travelogue host Rick Steves skipped by Staunton’s international Sister City The jovial PBS “Europhile” just missed out on the Viseu de Sus experience Should you ever cover the 4,870 miles that separate Staunton from its “sister," consider these four tips for your stay: Ride the scenic excursion train that follows a winding track from the downtown station up into the Carpathian Mountains Stop by city hall to shake the mayor’s hand Pause at the town’s monument to a local hero who was laid to rest in Staunton’s soil.  Queen City road signage placed along major entrance arteries touts two international connections: a “sister city,” in Romania an “international partner," in Dabas It’s fair to say that these laudable agreements to promote peace are more symbolic than communicative practices and political priorities change….  for the past two decades while passing local signs of transatlantic outreach Family ties elsewhere in Romania fostered an extra pull to visit our semi-estranged sibling city is located in the mountainous northwestern corner of Romania near the border with Ukraine Shortly after we moved to Staunton in 2000 I began making requests of my Romanian in-laws that we visit Viseu de Sus during a reunion trip always had other sightseeing plans.  These involved relatives in distant cities and pilgrimages to 16th century monasteries and churches This latest visit highpoint was worth the overnight train ride — “Humor Monastery.” It’s a reflective rather than comic destination “The Merry Cemetery” a few  hours drive away is funnier.  Humor Monastery is one of many stunningly decorated churches in the Moldovenesc region of Romania Frescos attesting to the history and heroes of the faith cover virtually all of the exterior and interior of the monastery’s half millennia old church A defensive tower within the walls of the nun’s monastery provides a lofty vantage from which to view the spiritual retreat and the landscape beyond that orthodox renunciate community is only a three-hour drive from Viseu de Sus challenging stretch of road led us off to Viseu de Sus To reach the site we cruised over a newly reconstructed highway through a portion of Transylvanian which means “across forests." Highway 18 hugs streams and rivers climbs steep passes — some topped by monasteries (naturally) The modernized road is emblematic of vast infrastructure overhaul taking place throughout Romania The improvements in quality of life for its 19.4 million citizens have been steady since the country joined the European Union in 2007 Growth of the upper middle class is impressive Despite political scandals (theirs pale in comparison with ours) people express more confidence in “the system” than I’ve seen over the past two decades plenty of problems in Romania: a high poverty rate,  a brain drain of well-educated young adults A few elders still wax nostalgic for the former authoritarian regime which fell to a revolution 30 years ago this coming Dec tourism had begun to gain a foothold in Viseu de Sus That community signed an international sister city agreement with Staunton in October 1999 Viseu also established sister city relationships with Furstenfeld Agnes Skurka greeted us warmly in Viseu de Sus Her family operates a pensieunea near the confluence of the Vaser and Viseu rivers (“de Sus” means of the south The village of Viseu de Nord is a few kilometers upriver) and beer garden operated by the Skurkas is a 10-minute walk from Viseu’s downtown center Yet the location — at the end of an undeveloped lane and within sight and sound of rushing water — gave us the sense of entering a rural retreat They served us a traditional dinner in copious Romanians eat and drink healthier and tastier than most Americans devoured a two-platter order consisting of grilled pork schnitzel collectively called ‘The Mocanita.” The order was a feast worthy of a lumberjack a practicing 85-year-old research scientist we boarded the town’s principle tourism attraction — The Mocanita.  which was built to haul timber from the mountains rather than floating logs down swollen rivers is now a very lucrative 6-hour pleasure trip for visitors.  Train lovers and nature sight seers fill the cars The experience is a bargain: $20 for the ride an extra $10 for a hearty lunch provided a picnic ground terminus the antique steam engines pull rustic passenger cars up the Vaser Valley Sunshine and a cool blue sky give the green mountain tops crisp definition lumberjacks stack timber for later transport to mills.  