Bușteni, Romania

The train from Bucharest to Bușteni was our first experience of Romanian trains. Although the scenery along the way was stunning, it was hard to enjoy while sitting in a four-seater facing backwards, staring directly at a random couple. Why? Why on earth would you design a whole carriage like that instead of just a few seats? From what little we did see, the road that runs alongside the railway for much of the journey was consistently jammed with bumper-to-bumper traffic. We later learned this was the main road between Bucharest and Brașov.

In Bușteni, we rented a one-bedroom ground floor apartment about a kilometre from the centre. It came with two fantastically large sofas that were very well used.

The hope was that this “mountain” town would provide some relief from the stifling heat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the cool reprieve we had imagined—it was still bloody hot.

We spent a few days exploring the town, wandering up and down its main street, with frequent and much-needed stops for caffeine and beer. One afternoon, we decided to head to Cantacuzino Castle, made “famous” as the school in the TV series Wednesday. But after seeing the long queues and the steep entry fee of 85 lei per person, we quickly realised our enthusiasm didn’t match the cost. Instead, we happily redirected ourselves to the pub.

The next day, we went for a hike. The information we found promised a beautiful waterfall, so off we went. The trail wound through peaceful forest and gave us a much-needed reminder of how much we miss hiking—along with how much fitness we’ve lost over the past two months. What was meant to be a two-hour round trip took us only 40 minutes each way. The waterfall itself was… fine. Nothing spectacular, but the walk made it worthwhile.

After the hike, we did what had already become a bit of a routine: heading to what we call a “pub”—really just a set of outdoor tables—for a couple of beers. In Bisteni, that was about the only option for passing the time, though it did give us the chance to watch the world go by. People-watching was entertaining enough, especially alongside the seemingly endless traffic jam crawling through the town.

It’s a little baffling why the main road was designed to cut straight through the centre. Of course, we understand that historically this would have been the most straightforward route, but it leaves the heart of the town feeling more like a city street than a mountain village square. The result is a centre that is loud, crowded, chaotic… and loud. Very loud.

That said, Bisteni itself was lovely. We only stayed for one and a half days (two nights), but the sheer volume of people made things feel a bit overwhelming. Perhaps in the shoulder seasons, with fewer crowds, the town would have shown a calmer side.

Next stop: Brașov. Something a little different for us, as we’ll be staying well outside the city centre in a local area. It should make for an interesting change of pace.