Romania national customs, festivals, climate
National customs
National customs
The typical Romanian traditions have their origins in the countryside. Here the traditions and festivals are still strongly influenced by the season, birth and death. The seasons are accompanied by ritual winter mask dances, shepherd festivals as well as farmers and dance festivals. Death plays an important role in traditions and in everyday life, for example, the whole village shows the dead the last respects over the bread of tears, our funeral feast. They tell stories of the deceased and sing them songs. In the “happy cemetery” of Sapanta, this tradition has turned into colorful, wooden crosses. These tell of the life of the deceased on the grave side, on the other side his vices and mistakes are depicted. A potted tree in front of certain houses signals
Market in Negreni
Negreni is a village in Cluj County in Transylvania with less than 3,000 residents. Every year on the second weekend in October one of the largest (farmers) markets in Romania takes place here, which is celebrated as a huge festival. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the three-day market to buy or sell goods. You can find things to eat and drink, tools, clothing, shoes, furniture, animals, fishing equipment and sporting goods. In the evening you can listen to live music and dance to it over wine and beer in the marquee.
Most of the visitors come from Romania, Hungary and Poland and (unfortunately) only extremely few from Germany. What is striking is the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of the festival. It is also fascinating that a train with loud sirens runs through the middle of the market, but at high speed.
Only a few police officers can be seen, most of them directing traffic. Drivers will find a safe parking space on the meadows and pastures of the residents.
Public holidays
Since the population in Romania is predominantly Orthodox, Christian holidays such as Easter are not on the same date as ours. Orthodox Easter is usually celebrated one week after Catholic Easter.
Date | Holiday |
January 1 | New Year |
January 2 | 2nd New Years Day |
March April | Easter Orthodox Easter is celebrated one week after Christian Easter |
1st of May | Labor Day |
March April | Easter Monday (Orthodox) |
15th of August | Assumption Day |
December 1 | National holiday |
25./26. December | Christmas |
Source: Countryaah – Romania Holidays
Festivals
Date | Festivals |
February | Winter will drive away in the Bukovina and Maramures with colorful masks |
3rd Sunday in April | Shepherd festival in Rasinari not far from Sibiu |
April | Theater festival in Brasov |
April | Festival of spring customs in Hoteni in Maramures |
April May | Jazz festival in Cluj, international jazz festival in Sibiu |
April May | Farmer’s craft fair in the Bucharest Village Museum |
July | Old Bucharest Festival |
July | Girls market in Gaina-Berg |
August | Traditional costume festival – Hora da la Prislop in Mramures on the Prislop Pass |
August | Medieval festival in Sghisoara |
August | Schlager festival in Mamaia |
August | Transyvania Calling Openair Festival |
September October | Pottery market in Sibiu |
September October | Gypsy pilgrimage to the Bistrita monastery near Costesti |
September October | Wine festival in Focsani |
September October | Enuscu Festivaln in Bucharest, classical music |
September October | Pop music festival in Brasov |
October 26 | Day of St. Dumitru, procession in honor of the patron saint v. Bucharest |
Climate
The best time to travel to Romania
The ideas of what is meant by a particularly favorable travel climate depend on a number of factors. Pure cultural travelers certainly see the climate differently than people who want to spend a pure beach holiday, for example. The state of health or age can also play an important role. The best travel times are certainly spring, summer and autumn. But winter can also invite you to wonderful hikes or walks in lonely and snow-covered forests.
Climate table
The following table shows a range of climate data for the country. It should be noted, however, that the climatic conditions in different regions of the country can differ considerably from one another and thus also from the values shown. In addition, such monthly temperature averages say little about the possible current minimum or maximum temperatures. It is not uncommon for average temperatures of around 30 °C to reach maximum values of 40 °C or even more on a number of days. The table therefore only provides a general overview of the climatic conditions in the country.
Month | Average number of rainy days | Mean maximum temperatures in (°C) | Mean minimum temperatures in (°C) |
January | 10 | 02 | 0/-1 |
February | 10 | 04 | 0/-1 |
March | 10 | 10 | 0/-1 |
April | 10 | 18 | 0/1 |
May | 12 | 22 | 0/1 |
June | 12 | 26 | 12 |
July | 10 | 30 | 16 |
August | 06 | 30 | 16 |
September | 06 | 26 | 12 |
October | 06 | 20 | 05 |
November | 12 | 10 | 02 |
December | 10 | 04 | 0/-1 |
Romania: Sightseeing
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Presents the way that RO stands for the nation of Romania as a two-letter acronym.
Special buildings, structures and monuments
Athenaeum in Bucharest
This building was built between 1886 and 1895 in the style of eclecticism and is partly reminiscent of Greek temples. In architecture, eclecticism is understood to mean buildings in which different architectural styles were used.