Less romantic trains that run on line burning fossil fuel do the heavy lifting for the forest industry’s needs The “Mo-chan-eat-za” tourist express employs 1,000 during peak season More: Monster squash bug garden: Dorries Valise Coman was elected in 2012 (if I correctly read the signage in front of city hall.) He leads a municipality spread over more than 170 square miles the vast majority of it forested mountainside Citizens (“Viseuvians” has a nice ring…) live in the river valley floor It serves as the primary commercial corridor was more hurried and heavier than I’d expected Viseu’s downtown includes several recently constructed “box" stores Most of the older storefronts appeared to have had recent paint jobs The construction underway of a substantial addition to the hospital is a point of civic pride.  Mayor Valise Coman had smiles and a time for a chat with everyone who asked a question He’s very definitely a public figure.  Coman owns a manufacturing facility that employs a couple of hundred workers He also has invested personal resources into the community’s development.  More: Lawsuit: Nexus bond scheme feeds feed off immigrants 'like a parasite' Perhaps most noticeably is the traditional homestead complex next to the train station it resembles the American Frontier Culture Museum Historic buildings were transferred to this site to preserve them and to create a venue for cultural education and community celebration.  While giving us a lift after our Mochanita excursion the mayor  answered questions about the city’s connection with Staunton He remarked that we were the second visitors in the past year who came from the Queen City year to hop the train “I am very happy to have visitors from our sister city in America “We appreciate it when people from Staunton initiate contact.  “It is very beneficial to learn from each other’s experiences — cultural but we are very interested in creating broader development for the community.” We discussed the similarities between the Staunton and Viseu de Sis: proximity to national parks and forests commercial hubs and vital downtowns that serve surrounding agricultural industries The Viseu de Sus farmers’ market dwarfs Staunton’s Coman noted that he has visited and maintains contact with Viseu’s European sister cities and provide insight about best practices for communities to receive and host officials from Staunton or to receive an invitation to visit here and the Shenandoah Valley the mayor led us to a city memorial for Nicolae Lunca (1837-1862) Army captain’s actual tombstone sits near the flagpole in the National Cemetery on Richmond Road in Staunton chose to cross the Atlantic to end slavery his bust is a focal point on our sister city’s main street A portion of the inscription carved in black stone reads: “(A) symbol of the sacrifice for human unity and dignity (he) died heroically in the American Civil War at Cross-Keys …and is buried in the Heroes National Cemetery of the city of Staunton the long wait to see and experience Viseu de Sus “Merita!” relatives in Romania would exclaim To sweeten the pot — Timisoara will be the European Capital of Culture in 2021 From The distance from Timisoara to Viseu is a mere 481 kilometers.  Email Augusta County columnist Bruce Dorries at bdorries@marybaldwin.edu This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page we’ve all seen the sign: Sister City to Viseu de Sus Thanks to an introductory letter from Staunton’s Mayor Dull “Vee-SHOO duh SOOS”) sits in a valley between mountain ranges It’s a town somewhat smaller than Staunton just a few miles south of the border with Ukraine It’s thriving under the leadership of Mayor Coman  he built up three wood-processing businesses that collectively employ 1000 people and other products which they export throughout Europe Three years ago he yielded to pressure and ran for mayor In just two years the city paid off a $6.6 million debt he proudly pointed out work done during his term Sixty kilometers (38 miles) of roads have been paved thus far “Without decent infrastructure,” he explained “we can’t attract the businesses and tourism we need.” “People don’t complain about taxes if they see that all the money goes for good purposes.” Transparency and efficiency were not the norm before his tenure Viseu de Sus attracts a thousand tourists a day Its steam-powered narrow-gauge railway carries visitors in open carriages 31 miles into the forests of the Carpathian mountains Romanians are enthusiastic off-road explorers on mountain bikes Romania has a diverse cultural and ethnic heritage So there are dark Romanians and blond ones “But lots of really good-looking ones,” the Wilsons said The Eastern Orthodox Church is very active in everyday life A large Jewish population was deported in the war; a museum commemorates their important role in the town’s past Romania’s language is so similar to Italian that speakers of one can be understood in the other’s country A large percentage of Romanians under age 25 speak English If a traveler from the US needs help communicating often a volunteer translator will materialize at his side Some days we spent less than $60 for food and lodging–for the two of us!” Staunton’s sister city in Romania is well worth a visit visited his grandmother Rachel Tessler