What changes they had seen.
In Jelenia Gora we called at the Lidl, which accepted credit cards (unlike Germany!) and had a bakery with fresh rolls and croissants. Then drove east on rd 3 (E65) until we were turned back after Kaczorow by a barrage of police, fire and ambulance vehicles, though we could see no problem. Returning to Kaczorow, we had to take a narrow country lane southeast to join rd 5 just north of Kamienna Gora.
Confused by the contradiction between the SatNav, the road signs and our little Polish road atlas, bought at a petrol station 8 years previously, we strayed SE rather than east on leaving Kamienna Gora and found ourselves crossing the Czech border at Golinsk! Again there was no frontier post, nor any reminder that daytime running lights are required on vehicles in the Czech Republic. Passing through tiny hamlets, we had a brief impression of well tended cemeteries, ploughed fields and empty stork nests. In the pasture a cow was being hand-milked into a pail. Roadside chrysanthemums were on offer, probably for decorating the graves for All Saints and All Souls Days (1 and 2 November). The customary red candle lanterns had been on sale in Lidl.
So we unintentionally crossed a small corner of the Czech Republic, driving SE via Broumoy. We parked for lunch in a tiny nameless village, then re-entered Poland at Tlumaczow and had an anxious moment, keeping to the centre of an arched railway bridge signed 2.8 m high (our Carado is 2.9 m). South from here along minor roads (385, 387, 388) to Polanica-Zdroj and the campsite on the left, in woodland next to the sports centre 1 km north of town.
There are rows of simple huts, a restaurant (closed) with rooms above, and a camping area with hook-ups. We were the only campers and the friendly Reception staff (open 24 hrs!), speaking a little English, unlocked the toilets. There was no hot water and no chemical toilet dump but we were glad to have a safe place with electricity for the night. It had rained most of the day, we still felt under the weather and the motorhome was splattered with mud.
A trans-Poland car rally turned up in the early evening to use the car park and accommodation at the sports centre, making a great deal of noise as they arrived and even more as they left again early next morning!
At Auto-camping No 169, Polanica-Zdroj
Next day was bright and dry, if chilly. Feeling better, Barry hosed the motorhome down and M sent an email or two from Reception, then tried to restore our appetites with a tempting salmon and leek risotto.
INTO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Polanica-Zdroj to Euro-camp Caravan Park, Hutisko-Solanec, Nr Roznov pod Radhostem – 140 miles (1,650 ft/500 m high)
Open all year. Euros accepted: €9 inc elec and hot showers. No WiFi. N 49°25'42” E 18°13'30”
Drove south for 29 miles via Bystrzyca Klodzka to the Czech border, pausing at the services in Miedzylesie to buy a vignette for Czech motorways and expressways: €17 cash (no cards) for the 10-day minimum period. Again vehicles over 3.5 tons have a more complicated electronic toll system: see www.highwaymaps.eu/czech-republic and www.motorway.cz/for-drivers. This service station also sold vignettes for Austria and Slovakia.
From the border after Boboszow village (no passport checks), we continued south through Kraliky. As the road from Kraliky to Hanusovice was closed for road works, we couldn't easily check out the campsite (formerly Camping Collins) at Horni Lipka as planned, so we kept south on rd 11 and rd 44, rolling through lovely high forest and small villages. We were very aware of people walking to and from church on this Sunday morning, with Catholic services well attended, though shops and supermarkets were open in the towns. The roads were good compared with Poland. Lunch on a car park in Zabreh.
Our road became a very good dual carriageway just before Mohelnice. At Olomouc we turned east on the outer ring (a new road), to exit 286 for Hranice, then east on rd 35 (which leads to Zilina in Slovakia).
At Roznov Radhostem both the campsites were closed, as expected (Camping Sport on the right by the stadium, Camp Roznov on the left in the woods). Following a lead from the ACSI website, we continued for 5 miles to a right turn for Hutisko-Solanec, a mile from the main road, then left in the village following a sign 'Caravan Park'. It seemed extremely unlikely!
We found a few resident caravans on a small field, next to a hotel/restaurant/pool (all closed). A kindly old chap, speaking a very little German, showed us where the toilets and hot showers were and thought the 'Chef' would be back in the morning. It now goes dark by about 6 pm, with a feel of November approaching.
INTO SLOVAKIA
Hutisko-Solanec, Czech Republic to Autocamping Turiec, Vrutky, Nr Martin – 56 miles (1,300 ft/395 m high)
Open all year. www.autocampingturiec.sk. €15.20 inc elec and use of bathroom with hot shower in guesthouse. Free WiFi. N 49.1982 E 18.8988
For information on road tolls and other aspects of driving in Slovakia, click: On the Road in Slovakia
The boss was indeed back next morning and charged only €9 for our peaceful night. Returning to rd 35, we headed east to the Slovak border (10 miles), high in the misty autumn forest at 2,370 ft/790 m. Day time running lights remain compulsory in Slovakia. We had bought a 10-day vignette for motorways and expressways (€8.50) at the services we passed and there were more opportunities after (but not at) the frontier. Once again vehicles over 3.5 tons are subject to a different system and we are pleased to have downsized!