The building was built on the initiative of the Bucharest- born scientist, doctor and art lover Constantin Esarcu (1836-1898) as the “Palace of Science and Art.
The plans for the building came from the French architects Albert Galleron and Cassien Bernard.
The frescoes in the hall were created between 1933 and 1937 by the painter Costin Petrescu (1872-1954), who died in Bucharest.
They tell important events in Romania’s history. In front of the building is a statue of the Romanian poet and writer Mihai Eminescus (1850-1889), which was created by the Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Anghel (1904-1966).
The building serves primarily as a concert hall.
Old Town Hall of Timisoara
The Old Town Hall of Timisoara is a beautiful baroque building from 1731 to 1734. It was built on the remains of an old Turkish bath.
Old Princely Court
The Old Princely Court in Bucharest dates from the 14th and 15th centuries and was expanded in the 16th century. It was inhabited until the 18th century.
Archaeological Park
The Archaeological Park in Constanta shows finds from the ancient period of the city. These include columns, friezes, storage vessels, etc.
Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest
This triumphal arch in Bucharest’s Kiseleff Road was designed based on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The first draft was made of wood and commemorated Romania’s independence in 1878. In 1922 the second draft came. It was demolished in 1935 to make way for the current arch. In 1936 the Arcul de Triumf was finally constructed. It is 27 meters high and is based on the plans of the architect Petre Antonescu.
“Eyes of the City” in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
On the southern and eastern sides of the Great Ring are several two- to three-story houses, all of which have narrow attics with small windows. These are called the “eyes of the city” because when you are around you constantly have the feeling of being stared at. The majority of these houses were built between the 17th and 19th centuries, most of them in the Baroque style.
Baroque palace in Timisoara
The baroque palace in Timisoara dates from the early 18th century and was first used for the city administration and later as a bishopric.
Batthyaneum Library The Batthyaneum
Library in Karlsburg is housed in a former monastery and houses very valuable prints and manuscripts from the 8th century.
Brukenthal Palace (Palatul Brukenthal) in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
This baroque palace was built between 1778 and 1787. It is considered the most important baroque monument in the country. It was built as the main residence of Samuel von Brukenthal, the governor of Transylvania. The palace now houses the main part of the Brukenthal Museum. On the one hand, the Brukenthal painting collection is located in the palace, which consists of around 1,200 paintings. Among the masters shown here are famous names such as Jan van Eyck, Tizian, Lucas Cranach and Jan Kupetzky. On the other hand, the Brukenthal library is located in the palace with around 300,000 documents, books and other written evidence.
Casino Constanta
Casino Constanta, however, a magnificent Art Nouveau building from 1907 to 1910. Today, the building houses instead of the casino, a restaurant and a nightclub.
Circurile foamei ( also Ccircuri ale foamei) in Bucharest
These “hunger spots” are part of the systematisation program still under Nicolae Ceauşescu. The large domed buildings were officially called “agro-food complexes” under the communists and were supposed to provide food supplies as hypermarkets. The current name refers to the shape of the architecture and the irony that these buildings were constructed at a time when Romania was starving because most of Agra’s products were exported for debt settlement. Only two of these hunger-places were completed under the communists. Pantelimon is now part of a public market in Delfinului, and the other is part of the “Unirea Shopping Mall” between Lipscani and Centru Civic. The other hunger spots are partly half-finished,s distributed or were completed after Nicolae Ceauşescu. They became universities or part of large shopping centers. Some were torn off.
Corvin House
The oldest secular house in Cluj-Napoca is the Corvin House, where the Hungarian King Corvin was born in 1443. Gothic style features mix with those of the Renaissance in the house.
Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest
The President of Romania has his official residence in this magnificent palace. The Cotroceni National Museum, located in the former residence of the royal family, is open to the public. The monastery, the church and the princely buildings were built in the years 1679-1682 as the seat of the voivod Serban Cantacuzino. Barbu Stirbei converted the princely walls into his summer residence. And in 1893, the French architect Paul Gottereau was commissioned by King Carol I (1839-1914) to design a palace for Crown Prince Ferdinand and Princess Maria instead of the residence.
Thick Tower in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
Built in the middle of the 16th century, this structure was once used as an infantry tower. It was an important part of the city wall. It was here that Sibiu’s first city theater was built in 1778. The tower was recently renovated and integrated into the new theater. Nowadays, the city’s Philharmonic performs concerts in this building using the Thalia Hall.
Three-story Weber Bastion
The three-story Weber Bastion in Brasov was built in the 16th century. Today concerts are often held in the building.
Hanul lui Manuc
The only preserved caravanserai, Hanul lui Manuc, of Bucharest is opposite the Church of the Annunciation. It was built in 1808. Today it houses restaurants and a hostel.
