Romania

Europe, Where Time Stands Still

What to say about Romania? Well traditionally Romania might conjure up images of grand gothic castles and vampires, but I can assure you modern Romania is a little less spooky. A good deal of gothic literature has found its inspiration in Romania such as ‘The Castle in the Carpathians’ by Jules Verne, and of course ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker and it’s easy to see why, Romania leaves quite am impression, with its rich and diverse history and its modern day accomplishments. Romania is home to some of the first of the modern world, the first European castle and city in Europe to be lit entirely by electricity,
When you think of wine you might not immediately think of Romania, but in fact Romania’s common history with wine started almost 4000 years ago. Today Romania is in number 9 in the world for wine production, boasting some variations of grapes not found anywhere else in the world.

What to Expect

Culture and Traditions

The Romanian language is almost 1700 years old and is spoken by 25 million people. While often thought of as Slavic in route it share more common similarities with French or Italian than Russian. Like the majority of Eastern Europe Romania is traditionally religious, the majority of the country being eastern orthodox Christians. This means that Romania is home to some wonderful churches and cathedrals, including the oldest church still standing, Densus Church was built around 600 AD in Transylvania, and the tallest wooden church in the world.

Weather and Climate

Romania’s geographical location means that it has a moderately temperate climate, with four different seasons. Romanian springs offer warm days with cool mornings and nights while summer offers long hot days. The lowlands are the hottest areas in the summer in the eastern and southern part of the country and can reach 38°C. Mountainous areas are often experience cooler temperatures and winters can be cold and snowfall not an uncommon sight.

Geography

Romania is the largest country in the south-eastern part of Europe. With an area of 92,000 square miles it is roughly the same size as the UK. The Carpathian Mountains cross Romania from the north to the southwest of the country, the highest peak in the mountain range measures 8346 ft. The Carpathian Mountains are also home to one of the largest undisturbed forests in Europe, with over 400 unique species of mammals in this habitat.
Romania is also home to the Danube delta a part of the Danube River that runs off through Romania. The delta is also the largest uninterrupted marshland in Europe and, like the Carpathians, offers a huge range of biodiversity and wildlife.