Down through the woods and along rd 18 (E442) for 18 miles to Bytca, where we joined the motorway to busy Zilina (at 42 miles) and took the exit for Martin and Poprad. The road leaving Zilina was lined with new industry, as well as hoardings advertising Lidl, Tesco and Carrefour. Driving towards Martin along the steep-sided valley of the River Vah, we were still at 1,150 ft/350 m, with ruined castles perched above us overlooking the gorge.
In Vrutky, on the outskirts of Martin, we turned right (signed) for Camping Turiec. The site, a mile along the lane in wooded solitude, looked closed, its large gates firmly shut. Then a man in overalls, who was up a ladder painting the adjoining house, introduced himself as Viktor, the owner and manager. Of course the campsite was open all year, though there was no-one else there and the facilities had been drained and closed up for winter!
Ushered in, we parked under fir trees at the edge of a large area of soft grass. Our host lent us an extra long lead, to reach the only hook-up point, and gave us a key to the modern guesthouse to use its bathroom. The WiFi worked well and there was a washing machine but no drier. The guesthouse is popular in the ski season, as there are facilities higher up the lane.
Heavy rain in the afternoon kept us grounded but we learnt a lot about Viktor, who spoke both English and German having worked for a German company until his recent retirement.
Vrutky/Martin to Penzion Villa Betula Caravan Club, Liptovsky Sielnica, Nr Liptovsky Mikulas – 40 miles (1,870 ft/567 m high)
Open all year. www.villabetula.sk. Credit card accepted: €21 inc elec and hot showers. Free WiFi. Excellent restaurant with 3-course daily menu for €8 pp. N 49.13608 E 19.5125
Next day was fine, as we returned to Vrutky to shop at a large Lidl, which took credit cards and even stocked baked beanz. Then it was east on rd 18, through the industrial city of Martin and along the river valley via Ruzomberok. A new motorway under construction was nowhere near finished, but the Slovak roads are still better than Poland. Rd 18 became dual carriageway at Ivachnova, shortly before our exit for Besenova. Here we took a minor road north across the river and through Potok, round the northern end of Lake Liptovska Mara to the Penzion Villa Betula complex.
It was a great surprise to find a smart hotel and restaurant, behind which lie a small well equipped campsite, an outdoor pool and a children's zoo with various rare breeds (hens, geese, goats, pigs, horses, donkeys, birds, rabbits … but no children!) The only campers, we settled on the road round the edge of the soft grassy camping area.
After lunch we walked over to look at the lake, in the foothills of the Tatras.
At Penzion Villa Betula Caravan Club, Liptovsky Sielnica
Next day was very wet and still, with mist cloaking the hills. The camp WiFi worked well and we caught up with emails, as well as laundry using an unusual machine that both washed and dried. The evening was spent by a roaring log fire in the Villa Betula restaurant, sampling the Menu of the Day served by a white-gloved waiter! After a small appetiser (garlic toast with slivers of ham and cheese), there was a choice of 4 soups, and 4 main courses, followed by pancakes with fresh fruit, or ice cream. Excellent value at €8 each plus drinks (a glass of the lovely local white wine).
On the following morning the cloud lifted early, revealing a dusting of fresh snow on the nearby hills. It was much colder with a north wind and remained showery. We decided to stay another day, spent researching campsites and routes through Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria. In the early evening we had another excellent Menu of the Day - our chosen main course of pork with rice & roast baby potatoes was especially memorable. Later we watched 'The Ruling Class' with a manic Peter O'Toole leading a star cast in a satirical look at the aristocracy and the church, made in 1972. Arthur Lowe was brilliant as the butler and the whole thing got truly bizarre!
Liptovsky Sielnica to Autocamping Podlesok, Podlesok, Nr Hrabusice – 77 miles
Open 1 April-31 Oct. www.slovakia.travel/en/autocamping-podlesok. €13 inc elec and use of a WC/hot shower in Reception. Free WiFi in Reception. N 48.96444 E20.38500
On a dry bright morning with a chill wind from the north, we filled the water tank, dumped the waste and drove down the lake into Liptovsky Mikulas. Here we called at Lidl to stock up with fresh rolls, croissants and donuts before heading east on motorway E50. From exit 279 before Poprad we turned north on rd 537, climbing towards the mountains of the High Tatras which suddenly loomed out of the low cloud. The height on entering the Tatras National Park at Podbanske was 1220 m, or over 4,000 ft
Turning left to climb the road to Strbske Pleso, a picturesque lake of glacial origin and a popular tourist destination complete with ski facilities, we found it much more developed than on previous visits. The old sanatorium was abandoned, new hotels had sprung up and the official car parks were now charging €2 per hour. We found a place to stop by the roadside, on the way to the top car park for the ski lift (37 miles driven, height 4,440 ft). After eating lunch we set off for a woodland walk but soon turned back in the bitterly cold wind. Slovakia is 40% forest, though the logging trucks are working hard to reduce that
Down to the main road and on to the tourist town of Tatranska Lomnica, to stay at a small restaurant with parking for 4 motorhomes that we've used before (€10 per night inc electric, water, dump and use of WC in restaurant). The unfriendly and unhelpful new proprietor insisted we could not park sideways across two places, though there was no-one else there (nor had we seen another motorhome since Poland!) Since the sloping ground, trees and stream made it very difficult to manoeuvre as instructed, we left.
