Tårnet Tower up(s) & down(s)!

Yesterday was the day when I decided for the first time not just to visit the Tårnet Tower in Copenhagen, but also to have dinner there. The interest in these targets was given by a post on Instagram talking about the tower, its highs, views and the restaurant. At that point I was amazed about how I had missed this place, and I decided to put it on my “must do” list. First step: book a table for dinner; then, wait for that day, and hope the day of my visit will be a nice one, with warm weather and a lot of sun. The day has come and all these wishes were  fulfilled: the weather in Copenhagen is amazing with a clear blue sky, and circa 27 degree Celsius in thermometers. So, Tårnet here I come; with the booking for 18:30, I arrive to the King’s Gate at about 18:00 willing to go up in the tower as well, and to enjoy the best possible weather one wish for the moments one goes for enjoying a view.

The entrance point I chose was the central one; the one giving access to the city center, channel tours and bus station for the lines 1A, 2A, 9A, 26 and 40. The entrance cannot be missed, since it is the only one, and it is a visible through its big door; beside this. there is just behind the statue representing a rider on a horse. After passing the threshold of that door, there is a sign showing the direction to the tower and restaurant. However, the access to the elevator which take you to the tower is made only after a security check; process which is pretty similar to the one in the airports, although a bit more relaxed.

From that point, an elevator takes you up the restaurant, and from there if you want to reach the highest level of the tower, you should go up the stairs. So, all in all, the itinerary is simple and easy; enter the King’s Gate, wait several minutes to be welcomed to the security check, go through security check, take the lift for a short ride, walk up few stairs and there you are: in top of the highest tower not only in Copenhagen but in the whole Denmark: Tårnet!

There are four sides from where one can enjoy the view. However, even though one visit this tower to enjoy the view, but actually the view is missing. The view one can enjoy through these four windows is not a proper view, because it is not much to be seen. Luckily there is -in front of each window- a description of what can be seen from there, the highest buildings in sight!

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All the way up the tower, together with the picture session doesn’t take a lot of time, so I have time enough to arrive in time to the restaurant, looking forward to and enjoyable and fancy dinner. About my experience at the Tårnet restaurant you can read the review I wrote on TripAdvisor at http://www.tripadvisor.dk/ShowUserReviews-g189541-d7166129-r296200824-Taarnet_Restaurant-Copenhagen_Zealand.html#REVIEWS. As a short description of what I experienced in the restaurant, I can say that it was all enjoyable, stylish and not very expensive. As a funny but real fact I experienced it was that, although the rename of the place is a promise for a romantic evening, everything goes perfectly until the moment the cheese is served (if you order cheese, of course). At that moment, the cheeses look great, the same their description. Yet I was advised that for a more enjoyable experience I have to eat them from the left to right. This is what I did, but arriving at the last piece of cheese, called The Little Cristian, everything has changed. Why? because it stinks in a big way. It stinks so badly that even after I tasted it my breath smells terrible. Funny enough, that was the moment that ruined my evening, because my girlfriend never again that evening wanted to stay close to me.

Coming back to visiting the tower, there is to be appreciated that visiting the tower is free of charge.

However, even though the view didn’t level up my expectations, the experience was still enjoyable, and it is still worth visiting.

Two of Europe’s most dangerous rutes: Transalpina & Transfagarasan; the way I experienced them!

I left Romania circa four years ago following my dream to study abroad. However, since then all the time I travel back to my country I am very keen to travel around, more than I have ever done it while I was living there. Recently I have just finished a mini road trip where in a four-days span I drove ca. 1400 km, I crosses eight different counties and many-many cities and villages. However, the most attractive part of this journey was crossing the Carpathians twice, back and forward, on two very beautiful, breathtaking and dangerous routes: the Transfagarasan & Transalpina. I had crossed Carpathians several times using the Transfagarasan, but I had never driven on Transalpina. Therefore I am going to talk in this post about my experience driving on this routes; and I would take them one by one.

I have to mention that I followed this routes together with eight other great friends, packed in two cars: I was driving a Dacia Logan, having three other persons with me, while the rest of five guys came in a BMW, old model. However here’s the story.

TRANSFAGARASAN

Vidraru Dam

Transfagarasan has a length of ca. 90 km, and it is closed during the winter time, but also during any other period when it snows and/or occurs falling of stones, or for any other reasons which threatens the safety of the people. In my case, without any prior research, I found out that due to falling stones caused by heavy rain, the route has opened this year exactly the day I was on my way to cross the mountain! How lucky I am!? I figured this out at ca. three hours since we left our starting point, somewhere in Dambovita County, namely Darmanesti. From there we left at ca. nine o’clock in the morning following the route through Targoviste-Campulung-Curtea de Arges. The day was very beautiful, with a lot of sun and warm and perfect conditions for driving; moreover, it was not overcrowded (I was expecting it to be crowded because it is usually a popular destination for weekend trips). Once we passed by Curtea de Arges there was not possible turn back, so we started climbing slowly to the top of the mountain. In our way we stopped at Vidraru Dam, took plenty of pictures, climb to the iron man statue, took other pictures; got back to the car and continued our way.

