Amsterdam, which had a population of around 1 million (with suburbs) on 1 January 2008, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.

Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel where the Dam Square is today. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century (the earliest recorded use of the name "Amsterdam" is from a certificate dated 27 October 1275) Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed.

The city is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world is located in the city centre.

Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, its red-light district and its many cannabis coffee shops, draw 4.2 million tourists annually.

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния

16-ый день пути. 19 июля 2008
Бухарест

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния

13-14-15-ые дни пути. Бухарест дом - Дельта Дуная - Бухарест дом. 16-17-18 июля 2008.


The Danube (In German: Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow, run", Slovak Dunaj, Hungarian Duna, Romanian Dunărea, Old Norse Duná, Turkish Tuna, ancient Greek Istros, Croatian Dunav, Serbian Дунав/Dunav, Bulgarian Дунав, Ukrainian Дунай) is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It originates in the Black Forest in Germany and flows eastwards for a distance of some 2850 km, before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine.

Known to history as one of the long-standing frontiers of the Roman Empire, the river flows through — or forms a part of the borders of — ten countries: Germany (7.5%), Austria (10.3%), Slovakia (5.8%), Hungary (11.7%), Croatia (4.5%), Serbia (10.3%), Romania (28.9%), Bulgaria (5.2%), Moldova (1.7%), and Ukraine (3.8%).

The Danube Delta (Romanian: Delta Dunării; Russian: Дельта Дуная, Delt'a Dunaya; Ukrainian: Дельта Дунаю, Del'ta Dunaju) is the second largest delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania (Tulcea county), while its northern part, is situated in Ukraine (Odessa Oblast). The approximate surface is 4152 km², of which 3446 km² are in Romania.
In 1991, the Romanian part of the Danube Delta became part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Around 2,733 km² of the delta are strictly protected areas.
In 1998, under UNESCO Programme on Man and the Biosphere, the 6264.03 km² of Danube Delta were established as Biosphere Reserve shared by Romania and Ukraine.
As a young region in full process of consolidation, the Danube Delta represents a very favorable place for the development of highly diverse flora and fauna, unique in Europe, with numerous rare species. It hosts 23 natural ecosystems. Situated on major migratory routes, and providing adequate conditions for nesting and hatching, the Danube Delta is a magnet for birds from six major eco-regions of the world, including the Mongolian, Arctic and Siberian. There are over 320 species of birds found in the delta during summer. Over one million individuals (swans, wild ducks, bald coots, etc.) winter here.

Braşov (pronounced [braˈʃov]; Hungarian: Brassó; German: Kronstadt; Medieval Latin: Brassovia or Corona) is a city in Romania and the capital of Braşov County, is the 7th largest Romanian city.
The city was first atested in the 13th century under the name Corona. The current Romanian and Hungarian names are derived from the Pecheneg word, barasu, meaning "fortress". The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City", and is reflected in the city's coat of arms, as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The three names of the city (Braşov/Brassó, Kronstadt, and Corona) were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages.
From 1950 to 1960, during part of the Communist period in Romania, the city was called Oraşul Stalin.
The oldest traces of human activity and settlements in Braşov date back to the Neolithic.
German colonists known as the Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Braşov's development. These Germans were invited by King Géza II of Hungary to develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land of Transylvania at different stages between 1141 and 1162.
In 1211, by order of King Andrew II of Hungary, the Teutonic Knights fortified the area to defend the border of the Kingdom of Hungary.
The location of the city at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe, allowed Saxon merchants to obtain considerable wealth and exert a strong political influence. Once Braşov became a German colony, Romanians were denied several privileges. They were no longer recognized as citizens of the city, and were no longer able to continue to practice their crafts and operate their businesses. Additionally, their religion (Orthodox) was not officially recognized.
In 1918, Transylvania became part of Romania.

The Sinaia Monastery was founded by nobleman (Spătarul) Mihai Cantacuzino in 1695 upon his return from a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai, and named after the great Sinai Monastery on Mount Sinai and has given its name to the dwellings nearby.
It took five years to complete the first buildings from 1690 to 1695. It was supposed to serve as a Monastery as well as a fortified stronghold on the way from Brasov to Bucharest.
In the first plan the Monastery will hold 12 monks just like the Twelve Apostles, but, in time, the number of monks grew.
During the Russo–Turkish War, 1735–1739 the Monastery was deserted and the valuables hid inside a bell and buried. During that war the Turks have fought a battle with the troupes stationed within the walls of the Monastery and won. The ottomans had burned the area and broke the wall in two places.
Until 1850, Sinaia consisted of little more than the monastery and a group of huts.