Continuing along rd 541 towards Poprad, we checked out Camping Tatranec, a huge flat empty site next to a hotel on the right. Miss Sourface in hotel Reception explained that the campsite was open, though all the electricity and water was turned off - we could park on the grass next to cabin 13, plug in there and use its bathroom (for €13). We walked over to investigate this offer, which meant standing on soft sloping wet grass. Could we park on the paved path and run a lead across? No! We left. Some people are just not suited to working in the hospitality business! A little further along towards Poprad there was once an enormous campsite 'FICC Eurocamp', now demolished.
On we drove down rd 67 to join the E50, bypassing the centre of Poprad and continuing east until the motorway currently ends at Spissky Stvrtok. Here we turned SW along 5 miles of minor country road through Hrabusice, then left (signed) into the Slovensky Raj National Park. At the visitor centre there are rooms and a vast empty campsite that we know. The ablutions were locked, with only a week until winter closing, but the pleasant English-speaking Receptionist offered use of the toilet and shower in the café, which would be 'more comfortable'.
The site is surrounded by magnificent forest with warnings of bears, so we didn't venture out after dark! On a previous visit we'd explored a little of the national park on foot but this time it was too cold and gloomy, so we left after one lone night.
INTO HUNGARY
Podlesok, Slovakia to TIR Truckstop, Satoraljaujhely - 118 miles
Open all year. Euros accepted: overnight parking €6 inc use of modern toilets (and showers for men only). No electric hook-ups. Free WiFi in Reception (out of order). N48.419261 E 21.645384
We returned to the main road at Spissky Stvrtok, after passing a Roma camp outside Hrabusice village with rows of concrete huts, lines of washing, smoking chimneys and lads kicking a ball about. Then east on E50 via Levoca, which the unfinished motorway to the Ukraine will some day bypass. A fill of diesel at a shiny new Shell garage near Levoca after 11 miles was paid by credit card, which seems more readily accepted in Eastern Europe than in Germany or Austria! Along E50 were several little chalets selling local sheep's cheese. We also saw men gathering fungi in the woods, where a side road was closed off by police for a motocross event.
At 22 miles we turned right at the sign for Spissky Hrad, an imposing castle hovering in the air. The potholed lane climbed from 1,580 ft/480 m to 1,865 ft/565 m at the free car park, where we had coffee and admired the fortress high above and the misty view over the plain below. It was too cold to enjoy walking up the steep footpath and round the castle walls – which we've done before – so we left it to the other visitors in a Hungarian tour bus and a few cars. Apparently it's a Hungarian public holiday weekend, in memory of the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence.
Descending, we took rd 547 southeast via Krompachy, a small industrial town on the railway. Continued SE through villages and woodland, climbing up into russet forests then downhill into Kosice. We parked for lunch in a wooded layby on the way in, at 57 miles, as the afternoon sun finally broke through
The town of Kosice was a congested confusion of road signs. We wanted rd 50 heading east (and not the E50 motorway north to Presov). After one wrong turn we finally achieved road 50, signed Michalowce, and were on our way in lovely autumn sunshine. It's the last Saturday of October and the clocks go back tonight.
At Hriadky we turned south on rd 79 via Trebisov. Shortly before the Hungarian border, at 108 miles, we stopped at a modern motel 'Motorest Maria' that advertised camping. Unfortunately the campsite was more like a building site, undergoing renovation. The manager made a tempting offer of a nice double en-suite room for €40 including breakfast but the sloping car park meant we couldn't leave the fridge working on gas and there was no hook-up available. Shame!
At Slov Novy Mesto (111 miles) we crossed into Hungary and the border town of Satoraljaujhely, with no formalities whatever. A far cry from our first crossing here by bicycle in 1988, when we were delayed for hours, searched and sent back to spend the little Czechoslovkian currency we still carried before being allowed through
We drove into Satoraljaujhely, pausing at the first petrol station to buy the Hungarian e-toll ticket needed for motorways and major roads (€13 for the minimum 10 day pass). With this system there is no vignette to stick in the windscreen; it all works on number plate recognition as vehicles are electronically checked (without stopping) at toll points. We were told to keep the paper receipt of payment for 12 months in case of dispute! Again, it is more complicated for vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons. Information is supposed to be available at Hungarian borders.
On a previous visit we'd parked overnight for a few Euros on a guarded Truck Stop (TIR Park) on the way out of Satoraljaujhely (Sarospatak direction). We had good memories of drinking complimentary Tokaj wine with the lorry drivers but when we found it again a hostile caretaker refused us entry, shouting 'Only Camions' – despite the fact that there was not a single truck there! So we returned to a smaller TIR park we'd noticed on the main road near the border where we got a much friendlier welcome.
Once parked, we walked across the main road to a large Tesco store, which accepted Euros or changed them into Hungarian Forints. This made sense, as the aisles were crowded with shoppers from just across the border in Slovakia, a country that uses the Euro. We found rare delicacies like sardines in tomato sauce, tins of baked beans, and a pair of much needed warm gloves for Barry who had lost his last pair. It's the last Saturday of October and the clocks go back tonight.
Satoraljaujhely to Camping Dorcas, Debrecen – 93 mile
Open all year. 5,600 Forints inc elec. (€20 note accepted, with 400 Forints given in change.) No hot showers. Free WiFi at Reception only. N 47°26'55” E 21°41'22
Waking at 6 am (or rather 5 am) we found ice covering the windscreen and an internal temperature of 9°C, which the blown-air gas heating soon raised to 16°C. Time to head south after an early breakfast! On leaving we noticed that Tesco was open, its car park full, and there was a street market in the town. Only in Germany had the supermarkets observed Sunday closing.
