Romania

Visited: September 2007, August 2022

Duration of visit: 10 days

Capital city: Bucharest

Population: 19.3 million (2022)

Romania travel blog reading time: 15 minutes

• Walking inside the splendid Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, the world’s second largest administrative building.
• Relaxing on the sand, swimming, and paddle boarding at Mamaia Beach.
• Walking the narrowest pedestrian street in Eastern Europe – Strada Sforii in Brasov.
• Tasting salty walls in the biggest European salt mine Salina Slănic Prahova (Mina Unirea).
• Peleș Castle – the most beautiful Romanian castle.
• Bran Castle – a major Romanian tourist trap that draws Dracula fans from all over the world.
• Visiting the Sucevita Monastery, the last of the 22 painted churches in Bucovina.

“Authentic, Natural and Cultural, are the words that best capture the essence of Romania, a dynamic country, rich in history, arts and scenic beauty,” is the official description by the Ministry of Tourism, inviting foreign visitors to experience and discover Romania.

Romania is renowned by its strong former communist leader, the capital city of Bucharest – Paris of the East, the Transylvania region with castles and Dracula’s enigma, the painted monasteries of Bucovina and the Black Sea coastal resorts in Constanta area.

I visited Romania on various occasions for business and pleasure, experiencing the country through solo journeys utilizing public transportation as well as family trips in our personal vehicle. However, the extensive exploration took place in 2022, during which I traveled through Eastern Europe in my own vehicle, with Romania being one of the primary destinations.

Romania has been developing very fast since becoming a member state of European Union in January 2007, but big differences between the cities and countryside are still very obvious. Horse drawn carriages on the main roads, lack of basic infrastructure, such as water and sewage systems, are very normal in most of rural areas.

I noticed many water wells along the roads, assuming they dated back to Romania’s communist era. But while staying in a traditional house in Bucovina, I learned that locals still rely on them as their main or backup water source. Even new constructions in the area have a back-up well installed, just in case.

Crossing the border from Bulgaria at Vama Veche was easy. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, hungry and struggling to find parking, we came across upon a great buffet restaurant.

The food was freshly prepared, displayed in separate containers, and looked delicious. Each portion was weighed, and a barcode sticker with the weight and price was attached to the plate. The cashier scanned the slips, and I paid by card.

In general, the food in Romania was good. Since I don’t eat meat, fish was frequently on my menu. Fruits and vegetables are cheap, many locally produced, with rich flavor.

In Western Europe, they would be promoted as organically produced and charged much more than regularly offered products.

My favorite Romanian dessert is Papanasi. When I ordered it for the first time in a restaurant, I was surprised when the waiter warned me:

“It will take up to 20 minutes to prepare it. Are you OK with that?”

Papanași is a traditional Romanian and Moldavian donut-shaped pastry with a small sphere on top. It can be fried or boiled, and it’s filled with a soft filling. The fried papanași are usually donut-shaped and can be served with fruit jams, a dollop of sour cream and powdered sugar on top.

Bucharest, so called Paris of the East or Little Paris, is the capital of Romania since 1862, as well as the biggest city, center of Romanian culture, economy and public administration. Heavily marked by decades of socialist planning and the strong hand reign of Nicholas Ceausescu’s regime, it has been recently growing in population and transforming to gain popularity among other Eastern Europe capitals.

Bucharest used to have more extreme weather than most of Central Europe; colder winters and hotter summers.

Lately, winters have become milder, and in the summer of 2022, while Western Europe faced heat waves, Bucharest stayed pleasantly warm, perfect for traveling and enjoying things to do.

Bucharest is one of Europe’s most congested capitals, so I avoided driving and used the metro instead. It’s clean, spacious, affordable, and the easiest way to get around. Trams, buses, and trolleybuses complete Bucharest’s public transport, but I mostly walked to reach the main landmarks and remarkable places to visit.

