Romania may not be as famous as other European countries, but it certainly has a lot to offer.
Centuries-old traditions and customs, dream landscapes, fortresses and medieval cities, unique gastronomy and many more outline a enormous tourism potential.
Romania is a country located in the south-eastern part of Central Europe. Over time, it was at the confluence of the great empires, such as Dacia, the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
This has left its mark on the architectural, cultural and gastronomic heritage. Basically, here you will find a mix of influences from the largest empires that have dominated Europe in the last two millennia.
At the same time, Romania was endowed with wonderful landscapes. It is one of the few states in Europe that includes all forms of relief: delta, sea, mountains, plateaus, etc.
To this very rich and versatile fauna and flora is added. Our country is home to the last virgin forests of Europe, over 50% of the continent’s large carnivorous population and many other plants, animals, insects, reptiles or endangered birds.
We can say that European rural and cultural tourism has its epicenter in Romania. This very conservative country still preserves centuries-old customs and traditions.
Life in the rural areas can offer you unique experiences, long forgotten in the rest of the continent. Here people live like their ancestors. The Romanian villages have a special charm, resembling a portal capable of teleporting their guests to a distant past.
Romania is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Europe.
Romania hosts the most beautiful road in the world. This is Transfagarasan, a transalpine road that connects two historical regions, Transylvania and Muntenia. This is one of the great creations of dictator Ceausescu. The initial purpose was to provide him with a quick escape route through the mountains, in the event of a Soviet invasion. The road has a length of 151 km and reaches the maximum point (Balea Lake) at an altitude of 2,042 m. From this point, Transfagarasan comes second, after Transalpina, another spectacular road in Romania, with an approximately equal length, but rising to 2,145 m altitude.
Romania is home to the largest mammals in Europe. The bison can reach impressive dimensions: up to 3 m long, 2 m high and 900 kg. Even though this species has very few natural enemies, men have hunted it to near extinction. In 1927 there were only 50 specimens in the world, all in captivity. At present, the mountains of Romania are home to over 100 specimens of bisons and the repopulation continues.
Romania is home to the largest population of brown bears in Europe and to over 50% of the large carnivores. These are strictly protected by law and hunting is allowed only when they endanger local communities.
Romania has some of the most beautiful churches and monasteries in Europe. At the same time, it is the most religious country in Europe. Over 50% of Romanians say that God exists and that religion is very important in their lives. This aspect is reflected not only in the large number of houses of worship, but also in their spectacular architecture. Many churches and monasteries in Romania are included on UNESCO Heritage, most of them being found in Bukovina or Maramures. Also in Maramures you will meet the only joyous cemetery in the world, Sapanta Cemetery.
Romania has the best preserved delta in Europe. The Danube Delta, one of the wildest and most spectacular places on Earth. With an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, this biosphere reserve attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
The largest rock sculpture in Europe is also in Romania. It is the face of Decebal, a 55 m high bas-relief, which watches over the Danube, in the Danube Gorge (the area with the greatest depth of the river – 120 m). This sculpture can only be reached by boat. Also in the area, you will be able to admire one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, the Bigar Waterfall. It was placed on the first place by the famous publication The World Geography.
Romania is one of the largest wine producers in the world. Besides refined drinks, in our country you will have some of the most beautiful experiences offered by European wine tourism. You can do winery tours with tasting in Moldova, Dobrogea, Muntenia, Oltenia and Transylvania.
Romania had the first fully electrified castle in Europe. It is Peles Castle, an architectural masterpiece located at the foot of Bucegi Mountains. Also, the heating system of the castle was built in 1888 and it is still used today.
The oldest fossils of Homo sapiens were also discovered in Romania, in the Bone Cave in Anina, Caras-Severin. They are 35,000 years old and 40,500 years old respectively. Since we mentioned caves, our country doas great in this regard. One of the most beautiful caves in Romania is the Bears Cave. Archeologists have found here many remains of the cave bear, which became extinct over 15,000 years ago, as well as other fossils of species such as lion or cave hyena.
Astra Museum or the Village Museum in Sibiu is the second largest open air museum in the world. It hosts more than 300 exhibits specific to Romanian villages, from traditional houses to mills or churches.
Muntenia is one of the historical regions of southern Romania. It is bordered in the north by the Carpathian Mountains, in the south by the Danube, in the west by the river Olt, and in the east by Milcov, Putna and Siret. On the territory of Muntenia is the capital of Romania, Bucharest.