Drove south on rd 37 via Sarospatak, then SE on rd 38 along the River Bodrog to Tokaj, famed for its 'King of Wines, Wine of Kings', where we crossed the bridge at the confluence of Bodrog and Tisza. On past an old favourite, Camping Tiszavirag (firmly closed), and along to the town of Nyiregyhaza, its huge permanent market heaving with customers.
Here we joined rd 4 (E573) south to Debrecen – a dual carriageway to which the toll system applies. Despite signs banning bicycles, pedestrians, tractors or carts, we overtook gipsies pushing handcarts as well as a horse-drawn cart laden with straw. Such traffic was once common in Hungary but has largely been replaced by badly driven cars.
From Debrecen we took rd 47 (for Szeged), soon turning off to the left for Dorcas Camping (signed) 3 miles along a leafy lane. It's a large site with rows of empty cabins, a restaurant, some unprepossessing facilities, and one man and his dog in Reception. He spoke only Hungarian or Russian but did his best to help by phoning the boss and thrusting the receiver into Margaret's hand. We worked out a price strategy: 'give us €20 and you will get a little change in Forints'. 'Is the water hot?' 'Of course.' (Later found this to be untrue!) The change was 400 Forints, at about 300 to the Euro
As it was already getting chilly, we settled down in peace, put the fan heater on and had a late lunch and an early night. After all, we'd been up since 5 am or so.
INTO ROMANIA
Debrecen, Hungary to Camping Apollo, Baile Felix, Nr Oradea – 53 miles
Open all year. www.campingapollo.ro. Euros accepted: €15 inc elec and hot showers. Free WiFi. N 46°59'67” E 21°58'76”
On a lovely sunny morning after a cold clear night, we drove back to rd 47, then 16 miles south to Berettyoujfalu. We shopped at Lidl at the roundabout (credit card accepted, along with our small change) before taking rd 42 east for Romania.
At the border, 21 miles later, there were several kiosks exchanging money and/or selling the vignette sticker, compulsory for all roads in Romania. We paid €5 for the minimum 7 days for vehicles under 3.5 tons (other options are one month or one year). It costs more for a vignette for up to 7.5 tons: see www.highwaymaps.eu/romania. We continued 12 miles east along E60, busy with trucks and lined with fuel stations, into Oradea.
Like Arad and Timisoara, Oradea was once a military fortress defending the south-eastern flank of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and it still has an air of faded Habsburg grandeur, although Hungary ceded these cities to Romania in 1920. Today's Oradea is a confusion of traffic, trams and trolley buses, with a mixture of old and new buildings, including Romania's largest Catholic cathedral completed in 1780. We passed a shiny new Tesco on the way in and an even bigger Auchan hypermarket on the way out, following signs for the E79 to Baile Felix (and not the SatNav, which pointed us into the chaotic city centre).
About 4 miles later (after passing a turn for Baile 1 Mai on the left) we turned right for the open air spa resort of Baile Felix. Camping Apollo is listed in the Bordatlas as a Stellplatz but it is more than that. A very helpful German-speaking woman opened the gates to the safe guarded parking, over the road from the steaming thermal baths. She proudly showed us the hook-ups, drinking water tap, hot water tap, chemical WC dump, toilets and hot showers. It only lacks a laundry or kitchen. Even the WiFi worked inside the motorhome. Wonderful – we booked in for 2 nights! The site is also home to 3 or 4 friendly stray dogs that she fed and we soon learnt not to leave shoes outside our door! Unusually, we had neighbours here – a French hippy van + motorbike, and a couple from Sheffield on their way home – but they all left next morning.
At Camping Apollo, Baile Felix
Next morning the grass was frosty until the sun got up. We enjoyed a rest day, with good hot showers (all the hot water comes from the spa), writing emails, listening to Radio 4 and planning the next section of our route to Greece. We found that the new Calafat-Vidin bridge crossing the Danube from Romania to Bulgaria finally opened in the summer of 2013, replacing the expensive ferry of dreadful memory, so we decided to drive that way rather than cut across through Serbia.
Checking our next night-stop, Margaret rang a campsite in Simeria Veche that is listed in the Bordatlas. 'We are closed' answered a woman. 'From what date?' 'November 1st.' 'But it's still October.' 'We are closed' came the reply as she hung up. M had more luck with the Villa Doerr in Simeria, where we have stayed previously and are welcome to park at the guesthouse, though the campsite is closed.
In the afternoon M investigated the spa, a clean modern complex with a swimwear shop, café and indoor changing rooms by a large open air pool (open) and smaller ones (closed). The place must be packed in summer, with large car parks as well as a bus service from Oradea, but there were only a handful of bathers today. Entry was 25 lei (about €6) but the unhelpful ticket office would accept neither Euros nor cards, so we went for a walk instead. There are dozens of guesthouses and hotels around the resort, as well as a police station and a well kept Orthodox church with a poster offering a pilgrimage tour to two monasteries (minimum 40 pilgrims).