House of the Army in Bucharest
The House of the Army in Bucharest, with its 21 m high facade, which is adorned by Corinthian columns, was built in 1921 in neoclassical style.
House of Arts in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
As one of the most beautiful buildings in Sibiu, the building also serves as one of the city’s landmarks. This house is an old butcher’s shop, which was built in the 15th century. With its eight arches on the ground floor, the house dominates the Kleiner Ring and is located near the Liars Bridge. The “Emil Sigerus” museum is currently housed in the Haus der Künste.
Hirscher House in Brasov
The Hirscher House in Brasov was built in 1545 as a guild and guild house. The Renaissance complex with porticoes is 70 m long.
Caravanserai Hanul lui Manuc in Bucharest In the
past, the caravanserai served travelers as a hostel for themselves and possibly also for their animals as accommodation on their often week-long journeys.
But at the latest after the construction of the railway in the middle of the 19th century, its importance declined sharply.
The Hanul lui Manuc caravanserai was built between 1804 and 1808 by order of the Armenian Emanuel Mirzaian – called Manuc Bey.
Historically, the building is of particular interest, as the Russian negotiators of the peace treaty between Russia and Turkey lived here in 1812.
Both countries were involved in one of the numerous wars between 1806 and 1812 that ended with the Peace ofBucharest ended on May 28th.
The Ottomans had to cede Bessarabia to Russia.
Melik House
Bucharest’s oldest secular building is the Melik House from 1760, which, with its high basement and veranda, is reminiscent of traditional village architecture.
Memorialul Renaşterii in Bucharest
This 25 meter high “rebirth monument” commemorates the turmoil and the victims during the demonstrations against the communist government in 1989. In 2005 the memorial complex was opened on Revolution Square. The impressive marble column reaches up to the sky and is finished with a metal crown. The name alludes to Romania’s rebirth as a free nation after communist rule. The little loved monument has to be guarded around the clock.
Palace of Voivodes Curtea Veche in Bucharest
This partially preserved palace is the oldest feudal monument in Bucharest. The beginnings of the palace go back to the middle of the 14th century. back and were expanded and walled between 1458 and 1459. Over the centuries the prince’s seat was rebuilt and expanded again and again, around 1640 and at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. especially by Constantin Brancoveanu. As a result of earthquakes and fires, the residence was abandoned in 1812.
Palatul Parlamentului (Parliament Palace)
The Parliament Palace – also known as the House of the People – has a floor area of 33,000 m2 and a volume of 2,550,000 m3, making it one of the largest buildings on earth. There are 1,100 rooms on 12 floors. The building structure of the palace combines elements and motifs from many different architectural styles. Construction began in 1984 and was almost completed by the turn of the century. Public tours of the palace are offered in various languages. The building is the seat of the Romanian Parliament.
Revolution Square The Revolution
Square in Bucharest still shows the traces of the fighting in the revolutionary days of 1989.
Brasov
City Hall The Brasov City Hall dates from the 15th century. The 58 m high trumpeter tower dates from the 16th century and was formerly a watch tower of the city.
Ruins of the Trajan Bridge
The ruins of the Trajan Bridge in Drobeta-Turnu Severin are known beyond the borders of Romania. The bridge was once built between 103 and 105 and crossed the Danube. A picture of the bridge can be seen on the Trajan Column in Rome. Furthermore, ruins of a Roman fortress and ruins of Roman baths can be seen in the vicinity of the city
Soldier
memorial Mausoleul Eroilor The soldier memorial Mausoleul Eroilor near Campulung commemorates the fallen Romanian soldiers in the First World War.
City walls of Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
Sibiu was one of the most important fortified cities in south-eastern Europe. Several rings have been drawn around the city, most of them made of clay bricks. Most of the remnants of the ancient city walls and towers of Sibiu can be seen in the southeastern part of the city along Coposu Avenue and Manejului Street. Three towers of the third belt of the wall stand on Cetatii Street. The south-eastern fortifications are the best preserved; all three lines can still be seen. The first is an outer mound of earth, the second a 10 meter high red stone wall and the third line consists of towers, which are connected by another 10 meter high wall. The entire structure is connected to one another via a labyrinth of tunnels and passages.
In the 16th century, more modern elements were added to the city wall, such as the bastions, only one of which has survived to this day: the Hall bastion.
Transfogarascher Hochstraße
The Transfogarascher (Transfăgărășan) Hochstraße in Romania, which was completed in 1974, is part of the 150 km long national road DN 7C and runs through the Făgăraș Mountains in the Southern Carpathians. It connects the Argeș Valley in Great Wallachia with the Olt Valley in Transylvania. A trip on the Transfăgărășan offers wonderful views of glacial lakes, waterfalls, lush, overgrown valleys and steep slopes. In addition, the high road is peppered with numerous hairpin bends. The road is closed from November to June.
