7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Romania
Mountain peaks, wine, salt mines, medieval fortresses, Constantin Brâncuși, the Black Sea, brown bears, “Dacia” cars, Nadia Comăneci, bloody vampires, monasteries, the Danube Delta, kaleidoscopic autumns, Simona Halep and a communist past.
Romania is not on many people’s radar when looking for a holiday destination. But I’m afraid those people are missing a lot by not visiting Romania.
It doesn’t matter what your taste is or in which season you plan to travel. I don’t know what you want during your holiday. But I know that Romania has what you want.
Here I will introduce you to some of the country’s highlights. But if you want to see everything Romania has to offer, you should start looking for your flights ASAP.
The Carpathian Mountains
Crossing seven countries over Eastern Europe, the Carpathian Mountains exceed the Alps in length. Around half the area of the whole Carpathian Mountains is located within Romania.
Although the peaks rarely surpass 2.500 m in height, the hiking trails here won’t disappoint you. But apart from hiking, this mountain range is a natural wonder in every sense of the word.
You can ski in winter, enjoy its waterfalls in spring, camp during summer and admire the mind-blowing autumn forest.
Brown bears, wolves and lynxes, among others, inhabit these mountains. So don’t forget your camera if you come around here. And if you find them, don’t get too close to them and use your zoom instead. I bet you don’t want to be taking a selfie with a brown bear.
Danube Delta
If you were reading the previous paragraphs thinking that Romania is not for you because you are not a mountain person, don’t worry. There are many places for you here.
The Danube Delta is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And it’s also the best-preserved delta in Europe.
The Danube Delta is another perfect destination for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. You can find otters, jackals, pelicans, cormorants and dozens of different species of animals.
But the best thing about the Danube Delta is that it’s completely wild. You have no choice but to explore it by boat, as there are no roads but just canals. This makes a great destination for those looking for an off the beaten path experience.
Endless wild beaches, wild animals, wild camping, etc. Everything is wild here. But believe me, once you get in here, you won’t want to leave.
Transfăgărășan Highway
Back in the heart of Romania, the winding mountain roads are another highlight. There are different ones where you can enjoy the astonishing scenery. Among them, the Transfăgărășan Highway is the most popular one.
It was built in the early ’70s, during the communist period, to connect the southern part of the country with Transylvania (central Romania). It’s just 150 km long, but completing it will likely take you the whole day.
After being defined by Top Gear’s presenters as the best driving road in the world, it became very popular. Maybe over-popular, as it is packed with cars on weekends and during the summer season. Still, driving along its endless bends is a must if you visit Romania.
Keep in mind that the road is just open for a few months every year (due to harsh weather conditions). So check out the road conditions beforehand.
Rural Romania and local traditions
Most big cities in Romania are similar to what you can find in any city in Western Europe. Restaurants, museums, street art and so on. But in my opinion, the most interesting side of Romania is its rural life.
Visiting the Romanian countryside and its villages is like getting into a living ethnographic museum. Traditional dresses, horse carts, dirt roads, locally produced food, craftsmanship, etc. It’s as if time had stopped a few decades ago.
Rural Romania will surely not disappoint you. Most locals here don’t know any English. But if they see a foreigner visiting their hometown they will always try to help. And they are always down for a conversation if you can manage to hold it in Romanian.
Romanian food and beverages
Whether you get into those villages, or you just stick to cities, make sure to try some Romanian food. Some people say that Romanian cuisine is very heavy and unhealthy. It might not be the healthiest one (neither are many others), but it’s worth giving it a try.
Popular dishes vary depending on the region. But meals consisting of meat and vegetables are the general rule. Among them, Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls), Mici (Grilled Minced Meat Rolls), Mămăligă (Polenta) or Ciorbă de burtă (Beef Tripe Soup) are some of the most popular ones. But when it comes to desserts, Papanași is the superstar (you will thank me later).
Local homebrew drinks are also varied, and strong. These are usually the result of fermenting different types of fruits. Be sure to put some food into your belly before attempting. Otherwise, you’re at risk of getting knocked out by Romanian Țuică or Palinca.
Vampires and castles
Even if you’re not very familiar with Romania, vampires might pop into your mind when thinking about this country. If you are a fan of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, you will have an amazing time in Transylvania.
Bran Castle is, apparently, the one that inspired Stoker. That’s why no matter when you visit it, you will find it packed with tourists.
There are, however, many other places related to the fictional and the real Dracula (Vlad the Impaler). Sighișoara, Poenari Fortress Ruins and Brașov are some of them.
Still in Transylvania, but setting vampires aside, Peleș Castle, in Sinaia, is a masterpiece of German New-Renaissance architecture that you must visit.
Open-air museums
Something that you can find in many cities across Romania is open-air museums. You can find them in Bucharest, Bucovina, Maramureș, Cluj-Napoca, etc. The biggest one, known as ASTRA Museum, is located in Sibiu.
In these village museums, you can see how life was in Romania during the last few centuries. They are full of artefacts, windmills, lakes, wells and houses with beautiful steep roofs. You can freely walk around and even get into the houses and other buildings.
Apart from being great ethnographic museums, they also make great places to walk and relax. No matter if you travel with your friends, family or solo.
Romania is waiting for you
As you can see, Romania is full of attractions to satisfy every palate. This is only an appetizer to make you appreciate the country. So if you want to discover a stunning off-the-beaten-path destination, now you know where you have to go.
Originally published at https://trulyboldmind.com on May 19, 2022.
