Romania on Lonely Planet

Romania  
on Lonely Planet

Lonely Plant nominated Romania among the first 10 best value destinations for 2015:

“Now vigorously connected to the rest of Europe by budget airlines, accommodation compares well in all price brackets to bigger-name destinations in the region. Bucharest is a case in point, where hotel beds largely welcome business travellers, so holiday season is, unusually, low season. Away from here there are budget-friendly homestays in medieval villages, spectacular castles and the unique Danube Delta, best explored by inexpensive, if slow, ferries.

Romania - Where history lives on

CNN 10 - DARE to go

Up for a challenge?

An inspiration for Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” Romania is a glorious and struggling country of contradictions.
more...

World Heritage Sites in Romania

If you intend to visit Romania for best hotel accommodation or transportation in the world, please think twice.
But if you want to be closer to nature and traditions, enjoy traditional meals made from natural products, feel the people hospitality, see a variety of landscapes, you should not hesitate to plan a trip to Romania.


List of World Heritage Sites in Romania

• Churches of Moldavia: Arbore, Humor, Moldovita, Patrauti, Probota, Suceava, Voronet, Sucevita.
• Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains: Sarmizegetusa Regia, Costesti - Cetatuie, Costesti-Blidaru, Piatra Rosie, Banita, Capâlna.
• Historic Centre of Sighisoara
• Monastery of Horezu
• Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania: Biertan (Sibiu County), Câlnic (Alba), Dârjiu (Harghita), Prejmer (Brasov), Saschiz (Mures), Valea Viilor (Sibiu), Viscri (Brasov).
• Wooden Churches of Maramures: Bârsana, Budesti, Desesti, Ieud, Plopis, Poienile Izei, Rogoz, Surdesti.
• Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

Useful resources:

• wikipedia
• Romanian Heritage - Patrimoniu Romanesc by Cosmin Danila
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Romania and the Internet

1. Romania is ranked 5th in the world in terms of internet connection speed, according to a top made by bloomberg.com:

1. Hong Kong 2 .South Korea 3. Japan 4. Latvia 5. Romania 6. Belgium 7. Switzerland 8. Bulgaria 9. Israel 10.Singapore

2. Timisoara has become the city with the highest download speed in the world.

Timisoara had a download speed of 89.91 Mbit/s.The second Romanian city which appeared in the ranking was Constanta, on the 14th place, with a speed of 34.45 Mbit/s. Capital Bucharest came 19th, with a speed of 33.57 Mbit/s, and Brsa?ov, 27th, with 31.01 Mbit/s. World City Ranking requires at least 75,000 unique IP addresses for a given city.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_Romania)

3. Romania is ranked 3rd in the world in terms of percentage of hotels offering internet in their guest rooms.

Hotel comparison website www.trivago.co.uk has ranked the 35 most important countries on trivago according to the percentage of hotels offering internet in their guest rooms. The data is based on over 700,000 hotels listed on trivago and includes internet provided by Wi-Fi or via Ethernet cable.

1. USA
2. New Zeeland
3. Romania
4. Canada
5. Netherlands
--
31. Germany
32. Greece
33. Austria
34. Spain
35. Portugal
(http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4062848.html)

Eminescu - Longest Love Poem

Mihai Eminescu is considered Europe's last great romantic not in the least because he gave voice of such unmistakable music to the sadness of love.

The "Luceafarul" (Evening Star) by Mihai Eminescu, a 98 stanzas long poem about the impossible love between immortal Evening Star and a beautiful mortal princess sets the world record for the Longest Love Poem.
The Legend of the Evening Star ("Luceafarul") is a story about a young princess who prayed to the evening star each night. The evening star falls in love with her and is willing to give up his immortality, but realizes that the pure love he has for the young girl cannot be sustained in the mortal world.
(read the poem)

The 100+ yrs old linden tree from the "Copou Park" of Iasi where the poet Mihai Eminescu use to get his inspiration, also known as "The Lovers Tree" has become a favorite destination for true romantic lovers from around the world. Tourists from all the world-as far as Japan or Brazil- are coming here and kissing nearby the tree-which is supposed to bring good luck in love.

*** NASA named after "Eminescu" an impact crater from Mercury (14 Jan 2008)
*** Mihai Eminescu was also declared "UNESCO-Year-2000-Poet-Of-The-Year".

is Constanta worth discovering?


Ryanair announces a new flight: from Pisa to Constanta
To celebrate the inauguration of the new routes, Ryanair will offer flights for 19.99 euro.
(Ryanair announces new flights from Pisa
...

From Pisa with Ryanair you can connect to destinations right across the European mainland, the UK, Ireland and also the islands of Malta and Sardinia for example. And so suddenly, this tiny untouched corner of Romania is about to be discovered.

But is Constanta worth discovering?

Well, yes, we think it is. And as it is in Romania where Liam Bailey recently told the International Herald Tribune that there is still room for property price growth, he probably thinks it is too!

There is a huge amount of room for growth there - Romania's Black Sea coast is fairly undiscovered and actually ripe for investment. The climate is as beautiful in the summer and as temperate in the winter, and Constanta is a major port and resort on the coast making it a perfect base for exploring all the fantastic beaches, landmarks, museums and natural attractions in the vicinity.

As for current property prices, well they're not dirt cheap because Constanta is already very popular with Romanians as a holiday hotspot, but prices are not exactly expensive either. You'll pay from EUR 48,000 for a one-bedroom apartment for example, and you can buy beach-side villas with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and extensive gardens for about EUR 393,000 currently.

