POSTCARD FROM | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA

 

Provençe-based photographer Joanna Maclennan takes her well-travelled camera on an inspiring Winter road trip through traditional, textile-filled Romania. Read on to see the beautiful results, from swirling fogs and charming villages to intricately detailed doors and colorful examples of folk art and craftsmanship.  

 

BY JOANNA MACLENNAN | CABANA TRAVEL | 1 MARCH 2025

 

Romania, despite its communist past, truly evokes a sense of romanticism, from its traditional villages and rural way of life to its magnificent countryside. There is a sense of time standing still in this corner of Eastern Europe, certainly in the more remote parts of the country where traditional ways of life endure. At the same time, Romania, and more specifically Bucharest, has one foot in the future. 

This winter, I spent a week in the towns of Brasov and Sibiu, taking my camera on a road trip around this special country. If you prefer not to drive, you can take the local train from Bucharest to Brasov (about two and a half hours) followed by another three-hour train onto Sibiu. Alternatively, you can fly into Sibiu from Bucharest. 

The old town of Brasov is lovely with the Tampa mountain standing proud behind it. If you are brave enough you can walk to the top, otherwise there is a cable car. Just off the beautiful main council square Piața Sfatului, with its brightly colored houses, is a must-see gothic church, Biserica Neagră. It's known as the black church due to its blackened facade, stained by smoke in the 17th century.

Brasov is a great town to explore, along with its surrounding areas, whether for hiking, skiing, or to visit the infamous Bran Castle or Peles Castle - and for animal lovers, the wonderful Libearty Bear Sanctuary. The town also offers great restaurants and coffee houses, where - I'd go so far as to say - I enjoyed some of the best coffee and brunches I have experienced in Europe recently.

 

 

Next stop, Sibiu, which is even more charming than Brasov. I always try to seek out the local food markets and antique shops when travelling: in the former we were greeted with friendly faces and filled our bags with home-knitted socks and honey. There is much to see in Sibiu, starting with Piața mare (Great Square), Piața Mică (Small Square), and the Bridge of Lies. If you can stomach heights, climb up the bell tower of the old Lutheran church for an amazing view of the city and surrounding area.

I was spoilt for museums, such as the Brukenthal National Museum, and discovered a gew great antique shops, like Zestrea. Despite the swirling freezing fog we managed to visit the neighboring villages just south of Sibiu, including Cristian, Cisnădioara and Fântânele, which has a wonderful house museum. The lovely lady opened it up for us on a Sunday morning, which I can’t imagine happening anywhere else.

As a photographer, one of the things I loved was the amazing Romanian doors. They are everywhere, and I could not get enough of them. I’m fascinated by the details and there were some beautiful examples here. I even managed to explain this to one of the taxi drivers as I jumped out and ran down the road, camera in hand. He looked at my husband, perplexed, as he tried to explain that it’s a thing I do.

I'm sure there will be more opportunities to capture these glimpses of traditional Romania, and life as it endures today. My brother, Oliver Maclennan, has moved here for the next couple of years, which allows me to visit, and get to know, this beautiful country. This is just the beginning of many more trips I hope to take.

 

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Joanna Maclennan is a British photographer and regular Cabana contributor, based in Provençe, France | Follow Joanna on Instragram: @joannamaclennanphotography

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