Baile Felix to Villa Doerr Guesthouse & Minicamping, Simeria, Nr Deva – 119 miles
Minicamp seasonal. Overnight parking in secure courtyard may be possible at other times. www.doerr.ro. Euros accepted: €10 inc elec and use of hot shower in guesthouse. Cooked breakfast available. N 45.856139 E 23.019426
Baile Felix to Villa Doerr Guesthouse & Minicamping, Simeria, Nr Deva – 119 miles of roadworks! (660 ft/200 m high)
Minicamp seasonal. Overnight parking in secure courtyard possible for one or two vans at other times. www.doerr.ro. Euros accepted: €10 inc elec and use of hot shower in guesthouse. Meals may be available. N 45.856139 E 23.019426
Drum Bun (literally 'Road Good') declared the usual Romanian road sign wishing us a good journey as we set off SE on rd 76 (E79) for Deva. We then traversed over 100 miles of patched and potholed road with almost continuous road works, with no forewarning! We've taken this scenic but hilly route before without problem – before they began improving it, that is. As we often say, it will be nice when it's finished.
Driving through the first of several long Hungarian-style villages, life went as it has for generations. The older men were gathered at the café/bar, while the women were at the general shop or working outdoors, dressed as ever in headscarf, several layers of clothes above a warm wool skirt, thick knitted leggings and boots. Two women returning from the shop each had a new broomstick over their shoulder, and carried a large wreath between them. A man led a single cow along the road; a horse and cart waited its turn for a new tyre outside the vulcaniser's shed. The stork nests were empty but sparrows had moved into the basements.
Above the road, banners for next month's Presidential election hinted at change to come. The main choice was between the favourite, current prime minister Victor Ponta, and Klaus Johannis, mayor of Sibiu and leader of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania. Click here for more information and the election result.
Continuing on E79, the regular signs Pericol de Accidente (Danger of Accidents) and Drum in Lucru (Road Works) were serious. One side of the road or the other was continually closed, sometimes with traffic lights. Sometimes there were even men working. At least there was very little traffic, since those in the know would choose a different route from Oradea. We made slow progress through rolling wooded country with flocks of sheep and cattle. Every village had a 'tin Jesus' at the roadside – a two-dimensional crucifixion stamped out of metal. Sometimes there were two, an old rusty one and a bright new one. Sadly, there were many stray dogs – a prevalent problem through the countries of eastern Europe, as well as Greece and southern Italy. Cyclists and walkers beware (we always carry a Dog Dazer each – an ultrasonic dog deterrent available from the Cyclists Touring Club, Maplins, Amazon, etc).
Arriving in Beius, a small town with more shops, we had driven just 30 miles in over an hour! 15 miles later we followed a truck detour to avoid the centre of a larger town called Dr Petru Groza. Then the rough road climbed gradually above 1,000 ft. The rural folk had been hard at work in the autumn: small conical hand-built haystacks stood in rows across the fields, corn cobs were stored in wooden racks and some of the cottagers sold apples. We reached the top of the pass (2,055 ft/623 m) at 58 miles, then descended to 725 ft/220 m in Varfurile village before climbing once more to 1,140 ft/345 m. We crossed the line into Hunedoara County, Transylvania, at yet another set of temporary traffic lights at 74 miles – a drive that had taken 2 hrs 30 mins! But, unsurprisingly, we had the road to ourselves on a fine day, so what's the hurry.
In Tebea at 85 miles we found space to park for lunch by a large church. Rows of military graves in the cemetery were decorated with red, blue and yellow ribbons (the colours of Romania's flag) but there were no dates - World War One, probably. On through Brad, a larger town with a hospital and a Lidl (its car park full), then a climb to 1,400 ft/426 m at the Valisoara Pass. The road, still plagued with unfinished road works, hairpinned down once more to cross the River Mures and become a smooth dual carriageway into the county town of Deva.
It's a busy mining town with many shops (Lidl, Auchan, Praktiker, McDonalds etc), overlooked by the imposing ruin of a hilltop castle, blown up in 1849 when its gunpowder store exploded.
Ignoring the sign for the new A1 motorway to Sibiu and Bucharest, we drove on through the town centre to Simeria, 5 miles east of Deva. To find Paul Doerr's guesthouse and camping, turn left off the main road onto December 1st Street, follow it for a mile, then turn right at the sign. German-speaking Paul is a big man in every sense, kind and welcoming. He even remembered us from our visit in June 2009.
We parked in the secure yard at the back of the guesthouse, with electric hook-up and use of a toilet and shower inside. Sadly, the popular little restaurant wasn't open for dinner but Paul and his wife promised us a cooked breakfast next morning. How could we refuse?
Simeria to Camping Hercules, Baile Herculane – 112 miles (down at 330 ft/100 m)
Open all year. Euros accepted: €16 inc elec and hot showers. Excellent restaurant with 3-course meal for €12 pp inc drinks. N 44°52'8” E 22°23'15”
Breakfast, cooked by Paul himself, comprised scrambled eggs with mushrooms, 2 large sausages each, soft fresh bread and plenty of coffee. All for €1.25 per person! This certainly set us up for a morning visit to the Roman site of Ulpia Traiana in the village of Sarmizegetusa, 36 miles south of Simeria on rd 68, in the Orastie mountain foothills at 1,815 ft/550 m. The site is barely signposted but, having noticed some ruins to the left of the main road, we parked a little further along outside some shops and walked back to investigate.