in Tel Aviv Tessler regaled her grandson with stories of her childhood in the Transylvanian village of Romuli often visited Romuli to spend Shabbos with their followers Rachel also sang him some of the Yiddish songs she had learned there At first Aaron recognized all of the songs from the many albums of Jewish music he had listened to as a child growing up in Norfolk But then she started to sing a song he had never heard before – “In Vildn Vald” (In the Wild Forest) Thanks to his eight semesters of Yiddish at Johns Hopkins which describe how a lamb named “S’rolikl,” i.e is threatened by a series of vicious beasts in a dark primeval forest The song ascribes the lamb’s terrible fate to the Jewish people’s lack of a nation to call its own Aaron delved into archives and databases of Jewish music he found a single recording of “In the Wild Forest.” The version Aaron was unable to track down any further information about where or when the recording was made Rachel Tessler passed away five years later at the age of 97 I’ll make a professional recording of ‘In Vildn Vald,’” he thought Jewish music is a longstanding tradition in Aaron’s family After surviving Auschwitz and a series of death marches some 34 kilometers from the little village of Romuli where she was raised Rachel Tessler gave birth to her son Jacob Jacob Tessler grew up surrounded by Jewish music and became a cantor. His son, Aaron, followed in his father’s footsteps: at 16 he began leading Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services at his synagogue in Norfolk he began performing at weddings and bar mitzvahs in Baltimore and four years of Yiddish studies under his belt Aaron felt he could do justice to his grandmother’s song But making a professional recording requires a lot of help friends and the wider community of Jewish music aficionados for support Aaron focused his attention on the finer details of producing a professional recording director of the Monsey-based Zemiros Choir “Because we were starting with almost nothing—just a recording—we needed to figure out everything from scratch,” Tessler told the Forverts “We had to decide how quickly it would be sung and what style to sing it in “because we had so little to go on we could rework it and make it new This song was essentially dead; nobody was singing it anymore Aaron hadn’t planned to record the song with a choir recasting it as something that might have been sung at a Hasidic tish (a social gathering with a rebbe) which the Zemiros Choir performed with him on the recording took the various musical threads—the song’s original folkloric melody the choir’s singing and the niggun Tessler had composed—and weaved them all together “I couldn’t have done it without them,” Tessler said two years after Rachel Tessler’s death and some 90 years after she first heard “In Vildn Vald,” Aaron Tessler released his new recording of the song from his grandmother’s childhood Aaron arranged for the song to be distributed within the Hasidic community and promoted it on Hasidic blogs and Youtube channels so that this unique piece of prewar Jewish culture that he helped to rescue would not be forgotten “I’ve gotten really great feedback,” Aaron said “People said that it sounded ‘heymish’ (authentic like something their own grandmother might have sang.” Aaron hopes that others will continue to sing the song which until recently he and his grandmother were the only people in the world to know Jordan Kutzik is the deputy editor of the Yiddish Forward. Contact him at [email protected] I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning nonprofit journalism during this critical time we have stood together in strength and sorrow Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association Habau Romania recently signed with Transgaz the contract for the construction of the project ‘Natural gas transmission pipeline in the direction of Sighetu Marmatiei – Viseu de Sus – Borsa’ a development project on Romania’s territory of the National Gas Transmission System on the corridor Bulgaria – Romania – Hungary – Austria The Romanian branch of the Habau Hoch und Tiefbaugesellschaft with Transgaz the contract for the construction of the project ‘Natural gas transmission pipeline in the direction of Sighetu Marmatiei – Viseu de Sus – Borsa’ a project of national importance in the field of natural gas They will be joined by another local company Antrepriza Montaj Instalatii (AMI) SA Baia Mare the project is financed from Transgaz’s own funds in the Maramures area there are no natural gas supply pipes and liquefied gas to heat the houses and commercial spaces in the area The gas pipeline is designed and constructed to supply natural gas to the local administrative units The construction of the gas transmission pipeline will spread over the territory of several localities The designed pipeline route is divided into 17 sections