Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Natural Beauty
The Carpathian Mountains draw a wide arc through the centre of the country, leaving a
swath of exposed rocky peaks surrounded by groves of pine and deciduous trees, and
stretches of bright green meadow below. Hiking trails skirt the peaks, and a network of
mountain huts provides somewhere to rest your head at night. Europe's second-longest
river, the Danube, marks Romania's southern border before turning suddenly northward
and emptying into the Black Sea. The Danube Delta is a vast and unique protected wet-
land, perfect for hiking, fishing, boating and birdwatching.
Castles & Medieval Villages
The land that gave us
Dracula
has no shortage of jaw-dropping castles pitched precari-
ously on rocky hilltops. There's spooky Bran Castle of course, with its spurious connec-
tion to Bram Stoker's fictional count, but don't overlook beauties such as Hunedoara's
14th-century Corvin Castle or King Carol I's sumptuous 19th-century pile, Peleş Castle.
North of Curtea de Argeş, you'll find the ruins of a fortress that really was the stomping
ground of old Vlad Ţepeş. In Maramureş you'll discover towns and villages that seem-
ingly stepped out of the Middle Ages, complete with hay racks, horse carts and stately
wooden churches.
Folk Culture
Romanian history is filled with tales of heroic princes battling fierce Ottoman warriors.
That's all true, but it partly obscures the reality that much of Romania, for centuries, was a
productive peasant culture. The hilly geography and lack of passable roads necessitated
the emergence of literally hundreds of self-sufficient villages, where old-school crafts
such as bread making, pottery, tanning and weaving were honed to an art. These days
much of the country has moved on to more modern methods, but a fondness for that 'sim-
pler' way of life persists. Folk museums, particularly open-air
skansens
, are a must. In
smaller villages, many old folkways are still practised.
Friendly Faces
A country is only as good as its people, and you'll find Romanians in every region to be
open, friendly, proud of their history and eager to share it with visitors. While tourism is
growing, Romania is still considered something of an off-the-beaten-track destination for
foreigners, and you'll get kudos from the locals just for showing up. While Romanians
