Leaving ill-fated and “washed out” Borsa behind, the bus continued into the Bucovina area with a stop along the way in Campulung Moldovenesc to buy lunch makings. I am embarrassed by how many attempts it took me to pronounce “Campulung Moldovenesc” correctly and left town, still mangling the name. Dating from 1411 during the reign of Alexander the Great, Campulung Moldovenesc managed to be engrossing with: multiple supermarkets and bakeries; a small food market; gorgeous Assumption Orthodox Cathedral built in 1910; the Ion Tugui Ethnographic Collection of 4,500 wooden spoons from Romania (along with carpets, folk pottery, etc. – some in our group visited and gave it a “thumbs up”); and a large, well equipped “Information Office” on the main street.
Campulung Moldovenesc area map, Romania
Assumption Orthodox Cathedral in Campulung Moldovenesc, Romania
Banca Transylvania – love the name, “Transylvania”
Tourists can hunt, fish, mountain bike, mountaineer, and hike on well-marked trails in this area of Moldova, surrounded by wooded mountains. The town had two train stations, many hotels and pensions and would be a good place to stay while visiting the Painted Monasteries of Sucevita, Moldovita, and Putna. If none of that appeals, Romania may become your favorite gambling destination. We’d never seen so many casinos on each street and every town outside of Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Casino in Campulung Moldovenesc, Romania
Great Synagogue in Campulung Moldovenesc, Romania
Campulung Moldovenesc was another town in Romania with a Jewish History which we learned after glimpsing the Great Synagogue by the food market and lot where our bus parked. In 1744, 46 Jews were recorded living in Campulung; most of whom were originally merchants traveling for trade purposes. The Jewish population increased over the years until 1941. On October 12, 1941, all Jews in Campulung Moldovenesc, as well as all the Jews in Bucovina were marched on foot to Transnistria (a name given to an Ukraine area) with their families; a total of 147,000 people of which at least 90,00 died of typhus or were murdered by Romanians.
On a lighter note, Steve and I noticed many residents walking around Campulung carrying strings of freshly baked pretzels and many pretzel stands. Why? Pretzels were cheap and filling.
hot out of the oven pretzels in Campulung, Romania
pretzels on a string in Campulung, Romania
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