The tubular material has a diameter of DN 300 The construction of the Sighetul Marmatiei – Viseu de Sus – Borsa pipeline creates the premise of interconnecting the natural gas transmission system from the North-West part of the country (Maramures area) with the North-East part (Campulung Moldovenesc – Vatra Dornei area) the natural gas supply is provided for each area from two directions This is an important project for Maramures and is now going in a straight line for its implementation it will be possible to provide natural gas to the localities in the area of interest of the objective respectively a number of approximately 51,500 household consumers etc.) and approximately 2000 economic agents The opportunity of the project results from the fact that by building the natural gas pipeline such as: development of the national natural gas transmission system and implicitly development of the natural gas distribution system in the area natural gas supply of the tourist resorts Ocna Sugatag and Borsa creating new jobs during the construction period stimulating other investments and related businesses stimulating the development of the local economy by providing non-polluting energy sources ensuring a healthy environment by reducing greenhouse gases and attracting additional revenues to the state budget and local budgets A community celebrating Black voices Beautycon is a global platform that brings together beauty enthusiasts and industry leaders to explore the latest trends and conversations shaping the future of beauty STAUNTON — Residents will get the chance to learn a bit more about Staunton's sister city in Romania on Sunday Romania will be speaking at Linden Heights Baptist Church in Staunton at 6 p.m which encompasses 1,400 Baptist churches in the state has been working with Romania in charitable efforts for years said Pastor Luke Smith of Linden Heights Baptist Church The organization they work with is called the Virginia Baptist Partnership which does mission work including medical treatment So the Sunday discussion doesn't have a direct connection to the sister city status that was enacted more almost two decades ago But Smith hopes it gives a glimpse to Stauntonians what it's like in Romania Romanian volunteer Captain Nicolae Dunca was killed at the battle of Cross Keys and later buried in Staunton's National Cemetery who was the mayor at the time of the sister city acquisition which was formalized as Staunton's sister city by the visit of then-Mayor Avoli to Romania in October 1999 a few miles from Romania's northern border with the Ukraine and 75 miles east of the border with Hungary In the foothills of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains it has topography similar to that of Highland County who is now the executive director of the Frontier Culture Museum was active in politics the relationship was flourishing He said the relationship was put there in order to aid each other in goodwill numerous churches donated clothing and supplies to Viseu de Sus According to a News Leader history report back in 2006 electricity and telephone systems do not service everyone Most transportation is animal based; there are few cars and no bus system Mary Baldwin had exchange students from Romania Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants . You can reach her at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125 STAUNTON - Marcel Ciascai ended up in Staunton by accident.  Ciascai’s now ex-wife applied for a teaching job in what she thought was Augusta about 90 minutes from where the couple was living at the time.  It turned out she applied for a job in Augusta County the principal at Fort Defiance High School everything changed to an eight-hour trip,” Ciascai said.  He’s lived in the city for 11 years now and has no plans to move.  who works at German Master Works in Staunton His background includes both mechanical engineering and the news media working in both the radio and newspaper industries.  He’s also played semi-professional soccer and he loves the sport Ciascai is the boys soccer coach at Fort Defiance and in the fall he coaches soccer at Stuart Hall But talking to him recently it was evident that his real passion is rally racing.  Drivers in rally racing compete against the clock on roads that are usually unpaved the events can last for several days over hundreds of miles in varying weather conditions.  There is a driver and a navigator in each car The navigator has the route and reads directions to the driver warning of turns and crests ahead. Cars go down the road one at at time.  Ciascai has been involved in the sport as an organizer describing it as very much a niche sport.  Ciascai hit a tree at about 110 miles per hour. He saw the tree coming and heard a boom He still feels pain in his shoulder from the wreck the belt and the HANS device ...," Ciascai fades off although he has done several events.  