Land is for sale in abundance in the vicinity of the city - which may be of interest to developers who like the thought that the city is to get its own cheap flight access from April... or for those who want to start earning straight away, there are hotels for sale which could of course accommodate European and British holidaymakers from this summer onwards.

If you're looking for property in Romania for an investment, a second home abroad or a home from home in the sun and you're willing to take a risk, be in it at least for the medium term and buy into a still emerging market, give Constanta a closer look - it'll be even easier to do so from April after all!
(Room for Property Price Growth in Romania)

Class One Romanian Grand Prix

Mamaia, August 31 – September 2
The first race in the world Offshore Formula 1 circuit organized in Romania takes place during August 31 – September 2 on Siutghiol lake at Mamaia, near Constanta. Organizers expect to have over 100,000 spectators and this Formula 1 race to bring Constanta on the world sport map.
Class One represents the equivalent of Offshore Formula 1 and is the most spectacular race of high class powerboats. The boats are around 15 meters long, have two engines of 900 hp each, and can reach a speed of 360 km/h. (by Nine oClock)
2007 CALENDAR
- finalised venues
8-10 June GREECE - Athens
20-22 July NORWAY - Arendal
31 August - 2 September ROMANIA - Constanta
28-30 September RESERVE DATE
8-10 November QATAR - Doha
15-17 November QATAR - Doha
29 November- 2 December U.A.E. - Dubai
6-8 December U.A.E. - Dubai
- venues to be finalised:
29 June-1 July SLOVENIA - Portorose-Piran
10-12 August NORWAY - Oslo
(28-30 September RESERVE DATE France, Villefranche or Italy, Syracuse or Spain, Gijon)

The Danube Delta

Biosphere Reservation
This astonishing realm of waters is home for three hundred bird species and numerous fish species - over 45 -, from sturgeons to carps and perches, while the 1150 plant species range from lianas creeping on tree trunks in oak forests to water lilies.
It is no wonder that UNESCO designated the Danube Delta as a "Biosphere Reservation". The Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation holds a triple international protection status: Biosphere Reservation, internationally nominated by the UNESCO Committee "Man and the Biosphere", International Wet Area nominated by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, and World Natural Heritage Site recognised by UNESCO. More...

Landscape of the Year - Bridges within Europe
The Danube Delta was officially proclaimed the Landscape of The Year 2007-2008 by the Presidents’ Conference of International Friends of Nature.
The valuable areas of the delta need to be protected, as they are part of the assets that the Central and Eastern European Countries have to contribute to the European Union. It is our duty to use them frugally and to preserve them for future generations. More

Bram Stoker's Dracula
One of the most romantic stories ever told

The background of this story is the myth / legend of Count Vlad Dracula (son of count Dracul) ‘nicknamed' Vlad Tepes (Vlad the impaler). Vlad was, as the film tells us a warlord in the 15th century who fought the Turks. According to the myth he drank the blood of his victims and impaled them.
A lot of information about Vlad Dracula was later gathered by Irish writer Bram Stoker, who, combined it with myths of vampires into this tale of the well known blood - sucking Vampire.
Stoker read the stories about Dracula printed in the 15th and 16th centuries and was struck by his acts of cruelty. He decided to make him his character; he also read several books about Transylvania (a name of Latin origin, meaning "the country beyond the forests"), and thought that this "exotic" land would make a proper setting for Dracula's deeds.
In fact, Stoker used Vlad only as a source of inspiration, since in his novel, Dracula is not prince Vlad the Impaler, but a Transylvanian count living in a mysterious castle where he lured his victims.
His story takes place in the Bistritza area, and the castle lies near the Bârgau Pass (in the Carpathian Mountains).
As Stoker had never visited Transylvania, most places and happenings were pure fiction.
Legend and true history about Dracula intermingle and are being kept alive by tourist destinations like:

• Bran Castle near Brasov
• Dracula's Castle Hotel in the Borgo Pass (Birgau Mountains)
• The Golden Crown in Bistrita, where you can eat the meal Jonathan Harker ate
• House of Dracula's childhood in Sighisoara that is now a nice restaurant
• Ruins of Dracula's palace (Old Court) in Bucharest
• Ruins of the Poienari fortress (rebuilt by Vlad Dracul) near Curtea de Arges
• Ruins of the Royal Place and Chindia Tower in Tirgoviste, the capital during Vlad Dracul's reign.

If you have another trip to the Bahamas planned for next Christmas and are a fan of Stoker's literary work, maybe should you reconsider your decision?
Just have a look...

LINKS

• http://www.eskimo.com/~mwirkk/castle/vlad/vladhist.html
• http://www.ici.ro/romania/en/turism/drachist.html
• http://members.aol.com/johnfranc/drac05.htm
• http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/
• http://www.donlinke.com/drakula/vlad.htm

Romanian customs symbols

Once endowed with a ritual function, customs still are a specific way of communicating in the village world. Moreover, they help consolidate the relations within the community. Certain customs, spectacular in character, have made their way into the city. The major customs are related to calendar events or the rites of passage. The former belong to the whole community, combining Christian significances with elements of old agrarian rituals. Though revolving around Christmas, the winter holidays, for instance, also include customs recalling the celebration of winter solstice. This is a moment of magic brightness, when people rejoice at the fruit of the year drawing to an end and express confidence in the New Year.
Merry Christmas!

More:

• Romania. Folk Culture
  
• Romanian Winter Season Traditions