What can you do in Muntenia? Well, this region offers you all forms of tourism available in an European country. From wine tourism to rural, cultural or city tourism, you can do everything in Muntenia.
In the mountain area you will find villages where time stood still and life follows the archaic rhythm. You can book accommodation in traditional houses, you can learn the secrets of the old crafts, straight from the locals, or you can go hiking on the wild paths of the Carpathians. You will also discover a unique cuisine and very welcoming people. The main areas of interest are Transfagarasan, the Rucar-Bran corridor, Prahova Valley and Intorsura Buzaului.
Going further south to the sub-Carpathian hillside area you will also be able to experience wine and cultural tourism. As you get closer to the Danube, you will discover different traditions and customs, but especially a delicious gastronomy, with oriental influences, based on fish.
Oltenia is one of the most famous wine-growing areas of Romania, with some of the most beautiful wineries. This is bordered in the east by the Olt river, in the south and west by the Danube, and in the north by Southern Carpathians.
The mountain area of Oltenia is very spectacular, with Transalpina, the road that reaches the highest altitude in Romania (2,145 m). Another mountain area of interest, located right at the confluence of Oltenia with Crisana, is represented by the Danube Canyon or Gorge. The landscapes along the majestic river, which meanders among the rugged peaks of the Carpathians, will take your breath away.
Going down to the plateau area you will discover one of the main wine-growing areas of the former Roman Empire. Dragasani Vineyard stretches along the Olt on a distance of 65 km. Some of the most beautiful wine tourism experiences await you in one of the 12 wineries.
Oltenia is also famous for the cule. They are semi-fortified mansions, specific to the 18th-19th centuries, spread throughout the Balkan area. In the past the fortified mansions were the boyars’ homes and they were meant to protect their families and their possessions against the Ottoman invasions. Some of these cule are restored and can be visited, but there is only one – Maldar’s Mansion – where you can book a room.
Banat is one of the most disputed historical regions in Romania and also one of the areas with great tourism potential. The Danube, the Mures River, Retezat Mountains and Poiana-Rusca are its natural boundaries.
On the southwest side of Banat, the Danube Gorge can be seen, one of the most spectacular portions of the entire route of the European river. Here you will be able to make numerous expeditions by boat and on the mountain trails.
You will also be able to explore the Land of the Watermills, a special tourist attraction in Rudera Valley, Caras-Severin county. This land is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 22 mills with a well, several centuries old, which work excellently at present. There used to be 51 mills before 1874, but not all of them could be saved.
Also in Banat you will discover Domogled National Park – Cerna Valley, with one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, Bigar Waterfall. It is definitely not the only tourist attraction in the area considering that in the immediate vicinity is Baile Herculane, an old spa resort almost 2 millennia old (dated 102 AD). Temples, thermal baths, monuments and statues, built by the Romans in honor of the gods Hercules, Esculap and Higeea await you here.
In the Domogled National Park – Cerna Valley there are also some of the wildest mountain villages in Europe. These are isolated settlements, with only a few inhabitants, in which life still goes on just as it did a few centuries ago. Of these isolated settlements, the most famous are Inelet and Scarisoara.
Crisana is another historical region in Romania. The traditional capital of the region is Oradea, one of the most beautiful Romanian cities at present. In the immediate vicinity of this city there is Baile Felix, the largest spa resort, open all year round, in Romania. The thermal springs here were discovered in the 10th-12th century, and the first buildings in the resort date from 1711.
The Apuseni Natural Park in Crisana was voted by CNN in the top 3 European tourist destinations in 2019. Here are some of the most famous caves on the “Old Continent”, but also some of the best preserved civilizations. At the top of the mountains, there are isolated helmets, where only a few dozen souls lead an archaic lifestyle. The area has a huge potential in terms of rural tourism.
Moldova is another historical region, which currently divides its territory between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Western Moldova stretches between the Prut River and the Eastern Carpathians, covering an area of 35,806 km².
This is where some of the best Romanian wines originate from. So if you want to visit Moldova, consider wine tourism, with all the experiences it includes.
The mountainous area of Moldova includes some protected areas, the most important being Ceahlau National Park, Putna – Vrancea Natural Park or Vanatori – Neamt Natural Park. Here you will discover wonderful landscapes, arranged mountain trails, extreme adventures and ideal places for rural tourism.
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