Recently He'll be an official at a race in Canada in November.  "How you get to be a millionaire doing the rally?" he said getting an adrenaline rush and being around friends who have the same interests He estimated more than 70 percent of his Facebook friends are involved in rally racing.  "You get a chance to know people all over the country."  Ciascai said a race can bring a lot of money into a community is that the drivers spend money in the community hosting the race It's a way to give back to them for the use of their roads.  That sense of community is a big part of the reason Ciascai is still involved in the sport.  it's like a recharging of my batteries," he said Romania might bring unusual experiences for many expats and travelers even when they don't necessarily seek them These six  hotels in Romania are however sure-fire ways of finding the unusual in a country of contrasts.  (pictures at the end of the article) The Ice Hotel at Balea Lake is a unique attraction in Romania and Eastern Europe the hotel is still open and it might be a good choice for winter fans Located in the Fagaras Mountains,  the hotel is built every year from huge blocks of ice and snow The 2014/2015 season started on December 20. There are still rooms available at the hotel, you can check the availability here It features 12 rooms,  named after the 12 signs of the zodiac The price for a normal room is RON 440 a night (some EUR 100) while an Igloo room costs RON 660 (some EUR 140) There is a discount of 50% for children aged between 6 and 15 while those aged under 6 can stay there for free Carpatia Express offers an unique experience to visitors and might be the perfect accommodation place for train enthusiasts The train is located next to the CFF railway station in Viseu de Sus There are 20 sleeping cabins with 2 beds each which can accommodate a total of 40 guests It also features a dining car which is also open for guests without accommodation in the hotel train. A free car parking is also available on site The price for a cabin varies between RON 43 (some EUR 10) and RON 64 (some EUR 14) per person, including breakfast, but there are also special packages. More information here This guesthouse located in Pietroasele town It looks like a camping except that the usual cottages were replaced with big barrels (butoaie in Romanian - this is where the guesthouse’s name comes from) So if you want to spend your holiday sleeping in a barrel The price is RON 60 (some EUR 13) to stay in a barrel per night The guesthouse also offers double rooms for RON 110 (EUR 22) per night This might an interesting place for wine lovers, as a small winery is also located nearby. More information here The Harmonie Complex is a property that features unique tree houses and cottages with spectacular mountain views The complex addresses to both families and couples who want privacy It is located on the Trei Brazi street in Predeal mountain resort. All units are uniquely decorated. The complex does not address those seeking hotel services. The tree houses and villas are rented under real estate and leisure conditions, on short and long term. More information here This might be a great place for military fans or people who enjoy a different kind of holiday Arsenal Park is a tourist complex in the Transylvania region based on a military concept which can provide accommodation for 230 guests You can choose from different types of rooms the Colonel Apartment or the General Villa While you’re there, you should also try some of the activities organized inside the complex: military training, airsoft & paintball, firearms shooting, archery or mini golf. There are also multifunctional sports fields, game rooms, fitness, pool and even a museum. More about accommodation prices, facilities and activities here Enisala Safari Village is a holiday village located in Romania’s wild Danube Delta It is open for tourists with reservation by email or phone The Enisala Safari Village offers accommodation for EUR 55 (plus 9% VAT for accommodation only) per day per person three meals included.  Tourists can stay in one of the two cottages - Casa Lavanda and Casa Atticum – which comprise a total 16 rooms Most of the ingredients used in the menu come from the hotel’s own farm It might be the perfect place for nature enthusiasts as several outdoor activities are organized there, including fishing, birds watching and nature walking. Find out more about it on the official website here Business Insider SRL is a carrier of data with personal character registered in the “Registrul de Evidenta a Prelucrarilor de Date cu Caracter Personal” with the no Romania-Insider.com is a trademark registered with the help of NOMENIUS and all exclusivity rights are reserved to the owner of Business Insider SRL Any unauthorized use will be sanctioned according to the provisions of trademarks law 84/1998