Romania

Overview

Romania is a large country which can sometimes be shocking with contrasts: some cities are truly modern, while some villages can seem to have been brought back from the past. While it has significant cultural similarities with other Balkan states, it is regarded as unique due to its strong Latin heritage, reflected in every part of Romanian society from its culture to its language. Things for which Romania is famous include: the Carpathian Mountains, wine, medieval fortresses, Dacia cars, Dracula, stuffed cabbage leaves ( sarmale ), the Black Sea, sunflower fields, painted monasteries and the Danube Delta.

With a Black Sea coast to the east, it is bordered by Bulgaria to the south, Serbia to the southwest, Hungary to the northwest, Moldova to the northeast and Ukraine in both the north and the east. While its southern regions are usually seen as part of Southeastern Europe (Balkans), Transylvania , its largest region, is in Central Europe.

The area between the Southern Carpathians and Danube had been inhabited since the dawn of mankind. The human remains found in Peștera cu Oase ("The Cave with Bones"), radiocarbon dated as being from circa 40,000 years ago, represent the oldest known Homo sapiens in Europe

Sights and landscapes

Whether you're looking for stunning landscapes, ancient cultural traditions, bustling city life or beautiful historic heritage; no visitor to Romania needs to search for things to see. This country is home to a range of top sights, especially when you'd like to get a feel for the old Europe, the time of monasteries and castles.

For a more natural experience, head to the Danube Delta , considered to be the most well preserved and one of the largest river deltas in Europe. While it mostly consists of extensive wetlands, it in fact holds 23 different ecosystems. It lies on route for a number of main migratory routes, and more than 320 species of bird can be found here in summer. Besides water systems, Romania is also home to the largest European populations of bears and wolves , inhabitants of its vast untouched forests. The Rodna National Park and Biosphere Reserve and Retezat National Park are excellent places to experience the country's rugged lands, old-growth forests and stunning mountainous landscapes, or hike to beautiful water falls in Cheile Nerei-Beușnița National Park .

When planning your trip, make sure to include one of the many monumental monasteries and churches , such as the one in Horezu , a World Heritage Site known for it Brâncovenesc style architecture or Curtea de Argeș the most representative Byzantine style monastery in Romania, also royal necropolis where are buried the all kings of Romania. Or, head to Southern Bukovina to see some of the wonderful and famous Painted Monasteries . Another fascinating region is Maramureș , listed by Unesco and popular among visitors for its wooden churches and Merry Cemetery . A trip to some of these more remote places of worship comes with the bonus of easy exploration of Romania's lovely countryside where -despite rapid development- old traditions and craftsmanship are still alive.

Culture and food

Romanian food is distinct yet familiar to most people, being a mixture of Balkan cuisine and Central European cuisine , but it has some unique elements. The local dishes are the delicious sarmale , ardei umpluți (stuffed peppers), mămăligă (pr. muhmuhliguh, polenta), bulz (traditional roasted polenta, filled with at least two kinds of cheeses, bacon and sour cream), friptură (steak), salată de boeuf (finely chopped cooked veggies and meat salad, usually topped with mayo and decorated with tomatoes and parsley), zacuscă (a yummy, rich salsa-like dip produced in the fall) as well as tocană (a kind of stew), tochitură (pr. tokituruh, an assortment of fried meats, and traditional sausages, in a special sauce, served with polenta and fried eggs), mici (pr. michi, with a ch sound like in the word "chat"; a kind of spicy sausage, but only the meat, without the casings, almost always cooked on a barbecue, but may also be cooked with hot water vapours; often served with beer during picnics – mici și bere ), roe salad, various mashed beans varieties like iahnie (the h is loud).

Other dishes include a burger bun with a slice of ham, a slice of cheese and a layer of French fries, ciorbă de burtă (white sour tripe soup), ciorbă rădăuțeană (very similar to ciorbă de burtă , but with chicken instead of tripe), ciorbă țărănească (a red sour soup, akin to borș but with the beet root being replaced by fermented wheat bran, with lots of vegetables), Dobrogean or Bulgarian salads (a mix of onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, white sauce and ham), onion salad – diced onion served in a dish, tomato salad – diced tomato with cheese, șorici (pig skin – boiled and sometimes in stew), and drob (haggies) – a casserole made from lamb or pork liver and kidneys. Local eclectic dishes include cow tongue, sheep brain (Easter), caviar, chicken and pork liver, pickled green tomatoes and pickled watermelon.

Planning your route

Getting around Romania is relatively inefficient for the great distances that have to be covered in this country (this is after all, the second-largest country in Central Europe, after Poland ). The transport infrastructure has been improving quite significantly, even though roads remain a weak point. There are three operational highways, that connect Bucharest to the seaside and to the cities of Pitești and Ploiești, respectively, and several others under construction. Train travel, however, has improved dramatically. Several upgrade projects are underway for several railway tracks, which makes rail traffic on those lines a bit slow for the time being.

Romania has a very dense rail network that reaches practically every town and a sizable number of villages. Although some modernisation is taking place, this network isn't in a very good condition, with low speeds and limited train frequency on many routes. Nonetheless trains remain the best option for long distance travel.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.