Bucharest’s Old Town is at the location of the city’s origin. A mix of old, restored buildings, restaurants, bars, museums and passages has been renovated after years of negligence. 18^th century Stavropoleos church, Stock Exchange Palace and the specially stunning Cărturești Carusel bookstore are remarkable.

It is not common that a bookstore is one of the highlights of a big city, but Cărturești Carusel is really a special place, that impressed even my kids, so I will describe it in more details.

The bookstore is spread over six levels, offering a space for reading, socializing and artistic exploration. There are many young people or groups who jointly read, conversate or study. The elegant 19^th century building, owned by famous banker family Chrissoveloni since 1903, was confiscated and turned into the store named Familia during the communist period.

After 1990, the building was recovered and rehabilitated through an innovative layout, but still preserving its historical substance. Books, posters, cards, specialized sections, a gallery and cafeteria offer a great environment for cultural inspiration.

The other cultural end of the spectrum is the night life. Emerging from the shadows of its Communist past, a huge variety of bars, pubs and clubs began popping everywhere in the city. You can find just about everything in Bucharest these days: beer gardens, pubs, rooftop bars and jam-packed noisy clubs.

The most popular and crowded areas in town are undoubtedly on the main streets of Bucharest downtown: Centrul Vechi (the Old Town) and the pedestrian streets around Lipscani. The atmosphere here is quite unique, with bars and clubs crammed into each other, blasting out loud music.

At night many bars are turned into night clubs with semi naked strippers who perform on improvised dancing tables for mostly international male public. I don’t remember seeing such a liberal atmosphere in other Eastern European cities known for being party destinations, with strippers dancing in the windows of bars.

The number 1 landmark of Bucharest is the gigantic Palace of the Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world and officially the heaviest building in the world.

Many people believe that the president Ceausescu used it to reign the country for decades, but he actually only planned it and started the construction.

He ordered the demolition of an entire neighborhood to make room for this megastructure, where all governmental services would jointly operate.

Simple facts speak for themselves: height of 84 meters, 12 floors above ground; the basement extends 92 meters below ground level. 240 meters long and 270 meters wide with a floor area of 365,000m² and the weight of 4.10 million tones. It took 13 years to build The Palace of the Parliament; from 1984 to 1997.

Over 700 architects worked on the design of 23 sections and 1,110 rooms. Many of them are still unfinished, others also unused. The materials for the building are almost exclusively from Romania. The Palace of the Parliament is valued at 4 billion US$; only the cost of electricity and heating exceeds 6 million US$ per year.

During the tour, we saw many well-kept rooms and halls, admired the balcony view of Piața Constituției and Bulevardul Unirii – a poor copy of the Champs-Élysées. These days, the famous landmark hosts government and private events. It is open for rent to anyone, who can afford it.

I wondered, how many beneficial works could be done with all the money, time, materials, workforce and knowledge that was invested in the Palace of Parliament.

Having explored the world’s heaviest building, it was hard to find anything equally impressive. Still, I visited the Spring Palace (Palatul Primăverii), Ceausescu’s private home for 25 years, hidden in a wealthy neighborhood and heavily guarded to ease his constant fear and paranoia.

After dictator’s death, the neoclassical villa was used as a VIP residence for official delegations until it was opened to the public in 2016. It is incredible how well preserved it is and how it survived all massive destruction of everything connected with the dictator immediately after his resignation.

Palatul Primăverii is a demonstration of the division of Romanian society during the hard times of communist regime, when obviously some privileged people were more equal than others.

The highlight of the tour is a visit to the bathroom, with water taps made of gold.

Impressive collection of paintings, a wide variety of handmade tapestries, mosaics, luxurious swimming pool and precisely manufactured wooden pieces, show the luxury that Ceausescu family enjoyed in the impoverished country.

My walking tour around Bucharest was completed with the visit of Romanian Athenaeum and Arcul de Triumf, before heading to King MihaiI Park.

