Romania is a beautiful country in Europe, and like many European countries, the essence of Romania lies with its authentic and rich cultural history, art and scenic natural beauty. Checkout some fascinating facts about this southeastern country.
Transylvania is most popularly known to the outside world as the House of Count Dracula.
The Legend of Dracula
Bram Stoker's literary classic Dracula is set in the mountains of Transylvania.
Art and Gothic buffs from around the world visit Romania in search of the castles and places mentioned in the book that can be found in modern day Romania.
A striking cultural aspect in the village of Sapanta, Maramures in Northern Romania, is a colorful cemetery that’s truly one of its kind.
The Merry Cemetery
Unlike other cemeteries 'Cimitirul Vesel' has carved wooden crosses as tombstones, colored in vibrant blues, decorated with
paintings depicting the life of the person buried and embellished in witty epitaphs, thus lightening the grim inevitability of death.
When we talk about Romance Languages French, Spanish, Italian come to mind but not Romanian.
Derived from Latin, the Romanian language is the only romance language to have developed in the eastern parts of Europe in spite of being surrounded by Slavic languages and culture.
Romanian Language
Romania is house to one of the biggest classical music festivals in Eastern Europe, named after Romanian composer George Enescu. It is a great place for young musicians to be part of this International music festival.
Enescu Music Festival
There is something the Romanians call ‘branza in coaja de brad’ which in English translates to 'cheese in Fir bark'.
This is a marvelous and traditional style of storing a type of soft cheese made from sheep’s milk in cylinders stitched from barks of fir tree.
Say Cheese!
Painted Monasteries are part of the cultural treasures found in Bukovina, the northeastern region of Romania. The frescos painted on these churches depict various stories from the Bible and of the Saints and Prophets.
Painted Monasteries
Arbore monastery, Humor monastery, Patrauti Church, Moldovita monastery, Sucevita and Probota monastery are some of the well-preserved monasteries that are nothing short of architectural marvel in today’s age.
Fun Fictional Trivia:
In the fictional world of Harry Potter, Ron’s brother Charlie Weasley lived in Romania where he studied Dragons at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary.
Another historic gem was recently found in the Coliboaia Cave in the Apuseni Natural Park of Romania. Radiocarbon dating shows that the cave paintings found here are 32000-year-old, making them the oldest found cave paintings in Central Europe.
Cave Paintings
As of 2018, Romania holds the record for recreating the largest human image of a country. 4807 people participated to create the silhouette of Romania on September 29, 2018 in Alba lulia.
The city of Sibu also know as the City with Eyes was named as the European Cultural Capital for 2007. This city offers a rich experience with its cultural events, art and diverse architecture.
Folk Dance
Romanian dance culture is famous for its national folk dance Hora. It is a dance performed in a circle while holding hands and is performed during special events like weddings.