How I traveled by train from Romania to Bulgaria to watch the Museum of locomotives

A trip to Romania in September was a little nostalgic for me. This country has become many years ago my "First abroad". In the late 1990th year, the train Moscow – Bucharest became my first interstate movement. Bucharest immediately after overthrowing Ceausescu, chaos and mess. It was necessary to see it. The more fascinating it was to come again in Romania 20 years later. However, about Bucharest will tell in another report, but still be back to the topic "On the train from Romania to Bulgaria to watch the Museum of the locomotive". It all started long before the trip. I sat in the Google Program.Earth and relaxing "Traveled" Mouse in the Danube Delta, considering the islands, canals, photos. And somehow reached the Bulgarian city Ruse, which stands on the shore of this huge river. Here is the famous bridge "friendship" Between Bulgaria and Romania, here are visible barges on the river. Then I saw the accumulation of locomotives on.Dr. Ruse. Pokilikal around. It turned out that this is the Museum of Bulgarian Railways. Funny! A few months later, being in Bucharest, I decided to drive out for one day to the nearby Bulgaria, look along the way of the Danube and visit the very museum of old steam locomotives.

• Museum of old steam locomotives
• Gara de Nord
• Station Giurgju

Gara de Nord – the beginning of the way

This is the name of the main station of the Romanian capital, from where all international and almost all internal trains follow. Place, frankly, ambiguous. Perhaps even more restless and not comfortable than the area of ​​three stations in Moscow. I mean an increased number of homeless, thieves, rhythmic taxi drivers, gypsies on the fishery, currency exchangers where you always do. In the evening, in this place, it is desirable not to appear at all without extremely for that, and in the afternoon I want to slip faster.

I personally did not want to linger there even for the extra ten minutes for standing in the queue for a ticket, therefore I sat down in my train Bucharest – Istanbul without a ticket at all. Why? It’s Romania or not? The first EU country in terms of corruption. Here we now check the experienced way, how to decide without billarded nuances. Sat in a Bulgarian car where there was a sign "Bucuresti – RUSE".

Conductor love "Zaitsev"

And do not wait with my part of pathetic exposures in the style of combating corruption in the Consulate General of Russia. Cute Balkan mentality This is quite another. This is not the brazen extortion of the last crumb, and this is a tender procedure on a mutually beneficial basis. So, we carry out. At the checkout ticket Bucharest – Ruse is worth the equivalent of 12 euros. I wisely suggested that in the train I will pay less. So came out. The good-natured Romanian-conductor was not simply not swided on the hares, which is the absolute majority in this train (in my car there were only two Japanese tourists about two Japanese tourists), but also hot forth. And after the consistent greeting of you with good morning, called the figure "Bun&# 259; Diminea&# 355; A, 20 LEI" (4.80 euros). Fine!

About train Bucharest – Istanbul

I have already told about this train in the report of Istanbul – Sofia. He is unusual. And consists of multicolored cars owned by railways of Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Hungary. All these wagons follow in Istanbul, being attached to local trains, and in the Bulgarian station Dimitrovgrad, they are all joined and further as part of a single train called "Eastern Express" continue the way to Istanbul. On this train, I traveled many times, and came to the conclusion that this is the most colorful train of Europe, and perhaps the whole world. There are few people buying tickets, there are almost always paid the conductor, the train is almost always late, it is always half empty, wagons are always old and nostalgic. It seems that the train is this subsidiary, in order to maintain the railway traditions of the Balkans.

Romanian border – Djurga Station and Bridge Friendship

1 hour and 50 minutes after departure from Bucharest, we arrive at the last Romanian station in front of the border – Giurgiu. Here Romanian passport control. After the entry of the country in the EU in 2007, the border trigger of the order was doused. No longer run by venons annoying currency changes, do not hang curious gypsies, old women do not trade souvenirs on the platform.

But all this was some more than a few years ago. Today everything is simple and fast. Parking 25 minutes, during this time Romanian border guards manage to stack passports to all passengers. Exactly on the schedule, we touch in the direction of the Bulgarian Ruse, to which only a few kilometers through the bridge on the Danube –

Moved across the bridge on the Bulgarian side of the border

Another ten minutes through the sleeping areas and the commander Ruse, and soon the train arrives at the station. Peace to you, Bulgaria. There are many people at the station, but they are not waiting for our train to Istanbul, and the local, to Sofia –

• Some kilometers
• Bridge on Danube
• Many people

I must say, I completely forgot that there should be, in theory, passport control, because Bulgarians with Romanians have not yet entered Schengen. And I rushed to Perron, where he was stopped by a policeman, politely but purposefully returned me back into a car with words "CHAKEY CE 10 MUNE, BULGARSKI PASSETTOR CONTROL!". While the referees did not pass all the cars and did not check the documents from all, no one is released from the cars.

Vintage Ruse

And here is myself.Train station in Ruse, huge, obviously not appropriate to the scale of the provincial town building –

• Station in Ruse
• Ruse
• Monument

I go out to the square in front of the station, cut off the taxi drivers. I’ll get Lonely Planet in Bulgaria. So, in Ruse, two stations: old and new. Trains arrive at the new. From him, trolleybuses and buses go through the entire city in the direction of the Old Station, where, in fact, the museum is located. Here I also changed in the exchange of 10 euros on Leva – this amount is enough not only for a day in Bulgaria, including a lunch and a ticket to the museum, but also on the way back to Bucharest. Think, kidding? Not at all! This Communism reigns here in terms of prices: travel in city transport 0.30 euros, the entrance ticket to the museum of 0.50 euros, rich lunch 3-4 euros. And add the way back to Bucharest without a ticket by agreement with the conductor. 7-8 euros leaves, even passing. Ridiculous? In the neighboring country for 7 euros All Inclusive.

