The Winter Holiday Offer in Rasnov

History, multiculturalism, sports and leisure activities – these are the words that best describe the small town of Rasnov.

Daniel Onea, 10.01.2013, 12:35

Our interlocutors are Constantin Ungureanu, the president of the Rosenau Tourism Association in Rasnov and Crina Coco Popescu, the Romanian mountain climber who entered the Guinness Book of Records after becoming, at the age of 16, the first woman to climb Mount Sidley, the highest volcano in Antarctica.

“Fresh air, tranquillity and delicious food,” this is how tourists used to describe Rasnov in the interwar period. The essence has remained the same, the landscape is unchanged but the experience of a tourist that visits the town in 2013 is highly enriched, as Constantin Ungureanu, our guide today, tells us:

“Rasnov can accommodate over 2,000 tourists in 2, 3 and 4 star hotels and guesthouses. The prices range from 60 to 150 lei per person in a double room. The cultural and sports offer this year is very diverse. It starts with the International Cup of the Ski Federation, held between January 18thand 20th, which is a ski jump competition, and continues with the most important event of the season: the European Youth Winter Olympics, with its ski jump competition being held here. The offer is more varied during the summer months, with important events held almost every weekend in June, July and August. The Historical Film Festival is one of them, as well as the Historical Re-enactment Festival and a children’s event called Game Mania, to name only a few. There are many other surprises in store for visitors.”

The Rasnov Citadel is no doubt one of the reasons people should pay a visit to the region. Located on the top of a calcareous hill and visible from every spot of the town, the Rasnov Citadel has been taken over for a few years by an Italian investor, who upgraded it and turned the historical monument into a tourist attraction. After making the effort to climb the hill, once on top, visitors can rest over a cup of tea or coffee served by a little shop within the citadel’s walls. Constantin Ungureanu tells us more about the fortress and about other ways of spending time in the region:

“Tourists can visit the Rasnov citadel, open daily between 9 am and 5 pm and also the Valea Cetatii Cave. Those who love music can listen to symphonic concerts held in this cave every Saturday, starting at 5 pm. The Evangelical Church is open to visitors every day, as well as the Romanian Orthodox Church. I highly recommend tourists not to miss the only ski jumps facility in south-eastern Europe. They can see athletes training here every morning. Ukraine’s Olympic team also came here for training ahead of competitions.”

A bungee jumping platform has also been made available to lovers of extreme sensations in Rasnov. Unique in Europe, the platform is 135 m tall and it can even go up to 155 m over a distance of about 100 m, depending on the jumper’s weight. Constantin Ungureanu, the president of the Rosenau Rasnov Association for tourism promotion highlights several alternatives for active tourism:

“We have two riding centres, a mountain club and a mountain horse farm, offering horseback riding where riding is practiced. In the Rasnoavei Gorges area you can practice mountaineering, bungee jumping and mountain climbing. There are two caves which can be visited only by experts, as well as four tourist tracks and the Malaiesti mountain cabin that is very popular with mountain lovers.”

Crina Coco Popescu, who is 17 years old, has already climbed Mount Sidley, the highest volcano in Antarctica. She is the only woman in the world to have climbed the Seven Volcanoes circuit and who aims to reach seven peaks in the 7 summits circuit. The only one left for her to conquer of the seven summits is Everest.

In order to set all these records, Crina Coco Popescu has been training in the Rasnoavei Gorges area. She says it is a very nice area, especially for mountain sports like sports climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking and running:

“The Gorges are close to Mount Postavaru. You can go down by skiing or snowboarding along various routes to the Rasnoavei Gorges. They are wild areas, but you can practice skiing there. We’ll leave aside the technical details about climbing in wintertime, which are not for beginners. There are places where you can enjoy Romanian traditional cuisine in the Rasnoavei Gorges area, mainly in the town of Rasnov.”

So, there are all reasons for you to choose a holiday in Rasnov. Whether you are fond of history, traditions, exercise or sports, you can find them all in Rasnov.

Constantin Ungureanu, the president of the Rosenau Rasnov Association for tourism promotion extends a final invitation to you:

“I invite you to visit Rasnov to discover history. You can visit the Rasnov Fortress, the 14thcentury Evangelical Church and the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is the oldest Orthodox stone church in South-Eastern Transylvania. Last but not least, our town is home to some very original cultural events.”