Wednesday, April 09, 2014

3 Things To Know About Romania.

Romania is one of those countries that gets forgotten.

Most people have to look up where Romania is on a map. I sure did when I realized I was going to spend two weeks exploring it.  I would have never even considered Romania a country to visit if we didn't have friends living there. And that's a shame, really.

I had very few expectations about Romania, mostly because I knew little to nothing about it before leaving. That might have actually been good, because it allowed me to be awed and excited about everything I saw and learned along the way!

Here's 3 things I took away from Romania.

#1: A recovering people.


Cities and their people are still recovering from communism's heavy hand. These big cement apartment blocks stand all over Romania. Many are dilapidated, but still used as apartments, shops, or business offices. However, we were warmly welcomed into Romania by the local people we had the pleasure of crossing paths with. In the photo you'll also see the gorgeous Carpathian mountains, shining natural beauty through the country.



#2: Get out and explore Romania!




Since the Carpathian Mountains run through Romania, there's so many opportunities for outdoor adventures. We had adventures above and below the mountains: hiking, climbing, and caving. Thanks to our outdoor enthusiast friends and hosts, I think we got a real feel for what natural adventures Romania has hidden away.



#3: History in Castles.





I learned to love the history of Romania, and Europe in general. Here in the US, our oldest buildings or stories go back only so far, while Romania's history is ancient and intricate, and it's buildings tell the tales. One of my favorite parts of our vacation was traveling the country to explore castles. Real life castles. I felt I was in a storybook of some sort. We saw Bran, Pelesh, and Hunedoara Castles, plus several citadels and fortresses. [America needs more citadels in my humble opinion.]

So, although Romania is not Paris, or Rome, or Venice - it should not be ignored as a beautiful vacation spot, adventure destination, or home.

We would like to know: Have any of you readers ever been to Romania? Feel free to share your favorite "forgotten" adventure locations.


1 comment:

  1. No I have never been to Romania and my guess is that I never will have the opportunity so visit it.. So any info you share with us, is probably all I'll ever know about that great country. Love your pics and your interesting insights!

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