Sinaia

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Sinaia day 10-11 (June 16-17)

Our train was running late, but finally it arrived and we headed off on an hour and half’s journey to a mountain resort town of Sinaia. We were warned that hiking here should only be done with a guide due to the prevalence of bears. Romania has the largest population of bear and wolves in Europe.

The weather was wet again but undeterred we headed up the hills in the rain to visit the local monastery and a renowned castle. The castle was built relatively recently in terms of castles and had been furnished rather ornately with wood carvings and Venetian coloured crystal. The nearby winter residence was much more tasteful in a more art nuveau style.

Dinner that night was at a restaurant near the top of the mountain. On the menu was bear, deer, and wild boar . I tried the bear which was a pleasant enough game tasting meat. As we were leaving we noticed a group of rangers and others standing around. Apparently they had set a bear trap and were waiting to catch it and remove it from the area.

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