Vrancea

A trip to Vrancea is above all a trip into wine country: no other county in Romania has so many vineyards. At the same time, the Eastern Carpathians, with their waterfalls and mountain villages, reach right up to the vineyard-covered hills, and Focșani is where a piece of Romanian history was written.

A Landscape Between Mountains and Vines

Vrancea lies at the bend of the Carpathians, where the mountain range swings from a north-south to an east-west direction. In the west, beech and spruce forests blanket the Vrancea Mountains; in the Putna Valley near Lepșa, the Putna Waterfall plunges through a narrow gorge, and Soveja is an old mountain health resort village. To the east, the mountains give way to hills and then to the plain along the Siret River. The area is also known for its earthquakes: deep beneath the Vrancea Mountains lies a seismic zone that affects all of Romania. At Andreiașu, a small "eternal" flame burns from natural gas vents. According to tradition, the ballad Miorița, one of the best-known works of Romanian folk poetry, comes from the remote mountain villages.

Focșani, Mărășești, and the Wine Towns

Until 1859, Focșani lay exactly on the border between Wallachia and the Principality of Moldavia. When the two principalities were united that year under Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the town became a symbol of the union; Union Square and the annual celebrations on January 24 recall that history. South of Focșani begin the vineyards of Cotești, and to the northwest those of Odobești and Panciu, where wineries are built into old tunnels and hillsides and sparkling wine ages by the traditional method. In Mărășești, a large mausoleum honors the fallen of the 1917 battle in which Romanian troops halted the German advance into Moldavia.

Cuisine, Getting There, and the Best Time to Visit

Here, wine goes together with grilled meats, sarmale (cabbage rolls), sheep's cheese from the mountains, and, in autumn, fresh must. The best time to visit is the grape harvest in September and October, when many wineries offer tastings; June through September is best for hiking in the mountains. Focșani lies on the European route E85 and on the main rail line from Bucharest to Moldavia; it is about 180 kilometers (roughly 112 miles) to Bucharest.