Triumphal Arch in Bucharest
The Triumphal Arch in Bucharest was built at the beginning of the 20th century for the fallen soldiers of the First World War.
Tower of the council assembly in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
This tower next to the Jesuit church was constructed in the 14th century and mentioned for the first time in a document from 1370. It is one of the city’s landmarks. Its name refers to the building next door, the city’s first town hall. The tower became the entrance gate of the second fortification walls of Sibius. On the top floor there is a viewing deck, which gives a bird’s eye view of the historical part of Sibiu.
University Square (Piaṭa Universităṭii) in Bucharest
This square is located at the University of Bucharest. It is determined by four statues in front of the university. These show Ion Heliade-Rădulescu, Michael the Brave, Gheorghe Lazăr and Spiru Haret. In 1990 the so-called “Golaniada” took place on the square, a peaceful student protest against the communists in the Romanian government. The demonstration ended in violence. The square is also lined by the Bucharest National Theater and the huge Intercontinental Hotel, the tallest building in the Romanian capital.
Gypsy palaces in Huedin
Huedin is a town with around 10,000 residents in the Cluj district in Transylvania in the Apuseni Mountains, part of the Romanian Western Carpathians. Of the city’s residents, around 60% are ethnic Romanians, 30% belong to the Hungarian minority and around 10% are – mostly sedentary – Roma and Yenish.
The houses of the gypsy families are of striking splendor and are particularly noticeable because of their metal roofs. If you look closely, you will discover a Mercedes star on most roofs and here and there the symbol of other car brands, such as that of Audi.
Museums
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum in Constanta houses a collection of archaeological excavations from the city.
Royal Palace in Bucharest
in the former Royal Palace, the “National Art Museum” of Romania is today – in the north wing of the “Museum of Modern Art of Romania” and in the south wing of the “museum of modern European art”
Today’s neoclassical building was created by remodeling and redesign of the old building – based on plans by the architects Arthur Lorenz, N. Neciulescu and Karel Liman – under the reign of Carol II (1893-1953). Carol II was King of Romania from 1930 to 1940.
The old palace was built between 1882 and 1906 and was badly damaged by a fire in 1926.
Calea Victoriei 49-53
010063 Bucharest
Wed. to Sun. from May 1st to Sept. 30th: 11:00 am -7: 00 pm
From October 1st to April 30th: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Art Museum in Constanta
The Art Museum in Constanta has housed a remarkable Romanian art collection since the 1960s.
Art Museum in Craiova
The Art Museum in Craiova shows Romanian art as well as works from Flanders, Holland, France and Italy.
Museum of the Roman Building with Mosaic Floor
The Museum of the Roman Building with Mosaic Floor shows an ancient building from the 3rd/4th centuries. Century with a huge mosaic floor, probably from the 5th/6th centuries. Century.
Museum of City History
The Museum of City History in Bucharest is located in the Sutu Palace, which was built in 1833/34.
National Brukenthal Museum (Muzeul Naṭional Brukenthal) in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
The individual buildings of the museum are spread over the whole city. They serve their own exhibition series, but are managed jointly. The museum was named after Samuel von Brukenthal, the former Habsburg governor of Transylvania, whose art collection, established in 1790, was opened to the public in 1817.
National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest
The “National Museum of Contemporary Art” is located in a new glass wing of the Parliament Palace.
The 100,000 m² open-air museum deals with ethnography and shows exhibits that provide information about traditional Romanian village life.
National Museum of the History of Romania
As the name of the museum suggests, the “National Museum of the History of Romania” (Muzeul Național de Istorie a României) deals with the history of the country from prehistory to the present day.
A plaster cast of the Trajan Column from Rome and the Romanian crown jewels are worth seeing.
The museum is located together with a philatelic museum in the former “palace” of the post office.
Rust-red Mogosoaia Castle
The rust-red Mogosoaia Castle is located approx. 15 km northwest of Bucharest. It was built in 1702. The vaults and arcades of the loggia and the facade of the tower are adorned with lavish stone carvings. There is a museum inside the castle.
Zambaccian Museum in Bucharest
The museum was founded in 1947, closed in 1977 under the Ceauşescu regime and reopened in 1992. The collections shown include Romanian artists and French impressionists.
Castles and fortresses
Karlsburg
Fortress The Karlsburg Fortress dates from the 18th century. The castle is the largest in Transylvania. The fortress wall is 12 km long and has 7 bastions.
Fortress of Arad
The fortress of Arad was laid out from 1762 to 1783 in a star shape. It served as a prison for a long time.
Hunyad Castle in Timisoara
The Hunyad Castle in Timisoara was built under the Hungarian King Robert of Anjou in the 14th century and expanded in the 15th century. Inside is a museum.
