Transylvania

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                                                       Transylvania - Beyond Count Dracula

                                                                             
                                                          

                                    

                                             That Haunted castle you see, right in front of you in the open in the cold dark night, and the pipe organ playing in the dark night, with that eerie music that chills your spine. You feel the chill pass through your spine , as the trees  sway in the wind chanting a uncomforting melody and the lightning crashes down in the forest and creatures run about howling in the darkness  and with  menacing stares. This place is Transylvania, which is associated with Count Dracula and whose name appears in so many movies and books that are written about the Count. However, beyond the dark cloak of Dracula is a very beautiful contrasting Transylvania.
       The  Transylvania, that Hollywood never focused on - is a fairytale. A land of splendid greenery and beautiful castles, and  green mountains where you can connect with nature. Whistling meadows as you drive down the roads  of Transylvania, and there’s the Carpathian mountain range that can stun your gaze and leave you in a daze. Beautiful traditional houses adorn the landscape, and they are well spaced in the green mountains. Imagine staying in a city, where there are houses  facing each other and people can peek into their neighbors house..oof! and here a space is maintained and essentially, privacy is maintained.
        Walk through Transylvania and you will see the reason why we need to build our cities keeping nature in mind, because where do you get to see such a privileged existence where a house is surrounded by beautiful trees and the vast mountain range of the Carpathian mountains. Among this beautiful scenery, Transylvania also boasts of a number of cultural influences that come from a number of people who made Transylvania their home - Carpi from the Dacian tribe,Huns,Visigoths and Bulgarians. And speaking of people, the people out here are extremely social , as there is a strong café culture out here. Transylvania has a certain love for the visal medium of communication because they have many things to their credit -Street plays , film festivals and music festivals that are very common in the city.
      While talking about Transylvania, though I tried to stray away from death, I came across it again -  in a cemetery called “The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta” in the Muaramares  region. This cemetery is the only one of its kind in the world. Colorful tombstones depicting the lives of the people buried, is based on the belief of immortality that death is not the end, but a beginning to a new life. A total different thought to the grieving solemn Count Dracula who mourns his immortality. Sitting in Bran Castle, which is a major tourist attraction in Transylvania.
      Never ceasing to amaze, Transylvania offers so much in the form of natural beauty, heritage status - the Wooden Churches which have a heritage status and besides the natural greenery we see which is in plenty, there is also the Scarisoara Ice Cave, which is the third largest glacier in the world, the Bear Cave, the Apuseni  and the Carpathian mountains , all being natural wonders. People hike on these mountains because of the fresh air they get and also, its an exercise but enjoyed with trees and wild berries.
    What I have described is just a fraction of this wonderful place, and the truth can only be experienced once you are in the country itself, which waits with so much more…

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