The Romanian Athenaeum, a beautiful neoclassical concert hall opened in 1888, sits among lovely gardens and hosts the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. I didn’t attend a concert but admired its grand stalls, 52 loges, and the impressive 75-by-3-meter fresco that encircles the hall.

Romania is also home to an Arc de Triomphe. The first, wooden, triumphal arch was built in a hurry, after Romania gained its independence in 1878, so that the victorious troops could march under it. The Arcul de Triumf, with concrete skeleton and plaster exterior of elaborate sculptures and decoration, replaced the original one on the same site after the World War I in 1922.

In 1935 the current much more sober 27 meters tall arch of Neoclassical design was raised, more closely reminding on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Each 1^st December military parades are held beneath the arch, when Romania’s national holiday is celebrated.

Right next to it is King Mihai I Park, also known as Herastrau park, the largest park in Bucharest and, moreover, the largest in a European city. Many outdoor activities can be practiced here. The park offers wide promenade areas with rich vegetation, water activities, summer theatre, exhibition pavilions, cafes, clubs and restaurants.

In a pleasant shadow area with deckchairs, tables and cushions, I rested after a long walk, savored an ice cream and gathered energy before returning to the apartment.

I like Bucharest. It offers a special mix of socialist architecture, delicious food and relaxed vibe. Efficient transportation system, few international visitors, big contrasts between modern and traditional.

The most important landmarks are outstanding, while parks are beautifully maintained and an oasis to fill up with the energy, when it becomes to hot in the summer.

Salina Slănic Prahova is a large salt mine, two hours north of Bucharest and a great stop on the way to Brasov. I’ve got a feeling that not many foreign visitors know about this fascinating man-made natural wonder.

We were sited in vans to be transported through an excavated tunnel to the interior of the mine, since, due to an accident in 2014, the elevator was closed. Rust is the main reason why the elevator shaft without metallic parts is unique.

Indoor temperature is the same the whole year around (12°C).

The salt mine was operating between 1943 and 1970. The exploitation was done downward from the ceiling to the basis in successive slices of 2.2 meters with a horizontal cutting at the basis and vertically along the walls. With a height of 54 meters and a wall inclination angle of 60 degrees, all 14 chambers have a trapezoidal profile.

Since 1970, the mine has become a tourist attraction, offering exceptional natural conditions as a result of its microclimate, rich in aerosols, which help treat respiratory diseases.

Strange range of activities are available during the visit of the mine: table tennis, billiard, golf, movie theater; all at very accessible prices. I played a round of mini golf with my kids and really enjoyed the atmosphere, while wandering around the enormous chambers.

The walls are absolutely stunning and it is hard to believe that the nature did all decoration, colors, lines and forms on partitions.

The drive from Slanic to Brasov through small towns and villages was quite an adventure — Google’s shortcuts didn’t take in consideration poor road conditions.

In the late afternoon I reached the city of Brasov, one of the most beautiful and visited places in Romania. Brasov is a stunning city framed by the Southern Carpathians and rich in Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture. It was once a key trade link between the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe.

The most outstanding city attractions on the Old Townhall Square (Piața Sfatului) is the Black Church, darkened by the flames and smoke of the ‘Great Fire’ of 1689, the largest gothic structure in Romania. In the old town, there are some colorfully painted and richly ornately baroque structures, the stone gates of Poarta Ecaterinei and 3 archway Șchei Gate for pedestrians and traffic.

The highlight, and the funniest place to visit in Brașov, is Strada Sforii. It is a narrow pedestrian corridor built in the 15^th century to help firemen move between the long blocks of the main streets.

At just 111 centimeters at its narrowest point, it’s officially the narrowest street in Eastern Europe and the third narrowest on the continent.

It is still used for pedestrians as a shortcut, but mainly being a famous tourist attraction.

One of the most popular regions for visitors today is Transylvania, mostly known for its myths about vampires and the blood-thirsty count Dracula.