Prinzenpalais in Karlsburg
The Prinzenpalais in Karlsburg is a fortress complex from the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 16./17. In the 19th century it was the seat of the Transylvanian state parliament.
Ghica Castle The Ghica
Castle was built in the Italian-classical style in 1822 and is located on the northern outskirts of Bucharest.
Theaters and opera houses
Teatrul Naṭional “Ion Luca Caragiale” Bucureşti in Bucharest
The National Theater of Romania was founded in 1852 as the “Teatrul cel Mare din Bucureşti” (“Great Theater of Bucharest”), the current building being about half a kilometer from the old location.
It is part of an art complex, which also includes the Romanian National Operetta and an art gallery.
The bronze sculpture shown with the name “Carriage with Clowns” stands in front of the building and was created in 2010 by the Romanian artist Ioan Bolborea (born 1956)
www.tnb.kappa.ro/index.html
Ateneul Român in Bucharest
This concert hall in the center of the city opened in 1888. The wonderful building is the main concert hall of the city and the venue for the “George Enescu” Philharmonic. The annual international music festival also takes place here.
National Theater Radu Stanca in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
In Romanian and German, this theater mainly performs classical and modern plays. The theater is one of the most important in Romania. Its roots go back to 1787. In 2001 extensive renovation and expansion work was started, which was completed in 2006. Some of the best Romanian directors have already worked here. Around five shows per week take place in this theater, which can seat 335 people and also has a conference room for 40 people.
Sibiu State Philharmonic
Founded in 1949, the State Philharmonic is one of the oldest music institutions in Romania. In addition to classical concerts, there are also concerts for children, with most of the performances taking place in the newly renovated Thalia Hall, a concert hall from 1787. This is located on the old fortifications of the city and can accommodate up to 500 listeners. In addition to its own concerts, the Philharmonic Orchestra also organizes an international music festival, the “Carl Filtsch Festival” for piano and composition.
State Theater of Arad
is The National Theater of Arad, a building dating from 1874, are listed in the many operas.
Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat in Bucharest
This theater specializes in plays that are in any way related to Judaism. The current repertoire includes pieces (partly in Yiddish) by Jewish authors on Jewish topics.
Cemetery, churches, mosques and monasteries
Happy cemetery in Sapanta
The happy cemetery in Sapanta . The life of the deceased is portrayed on the colored wooden crosses.
Mountain Church in Schäßburg (Sighişoara)
The mountain church is located at the end of the covered student stairs next to the mountain school. A previous building stood here in the 13th century, which was followed by today’s late Gothic three-aisled hall church in the 15th century. The originally existing wall paintings inside the church destroyed the community itself. They wanted to demonstrate against the re-Catholicization by the Habsburgs. In 1999 the church was consecrated again. The mountain cemetery spreads out behind the mountain church. Many known and unknown Schäßburgers have found their final resting place here.
Episcopal Church in Curtea
The Episcopal Church in Curtea de Arges is one of the most famous architectural monuments in the country. It was completed in 1517. The beautiful facade is decorated with Turkish-Arabic and Caucasian patterns. The paintings inside the church date from the 16th century.
Evangelical Parish Church of Sibiu
Probably the most striking and, thanks to its 73.34 m high tower, the tallest building in Sibiu is this church, which dates back to the 14th century. The pre-Reformation Church of St. Mary was built on the remains of a Romanesque basilica. Over time it has expanded considerably. The Bishop Teutsch monument stands in front of the church. The tower of the church defines the cityscape of Sibiu and is also the second largest church in Transylvania. (The highest is the 75 m high tower of the Evangelical Church of Bistriṭa)
Evangelical Church of St. Bartholomew
The Evangelical Church of St. Bartholomew in Brasov is the oldest building in the city and dates from 1270 to 1280.
Cathedral of the Orthodox Patriarchate and the Patriarch’s Palace
The Cathedral of the Orthodox Patriarchate and the Patriarch’s Palace from the 17th century are located on a hill in Bucharest. The first Romanian king, Carol I, was crowned in the cathedral in 1882.
Church of the Holy Archangel
The Church of the Holy Archangel in Braila was built as a mosque in the 17th century under Turkish rule. It was only consecrated as an Orthodox church in 1836.
Church of the Assumption of Mary
The full name of the church is translated into German: “Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary”.
The church was built at the instigation of Chancellor Constantin Brancoveanu between 1859 and 1860 in the neoclassical style. The plans for the building came from the architect Luigi Lipizer.
Between 1933 and 1936 the church was extensively restored under the direction of the two architects Ştefan Balş (1902-1994) and Paul Emil Miclescu (1901-1994).
Michaelskirche
The Michaelskirche in Cluj-Napoca is the oldest church in the city and was built in Gothic style from 1348/49. The stone carvings on the capitals are particularly interesting.