Peleş Castle (Romanian: Castelul Peleş /kas'te.lul 'pe.leʃ/) is a romantic castle placed in an idyllic setting in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1883.
King Carol I of Romania (original name Prince Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, 1839 - 1914, German prince, was elected Domnitor (prince) of Romania in April 1866 following the overthrow of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and proclaimed king on March 26, 1881. He was the first ruler of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty which would rule the country until the proclamation of a republic in 1947), purchased approx. 1300 acres in 1872, that becomes The Royal Domain of Sinaia, destined to be a hunting preserve and summer retreat. Castle and other annexed buildings were built between 1875 and 1914. Peleş was world's first castle fully operated by electric power and had the central vacuum cleaner, central heating (...), lifts...

After King Michael's forced abdication in 1947, the Communist regime seized all royal property, the whole Peleş complex except the homonymous castle which was opened for tourism, for a short time. The castle was declared a museum in 1953. During the last years of the communist regime, between 1975-1990, Nicolae Ceauşescu closed the entire area. The only persons accepted in this area were maintenance and military guard personnel. Ceauşescu did not like the castle very much and visited rarely. After the December 1989 Revolution, Peleş and Pelişor Castles were re-integrated into the tourism circuit.

Peleş Castle was host to grand figures guests as...Kaiser Franz Joseph I (..) artists like George Enesco, Sarah Bernhardt, Jacques Thibaud or Vasile Alecsandri visited

Râşnov (['rɨʃ.nov]; German: Rosenau; Hungarian: Barcarozsnyó) is a town in Braşov County, Romania with a population of under 16,000.
It is located at about 15 km from the city of Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links Wallachia and Transylvania.
Its name is derived from Slavic "žrŭnovy", meaning (village or valley) "of the mill".
Râşnov citadel was built around the year 1215 by the Teutonic Knights and it was mentioned for the first time in 1331. The citadel was conquered only once in its history, around the year 1600 by Gabriel Báthory.
There is a myth attached to Râşnov Fortress. During a particularly long siege of the fortress, the citizens of Râşnov were concerned about the lack of available fresh drinking water. Luckily, two Turkish soldiers, having been captured earlier, were put to the task of digging a well in the centre of the fortress. These two men were assured that they would be given their freedom once the well was completed. According to local legend, it took them 17 years to finish the well, but they were still killed afterwards. This famous well still sits in the centre of Râşnov Fortress, and is 143 metres deep.

Bran Castle (German: Törzburg; Hungarian: Törcsvár), situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Braşov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle", it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker's Dracula, which has led to persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad Ţepeş, ruler of Wallachia.
1212 the Teutonic Knights built the wooden castle as a fortified position at the entrance to a mountain valley through which traders had traveled for more than a millennium, although it was destroyed in 1242 by the Mongols. The first documented mentioning of Bran Castle is the act issued by Louis I of Hungary on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Braşov) the privilege to build the stone citadel. The castle was first used in 1378 in defense against the Ottoman Empire, and later became a customs post on the mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. The castle briefly belonged to Mircea the Elder of Wallachia. While Vlad Ţepeş did not actually live in the Bran Castle, it is believed he spent two days locked in the dungeon while the Ottomans controlled Transylvania.
From 1920, the castle became a royal residence within the Kingdom of Romania. It was the principal home of Queen Marie. It was inherited by her daughter, Princess Ileana, and was later seized by the communist regime after the expulsion of the royal family in 1948.
Bran Castle In 2005, the Romanian government passed a special law allowing restitution claims on properties such as Bran. In 2006, the Romanian government awarded ownership to Archduke Dominic of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, known as Dominic von Habsburg, an architect in New York State and the son and heir of Princess Ileana.
In 2007, von Habsburg put the castle up for sale for a price of £40 million ($78 million). On July 2, 2007, Michael Gardner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baytree Capital, the New York investment firm which has been retained to create a plan for the castle and to sell it, predicted it would sell for more than $135 million, but added that von Habsburg will only sell it to a buyer "who will treat the property and its history with appropriate respect."
In September 2007, an investigation committee of the Romanian Parliament stated that the retrocession of the castle to von Habsburg was illegal, as it broke the Romanian law on property and succession. However, in October 2007 the Constitutional Court of Romania rejected the parliament's petition on the matter. In addition, an investigation commission of the Romanian government issued a decision in December 2007 reaffirming the validity and legality of the restitution procedures used and confirming that the restitution was made in full compliance with the law.

