The travel in the hills of Wallachia continues. 

We are heading Targu Jiu town, the place where the monumental works of the world renewed sculptor Constantin Brancusi could be seen. He was a central figure of the modern movement and the pioneer of abstraction, the innovator of world art/sculpture by an evolutionary search for pure forms and primordial sources of folk creation. Submitted on the UNESCO Tentative List, the only monumental ensemble by the sculptor Constantin Brancusi "The Way of the Heroes" was made in 1937 in memory of the heroes who died during the First World War. The east-west composition axis contains: the "Endless Recognition Column", the "Kissing Door", the "Table of Silence", the "Chair Alley". 

The route continues then upstream Jiu valley, following the steep canyon to North. Here we find a jewel of the post-Antiquity era, the Densus church, also included in the UNESCO Tentative list. The church is distinguished by its particular silhouette and incorporates in an original way the Roman spoliations - columns, mouths of funerary lions etc. 

Overnight on Gradiste valley, a narrow and hidden path to the old capital of the Dacians, Sarmizegetusa Regia.

Our host for tonight will be in the area where ancient dacians built their fortresses. The beauty of the surroundings, the clean air and crystal-clear river will make you fall in love with this historical story.

The mighty Dacian civilization once rivalled Rome in power and prestige. Today little remains of this civilization, apart from the six Dacian fortresses which are located across several sites in the beautiful Orăştie Mountains. The Dacian capital grew rich and in order to defend Sarmizegetusa against the Romans, a number of fortresses were built in strategic locations throughout the Orăştie Mountains, forming an elaborate defensive system. It is important to note that the so-called six fortresses are not only military bastions, but also religious, social and cultural centers.

We visit first Costesti-Blidaru fortess, then we move uphill for the jewel of the Dacian fortresses, the capital Sarmizegetusa Regia, build during the “golden age” of the Dacian civilization (1^st BC – 2^nd AD).

The wide range of military architecture is proved by the ingenious fortification system and the materials used to build it. The analyze of the ruins performed by the archaeologists revealed an equilibrium between the tradition and innovation that confirms the cultural and ethnic continuity. The site of Sarmizegetusa can be singled out for its scale and proportions, graceful sculptural pattern, and the sacred atmosphere, impregnated by a spirituality marked by the belief in immortality.

We remain in the mountains, today. Situated in a beautiful natural refuge, on Frumoasa (The Beautiful) valley the hotel awaits us in a quiet environment, surrounded by dense forests and tumultuous fresh and cold rivers. The landscape and the harmony of the place are combining perfectly for a successful stay, a good opportunity to reconnect with the vibrant nature.

Mountain scenic views - The road advance in short, then large loops to the highest elevation for a pathway in Romania, 2145m.  The beginnings of this road are unclear, some sources claim that it was first built by the Roman legions during the wars with the Dacians, which is why it is listed on the history maps as the "Roman strategic corridor IV". What is certain is that this route, known as Poteca Dracului (Devil's Path), was originally a mountain path, used by shepherds from the Southern Transylvania to cross the mountains with sheep herds in Wallachia.

Transalpina, or the road “who scrapes the clouds” was developed then, due to the strategic meanings by the Austrians in 1731, in order to connect Transylvania to Wallachia. The king Carol II reviewed the idea and continued the project, wanting a strategic road in the event of a war outbreak, thus crossing the mountains with the heavy artillery and the infantry. Hence another name, “the king’s road”, Transalpina is going across Parang Mountains, yielding extreme sensations and leaving you breathless.

Return to Bucharest in the evening.

Transalpina, or the road “who scrapes the clouds” 

The Road was developed then, due to the strategic meanings by the Austrians in 1731, in order to connect Transylvania to Wallachia. The king Carol II reviewed the idea and continued the project, wanting a strategic road in the event of a war outbreak, thus crossing the mountains with the heavy artillery and the infantry. Hence another name, “the king’s road”, Transalpina is going across Parang Mountains, yielding extreme sensations and leaving you breathless.

Transalpina road is accessible only in May-October period. In the rest of the time the program follows and alternative route, along Olt river valley.

Curtea de Arges - the former capital of Wallachia

The town of Curtea de Arges preserves important monuments for the beginnings of this territory. First, we see the ruins of the princely court (13^th and 16^th cent.) and the princely church of St. Nicholas, erected between 1340-1376 as a "Greek cross" and retaining almost entirely the original painting, whose artistic qualities make it one of the most important examples of 14^th century painting. The whole is completed by the ruins of the church of another curch, "Saint Nicoara" (15^th century).

A second attraction in the town is the church of the old monastery of Arges (1512-1517), decorated in richly carved stone, it has a triconch plan, four domes, with enlarged narthex, serving at the same time as a princely necropolis. The monument is an architectural archetype for a series of monastic buildings, representative princely foundations, up to the 19^th century.