Romania through the eyes of Hit the Road

Our ambassadors Patrycja and Mateusz from trzyma w Drogę visited Romania once again, this time under the wings of Podróże4x4. They shared their adventures with us, which you can read about here:

This year, we started the travel season with the May Day holiday. We visited Romania for the second time. During our first stop at a gas station, I was approached by a local driver. He had studied in Poland before and shared his thoughts with me that Poland and Romania are very similar countries. At first, I had a big disagreement with this statement, but with each passing hour I was convinced that my new friend was right. We have many things in common with Romanians: similar historical events, Slavic influences, the Christian religion, but also a similar way of looking at the world. However, what we appreciated most about this country located between Ukraine and Serbia was the nature. Meadows, clearings, mountain pastures and beautiful views never ceased to amaze us, regardless of how much time we spent driving on the gravel roads of Romania.

Our journey began with throwing our roof tent onto the company Toyota Podróży4x4, which we were driving for the expedition. We also attached the 270° Offlander awning to the trunk, which we had the opportunity to test on this trip. However, this was not the only novelty. For the first time, I led a commercial trip of an organized group with Patrycja. All of this was possible thanks to the support and care of the team from Podróże4x4, led by Mariusz, who invited us to cooperate.

We met all the participants of our trip while we were still in Poland and after a short briefing we set off on our journey. The transit through Slovakia and Hungary went very smoothly. After crossing the Romanian border we arrived in Satu Mare, where we were waiting for an overnight stay in a hotel. In the morning we set off in the field almost immediately. The first minor faults involved the whole group in helping. This helped to solve the problems quickly, but also sped up integration. After a few inserts and countless delights at the views that appeared before us, we reached Sapanta. We visited the churchyard, the  so-called  „Merry Cemetery”, whose characteristic feature is the grave inscriptions decorated with funny stories from the lives of the deceased and colorful images of scenes from their daily activities. After a whole day of attractions, we reached the place of our first wild camping. The campfire warmed everyone gathered around, because the May temperature in the mountains of the Maramures district did not spoil us too much.
In the morning we set off again. We had to overcome rocky climbs and muddy ruts. It was interesting to see how each driver had their own idea of ​​how to overcome the next obstacle. The level of modification of the cars was also very important here. Watching from the sidelines the struggles of our companions, I came to the conclusion that the less tangled the vehicle, the greater the fun, but at the same time the greater the chance of damaging the mechanical parts of the chassis.

After a day full of excitement, a night in the wild and after covering a few more kilometers, we reached the town of Turda. A small, yet charming town, where we spent the night in a hotel. The next two nights were spent again in the bosom of nature. During this time, we saw a flooded village near Lupsy. The landscape made a huge impression on us. Up until now, we had admired majestic views carved by the persistent chisel of mother nature, until suddenly we saw the entire village of Geamana submerged in toxic waste pumped out of nearby mines and industrial plants. A few years ago, you could still see the brick walls of the church tower. At the moment, you can only see a small part of the roof and a cross towering over a layer of sludge. It was hard to believe how much power man can have and how destructive his influence is on the local area.

The next point on our trip was  the so-called  „ice cave”, where a large layer of snow remains throughout the summer. We continued to admire the charms of the Apuseni National Park, moving along asphalt roads. The last day of the trip greeted us with rain. Here, the awning was very useful, because we ate breakfast at the campsite without fear of getting wet. When we finished our coffee, we went to see the Bear Cave, where you can actually see traces of the presence of these animals from hundreds of years ago.

After another, last, but solid dose of off-road, we turned our wheels towards Oradea, where a hotel awaited us for the night. On the way, one of the cars struggled with cooling system problems, but this time the group did not disappoint, because with the help of several people, we managed to repair the fault enough to be able to drive the car. This was all the more important because the Orthodox Easter was starting and after a few phone calls we were convinced that no Romanian mechanic would pick up the wrench until Tuesday. A bit tired but happy, we arrived at the hotel in Oradea, where we spent the night. The next day, after breakfast, it was time to say goodbye. Although a week ago we did not know each other at all – now we had the impression that we were saying goodbye to our friends. Traveling together, experiencing, admiring the majesty of nature and solving problems builds relationships. There are so many undiscovered trails and amazing countries ahead of us, but when we crossed the Romanian-Hungarian border, Patrycja and I were already sure that we would come back here. 

On the expedition, Patrycja and Mateusz used the  Tomahak XL tent  and  the Wing 270 XL awning.