Alright, maybe you are an expert on Romania, or maybe you know close to nothing about the country; either way, you can learn something here today! We are sharing the top things that Romania is known for throughout the world. Keep reading to discover the list!
1. Dracula and His Transylvanian Castle
Who hasn’t heard of Dracula?? If you are visiting this page because you think you know nothing about Romania, well, it turns out you do know something about Romania! That’s right, the novel Dracula takes place in Transylvania, which is a vast historical region in central to northern Romania.
However, as you probably guessed, Dracula is just a made-up story, he is not a real Romanian vampire. Transylvania, however, is a real place that has a real castle that pretty much fits the description written in the Dracula novel (that castle is called Bran Castle, and it is located in Brasov).
Some people believe that the novel Dracula is based off a real Romanian, Vlad the Impaler. As it turns out, Vlad had been to Bran Castle in his lifetime, but that was not his castle. Vlad’s castle was in Wallachia, and it was called Poenari Castle. You can visit both castles when you visit Romania, both are beautiful in their own ways and have a lot of history to them!
2. The Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains are vast and beautiful and have plenty of hiking trails that you can explore. This mountain range is the second largest in all of Europe and is home to plenty of wildlife. You can find brown bears, wolves, chamois and lynxes. In these mountains, you can also find a third of all European plant species. Not only that, but these mountains contain some of Europe’s last remaining virgin forests. These mountains are a must-see.
3. Brown Bears
There is a total of roughly 200,000 brown bears throughout the world and 6,000 of them live in Romania. The vast majority of those brown bears live in the Carpathian Mountains, but these bears can be found in other parts of the country too. Should you decide to hike in the Carpathian Mountains, just read up on what to do if you see a brown bear, and general bear safety.
It is not uncommon to run into a bear in the mountains, and occasionally bears are spotted in the lowlands and near cities. Still, brown bears are beautiful and majestic creatures – once you are at a safe distance, do not hesitate to snap a photo!
4. The Danube Delta
The waters of the Danube Delta flow into the Black Sea in Eastern Romania. The area is very complex geologically and ecologically, which has caught a lot of attention, even qualifying it to be selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the second largest river delta in all of Europe and is the best preserved one too. It has a total of 23 natural ecosystems and from March through September it is visited by over 300 bird species!
5. World-Class Athletes
That is right, Romania might not be a huge country, but it has made its name its name around the world for producing top tier athletes. Three athletes in particular come to mind: first, retired gymnast Nadia Comaneci. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. She began competing when she was only 14! Second is former tennis player Ilie Nastase.
He was ranked number one in the world from August 23, 1973 to June 2, 1974. Even when he was not ranked number one, he has still one of the best for a long time! Finally, we have former professional soccer player, Gheorghe Hagi. He made his way up to teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona because he was one of Europe’s best attacking midfielders during the ‘80s and ‘90s. Today he is a manager of the football club Viitorul Constanta.
6. The Capital City of Bucharest
Bucharest is a beautiful and charming European city. It is the biggest city in Romania, so you will not run out of things to do or places to visit. Bucharest has tons of museums and history, as well as public gardens and parks, and plenty of delicious restaurants. Because of its charm and architecture (and perhaps its copy of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe), the city has been dubbed “Little Paris.”
7. The Food!
We had to put an exclamation mark after this one, because Romanian food is truly amazing. When you visit Romania, you might not be able to find all the chain restaurants that you are used to, but you will find the best mom-and-pop restaurants! Romanian cuisine is quite unique because it is formed from a blend of Western and Eastern European influences.
There is also a large Balkan cuisine influence and even influence from the times of the Roman Empire. Romania is also a top wine producer, so you are sure to find plenty of delicious (and cheap!) wine.
8. The Ancient History of the Region
Did you know that the oldest “modern” humans were discovered in Romania, having lived in the country roughly 42,000 years ago?? Yup, Romania goes way back, from the Getae tribes, to the Dacians and then the Romans, who helped shaped “modern-day” Romania. If you have a chance to visit the country, just ask some of the locals about their family’s history in Romania – there is so much to learn!
Romania is still growing in world-wide prominence, but there are so many things that make this country unique and wonderful. Next time you go to Romania, travel with a curious mind and get to know the locals, they will be sure to appreciate your interest in their country and their history. What is also great about Romania is that it is significantly cheaper than a lot of Western countries, so it is easy to get around and vacation there!