Snagov and Sinaia

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A tour bus ride though the Romanian countryside and forests brought us to Snagov and its famous monastery. The monastery is located on an island in Lake Snagov. This necessitated taking a tour boat to the island. The monastery itself is small, but of a decidedly Eastern European design, with four distinctive towers. It was built in the fifteenth century, replacing earlier structures dating back to the 11th century. Legend has it Vlad III, the Impaler (or Vlad Dracula = son of Vlad Dracul), is buried here, but no one knows for certain.

From Snagov, our drive through the Romanian countryside continued to Sinaia. Sinaia, located in the Carpathian Mountains, was a quaint town. The buildings displayed a blending of German and Carpathian architectural styles, giving the whole place a fairytale quality. Siania is noted as the home of Romanian composer George Enescu (1881-1955). It is also the location of the Sinaia Monastery, founded in 1695. Named after Mount Sinai, the town takes its name form the monastery. This was also our stop for lunch before returning to Bucharest.

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Photos

Snagov Monastery
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Villa Carola
Villa Carola, Sinaia. Built in 1896. EE1975109

Sinaia
"Sinaia (2610 ft . ), a fashionable summer-resort, often overcrowded in the height of the season, lies in a beautiful valley between lofty wooded hills, the slopes of which are dotted with villas".--Baedeker 1911
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Sinaia Monastery
"... we return by the Strada Carmen Sylva to the Monastery (Monastirea; 2820 ft .), founded in 1695..."--Baedeker 1911
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