Picture © Credits to istock/Moussa81
Picture © Credits to istock/Moussa81

Romania


Romania is a country on the western shores of the Black Sea; except for Dobruja, it is located north of the Balkan Peninsula....

It is a country of great natural beauty and diversity, and has a rich cultural heritage, including a variety of ethnic, linguistic, and confessional groups. Romania enchants visitors with its scenic mountain landscapes and unspoilt rural areas, but also with its historic cities and busy capital. Over the last decade, it has witnessed a significant development, fueled by its recent membership of the European Union. Romania will definitely surprise some of its visitors who are more used to western Europe. It has a listed total of six cultural and one natural UNESCO world heritage sites. Romania is a large country which can sometimes be shocking with contrasts: some cities are truly modern, while some villages can seem to have been brought back from the past. While it has significant cultural similarities with other Balkan states, it is regarded as unique due to its strong Latin heritage, reflected in every part of Romanian society from its culture to its language. Things for which Romania is famous include: the Carpathian mountains, wine, medieval fortresses, Dacia cars, Dracula, stuffed cabbage leaves (sarmale), the Black Sea, sunflower fields, painted monasteries and the Danube Delta.