Orthodox Cathedral in Arad
The Orthodox Cathedral in Arad is a baroque building from 1862 to 1865. It houses beautiful frescoes in the Byzantine style.
Orthodox Cathedral in Karlsburg
The Orthodox Cathedral in Karlsburg dates from 1921/22. The wall paintings inside the church are worth seeing.
Reformed Church
The Reformed Church in Cluj-Napoca is a Gothic building from the 15th and 16th centuries. The beautiful carved Renaissance pulpit from 1646 is worth seeing.
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church in Arad is an impressive building from 1902 to 1904.
Roman-Catholic Cathedral
The Roman-Catholic Cathedral of Timisoara was built in the 18th century in the Austrian Baroque style.
Romanian Mihai Voda Church
The typical Romanian Mihai Voda Church in Bucharest was built in the 16th century.
During the Ceausescu era, the entire church was relocated to make room for prestige buildings.
Patriarchal Cathedral
This church is the cathedral of the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Bucharest. It should be mentioned that over 90% of the city’s residents profess the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The current cathedral was built as part of a monastery founded in 1656 by the Prince of Wallachia – Constantin Șerban Basarab (1634 -1682).
The church was consecrated in 1658 and a few years later the monastery became the seat of the Metropolitan of Bucharest.
The Romanian Orthodox Church became a patriarchate in 1925 and the church became a patriarchal cathedral.
The cathedral was restored, expanded and refurbished between the 18th and 21st centuries.
The cathedral is a central building with the plan of a Greek cross on which there is a dome.
Black Church
The Black Church in Brasov is the largest Gothic church in Southeast Europe. It was built between 1384 and 1477. The building is 89 m long and 38 m wide. The church tower is 65 m high.
Serbian Church
The Serbian Church in Arad is a beautiful baroque building from the 18th century.
Stavropoleos Church
The rather modest Greek Orthodox church is nicely situated between tall buildings and is one of the few remarkable churches in Bucharest. It was built in 1730. It impresses with its finely chiseled columns, wonderful carvings and wall paintings. Church of the Annunciation The Church of the Annunciation in Bucharest is the oldest church in the city and dates from the 16th century. The different colored brick facade of the church is very beautiful.
Great Mosque in Constanta
The Great Mosque in Constanta was built in 1910. From the 50 m high minaret you have a beautiful view of the city and harbor.
Caldarusani Monastery The Caldarusani
Monastery was built at the beginning of the 17th century in the town of the same name. Inside the church, the votive pictures are worth seeing.
Negru Voda
Monastery Complex The Negru Voda monastery complex in Campulung Muscel was built between 1310 and 1352. The monastery still houses a monks’ convent today. The entire complex is surrounded by a stone wall from 1710.
Simion Stalpnicul
Monastery The Simion Stalpnicul Monastery in Arad was built in the 18th century. There is a collection of medieval art in the abbey.
Universities
Academia de Studii Economice Bucureşti (ASE) in Bucharest
www.ase.ro/site/index.asp
The “Bucharest Academy of Economics” is the oldest business university in Romania. It was founded in 1913.
British Romanian University in Bucharest
This is an English speaking private university.
Universitatea Politehnica din Bucureşti
www.pub.ro
Lucian Blaga University Sibiu
This university was re-established in 1990 after several faculties were founded since 1940. The name of the educational institution is dedicated to the Romanian writer and philosopher Lucian Blaga. The university is currently divided into ten faculties and a department for distance learning.
Technical University in Bucharest
The Technical University of Bucharest was founded in 1864.
Universitatea Româno-Americană
www.rau.ro
Romanian American University in Bucharest
The Romanian American University is a private educational institution that offers courses and degrees in English.
University of Bucharest
www.unibuc.ro
This is Bucharest’s most important and largest university. It has numerous buildings that are spread across the city, with the main building on University Square, the Piaṭa Universităṭii. This place is determined by four statues in front of the university, which are supposed to represent Ion Heliade-Rădulescu, Michael the Brave, Gheorghe Lazăr and Spiru Haret. In 1990 the so-called “Golaniada” took place on the square, a peaceful student protest against the communists in the Romanian government. The demonstration ended in violence. The square is also lined by the Bucharest National Theater and the huge Intercontinental Hotel, the tallest building in the Romanian capital.
Parks
“Dimitrie Brândză”
Botanical Garden in Bucharest The Botanical Garden is the largest park in Romania. It is home to over 10,000 plant species, including exotic ones. The 17.5 hectare garden was named after its founder. In the botanical garden, near the entrance, there is also the botany museum, where more than 5,000 plant species are displayed. This natural collection contains 1/5 exotic flora.
