformed into barracks, was then abandoned and put up for sale. On October 20, 1785 Emperor Joseph II transformed the citadel into a central jail in Transylvania (Carcer Magni Principatus Transilvaniae). The transformation followed to a mass escape from the Trei Scaune county prison, so the noblemen desired to create a maximum security prison in Transylvania. Between 1857-1860 was built the central pavilion as a special detention place by the architects Danil and Ioan Reschler from Bistriţa; here was also the 6-rooms apartment of the director.

 

Photo from Gherla News

On May 1, 1913 the prison is converted into a prevention institute for minors, where children studied and learned trades. During the Communist regime it became a political prison (1945-1964), and a common-law prison (1964-1989). The Gherla Prison, one of the oldest in Romania, became a maximum security prison since 1989.

Inna

Inna (b. Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, 16 October 1986 in Mangalia, România) is a Romanian dance singer.

She graduated the high school in Mangalia, then she attempted a degree in Political Sciences at the University of Constanţa. At the end of 2007 she met the members of Play & Win Project and she started the recording of her debut album. She released in 2008 the single Hot, that became an instant hit and was remastered at the end of the year; it also became an airplay success worldwide.

Inna - Hot (Play and Win Club Remix)


A second single, entitled Love, was released in 2009 and peaked at number four on the Romanian Hot 100 in April 2009, surpassing the achievements of Hot. The song Deja Vu became yet another top ten hit on the Romanian Top 100, peaking at number seven in July 2009. It also was a major hit in Moldova, Bulgaria, Russia and Hungary.

Inna - Love


In the end of June, Inna won a Romanian Top Hits Award, the special one given by the Jury, for her top five hit Love. Later that summer, the song Hot hit the first position of the Spanish Singles Chart, being certified Platinum by ProMusicae. The song sold over 40,000 copies during that summer.

Inna - Amazing


In France, she has four consecutive top-10 singles, Hot, Deja Vu, Amazing, 10 Minutes and Sun Is Up, and her debut album "Hot" became a top-10 in France, In the United Kingdom, she has two songs charted within the top-20 of the The Official Charts Company's UK Singles Chart, with a top-10 (Hot) and another top-20 (Amazing).

Inna - 10 Minutes (Club Remix)


Her latest single Sun Is Up became a number-one hit in Bulgaria and a top three in France, Romania, Russia and Switzerland. For 2011, Inna is preparing a new record, entitled "I Am The Club Rocker!". Along with this record, Inna encourages her fan base to affirm themselves as CLUB ROCKER. Inna is currently on her European concert tour "INNA en Concert".

Inna - On & on

Black Adler Inn, Baia Mare

The Black Adler Inn (Romanian: Hanul Vulturul Negru) is located in the historical center of Baia Mare, Northwestern Romania.

According to the historical sources, the inn existed already in 1736, when it was mentioned for the first time as being property of the town. Its name was inspired probably by the coat-in-arms of the Habsburg family and in the documents of the time it appears also as Fekete Sas (in Hungarian), Aquila Nigra (in Latin) or Schwarzes Adler (in German).

The inn had rooms, a pub, and a games room (pool, cards, ninepins). At the floor of the northern wing were the ballroom and the concert hall. The inn was leased each year, the tenants having to restore the building and to guarantee the quality of services offered. Because the wooden building was degrading, the town restored it in 1784 and build another wing (the architect was János Gáspár Huzel). In 1802 was built a floor and the facade was modified in neo-classical style. In 1870 the in was modernized in neo-Renaissance style.

In 1925 the building became the headquarters of the City Hall and in 1950 here moved also the Courthouse. In 1970 the City Hall moved into a new building, and in 2003-2004 the former inn was renovated and transformed into a business center. The building has a L shape, with basement, ground floor, and floor. In the wall of the inn were discovered medieval carved stones, obviously reused as masonry material. These stones came, most probably, from St. Stephen's Church (14th century), that in the early nineteenth century was already ruined. The main facade of the building has 11 articulated goals. In the first goal from the center was opened the access into the basement, whose door had a stone frame as the handle of a basket, and unfortunately was closed during recent rehabilitation.

In the old central axis - the fifth goal from the center - opens the main gate of the inn, having the shape of a basket handle. The stone arch is decorated with a bunch of grapes, indicating that the building is an inn. To the spacious patio of the inn opens a string of arches from the ground floor and first floor east wing. Some of these arches were closed prior the last renovation. On the ridge rises a wooden tower.

The Black Adler is one of the most significant historical buildings in the central square of Baia Mare.

Photos from here