Romantic Romania
By Robert Haru Fisher
If ever there were a fairytale land, it could well be in Romania, home of fabled castles, gorgeous painted monasteries and authentically medieval villages, all casting their glows on anyone who cares to visit here. Although located in the fractious Balkans, Romania had throughout its existence looked to the West, in particular to France, for inspiration in its literary and other artistic endeavors, and the results show today more than ever.
A visitor must see Bucharest, of course, but then pay attention to the country's other magnificent landmarks--he painted monasteries, the castles, the splendid medieval villages and the languorous Black Sea coast...(more)
AT-A-GLANCE:
| • Capital: |
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• Bucharest |
| • Population: |
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• 21.5 Million |
| • Largest City: |
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• Bucharest (2.1 Million
inhabitants) |
| • Neighboring
Countries: |
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• Hungary, Serbia,
Bulgaria, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova |
| • Language: |
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• Romanian |
| • Size: |
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• 91,725 square miles |
| • Currency: |
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• leu (valued at 10,000
lei) 1 USD = 2.98leu, 1 EUR=3.6leu (will
adopt the Euro between 2012 and 2016 |
| • Upcoming
Events: |
| |
Festival of Winter Traditions - ancient unchanged holiday traditions and crafts of the villages in northern Romania with, costumed dancing, traditional music, food and customs. Sighetu Marmatiei, Maramures (every year, in December)
International Jazz Festival Sibiu (every year, in May)
Festival of Medieval Arts - three day celebration of medieval arts, crafts, music. Sighisoara (every year in July),
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| • Fun Fact: |
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Romania is home to the Merry Cemetery a real life cemetery with over 600 hand carved oak crosses, adorned with colorfully painted pictures and markers carrying down-to-earth, witty epitaphs depicting the life of the deceased.
A few years ago Travel Weekly ranked the Merry Cemetery in Sapanta the second most unique cemetery in the world, after the Valley of Kings in Luxor, Egypt.
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| • Tourist Office
(U.S.A.): |
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• Romanian National Tourist
Office - North America
355 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10017 USA
Email: info@RomaniaTourism.com
www.RomaniaTourism.com |
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