Holidays in Bistrita-Nasaud

Dear friends, we invite you to participate in a new prize-winning contest here on RRI, entitled "Holidays in Bistrita-Nasaud". The contest is devoted to Bistrita-Nasaud county in northern Romania, which has a rich tourist potential and boasts numerous cultural, historical and natural points of interest.

Between 106-271 AD, most of today's county of Bistrita - Nasaud was part of the Roman province of Dacia. Proof of that stand the Romanian castra in Orheiu Bistritei, Ilisua and Livezile. The town of Bistrita, the current capital town of the county, was first documented in 1264. In 1409, Sigismund of Luxembourg granted the locals the right to erect defense walls around the town, and documents of 1440 speak for the first time of a settlement called Nasaud. Besides a rich history and breathtaking landscapes, the county has many other tourist attractions. 

Among them the Silversmith's House and the Coopers' Tower, both in Bistrita, the ruins of the Rodna fortress, the ruins of the Roman Castrum Orheiu Bistritei, Bistrita Valley and Gorges, the Arboretum in Arcalia, the Evangelical Church, the Synagogue, the Bistrita-Nasaud County Museum, the Compared Art Museum in Sangeorz Bai, the memorial houses of poets Andrei Muresanu and George Cosbuc and of the prose-writer Liviu Rebreanu, the 'Izvorul Tausoarelor' Cave (the deepest cave in Romania), the 'Grota Zanelor' Cave (Fairies' Cave), many nature and botanical reserves (including daffodil meadows and muddy volcanoes). Also, we should not forget about the famous Bram Stoker's Dracula. The bust of the Irish writer can be seen right in front of the 'Dracula Castle' Hotel, in Piatra Fantanele, Tihuta Pass, where the winners of our contest will spend two nights.

We invite you to follow RRI's broadcasts, the website www.rri.ro and our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles and give correct answers, in writing, to the contest questions. The contest will end on July 15th 2016, mailing date. 

Two Grand Prizes will be offered to two RRI listeners, consisting of an 8-day (7-night) trip, full-board, between the 15th and the 30th of September, 2016, to the town of Bistrita, to Piatra Fantanele ('Castel Dracula' Hotel) and Colibita, on the shore of the artificial storage lake with the same name. 

The sponsors of this contest are the 'Castel Dracula' Hotel in Piatra Fantanele, the 'Coroana de Aur' (Golden Crown) Hotel in Bistrita and Fishermen's Resort in Colibita. Also, the contest enjoys the support of the Bistrita-Nasaud County Council, the Bistrita Town Hall, the Nasaud Orthodox Archpriestship, the Bistrita branch of the Union of Fine Artists in Romania, the Bistrita - Nasaud County Centre for Culture, the Compared Art Museum in Sangeorz Bai and the 'Concert Society' Cultural Foundation in Bistrita.

As usual, the winners will have to provide for their own international transport to and from Romania, and get a visa, if applicable.

And now, here are the questions:

-Which is the capital city of Bistrita - Nasaud county?

-What is the name of the storage lake on the shores of which the guesthouse that will host the winners of the contest is located?

-The name of whose famous novel and film character is linked to the name of Bistrita - Nasaud?

Please tell us what prompted you to participate in the contest and why you are listening to RRI's broadcasts and following RRI's content online.

Our address is: Radio Romania International, 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, District 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, zip code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro. Please send your answers by July 15th 2016, mailing date. The winners of the Grand Prize will be announced soon after that date. 

Good luck!