{"id":22219,"date":"2020-01-15T22:00:58","date_gmt":"2020-01-16T06:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=22219"},"modified":"2020-01-15T21:11:28","modified_gmt":"2020-01-16T05:11:28","slug":"fairy-tale-rivers-of-romania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2020\/01\/15\/fairy-tale-rivers-of-romania\/","title":{"rendered":"Fairy-tale Rivers of Romania"},"content":{"rendered":"

Romania is a country of stunning mountain range landscapes, fascinating history and welcoming locals. But it\u2019s victim to an unfair stereotype. The Irish novelist Bram Stoker cursed the country when he wrote the novel Dracula<\/em> in 1897. Stoker never visited Romania. In fact, it\u2019s believed that Stoker actually drew inspiration for the novel\u2019s dark and spooky castle from the English coastal town of Whitby.<\/p>\n

Stoker never experienced a wild Romanian river or stared up at ancient old-growth forests dappled in bright spring sunshine or watched a golden eagle soaring above a deep canyon. He never enjoyed the warm welcome from the locals or felt the warmth of a shot of Romania\u2019s plumb liquor, tzuika<\/em>. His book did a massive disservice to a country that should be recognized first for its stunning wilderness, captivating culture, local hospitality and awesome whitewater, and not for some blood-thirsty fictional book character.<\/p>\n

I explored this under-the-radar paddling destination during the 2019 Balkan Rivers Tour<\/a>, and if you\u2019re a kayaker looking for uncrowded whitewater plus culture, take these steps to follow my journey.<\/p>\n

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B\u00e2sca Mare<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step 1 – Get to Romania
\n<\/strong>Fly into Bucharest. Most European international airports offer daily direct flights. (Pro tip: look into discount airlines for cheaper options.) Flying with a boat? Take some time to plan ahead. Hire a car or van to carry gear, friends and boats and arrange for roof racks, which are available at some airport car rental agencies. Bringing your own inflatable roof racks can avoid boat transport drama.<\/p>\n

Step 2 – Get to know Romania
\n<\/strong>The area of Romania is about 92,000 square miles\u2014roughly twice the size of Pennsylvania\u2014making it the 12th<\/sup> largest country and 7th<\/sup> most populous in all the EU member states with almost 20 million inhabitants. Five countries border current-day Romania: Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the east, Bulgaria to the south<\/a>, and Serbia and Hungary to the west. Historically, this geographic placement between Christian-ruled Europe and the Muslim-ruled Ottoman Empire meant the country was constantly exposed to invasion and war. You’ll notice this blend of cultures in the architecture, taste it in the food and explore it through the country\u2019s rich history.<\/p>\n

But what sets Romania apart from neighboring countries is its wilderness. The Carpathian Mountains, dense old-growth forests of Transylvania, and wild rivers make it a country like no other in the EU. Peppered amongst the wild landscape are medieval villages, historic sites and fortified churches. For dirtbag kayakers keen on exploration on and off the river, Romania provides.<\/p>\n