
[Romania] Brunch in Bazna and Short Trip to Mediaș and Dumbrăveni
If July and August are, for us, months when we run for the high mountains to escape the summer heat, May is for villages and relaxed country side, with good food, lots of outdoor activities for grown ups and kids and a warm sun for extra good vibes. Mid May, we took off from Sibiu in the direction of Bazna for a nice family weekend away from the city noise.
Brunch at Bassen Pension
Our weekend started Friday afternoon after work, as Bazna is just an hour drive from Sibiu. Saturday was a full day of exploring the village and its surroundings. We started in the morning with a brunch at Bassen Pension, the small and lovely guesthouse where we also spent our nights.
Organized together with My Transylvania, we had a full table of goodies, made with local ingredients, all cooked with passion by the ladies of the village. If you want to know more about these kind of brunches, have a look HERE.
Bazna is known in Romania for being a SPA resort with thermal and salty waters, quite visited by Romanian tourists, also in search of natural treatments for all sorts of diseases. They also extract salt in the area and the Bazna Salt is knows for having therapeutic effects. The village is also known for its beautiful XIV century fortified church and its beautiful Saxon style houses.
While some of us had a guided walk to discover the village, the others had a mountain bike trip in the forests and on the hills surrounding the village. We also got to try some electric bikes which made the trip a lot easier. The surroundings are just stunning and perfect for outdoor activities, like trekking, jogging or bike trips. It’s quite a lot of effort, but the view does pay of. For such trips, you can contact Trail Guide.
Bassen Pension is a small and cozy guest house, perfect for spending a few days away from the city, surrounded by the village calm and tranquility. Comfortable rooms, a big backyard, perfect for relaxation, a vegetable garden ready to be taken care of and delicious meals, cooked with ingredients from the village.
Short stop in Mediaș
Mediaș is the second largest city of the Sibiu County and one of the oldest cities in Romania, founded in 1146. It developed as a Saxon town and its old town still features the Saxon architecture and a XV century fortified church.
Although the city itself is not the main touristic attraction in the area, as Sibiu and Sighișoara easily surpass it, it’s very much worth having a walk around the old town for a couple of hours.
The Armenian Catholic Church of Dumbrăveni
In Dumbrăveni we stopped to have a look at the Armenian Catholic Church, one of a kind in Romania (there are only 3 other similar churches in the country). Dumbrăveni was known for its Armenian community, starting from the XVII century, which, unfortunately has lost all its members in the recent years. The church is not in a very good condition and we didn’t find it open for visitors, but the outside is still impressive.
In Dumbrăveni we also wanted to visit the Apaffy Castle, but that’s also a closed for visitors.