The shallow, snaking, 16-kilometre long Lake Snagov, fringed by thick oak and ash forests, is a natural and popular choice for a day excursion from Romania's capital Bucharest. The scenery is stunning, and the wildlife in the dual protected areas of the lake and surrounding forest includes deer and wild hogs, with several trails through the trees.
The country's notorious former dictator, Ceaucescu, used the lake as a holiday spot and plenty of wealthy Romanians have followed suit over the years, with vast holiday homes erected on the shores. The government plans to transform Snagov into a fully-fledged theme park never pulled off but still, the buzzword "development" resonates around the atypical Romanian village of Snagov, with hotel complexes like the Complex Astoria having sprung up alongside a construction site of restaurants and chateaus yet-to-be.
But there is a far more history-steeped reason that brings people here: the associations the lake has with one Vlad Tepes, aka the man on which the Dracula legend is based. Legend claims Snagov Monastery, on an island in the middle of the lake here, is the infamous count's supposed burial place.
Snagov Monastery and Vlad Tepes
The first records of there being a monastery on Snagov Lake date back to 1408 (although some sources date it to 1364), at which time it had been newly built by Mircea the Elder. Vlad Tepes' associations with Snagov stem from when he had the monastery rebuilt during the 15th century in honour of Mircea who was his grandfather. During this time it would have been one of the wealthiest and most prominent churches of the Wallachian Empire, most likely due to its patronage by Tepes and the easily-defensible island setting. Rumours abound of the ruler constructing torture chambers within the monastery, although this, along with the great enigma of Vlad Tepes' death, remains unproven.
After his death during battle with the Ottomans in 1476, Tepes' body was, according to legend, buried at Snagov, minus his head which was sent to Istanbul preserved in honey, so that the Sultan could prove to doubters the formidable prince was finally dead (war between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire had lasted some years). Excavations of the grave under the monastery altar in 1931, however, revealed an empty grave which, simultaneously, fuelled claims of the Dracula connections with Snagov being a sham and, to some Dracula devotees, provided proof that he was still roaming the earth.
Snagov Monastery Today
The mystery certainly serves to keep a steady stream of visitors flowing to the monastery today (some polls put it as the number one foreign tourist attraction in Romania). The boat trip across the lake and a roam around the monastery, with its elaborately painted walls and the celebrated tomb itself, as well as the verdant, heart-shaped island on which it stands, are still magical experiences.
Getting to Snagov Monastery
For one of Romania's main tourist draws, getting to Snagov, unless travellers partake of a tour from Bucharest, is far from straightforward.
- In Bucharest, take the M2 Metro line to Aviatorilor.
- From outside the metro station, walk 25 minutes north through the Piata Presei Libere (a park) on the far side of which the minibuses leave to Snagov.
- Take bus 444 or 446 (half-hourly, 40km, 40 minutes) to Snagov village on the eastern shore or Silstea Snagovului, on the northwestern shore.
- Take a motorboat across to the island (this is easier from Silstea Snagovuvlui but possible from near the Complex Astoria in Snagov). Cost 100 Lei per person.
- Snagov Monastery, entrance fee 15 Lei per person.
Whilst guidebooks will rightly cite Snagov Monastery as one of Romania's biggest tourist attractions, the experience of journeying here is very different if done independently (particularly because visitors can appreciate the lush surrounding forest trails). Whilst from mid-morning on weekends the lake is swamped in tour group boats making the crossing, at other times the lake is a peaceful place and retains some of the mystery befitting of a site with such very mysterious connotations. At least, until the next bright plan for a lakeside mega-resort comes along, that is.
Luke Waterson - Author Luke Waterson writes, or has written, for various publications including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Moon Guidebooks and The ...
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