Bran Castle commonly known as Dracula’s Castle is marketed as the home of the title character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. However, there is no resemblance in Stoker’s description of Dracula’s crumbling fictional castle and Bran Castle. This character is often confused with Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), sometimes known as Vlad Dracul, who was a Wallachian Prince with a castle, now in ruins, located in the Principality of Wallachia.

Thousands of foreign tourists (especially Americans) make this castle one of the biggest tourist traps in the country or region. Thousands of foreign tourists (especially Americans) make this castle one of the biggest tourist traps in the country or region. There aren’t many things to do besides the themed tours, events, and countless stalls selling all sorts of Dracula-inspired souvenirs.

Honestly, I am not a big fan of castles, but I would really avoid visiting Bram castle, if you are not a big fan of either Dracula story or castles in general.

Probably the most beautiful castle in Romania is a Neo-Renaissance Peleș Castle, constructed for King Carol I, between 1873 and 1914. South of Brasov on the main road to Bucharest, in the southeastern Carpathian Mountains, he fell in love with the magnificent mountain scenery and decided to build his summer residence in the area.

More than 300 men worked between 1875 and 1914 to build the palatial alpine castle combining different features of classic European styles, mostly following Italian elegance and German aesthetics along Renaissance lines. International specialists from various European countries left a magnificent legacy – furniture, decoration, canvases, paintings, weapons, all sort of curiosities combined with a good taste. It was the first castle in Europe to include central heating and electricity.

Even though I arrived there early, many tourists were already queuing to get tickets. I believe the Peleș Castle has been inspired by similar styles as Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. After surviving wars and Communist regime (which mostly ignored it), it is now visited by half a million tourists per year, as well as many famous political leaders, artists, performers and celebrities.

The historic region of Bucolic Bucovina on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, is dotted with slant-roofed village houses, famous for painted monasteries.

Fearless children riding bareback on horses and enterprising locals selling wild mushrooms along curvy road that lead through forest, can be picturesque and funny to watch, but the main reason to navigate this region are monasteries painted exterior walls, which are decorated with elaborate 15^th and 16^th century frescoes. Featuring portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of angels and demons, heaven and hell are truly special architectural sites in Europe, protected by UNESCO.

Sucevita Monastery, founded in 1581 was the last of the 22 painted churches of Bucovina and has the largest number of painted images.

Almost completely covered by mural paintings from inside and outside, it boasts a magnificent depiction of the Ladder to Paradise.

The paintings date from around 1601, which makes Sucevița one of the last monasteries to be decorated in the famous Moldavian style of exterior paintings. Only the western exterior wall of the church is not covered with frescoes. According to the legend the work stopped after one of the painters fell from the scaffolding and died.

There is a small but excellent museum that presents an outstanding collection of historical and art objects; some of them are over 600 years old and still in perfect condition.

Driving through the winding roads of the dense forest soon brought me to the longest zipline in Romania at Tiroliana Pasul Palma, which is actually installed between the upper part of the mountains, stretched above the valley and ending 1 kilometer further on the other hill. The zipline was rather hidden a few hundred meters from the main road, but thanks to a local host, I knew exactly where it was.

The only questions were if the kids want to join me and which style I am going to choose: the usual position, where you sit hanging from the zip line or a Superman position flying with open arms and head forward. The second one was slightly more expensive, but worthwhile.

Gliding in a Superman style tens of meters over the forest was an adrenaline-full experience. Short, but sweet and exciting.

My perception of Romania in 2022 is very positive.

A big country for European standards with poor road system, which enables travel speed at maximum of 50 kmph in most directions, therefore requires more time to explore.

Friendly people who speak a language that reminds on Italian; sometimes easy to understand, but usually a mystery.

Wide variety of food, inexpensive services and accommodation outside of beach resorts in the high season. I spotted very little Western tourists outside of Bran Castle. Memorable architectural creations, from 16^th century monasteries to socialist monsters in Bucharest, are really impressive.