ROMANIA
Vacations and Sightseeing

Basic information
Official language	Romanian
Capital	Bucharest
Area	238.391 km²
Population	19,014,792  (2021)
Currency	Romanian leu  (RON)
Web	.ro
Code.	ROU
Tel.	+40

Cities in ROMANIA

Brasov

Bucharest

Vacations and Sightseeing

The masses still remain away due to inadequate tourist infrastructure, despite attempts by the Romanian government to improve it. Tourist offices have also been established in major foreign cities trying to stimulate tourism to Romania. The first results were encouraging, as the number of foreign visitors rose sharply in the first half of 2000.

Romania is interesting for business tourism in Bucharest and other business centers, mountain tourism, healing springs and culture.

Bucharest, Romania_{Photo: Seisdeagosto CC 2.0 Generic no changes made}

The Romanian capital is not only the country's commercial center, but also the economic center. In Romanian, the city is called Bucuresti. On top of one of the city's few hills, known as the Mitropoliei, stands the cathedral, the center of the Romanian Orthodox faith since the 17th century. The church was built by Constantin Serban Basarab, ruler of the province of Wallachia between 1656 and 1658, to a design inspired by the Curtea de Arges monastery. It became the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1925. The Byzantine interior, containing the city's most magnificent iconostasis (wall of icons), as well as a pair of beautifully carved side altars, is of great beauty. A huge crowd gathers here for the Easter service. The beautiful bell tower at the entrance was built in 1698 and restored in 1958.

Brasov, Romania_{Photo: Andrei Dan Suciu CC 3.0 Unported no changes made}

Brasov is one of the largest and most attractive cities in Romania. It is located in the central part of the country. Brasov is located 160 km from Bucharest, the Romanian capital. Brasov is surrounded by the Carpathians, at the crossroads of the Eastern and Southern Carpathians. The city is known for being the birthplace of Romania's national anthem. In the old town you can see one of the narrowest streets in Europe. The Strada Sforii is about four meters wide. If you take a walk on the old town hall square (Piata Sfatului), you can enjoy colorfully painted and beautifully finished baroque buildings. Enter the Black Church (Biserica Neagra), the largest Gothic church in Romania. The interior of the church is impressive and you can see one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe. The main square is in the heart of old medieval Brasov. The square is surrounded by beautiful merchant houses with red roofs. In the center of the square you can see the old town hall from 1420, now transformed into the museum of the history of Brasov.

Carpathians, Romania_{Photo: Robert Anders CC 2.0 Generic no changes made}

Romania is a very varied country. The Carpathian Mountains cover about a third of the country. Enclosed on three sides by the Carpathians, the Transylvania plateau is home to many picturesque medieval towns.

The mountains and hills of Romania are suitable for winter sports holidays and hikes with overnight stays in mountain huts, the so-called “cabanas”. Well-known winter sports resorts include Predeal, Baie Borsa, Sinaia and especially Poiana Brasov. In many places you will find dripstone caves and other interesting karst phenomena.

Romania Dobrogea_{Photo: Sorint CC 3.0 Romania no changes made}

The Dobrogea, the strip between the Danube and the Black Sea, is characterized by a rolling landscape with many vineyards. Romania is also known for the seaside resorts on the Black Sea with many hotel facilities, such as Mamaia, Eforie and Constinestie. The Black Sea coast has wide sandy beaches and a calm sea. Special are the ruins of Histria, the most important ancient Greek city in Romania.

Worth seeing buildings and castles can be found in Bucharest, Alba Iulia, Bran, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Curtea de Arges, Iasi, Orodea, Ploiesti, Sibiu, Sighisoara (with walled high center), Suceava, Timisoara, Tîrgoviste and Ulpia Trajanus.

Central Romania, or Transylvania, in particular is of great cultural and historical importance. Special in this region are the fortified churches, churches around which three walls are sometimes built for defense.

Sculpture of Brancusi in Târgu Jiu, Romania_{Photo: Mike Master CC 3.0 Romania no changes made}

Adamklissi has a famous Roman war memorial. Tirgu Jiu shows a lot of work by the sculptor Constatin Brancusi. Suceava is the starting point for a tour of the famous churches of Bukovina, as can be found in the places Sucevita, Moldivita, Voronet, Humor, Arbore, Putna and Agapia. These monastery churches are built in a mixed Byzantine-Gothic style, fortified and decorated with well-preserved 16th century murals, painted not only on the inside but also on the outside.

Romania has about 160 spa towns, mainly on the coast, south of Constanta. Spa towns can also be found inland, including in Slanic Moldova and Baile Herculane.

Danube Delta, Romania_{Photo: Ioan Cepaliga CC 3.0 Unportedno changes made}

Worth seeing are the Romanesque wooden churches in Radauti and Babadag, as well as the old port city of Braila, the Prejmer castle near Brasov, the center of Sibiu and Sighisoara and the wooden houses in the Maramures. In addition to the Carpathians, beautiful landscapes are mainly found in the Prahova Valley and in the Danube Delta, which is a protected area.

In terms of folk culture, Romania is one of the richest countries in Europe. In many places people still regularly walk the streets in traditional costume and Romania also has a reputation to uphold when it comes to folk dances and folk music.

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Sources

Bos, J.W. / Roemenië : mensen, politiek, economie, cultuur, milieu
Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen

Democratisering aan de Donau : Roemenië na de revolutie van 1989
Instituut voor Publiek en Politiek

Roemenië
Steunpunt Oost-Europa Projecten

Versteegen, J. / Roemenië
Gottmer

Williams, N. / Romania & Moldova
Lonely Planet

CIA - World Factbook

BBC - Country Profiles

Last updated September 2024
Copyright: Team The World of Info