Cişmigiu Garden in Bucharest
This public park near downtown Bucharest is the oldest and, at 17 hectares, the largest in the city center. The main entrance is on Elisabeta Blvd., near the City Council. Another main entrance is on Ştirbei Vodă Boulevard, next to the Creṭulescu Palace. Special sights within the park are the Rondul Român (also Rotonda Scriitorilor; Eng. “Rotunda of writers”) with busts of twelve famous Romanian writers, the Monumentul Eroilor Francezi (= Monument of the French Heroes), which reminds of the French soldiers who died here during the First World War, and other statues such as Izvorul Sissi Stefanidi etc. The name of the park refers to the Turkish word “cişmigiu”, where a “cişmea” is a public fountain and ”
Alder
Park in Hermannstadt (Sibiu) This wonderful historical park is a botanical garden that was laid out in 1856. It is currently being rebuilt.
Herăstrău Park in Bucharest
This approximately 1.1 km² large public park is located in the north of the city and was created around the Lacul Herăstrău, which takes up an area of 0.7 km². The park was opened in 1936.
Natural beauties
Apuseni
The Romanian Apuseni mountain landscape, which is so rich in natural resources, is an extension of the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania. The region is a popular destination for tourists who are attracted by the beautiful landscape and mysterious atmosphere. The region is not that easy to get to by public transport. But Huedin, the border town to the region, is quite well connected to the rest of Romania by train.
Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve
The Romanian Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe after the Volga Delta. It is made up of countless lakes and river arms and in the area where the Danube flows into the Black Sea. The Danube Delta, which extends over an area of around 5,000 km², is the largest closed reed area in the world and the habitat of more than 1,000 plant and 4,000 animal species. In 1991, UNESCO declared parts of the Danube Delta a World Heritage Site. Today the area is a biosphere reserve and a magnet for tourists.
Young forest in Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
This forest area represents a traditional recreational area for the residents of Sibiu. In 1928 the first zoo in Romania was founded here.
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains, Romania’s best-known and largest high mountains, stretch through Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe and, in addition to Romania, also belong to Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The High Tatras represent the highest massif in the Carpathians, while the Făgăraş massif (Eng. Fagaras Mountains) is home to Romania’s highest mountain, the 2,544 meter high Moldoveanu peak.
Mărginimea Sibiului near Hermannstadt (Sibiu)
This “Hermannstadt outskirts” is a region of Transylvania, which extends south and southwest of Sibiu at the foot of the Zibins Mountains (Cindrel). It is considered to be one of the most traditional Romanian regions, which can be seen in the village architecture and rural customs (costumes etc.). A visit is also worthwhile because of the wonderful nature.
Retezat National Park
The Retezat Mountains, called Munţii Retezat in Romanian, are the western part of the Southern Carpathians. Since 1935 it has been a Romanian national park, which is the oldest national park in the Carpathians. The much-visited area is very well developed for tourism: In addition to a wide range of well-marked hiking trails, there are also many campsites.
Nature reserve of the mud volcanoes
The nature reserve of the mud volcanoes near Berca offers a unique backdrop. Petroleum gases, which have formed small craters and up to 4 m high miniature volcanoes, in which the mud is constantly gurgling in motion, escape from the clay-like soil.
Transylvania
Transylvania is not just a region of Romania that has a multitude of picturesque medieval cities and a wide range of different peoples. The landscape of Transylvania was shaped by the Carpathian Mountains, so that visitors can also experience a varied landscape. If you decide to hike in the Transylvanian Mountains, there are extensive hiking trails and a whole range of mountain huts available.
Valea Hartibaciului (Harbachtal)
The Harbachtal, with all its valleys and plateaus, is the center of the Harbach plateau. In terms of infrastructure, it is still more of a challenge for tourists, but because of the wonderful impressions it is definitely worth seeing. Important Romanian cities such as Sibiu (Hermannstadt) and Sighişoara (Schäßburg) are also located in the Harbachtal.
Romania: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (1991)
The biosphere reserve at the mouth of the Danube consists of a myriad of islands and swamps. It is one of the largest biosphere reserves in Europe. The animal world is correspondingly diverse. About 300 species of birds are native here, but also many species of fish. And there is even the rare sturgeon, whose roe makes the much sought-after caviar.
The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve extends over 2,000 km downstream of the Danube. It consists of four main arms and several side arms and there are floating islands, lakes, floodplain forests and dry habitats. Ovid already mentions the mouth of the Danube in 8 AD in his Metamorphoses.
At 5,000 km², the Danube Delta is the largest wetland in Europe and is home to more than 4,000 animal species and over 1,000 plant species, such as herons, Europe’s last Dalmatian pelicans, spoonbills and ibis and red-footed falcons. At Chilia there are still wolves, foxes and wild cats.
UNESCO declared the delta a World Heritage Site in 1991 and the governments of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine committed to protecting the wetlands. The reserve was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.
