Romania

Romania’s territory features splendid mountains, beautiful rolling hills, fertile plains and numerous rivers and lakes.

The Carpathian Mountains traverse the centre of the country bordered on both sides by foothills rich with orchards and vineyards, and finally the Great Plains, largely devoted to agriculture, of the outer rim.

Forests cover over one quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe including bears, deer, lynx, chamois and wolves.

After forming a long border in the south, the legendary Danube River ends its eight-country journey at the Black Sea, after forming one of the largest and most bio diverse wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta.

A territory inhabited from ancient time, Romania had a tumultuous history. Situated at a crossroad and subject to permanent invasions and occupations, it struggled to keep its identity.

It was born as a state in 1918, from the historical provinces Walachia, Moldavia and Transylvania.

Here are some of the highlights that shaped Romania:

3,000 B.C. – Thracian tribes of Indo-European origin, who migrated from Asia, occupied the actual territory of Romania
100 A.D. – Dacian civilization, formed from a sub group of Thracian and ruled by the famous king Burebista, reaches its peak.
101-106 A.D. – Romans conquer and colonize Dacia territory, which becomes a province of the Roman Empire; Dacians adopt the conquerors’ language
4th-10th Centuries – after the Roman troops abandoned Dacia, it suffered numerous invasions from the nomadic tribes from Asia and Europe.
13th Century – the first formal divisions of unified Romanian are established: the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania
14th-19th Centuries – Wallachia and Moldavia are under the influence of the Ottoman Empire, at times offering strong resistance to its expansion; Transylvania is under Hapsburgs and Hungary occupation
1859 – Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected to the thrones of Moldavia and Wallachia, uniting the two provinces into Romania.
1866 – Carol I (German born) succeeds Alexandru Ioan Cuza, as prince of Romania, later on Romania becoming a Kingdom.
1918 – During large public assemblies representatives of most towns, villages and local communities in Transylvania, Bessarabia and Bucovina declare union with Romania, forming the state of today.
1941 – In WWII, Romania joins Germany against Soviet Union, hoping to regain the territories annexed by them.
1945 – The Yalta Agreement makes Romania part of the Soviet system
1947-1989 – the king is forces to abdicate and Romania falls under the communism rules. It follows a period of severe restrictions in goods and civil rights under ruler Nicolae Ceausescu
1989 – Romanians unite in protests against the communist leadership and local demonstrations sparked a national uprising that finally ousted communism
1991 – Romanians vote for a new Constitution
2007 – Romania becomes a member of the European Union

For many centuries Romania’s economy was based on agriculture. In the 1930s Romania was one of the main European producers of wheat, corn and meats and it used to be called “the bread basket of Europe.

During the communist period it was started a strong development of industry, but because of a ban on imported goods and restrictions on consumption, the country did not make a big step in developing the economy.

After the Communist regime was overthrown in late 1989, the country experienced a decade of economic instability and decline, led in part by an obsolete industrial base and a lack of structural reform

From 2000 onwards, however, the Romanian economy was transformed into one of relative macroeconomic stability, characterized by high growth, low unemployment and declining inflation.

Tourism is a significant contributor to the Romania’s economy and one of the most dynamic and fastest developing sectors characterized by a huge potential for development

Romanian people are known for their generosity and hospitality. Guests are very well treated, so you feel always welcome and appreciated. Romanians are funny people; their resources of jokes are unlimited. For sure you will have a really good time laughing with them.

But the true heart of Romania lies in the countryside where traditions and peasant culture remained almost untouched, like no other part in Europe.

Romania is known for its great cuisine variety. Either you prefer a gourmet restaurant or an ordinary bistro you can experience all types in Romania.

A typical but cosy Romanian restaurant will give you the vibe of the local culture. Most of the restaurants that serve Romanian dishes serve also Italian, because the locals almost introduced it in the regular Romanian cuisine.

See also Wine and Dine Tours