What is now part of
Romania was settled by the Dacians from at least the 5th C BC (as we know from
Herodotus) until Roman forces, led by Trajan, defeated the Dacians in about 106-109
AD. The ruins of the old Dacian capital to the north-east of Sarmizegetusa are
not easily accessible, being at the end of 5 miles of dirt road from Gradistea
de Munte. Here at Sarmizegetusa some remains of Ulpia Traiana, the Roman
capital of the conquered Dacian kingdom, have been excavated.
Only a fraction of the
great Roman city has been uncovered but you can see the forum with marble
columns, several temples, the amphitheatre, a mausoleum and villa foundations.
At least, you can if you have some Romanian currency! Unable to buy a ticket
with Euros, we peered through the railings, then tried our luck at the small
museum across the road. And what luck!
The museum
director, the brilliant Dr Gica Baestean from Deva Museum, allowed us free
entry, saying 'It is nothing'. Dr Baestean has been excavating
here for almost 20 years, starting as a student at Cluj University. He
discussed with us, at length and in fluent English, every aspect of European,
Romanian and Neo-Latin history and geography, from the Ancient Greeks through
to the Iron Curtain and present day problems in Iraq and Syria. He was firmly
of the opinion that the threat to Europe is not from the Germans (as the Romans
also wrongly believed) but from the east, from Russia. 'Russia waits, it never
gives up, it re-emerges'. We talked with this extremely thoughtful and
well-read archaeologist for two hours, standing in the unheated museum rooms on
a cold stone floor, and hardly noticed the time! The exhibitions displayed
tools, ceramics and other Roman artefacts, though he regretted that most of the
finds are in history museums in Deva and Cluj, or have been taken abroad to
Budapest or Vienna. Excavations
continue every summer.
After this remarkable
chance encounter, we had a quick lunch in the motorhome and continued SW on a
very good road climbing imperceptibly over the Portile de Fier ale
Transilvaniei (2,340 ft/710 m). We turned south on the E70 at the new
Caransebes bypass - all quite a contrast with yesterday's roads! E70 continued
over the Poarta
Orientala pass
at 1,765 ft/535 m in the dramatic Carpathian foothills, then dropped through
Domasnea, after which we stopped for a fill of diesel at 97 miles (English
spoken, credit card OK).
Another 15 miles along this excellent road we came to Baile Herculane, a spa on the Cerna River, at the site of thermal baths built by the Roman legions after the invasion of Dacia. The name 'Baths of Hercules' refers to the legend that Hercules himself bathed in the healing springs. In its 19th century heyday the resort attracted royal visitors like Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef.
There is a small campsite we've used before, on the main road (E70) shortly before the left turn into the resort. The German owners (who speak good English) were pleased to welcome us, the only campers, stressing that their charming restaurant was open and the showers were good and hot, using thermal water from the spa.
We tried the set 3-course menu and struggled to finish generous helpings of vegetable soup with bread, beef goulash with potatoes, pancakes with jam, a glass of wine, beer or juice each, and a heartwarming Schnapps to finish! The price of €12 per person all-in was very fair, given the size of the portions!
NOVEMBER 2014 - INTO BULGARIA
Baile Herculane to TIR Truckstop/Fanty-G Restaurant, Vidin – 106 miles
Open all year. Euros accepted: overnight parking €5 inc use of toilets and hot showers (separate male and female). No electric hook-ups. Free WiFi. N 43.930894 E 22.837701
The morning began with a fresh north wind, quite different from the still misty mornings of late October. We drove south on rd 6 (E60) down the River Cerna gorge for 10 miles to meet the Danube near the port of Orsova. We followed the Danube south-east past the Portile de Fier (Iron Gates), then stopped in one of several sunny rest places for coffee with a view of the mighty river. The monstrous Iron Gates are a concrete hydroelectric station, a joint Hungarian-Romanian construction completed in 1972, with a road across the top of the dam wall leading into Serbia.
On a few miles to the river port of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, where the Iron Gates Museum is known for its amazing scale model of the Roman bridge that once spanned the Danube here. Knowing that the museum is currently closed for renovation, we only stopped to shop at Lidl on the way through, at 28 miles (credit card OK).
We soon turned right, at Simian, onto rd DN56A for Calafat, still following the wide sparkling Danube. We lunched in a small layby, observing a flat rather worn-out landscape. A shepherd guided his flock over the parched grass; a villager grazed his cow in the empty children's playground; the horse and cart was still in use. But we saw no begging anywhere in Romania, not even at the borders.
At 79 miles we met E79, the road from Craiova, and turned right for Calafat – once the site of a decrepit car ferry across the Danube to Vidin, replaced last summer by a splendid new suspension bridge. Driving over the Danube into Bulgaria, we had our passports checked and paid a toll of €6 (a bargain – the ferry had cost over €50!) Immediately along the E79 we saw nowhere to buy a Bulgarian vignette (required for all roads), so we took the first exit into Vidin to find a Gazprom petrol station. The minimum 7 day vignette for vehicles up to 3.5 tons cost 10 lev (about €5), paid by card as Euros were not accepted. See www.highwaymaps.eu/bulgaria.
Rejoining E79, Sofia direction, we soon saw a large TIR Park and restaurant on the left by the name of Fanty-G. The guardian charged us €5 to park with the trucks overnight, including a ticket to let us into the toilet and shower block. The free WiFi worked well inside the motorhome, enabling us to catch up with Radio 4 and contact Sakar Hills Camping in Biser. We did join the truckers inside the restaurant, mainly for warmth – the rubbery 'chicken fillet', chips and shopska salad were not to be recommended, though they were cheap!
