Versiunea română aici.
The road
Map
To get to Cozia from Bucharest you need to follow the A1/E81 to Piteşti (115km), pass through the city and continue on the E81 to Râmnicu Vâlcea (68km), Călimăneşti (14km) and finally Căciulata (3km), for a total of about 200km. The road is quite good, except for the streets of Piteşti and some parts of Dealu Negru where the road has collapsed. Also, be aware of the never-ending works on the A1.
The trip takes about 3 hours without speeding. You could probably do it in 2h15-2h30 with a radar detector.
[rating:4/5]
Food
To sum it up: the food SUCKED. Big time. We ate at the Cozia Motel, but I’ve heard from some of my friends that the other restaurants in the area aren’t any better. You can see in the picture on the right the only thing from the menu they actually had, called Tocăniţă Cozia. It had no taste and it wasn’t enough for anyone.
But perhaps we were unlucky, so if you now any good restaurant in the area, leave a comment. You could help the future visitors to better appreciate the area. 🙂
[rating:0.5/5]
Sightseeing
The area is the second in the country by the number of monasteries, after Bucovina, so your only problem is choice. Mănăstirea Cozia, Mănăstirea Turnu, Mănăstirea Stănişoara or Schitul Ostrov are only a few kilometers apart.
You can also admire the Olt strait or the Lotrişor waterfall. To get to it, go another 5 km from Cozia on E81 then 2 km on a narrow path. Be aware that most cars won’t make it to the waterfall, so unless you own a 4×4, it’s better to leave the car on the E81.
The church in the Cozia monastery is quite modest, but the paintings are very well preserved. Even if nobody tells you, you might consider making the photos without the flash. There is also a museum/shop where you can see icons and books as old as the 14th century.
[rating:3.5/5]
Alternatives
You can continue on the E81 to Sibiu, the 2007 European Capital of Culture. The city is about 90km from Cozia, so count another hour and a half to get there. If you are a bit of an adrenaline junkie (or a mountain lover), you may want to return to Piteşti by DN1, then DN7C (Transfăgărăşan).
[rating:overall]
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