All About Romania Country

Brief information

Most of the tourists who come to Romania remain under the great impression of this country. Many residents of Western Europe and the United States for some reason do not have a very good opinion about Romania, but it changes in the opposite direction after they personally visit it. Indeed, one cannot remain indifferent to the beautiful Carpathian Mountains, to the unique old churches and castles, to the Romanian beach, thermal and ski resorts.

Geography of Romania

Romania is located at the crossroads of many European roads. In the west, Romania borders on Serbia and Hungary, in the northeast and east – on Ukraine and Moldova, and in the south – on Bulgaria. In the east, Romania is washed by the waters of the warm Black Sea. The total area of this country is 238,400 square kilometers, and the total length of the state border is 3,195 km.

The territory of Romania is geographically divided into three types of landscape: mountainous in the central part of the country (Carpathians), as well as hilly and flat (Pannonian and Wallachian plains). The highest peak in the country is Mount Moldovyanu in the Southern Carpathians (25444 meters).

Several large rivers flow through the territory of Romania: the Danube, Prut, Siret, and Olt.

Capital

According to itypejob.com, the capital of Romania is Bucharest, which is home to more than 1.7 million people. According to legend, a settlement on the site of modern Bucharest was built in 1368 by a shepherd named Bucur.

Official language

The official language in Romania is Romanian, which belongs to the Eastern Romance group of the Indo-European language family. In Transylvania, some cities and communes have Hungarian as their second official language.

Religion in Romania

About 87% of the Romanian population consider themselves Orthodox Christians belonging to the Greek Catholic Church. In addition, 5.2% of Romanians are Protestant, and about 5% are Catholic.

State structure

According to computerminus.com, Romania is a parliamentary republic. The President of the country is elected every 5 years.

The country’s parliament is a bicameral National Assembly, consisting of the Senate (140 people) and the Chamber of Deputies (346 people).

Climate and weather in Romania

In Romania, the climate is intermediate between temperate and continental. In different regions of Romania, the climate is quite different from each other. The average air temperature is +11.5C. The warmest months are July and August, when the air temperature rises to +30%, and the coldest is January (average temperature is -6C). Winter in Romania is cold, most of the snow falls in the mountains.

Sea in Romania

In the east, Romania, as we have already said, is washed by the waters of the Black Sea. The length of the Black Sea coast of Romania is 245 kilometers. The beach season lasts from May to September.

In July, the water temperature on the Black Sea coast in Romania is + 16-20C, in July and August – + 20-28C, and in September – about + 20C.

Rivers and lakes

From west to east along the border of Romania with Bulgaria flows the Danube, the largest river in this country. Other major Romanian rivers are the Prut, Siret, Argesh, Olt, Timis, and Mures.

There are more than 3.5 thousand lakes in Romania. The largest Romanian lakes are located on the Black Sea coast (estuaries) – Razim and Sinoe. In the Carpathian Mountains and in the Transylvanian Alps there are several very beautiful glacial lakes – Zanoaga, Bucura, Capra, Caltun, and Podragu.

History of Romania

In 3000 B.C. Romania is inhabited by Thracian tribes of Indo-European origin.

In the 1st century BC. on the territory of Romania, the state of the Dacians was created (as the Romans called the Thracians). By about 100 AD. the Dacian state reaches its peak. However, in 106 AD. The Romans still managed to defeat the Dacians, and Romania (Dacia) became one of the provinces of Ancient Rome.

In the XII century, the Romanian lands were divided into three parts: the principalities of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia.

In the XVI-XVII centuries, Wallachia, Moldova and Transylvania retained their autonomy, but at the same time paid tribute to the Ottoman Empire. In the XVIII century, Transylvania and another part of the Romanian lands became part of the Austrian Empire.

The national state of Romania was formed in 1862 as a result of the unification of Wallachia and Moldova. Almost twenty years later, Romania becomes a Kingdom.

During the First World War, Romania is fighting on the side of Germany, thus I plan to regain Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina. In 1918, this, in fact, happened. However, in 1940 the above-named territories were given to the Soviet Union.

In 1941, the dictatorship of Marshal Ion Antonescu was established in Romania, and the country entered the Second World War on the side of Germany in order to regain Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bukovina.

After World War II, the Romanian King Mihai I abdicated. Soon they proclaimed the Romanian People’s Republic (this happened in 1947).

At the end of 1989, as a result of the revolution, the Communist Party of Romania is deprived of its power, and its leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, is shot.

In 1991, the new Constitution of Romania was approved. In 2004, Romania was accepted into the NATO military bloc, and in 2007 – into the EU.

Culture of Romania

Romanian culture is very rich in traditions and folklore. Romanians are very hospitable and always ready to tell ancient legends to inquisitive travelers. The main one, of course, is the legend of the terrible Count Dracula, who, as it turns out, had a real historical prototype, Count Vlad III Dracula.

