Czech President Petr Pavel spent a few days on vacation in Romania, choosing to explore the country incognito on a motorcycle, alongside a small group of friends.
Setting aside official protocol, the Czech leader opted for a discreet journey, covering over 3,000 kilometers through the most spectacular mountainous areas of Romania.
Among the routes taken were the Transfăgărășan, Transalpina, and other emblematic roads, and the journey even included an unexpected encounter with... Carpathian bears. The President posed at Alba Carolina Citadel and Oașa Monastery, as well as at the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța.
"I would recommend Romania to everyone. Sometimes we have prejudices that it is very backward, but it is a beautiful country, with many nice people and wonderful places. I believe that when people plan to go to the mountains, they will certainly not go wrong, because the mountains still have something wild and, at the same time, very friendly in them — something you probably rarely find in other areas today," stated Petr Pavel, upon returning from vacation, as quoted on the Facebook page of the Romanian Embassy in the Czech Republic.
The Czech President planned his route himself, sought modest accommodation, reserved a different place to stay each day, and traveled incognito, with minimal security.
For several days, he was almost unrecognizable on the road – appearing more like part of a group of ordinary motorcyclists, on an adventure in our country.
The vacation began in Slovakia, from where the Czech leader continued through Hungary to Romania. Throughout the route, he was not discouraged by unfavorable weather, but continued to explore the mountainous and rural areas of the country with enthusiasm and curiosity.
Reporters from the Czech newspaper idnes.cz published photos of the Czech President during his adventure in Romania.
The full gallery of images can be viewed here
The Czech President's unusual choice serves as an authentic promotion of Romania as a tourist destination – an unofficial but valuable recognition of the country's natural, touristic, and human potential.
Who is Petr Pavel
Petr Pavel has been the President of the Czech Republic since 2023. He is a hero of the war in former Yugoslavia, during which he even helped liberate French soldiers.
Later, he became the Chief of the Czech General Staff and served as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, thus being the highest-ranking military official of the North Atlantic Alliance.