Horezu Monastery (1993)
The Horezu Monastery was built in the 17th century in Wallachia in southern Romania. Prince Constantin Brincoveanu was the founder of the large monastery complex. Inside the church is painted with magnificent Byzantine frescoes. The exterior of the complex is kept rather simple in the style of the Northern Italian Renaissance. The combination of the two styles is also called the “Brincovan style”.
The monastery was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993.
Villages and fortified churches in Transylvania (Transylvania) (1993,1999)
The fortified churches in Transylvania were used by the Transylvanian Saxons as protection against the Turks in the 14th-16th centuries. Century built. The Transylvanian Saxons were settled as human shields by the Hungarian King Gesa II in Transylvania, the land behind the forests. The Transylvanian Saxons were of Protestant faith and, true to the Reformation song “A strong castle is our God”, had to convert their fortified churches into fortified churches in order to withstand the attacks of the Mongols and Turks.
The fortified churches in Biertan, Viscri, Prejmer, Dârjiu, Saschiz, Câlnic and Valea Viilor are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The most magnificent fortified church is in Biertan. However, the region is peppered with numerous other picturesque fortified churches. For example, not far from Biertan, there is the small, idyllically situated church castle Copsa Mare.
The villages and fortified churches in Transylvania were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993 and further expanded in 1999.
Painted churches in northern Vltava, Church of the Resurrection of the Suceviţa Monastery (1993, 2010)
The Moldavian monasteries are among the most famous buildings in Romania. The churches are decorated with colorful frescoes on the outside. Since the believers did not all fit into the churches, people started painting the outside of the church with scenes from the Bible.
The monastery churches on the Vltava are therefore characterized by their brightly painted exterior facades. These are still largely intact and colorful – with the exception of the north side of the churches. Another characteristic of the churches are their wide roofs covered with wooden shingles. The monasteries were built in the vicinity of the former capital of Moldova, Suceava.
The location of the monastery complex is said to have been determined by shooting three arrows which determined the position of the fountain, the bell tower and the altar. The monasteries were donated out of gratitude for the victories against the Turks and Mongols. The seven monastery churches in Sucevita, Humor, Arbore, Voronet, Moldovita, Probota and Patrauti belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The churches were painted around 1530-1600. The first painted church was the Convent Church of Humor. The church of Voronet is famous for its intense colors and especially the blue. The church of Arbore was decorated with particularly valuable paintings in 1541.
The painted churches were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993 and expanded to include the Church of the Resurrection of the Suceviţa Monastery in 2010.
Wooden churches of Maramures (Marmarosch) (1999)
The wooden churches in Maramures have their own special charm. Maramures is still one of the most pristine regions of Romania today – and the eight UNESCO World Heritage churches have preserved their originality.
The churches were built in the 16th-18th centuries. built. Since the Orthodox Christians were not allowed to build their houses of worship out of stone, the churches with the tall and slender church towers were built out of wood.
The churches, which appear simple from the outside, are inside, according to the Orthodox tradition, covered over and over with “frescoes”, which were applied directly to the wooden ceilings and walls.
The interior of the church is also decorated with colorful embroidery from the region.
The churches in Şurdeşti (1766),
Deseşti (1770),
Bârsana (1720),
Budeşti (1643),
Leud (middle of the 18th century),
Plopiş (1796/98),
Poienile Izei (1604) belong to the UNESCO world cultural sites. and
Rogoz (1663).
The wooden churches were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999.
Historic center of Sighisoara (Schäßburg) (1999)
Sighisoara, the former Sighisoara, is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Romania. Schäßburg was once the political center of Transylvania and was founded in the 12th century as the sixth of a total of seven German castles as “castrum sex”. Today the city is better known for the house of Count Dracula.
The city fortifications with their 14 defense towers are still completely preserved today. The wooden-covered staircase, the so-called student staircase from 1645, which connects the town with the mountain school and mountain church, is particularly worth seeing.
The Historic Center of Sighisoara was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999.
Draker fortifications in the mountains of Orastie (Broos) (1999)
The Draker fortresses were built in the 1st century BC. Erected in the mountains of the Transylvanian city of Orastie. The Draker tribe of the Trakis had been a tribe since the 5th century BC. Christ resident in the western swarming sea area. The fortifications were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999.
Old beech forests and primeval beech forests (2017)
The ancient beech forests of the Carpathian Mountains (Slovakia) and other regions of Europe were added to the list of UNESCO natural heritage sites in 2007. The Carpathian Mountains extend primarily over Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania.
In 2011, the natural heritage was expanded to include five beech forest areas in Germany. The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is only native to Europe and is of particular importance for the European temperate deciduous forests.
In July 2017, at the UNESCO meeting in Krakow in Poland, the world heritage was expanded by 63 areas in 10 countries, namely in Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Ukraine.