Tourists in Romania can become participants in folk festivals, festivals, originating in the early Middle Ages. Folk holidays are connected, first of all, with religious holidays: Easter and Christmas.

However, Easter and Christmas are also celebrated in other countries. However, Ignatov Day is typical only for Romania.

On Ignat’s Day, December 20, a sacrificial animal, a pig, is brought to the gods. It is believed that this will help protect a person, for example, from diseases. Romanians should not work on Ignatov’s day. However, those Romanians who still need to work on December 20 must first take part in the sacrifice. In extreme cases, you can simply prick the chicken, even a few drops of blood will protect against disease.

Ethnographers claim that the sacrifice of a pig on Ignat’s day originates in the mists of time, when people’s lives were offered as a sacrifice to the gods.

In the period from December 20 to January 8, Romanian women do not spin, knit or sew, because. you can reduce the days of your life.

During Ignat’s Day, a pumpkin has a special power. For some reason, Romanians believe that pumpkin cures a person of various skin problems.

Kitchen

Most often, pork is used in Romanian cuisine, although, of course, Romanians love chicken, beef, lamb and fish. But what makes Romanian cuisine so unique? The fact is that the Turks, Hungarians, Poles, Austrians, Bulgarians, and Russians had a great influence on it.

In the Romanian countryside, people still use earthenware for cooking, and this makes it taste unique.

For tourists in Romania who want to experience traditional Romanian cuisine, we do not recommend relying on the taste of dishes prepared in restaurants. Real Romanian dishes are prepared only at home. If you come to visit the Romanians – ask them to cook some traditional Romanian dishes, and they will not refuse you.

Tourists in Romania are definitely advised to try mititei (beef or pork sausages fried on a grill or in a pan), frigărui (pork or chicken fried on a spit, like a barbecue), and şniţel (pork fillet stuffed with cheese and ham). Another traditional Romanian dish is hominy, corn porridge.

Traditional alcoholic drinks in Romania – fruit vodka – cuica and palanica, fruit brandy.

Sights of Romania

In addition to the ski and beach resorts in Romania, there are a lot of different attractions. The top ten attractions in Romania, in our opinion, include the following:

Bran Castle – aka Dracula’s Castle
Peles Castle
Transfagarash road
Monastery Voronets
Merry Cemetery in Sapanta
Monastery Sucevitsa
Cantacuzino Palace in Bucharest
Royal Castle in Savarsin
Monastery in the Arbor
Hunyad Castle

Cities and resorts of Romania

The largest cities in Romania are Bucharest, Timisoara, Constanta, Iasi, and Galati.

There are several good ski resorts in the Romanian mountains – Sinaia, Poiana Brasov, Busteni, Azuga, Predeal, Vatra Dornei, and Borsha.

A large number of foreign tourists come every summer to Romania in order to relax in local beach resorts. The most popular of them are Navodari, Mamaia, Constanta, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Costinesti, Olympus, Neptune, Aurora, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mangalia.

Romania has a lot of mineral springs, and therefore this country has several excellent balneological resorts. At the moment, there are more than 70 balneological and thermal resorts in Romania. The most popular of them are Magnalia, Slanic-Moldova, Vatra Dornei, and Sovata.

Souvenirs/Shopping

From Romania, we advise tourists to bring wooden folk art, carpets, ceramics, painted Easter eggs, handmade embroidery, traditional Romanian clothes.

Office Hours

Working hours of Romanian banks:
Mon-Thu: 08:00-16.00
Fri: 08:00-13.00

Opening hours of Romanian shops:
Mon-Fri: 07:00-20.00
Sat: 08:00-13.00

Visa

Ukrainians need a visa to enter Romania.

Currency

The Romanian leu is the official currency of Romania. One leu (international designation: RON) is equal to 100 bani.

In Romania, banknotes of the following denominations are in circulation: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, as well as 500 lei. In addition, there are coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, as well as 50 bani.

Customs restrictions

The amount of 10 thousand euros and more Ukrainians at the entrance to Romania must make a declaration.

The rules for the import and export of goods and products in Romania are almost the same as in other EU countries.

Useful phone numbers and addresses

Address of the Romanian Embassy in Ukraine:
01030, Kiev, st. M. Kotsiubinsky, 8
T: (044) 234-52-61
F: (044) 235-20-25
Email. email: [email protected]

Address of the Embassy of Ukraine in Romania:
011 862, Bucharest, Aviatorilor blvd., 24, building 1
T: (0040-21 )
230-36-60
mail: [email protected]

Emergency numbers
All emergencies 112
Ambulance – 961
Fire department 981
Police 955