Vidin to TIR Truckstop/Hotel Panorama, Sofia (NE of city on outer ring road) – 151 miles (545 m or 1,800 ft high)
Open all year. Euros accepted: overnight parking €10 inc elec and use of WC/ hot shower in hotel. Free WiFi. N 42°46.034 E 23°26.234
Driving south on rd 1 (E79), the highway rapidly deteriorated into a bumpy 2-lane road with virtually no traffic and certainly no trucks. After about 3 miles had we passed a left turn for rd 11 along the Danube to Lom but the sign for Sofia was straight on, with which the SatNav agreed. It later became obvious that the longer but less mountainous route via Lom is now the best maintained link between Vidin and the capital – but only for those that know!
We realised our mistake about 10 miles later in Dimovo, where the through road was closed by road works. After a long wait, the men with red and green flags directed us to follow two cars along a narrow muddy one-way dirt track round the back of the village, with potholes and low branches. Behind us came an ambulance, lights flashing, while other cars trying to come towards us had to reverse. The men with the flags must have been having a break! We managed to crawl along and regain the cobbled road out of this extremely poor village of mud brick houses. Nothing higher, longer or wider than our 6.9 metre-long motorhome could possibly have got through and there was no prior warning or detour for trucks, which had clearly taken the alternative route via Lom.
Continuing with relief, we enjoyed a fine sunny morning with rd 1/E79 to ourselves apart from donkey-carts (despite the road signs forbidding them). We passed the turning for the loop road up to Belogradchik, where we'd once found a small campsite in the forest and explored the wonderful crag-top fortress (not in winter!). Our road climbed to 1,000 ft/300 m at Belotintsi, then descended to Montana (60 miles from Vidin), where we followed the signed transit route round to the north of town, rather than our SatNav through the centre.
Rd 81 from Lom joined the E79 at Montana, making our onward road south-east to the A2 motorway busier but better surfaced. (The shorter route from Montana to Sofia, on a minor road south via Berkovica, was closed to 'caravans' with a snow warning.) A new bypass skirted industrial Vraca and high mountains loomed ahead as we drove through the Vracanski Balkans, climbing once again to over 1,000 ft/300 m. We were now on the truck route to Turkey, passing several small scruffy TIR Parks and, sadly, a few scantily clad young women waiting at the roadside. After Mezdra the E79 climbed to 1,850 ft/559 m, with a honey-seller at the top of the pass. Dropping 660 ft/220 m into Novacene village at 109 miles, we parked for lunch by a disused weigh-station.
After bypassing Botevgrad we joined the A2 motorway heading SW to Sofia, Europe's highest capital city. As we climbed to 2,575 ft/780 m through two tunnels, the view was of snow on clouded peaks. By the third tunnel, above 3,000 ft, snow was lying in the roadside woods.
Joining Sofia's outer ring road, we turned north (anticlockwise) in search of Motel Ruta 18, where we had been told of overnight parking, but the first petrol station we passed knew nothing of it. A little further north we spotted a sign for TIR and Caravan Parking at the small Hotel Panorama down a quiet lane on the left, about 5 miles NE of the city centre.
The electric hook-up and WiFi worked well. The kind owner, Nedko Gospodinov, spoke only Russian and Bulgarian but his son, who had worked in London (and whose sister was still there) came by later to talk to us. They suggested we use the hotel bathroom, thinking (rightly) that Margaret would not like the truckers' facilities! We learnt that an inner Sofia ring road is under construction, which explains the neglected pot holes in the outer ring. It's bad news for father and son, as far less traffic will pass by the business they've worked hard to build up.
Sofia to Camping Sakar Hills, Biser – 168 miles
Open 1 April-31 Oct. www.sakar-hills.com. Bulgarian Leva or Euros accepted: €14 inc elec and hot showers. Free WiFi. Excellent own-label Merlot wine for sale! N 41°52'13” E 25°59'29”
Our host, Nedko, offered us coffee before we made an early start, south on the roughly surfaced outer ring road for 10 miles, then SE on the A1/E80 for Plovdiv - a good motorway with 2 lanes in each direction. It was fairly quiet on this cold Sunday morning as we climbed to 2,640 ft/800 m in a ski area before a gradual descent. There are regular service areas along the route, with catering by KFC, Burger King or McDonalds. After 63 miles we had a coffee break (but not a Burger) north of Pazardzik, down at 850 ft/257 m.
At the Happy Grill, 20 miles later, we stopped for a 'Full English Breakfast' – the best Bulgarian motorway food at any time of day! For 10 Lev (€5) a head, we each had a large glass of fresh orange juice, 2 eggs, 2 sausages, Heinz beanz, bacon, mushrooms, tomato and warm bread (credit cards accepted). Happy indeed!
We continued east past Plovdiv to the next exit, the end of the A1 near Kalekovec. Some day the motorway between Plovdiv and Harmanli will be complete – but not today. We had to turn south, cross the railway and join the rough 2-lane rd 8 that runs east to Harmanli (from where you can again join the motorway to Svilengrad and the Turkish border). Driving along past Haskovo, avoiding the bumps, there are many stalls selling cheese (Peynir in Bulgarian, Kasar in Turkish) – a local speciality that we've never tried.