Few know, but remote from the French tourist trail Ruse, is unique for the southern Balkans monument of architecture in style Neurokko and Rococo. Hundreds of beautiful buildings 18-19 centuries buildings, including real palaces. While tourists massively fill the streets of a very dreary Varna, here, only in 2 hours of driving, there is such a wonderful place, as if frightened in time. Monument to the Soviet soldier in the city park Ruse

As mentioned above, the railway museum is located quite far from the new station. If you are tuned to walk on foot, then be prepared for a walk of an hour and a half. Either, you can sit on the city bus. I chose the average: walking there on foot, and back returned by bus.

• Castle
• Old J.Dr. Ruse
• Cultural monument

Museum of railway

It is divided into two parts: an exhibition of wagons and locomotives in the open air and the museum inside the old building station. Run ahead, I note that the museum is interesting, but small. Exhibits are relatively little. Very detailed about the museum you can read Wikipedia, or on the site BJ. I will say that – to go in Ruse exclusively for the museum is not worth. But it is definitely worth visiting here to see the original and beautiful Bulgaria, not spoiled by mass tourism, as it happened on the coast. But back to the museum –

• Exhibits
• Locomotive 1866.
• Locomotive

This building is not just old.D Ruse Station, and the first (!) Station in Bulgaria. Built in 1866, the station became the starting point for Bulgarian railways. The first line has earned in 1867 between Ruse and port (and now and resort) the city of Varna.

The main and most valuable exhibit of the museum – Personal Wagon of the Turkish Sultan.

Here is such a museum. Interesting, unusual. Like the town of Ruse. It’s time to have lunch and have time to send a local suburban diesel engine to Romanian Giurguja, where I moved to the train to Bucharest.

• Wagons
• Tolka 1911
• Personal car Sultana
• On the bridge

How I was mistaken my train in Romania

While I eaten a delicious Bulgarian Scharm-Chorba in a colorful restaurant, swaying with his shop salad, and all this completed the baked potatoes with pork chops – my train went. I guess I looked at the local southern Slavs, impressive imagination with its beauty and statitivity. And maybe just laziness was to rush somewhere. But at six evenings I realized that the last of the three existing diesel engines in Romania was already gone.

Moreover, it turned out that there is no other transport in Romania, and the nearest train will be at 4 am. Well, then I sat on the bus and got to the bridge for half an hour "friendship" With Romania, assuming to cross the border on foot. It was not here! It is forbidden. Imagine the situation – I am standing on the border, and I refuse to release from Bulgaria, motivating that the transition of this exclusively for transport. I will say more – my attempts to stick into any of the cars were not crowned with success. People are some frightened, metering. Even my marketing stroke in the form of waving 10-e-bills for transportation through the bridge did not occur. Presumably i didn’t come out forms. The girl would take, smiled Bulgarian border guards, and added "Only the girl later on the Romanian side of the Roma may chik-chik, so be a man better, at least you don’t have to do a skirt for the provocative". And winking each other laughter. Balkan morals, however.

Recovered truckers with RUS 77 numbers on their hefty wagons. They not only did not take me outstretched 10 euros, but also in-kind offended, noticing that "Leave the money to prostitutes, and we are delivered, then from all soul". Damn, awkwardly came out. Apologized, I hope the guys have forgiven me. And here we are going to Romania on the same bridge –

Immediately after the bridge, on the Romanian bank of the Danube, the next passport control. Truckers arose here on customs control, which promised to delay the hour for two. I once again thanked them for the help and went to the passport control booth. Romanians shook the tongue when I said to them that I was walking on.Djordju-Nord Station. According to them, there are first to go there 3 kilometers (what nonsense, I thought, I will pass half an hour), and secondly there on the way all stray dogs. Romanians said that the dogs are breeding Gypsies, for food, and there are several tables around Giurge, a real problem for residents. I did not scare me, and in vain. At least with dogs cost more caution and still wait for a taxi, or a fellow. Not complicated, at first glance, a walk through the forest parking band turned to me in a daytime hell due to numerous samples of very aggressive stray pieces.

Dog the topic is very correctly affected on the Travel website.RU in the Councils section of Romania. The following is written there:

. Numerous flocks of stray dogs represent a real threat to tourists. According to various data, in the Bucharest alone lives to 300 thousand homeless dogs. Even considering the fact that most of these animals are absolutely innocuous, however, every year hundreds of people become victims of attacks and bows from dogs. In 2009, the Japanese tourist ripped dogs in the area of ​​the Bucharest station Gara de Nord. In order to avoid trouble, the wasterees, remote parts of urban parks and non-heavy courtyards should be avoided. In addition, it is not recommended without any special need to walk in the dark day when the packs of dogs go in search of food.

Very soon I realized that it was not to listen to the advice of the Romanian roars was a mistake on my part. First, I went on the highway next to the bed and everything was fine. Then the forest park began, where the bark of dozens of dogs was heard from. And now the first dog pops out of the bushes with a growl and begins to jump near my legs, tormented to bite. Unpleasant feeling familiar to everyone. I grab a stone and thump in the evil creation, aptly hitting him in the back. That bounces, and the cliff teeth runs back into the bushes. After a hundred meters, I notice a whole flock, resting on my way. Collapse? Where? Everywhere bushes and wet after rain grass. Dogs, however, save me from the need to think for a long time and lasted in my direction. Immediately, ten major cutting pieces. Throwing stones in them before those managed to reach me, the benefit that a number of construction and around many fragments of bricks. Pots retreat, prying tails. Obviously, locals communicate with stray animals with the same methods. While it reached the station, I had to beat back from dogs twice twice. From the voltage of vitality knocked cold later. Entering the station building without his strength collapsed on the bench. Damn, well! Soon I arrived my train to Bucharest.