Wednesday 24 June 2026 - Moeclu de Sus to Bran

Pensiunea Rodica guesthouse was a lovely place to stay.

The two thirteen year old girls, Everline and Maya, served us with a lovely breakfast.

It's a shame that we were the only guests.

We soon entrusted our 'big bags' to a taxi driver who rolled up at about 9:15, just as we were leaving to retrace yesterday's steps for nearly an hour.

First landmark, a bridge over the river.

Then a steep 400 metre climb to a signpost.

Some interesting fungi were spotted.

Royal Fly Agaric

Peeling Paint Ringless Ammonita

Turning left here was a minor error that paid off. According to Collett's route guide we should have continued to the next junction  This 'error' left us on a lovely path, signed with a red stripe, all the way along a ridge to arrive in a strung out village called Simon.

Along the way we enjoyed good views from the belvedere path.

Our first orchid of the trip, a Common Spotted Orchid, was seen. There were also lots of Bird's Nest Orchids.

For a while we could hear the hiss of summer rain on the tree canopy above us, reminding me of a favourite Joni Mitchell album. Not many drops got through.

Hoary Plantain lined the verge at one point.

White Mullein competed with Sue for height.

Down in the valley, hay was drying on fences on the now sunny day.

After lunch on a bus stop bench we strolled into the small town of Bran, home of Bran Castle, aka Dracula's Castle.

We were soon installed in Casa din Bran in a nice room with two balconies and a view of the castle.

After some much needed cold drinks we rooted out the tickets that Collett's had provided for a tour of the castle.

This is apparently the busiest tourist trap in Romania, but apart from one coach load that was best avoided, it wasn't at all crowded and we could take our time studying the rooms and reading the comprehensive information boards. I'll just provide a few photos for now. All the postings from this trip will be edited when we get home, and many flower pictures will be added.

At the end of the visit, a final picture from ground level, a walk around the castle gardens and a welcome cold beer before adjourning to our balcony to finish our copious picnic lunch, washed down with lots of tea.

No need for a meal out tonight - we are stuffed with excesses from the past few days. 

Here's Sue's entry:

Weds 24 June

Woke at 7.30 with breakfast at 8. A beautifully presented plate of cheeses, meats, olives and salad, with bread, butter and lovely strawberry jam. Plus coffee (we’d had a mug of tea whilst dressing). 

We settled the dinner bill in cash, and had a brief chat with Adeline. She’s 11 and Maya’s cousin, so her aunt runs the guesthouse, but only appeared to bring dinner out! They live about an hour away, and she’s staying as it’s their 2-month summer holiday now. Her English has been learnt by listening to videos on TikTok! 

As we left at 9.15, our bags were being collected. A sunny start to the day, as we retraced steps back to the Bucegi national park entrance, then along the track to the wooden bridge. From here, it was back up through the woods we’d descended yesterday. A few new fungi had popped up, such as jewelled amanita, royal fly agaric and peeling paint ringless amanita. A couple of red-banded polypore fungi grew large on tree trunks. A black woodpecker called nearby. 

We regained the junction at a grassy clearing and turned left, slowly descending from the high point of 1,445m. It had clouded over but we had views to limestone cliffs to our right (when the pines allowed). 

Lots of spreading bellflowers in the grass around the path. The path entered the shady forest and it was peaceful except for birdsong. A few drops of rain fell but struggled to reach us below the tall trees. A clump of bird’s nest orchids was spotted (they are well-camouflaged against brown beech leaves), which added to the common spotted orchid seen higher up. We went right (north) at a Y junction to follow red stripe on white. At 12ish we stopped for a cup of tea, then continued, still on the top of a long ridge. Eventually, the path dropped steeply to right off the ridge and we soon came out at the road towards Bran. 

It was hot now, as the sun was out, and we had little shade on the tarmac. The village of Simon is spread along this road for several kilometres, with two churches along the way. 

At the junction with the main road to Bran, we stopped at a covered wooden bench (probably a bus stop) for a sandwich (and some shade).

The main road led into Bran past a couple of churches and through the pass, one of the reasons that Bran Castle was built here as it served as a customs post. 

We found Casa din Bran, our accommodation here, and where our bags were waiting. We did a quick change of shoes (back into comfy trainers) then went out at 3pm, to see the castle. A cold bottle of coke was welcome in an open grassy area before the entrance and we sat on the wood of an early 20th century sawmill in the shade. 

Steep stone steps led up to the castle entrance where we found an intricately carved stone cross from 1722. Writing on the wall above the castle door was dated 1622. Inside we read about Queen Marie’s pleasure at being gifted the castle in 1920. She turned it into a royal retreat. When she died in 1938, the castle passed to Princess Ileana, but was confiscated by the communist regime in 1948, when she was forced into exile, ending as a nun in the US. 

The castle was eventually returned to the family after the fall of communism. 

We strolled round the gardens beneath the castle then sat with a beer at Queen Marie’s Tea House. 

We’ve spent the evening sitting with a view of the castle and mountains on a first floor veranda, having the rest of lunch for dinner, washed down with cherry tea. 

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