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния

11-ый день пути. 14 июля 2008
Брашов - Бран - Рышнов - Синая - Бухарест дом

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния

10-ый день пути. 13 июля 2008
Вама - Озеро Изворул Мунтелуй (Горный Источник) - Каньон Биказ - Лаку Рошу (Красное Озеро) - Брашов

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния
с братом Егорушкой, и всеми, всеми, всеми...

9-ый день пути. Буковина. Монастыри Молдовица, Сучевица, Арборе, Хумор

Bukovina (Romanian: Bucovina; Ukrainian: Буковина/Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) (from the Slavic word for beech tree (бук) is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains. It is currently split between Romania and Ukraine.

Before the 14th century
Stone age - Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, then migration of Indo-Europeans.
2nd millennium BC - Dacian and Celto-Germanic tribe. 70 BC to 44 BC - Dacian polity of Burebista.
106 - Dacian Kingdom of Decebal fell to the Romans, linguistic and cultural influence of the Roman Empire.
3rd century - Goths, 4th century - Huns, 6th century - Avars.
6th century - penetration of Slavic populations, large Slavic influence.
797 the Avars were defeated by Charlemagne.
12th to early 14th century, immediately to the north of Bukovina, in was the East Slavic Principality of Halych-Volhynia, formely a part Kievan Rus (880–12th century).

Moldavian Principality
14th century, the Bukovina and neighboring regions were the nucleus of the Moldavian Principality. The name of Moldavia (Moldova) is derived from a river (Moldova River) flowing in Bukovina.
Patronage of Ştefan cel Mare (Stephen III of Moldavia) and his successors, construction of the famous painted monasteries of Moldoviţa, Suceviţa, Putna, Humor, Voroneţ, Dragomirna, Arbore, and others. With their renowned exterior frescoes, these monasteries remain some of the greatest cultural treasures of Romania; some of them are World Heritage Sites.
1538, the Moldavian Principality came under the control of the Ottoman Turks, but it remained autonomous.
1768–1774, Russo-Turkish War, the Ottoman armies were defeated by the Russian Empire, that occupied the region during 1769 – 1774. Bukovina was the reward the Habsburgs received for aiding the Ottomans in that war.

Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire occupied Bukovina in October 1774 (...) until 1918.

Kingdom of Romania
World War I (...) 1917, the Russian army driven out.
1918, collapse of Austria-Hungary, both Romania and Ukraine claimed the region. The General Congress of Bukovina voted for the union with the Kingdom of Romania.
Romanian control was recognized internationally in the Treaty of St. Germain in 1919 (...) by 1926 all Ukrainian schools in Bukovina were closed.

Preceding events and Second World War
1940, Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, Soviet Ultimatum demanded from Romania the northern part of Bukovina, the Romanian government evacuated and the Red Army moved in.
1941 attack on the Soviet Union by the Axis forces, the Romanian Army re-occupied Northern Bukovina, as well as Hertsa district, and Bassarabia, and occupied during 1941–1944 proper Soviet territories in the south of Ukrainian SSR — the Odessa Oblast, and parts of Mykolaiv and Vinnytsia oblasts.

After the war
In 1944 the Red Army drove the Axis forces out and re-established the Soviet control. Romania was forced to formally cede the northern part of Bukovina to the USSR by the 1947 Paris peace treaty. The territory became part of the Ukrainian SSR as Chernivtsi Oblast .

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния

8-ой день пути

Сигишоара - Красное Озеро - Каньон Биказ - Монастырь Воронец - гостиница в деревне Вама

Путешествия по неведомой стране Румыния.
7-ой день пути.
Бухарест-Сибиу-Биертан-Сигишоара