After 159 miles we parked by the soulless new market in Harmanli and had a walk round the dusty town, drab even in afternoon sunshine. Most shops were closed except for the Billa supermarket (which the locals call the Museum – they can look but not afford to buy). The Lidl store (new since our last visit) was already closed up for renovation after flooding. It all looked rather depressing.
Another 9 miles along the old main road to Biser. Turn right at the sign, go under the new railway bridge, and Sakar Hills Camping is on the right just before the village. We immediately felt better, welcomed by the owner, our old friend Martin Jeffes, who had kept the splendid little site open just for us.
At Camping Sakar Hills, Biser
We had a good 5-day break at Biser, catching up with the usual laundry, domestics and internet work and enjoying some DVD films in the evenings. The nights were increasingly cold and frosty, with clear blue sunny days.
Martin presented us with an enormous pumpkin from his garden and Margaret rose to the challenge of producing quantities of nourishing soup, as well as a surprisingly tasty pumpkin & apple cake. The campsite neighbour and chicken-man, Georgi, brought us a bag of 15 new-laid eggs, so we also had plenty of omelettes.
One morning Martin drove us into Harmanli, where his wife Shirley (currently visiting family in England) had made a dental appointment for Margaret. The husband and wife dentist team, trained in Germany, have a very good practice that we've used before. A check-up, clean and polish cost €15. Afterwards Martin took us to an ATM for Bulgarian currency and the Lukoil petrol station to buy another 7-day vignette (10 lev), after which we treated him to a well-earned lunch at a very nice little restaurant in Harmanli. Lasagne, garlic bread and a glass of wine for Margaret, chicken & chips with a beer for the two men: total 20 lev (€10).
On another fine morning we took a walk round Biser village, which almost became a ghost town following the dreadful flood that cost 10 lives and the destruction of many houses in February 2012. See our account here. We bought bread in the shop by the bridge, both rebuilt, but so far only half of the 50 new houses promised have actually been built. Many of the old houses still lie wrecked and abandoned, with no sign of life at the village school or the central bar. Most of the inhabitants that we knew have left to work abroad. The streets were muddy, the tarmac cracked, gardens neglected.
It wasn't all dismal, though. The new houses looked good and some others had been restored, including the former home of friends John and Carol, who returned to the UK after the disaster. The century-old village church (St Cyril and St Methodius) had also been renovated and painted but was locked up.
We also took a walk along the new railway embankment under construction above the campsite, which will carry high-speed trains to Istanbul. Climbing higher, to the phone masts on a hill-top above the tracks, we came across an overgrown memorial from the Balkan Wars dated October 1912.
When the weather changed to a morning mist that hung all day, we knew it was time to move on – south to the Mediterranean – and Martin prepared to winterise and close down the campsite before the snow arrived. We left with a case of 6 bottles of Sakar Hills Merlot: excellent red wine, selected by Martin from a local winery and sold under his own label. It proved very popular with friends in the coming festive season.
See our Account and Map for more on Sakar Hills Camping.
INTO GREECE
Biser, Bulgaria to Municipal Camping Alexandroupoli Beach, Alexandroupoli, Thrace – 117 miles (Sea level!)
Open all year. www.ditea.gr. €17.63 inc local taxes, 8-amp elec and hot showers. Free WiFi. N 40.84679 E 25.85614
With an early start, heading east along the old main road, we paused after 5 miles at Lyubimets for a fill of diesel. The new motorway from Harmanli to Svilengrad now bypasses Lyubimets, to the detriment of this once thriving service station, now deserted and offering a very limited menu. Instead of the anticipated ham & eggs for breakfast, we spent our remaining Bulgarian change on toasted sandwiches.
At Svilengrad we turned right for Greece (well signed), rather than straight on into Turkey. At the Greek border (14 miles) there was just a passport check at the joint crossing point, the strip of no-man's land now redundant. The onward route down this south-east corner of Greece, past a turning for the Turkish frontier at Kastania at 33 miles, was remarkably quiet until we turned into the first Greek town, Orestiada.
The town centre was the usual muddle of Greek driving and double parking, as we made our way through to Lidl at 45 miles. It was a joy to restock (they even had genuine Cheddar cheese) and we celebrated arrival in our favourite winter country with tea and biscuits in the car park.
Now it was south to the Mediterranean Sea, actually feeling the warmth of the sun as it broke through the clinging mist. The new dual carriageway down from Orestiada was no nearer completion than it was 4 years ago, but traffic was light. We drove past fields of unpicked cotton, watched a train going by laden with sugar beet, and passed the Thracian towns of Didymotico and Soufli.
On meeting the A2 (E90) we turned west for Alexandroupolis, rather than east for the main Turkish border crossing at Ipsala. There were no tolls at this end of the empty motorway (and no services, just an occasional parking area). We took exit 41 for Alex'polis and turned south down a narrow road that led straight into the city centre traffic. Turn right (west) along the main road for about a mile, then left at traffic lights into the campsite gates.
It's a huge level site run by the town hall, with fairly basic facilities and no washing machine, but it does provide a good stopping place on the way to/from Turkey or Bulgaria. Popular in summer, it is almost empty now: just a couple of German campers on the beachfront. Surprisingly, the campsite restaurant was open for the weekend but we were deterred by the loud music needed for the locals to enjoy themselves. Besides, we still have plenty of pumpkin & vegetable soup, and the pumpkin & apple cake is good with custard!
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