Hunedoara Castle – Is Dracula Living There ?
The city of Hunedoara has the most important Gothic-style secular building in Transylvania: Hunyad Castle, which is closely connected with the Hunyadi family. The castle was originally a small royal citadel and was given to Vajk (Romanian: Voicu) by King Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1409. Vajk’s son, Johannes de Hunyad, began enlargement of the castle into a Gothic residence in 1446. The castle was damaged by fire three times, but underwent successive renovations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the architects Imre Steindl, Frigyes Schulek and István Möller.
Besides the Romanian population, there are also ethnic Hungarians and Germans living in Hunedoara. A Roma population also thrives in a small village near the city, called Hasdat. The city contains many green gardens, and old trees flank the streets. The castle has been turned into a museum, following recent reconstruction. A large dam, with tourist facilities, is located a few kilometres from the city, up in the mountains. A big, nice hotel, recently renovated, lies in the city center.
During the 20th century, Hunedoara increased its population to 86,000 inhabitants. The city used to contain the second largest steel works in Romania, but this has now closed down. However, the economy of the city is now benefiting from new investment.
The Castle is known both by the name Corvin’s Castle and “Hunyadi Castle“. “Hunyadi” is a more internationally recognized name for the same family, “Corvins” being used mostly by Romanians.
The impressive size and architectural beauty sets it among the most precious monuments of medieval art, subsequent developments mixing Gothic style with Renaissance and Baroque. The building lies on a rock around which flows the river Zlasti. It has an impressive draw bridge, countless towers, a number of interior courts, and two large halls, “Knight Hall” and “Diet Hall”, as it housed the diet of Transylvania for a very short period.
The castle history is mostly related to the Hunyadi family, being the place where John Hunyadi spent his childhood. Today the castle is being cared for by the municipality, as there are no recorded descendants of the Hunyadi that could pledge for it. Vlad Dracul, the ruler of Wallachia, father of the notorious Vlad Dracula, was imprisoned here, as he had fallen into disgrace with Hunyadi, not providing the help promised in the battle against the Ottomans. (Dracula, who had once been traded as a hostage to the Ottomans by his own father, later became a protege of Hunyadi and took over Wallachia shortly before his mentor’s death of a fever). The castle and surroundings are often used by international film companies for the production of movies about medieval times.
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My Journey To Bandung City
One said Java is the most populated island in the world considering that its area is only a little over half the size of England but its population is 150 million. I live in New South Wales, and was traveling to the East. My first visit was Bandung, second largest city after Jakarta.
I was recommended to go to Bandung by a friend of mine in college who originally from there. He always gushing about this city how cold it is and how much fun people will get from there. She told me I can find combination of traditional culture and modern one in Bandung.
This city established by the Dutch in the late 19 century as a Dutch garrison town of Sudanese, Chinese and Europeans. Although in the past Bandung described as Paris Van Java, due to the city gardens and public parks, most of Bandung’s former glamor has faded. What exists today is a farrago of dilapidate colonial and modern buildings.
Anyway, I landed in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia and then catch a bus that transfers passengers from airport to city train station in one hour (if the street is not busy). From train station I took Parahyangan express train which condition is similar to express train in Japan only more crowded. It took three hours to by train from Jakarta to Bandung.
Other transportation you can choose are buses, taxis or rental cars (with or without driver), but be ready for minimum eight hours journey. But don’t go at the week end, it will take forever! Usually I arrange my accommodation with Hotels Combined as their work at comparing some sites is really amazing, but this time I book on the spot since that is what my friend suggested.
I stayed at Panghegar Hotel which had wide double room for 600,000 rp. The hotel is mid-range place to stay and it is located at the central on the main road. Before that I was checked with Patradisa Hotel which cost 200,000 IDR per night, but it is the rooms are old with and very standard service. The hotel I stayed is in a pretty nice location.
There are two 24 hours minimarkets just around the corner. You can easily get taxi to go around; just make sure that they run the meter. At night, you may have to pay a bit more, just negotiate and you will get a rational cost.
Anyway, I love this city! And yes since Bandung is 750 m above the sea level, the weather is quite comfortable (about 15-18°C in the day). Many places you can visit around Bandung and my favourites are Tangkuban Perahu Mountain (an amazing volcano crater), Lembang hill (this places has fresh strawberry fields
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