View from the Transfagarasan!

From there the road took us through the forest for many km, and only at the base of the mountain the forest cleared and it made it possible to see the road and the mountain. The curves are very sharp, with little side protections, but with a great view. However, we didn’t stop until we reach the top; it was a hard decision because the sights were absolutely breathtaking, and I would personally like to stop at every meter. Once on top we enjoyed the sun and the amazing view. Then we got up in the cars, ready to drive into the tunnel that link the two sides of the mountain, namely Balea Tunnel (this is the longest road tunnel in Romania -it is ca. one km long). Once we arrived in the other side of it, the weather was totally different: heavy smog and chilly temperatures. We were all: wooow!

Balea Lake – the highest point on the Transfagarasan!

I felt it was all ruined, because I remembered from my prior experiences that from up there it can be seen the whole road opening in sharp hairpin curves down the mountain. Now the fog was so heavy that one could not see 100 meters up front. We spent like 10-15 minutes there (hoping the smog will go away) and then we decided to leave, disappointed. To our surprise we drove only hundreds of meters down,and we ended up under the smog, point from where the view I was expected to see all open in front of our eyes, and we all were happy like kids are in the first day of the summer holiday. What was next? Hmm: tons of pictures from all the angles and in all the combinations.  From there we drove happily and carefully down the awesome road, and enjoyed any sharp curves descending the mountain, having a humble and guilty feeling of a race driver.

Another amazing scenery on the northen side of the Transfagarasan.

After this wonderful experience, we spent three beautiful day in the cities like Brasov, Predeal and Sighisoara, and in the fourth day we turn back home, in Dambovita, following the road which led to Transalpina.

TRANSALPINA

Transalpina – picture shot close to the maximum high point of the road!

Getting closer to Transalpina made me feel more excited than ever; thinking of the feeling I might have after I arrive on the other side of the mountain, a feeling which I thought like a confirmation of my driving skills. This is because this route is considered to be one of the most dangerous roads in Romania. After the previous experience when I found out just on the way that Transfagarasan had opened exactly the day I was heading to it, this time I was nervous again, and searched for signs to inform myself about this. The road seems to be very long at the beginning: driving along the forest with no sight and moreover on a very bad road which didn’t allow me to drive with more than 30km/h. My concerns raised the more I drove and met no cars coming on the other side of the road, this made me think I might have chosen a wrong road, but all my concerns vanished when I arrived and passed by the two small dams which are on the way, and I had known about.

View from the Tau Dam!

However, after a long way which almost killed my enthusiasm, I came to the point from where the action usually begins…and then I start climbing, really escalading the mountain. The sharpness of the road could be understand when reading the traffic signs, and I understood that for only a km I was doing a longer time than usually; from where my conclusion: the curves are so sharp and vertically designed that it feels like not moving forward. Moreover, I was pressed by the wish to take some memories from there, so I was always looking to find the best spots for pictures with the road. The pressure was accentuated by the sunset that was just about to happen, and by the rain which just begun. After ca. three hours since we left the “civilization” we were able to reach the top of the mountain…and then pictures, a lot of pictures, hoping to capture the entire beauty my eyes were able to see there.

Another stunning view on Transalpina!

However, at a point we decided to go, thinking that we will just go down the mountain; but we were very wrong, because what we just thought it was the pick, was not the real one; the real one and the real “beautiful” curves were just in front of us. I enjoyed a lot this part of the real mountain road, while all the others in the car were afraid me not to crash the car, noticing that I was very excited about the beautiful scenery. The real pick of the mountain, and the highest point of the mountain has 2145 m, and it is the highest road in Romania and in the entire Carpathians. From there everything continued like in fairytales: the sun went down while we drove home happily to have seen such a beautiful scenery.

In sight the car I did the Transfagarasan and Transalpina with: Dacia Logan 1.4!

Now, that I have done both the Transfagarasan and Transalpina, I can say that the Transfagarasan is more beautiful in matter of sights and especially the sights of the curbs, and has more nice places to stop along the way; on the other side, Transalpina is more rustic, raw and authentic, with no so many beautiful sights (apart the ones in the top of the mountain), but with a higher offering for the ones looking for adrenaline and who enjoy driving. Anyway, if you visit Romania I recommend you to do both the Transfagarasan and Transalpina, and you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy it! For any questions feel free to comment/write to me.