Travel planner: In the cradle of nature at Rasnov- breathtaking view from the peasant citadel and the one minute of darkness in the Fundata cave

For many Romanian and foreign travelers, a trip to Romania's most famous mountainous area is centered on Brasov and the mountain of resorts Sinaia, Predeal and the like. But there's a lot more in the area that can ensure a relaxing week-end in nature, and some new discoveries if a slightly alternative route is taken. We hit the road leaving Bucharest on a Thursday evening to spend two days away from the concrete heat. First, we tried the new Bucharest – Ploiesti highway as an alternative to the DN1 road that exits Bucharest via Otopeni. The new highway, which is ready to take on traffic, still lacks some finishing touches at the Bucharest entry and hasn't got any gas stations. So make sure you have enough gas for 50 kilometers – the distance from Bucharest to Ploiesti. Moving from three lanes to two lanes and at a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour for the time being, the new highway is however safer than the DN1 option, which passes through some localities, and it will probably be less crowded on peak days and hours of the week-end.