Bran castle

Map of Romania

ROMANIA

Romania is the perfect land of contrasts and paradoxes: the country of Constantin Brancusi, Eugene Ionesco, Emil Cioran, Mircea Eliade and Nadia Comaneci, but also of Dracula and Nicolae Ceausescu. The old world of Romania is a vast museum of ancient and medieval heritage and still alive even if only through its famous painted churches and monasteries, its folk art, or its majestic castles in the Carpathian Mountains. The new world of Romania may be embodied by the Parliament Palace and the subway network in Bucharest (the cheapest metropolis in Europe), or by the Western styles of life adopted by Romania's townsfolk. For the traveller Romania offers many things.

The opportunity to see wonderful places (great beaches, sea and delta, but also breathtaking mountains for hiking, wildlife and cheap skiing), to meet wonderful people, to experience the last frontier-land in Europe. Experience the medical travel in Romania! From transforming rejuvenation therapies to treatments that address chronic disorders. Our resorts and spas promote lasting benefits for a lifetime of health, vitality and well-being. Believe that true wellness is achieved by balancing mind, body and spirit and come to visit Romania! If you are looking for mysteries you can find them on all aver the Romanian territory. Any place you choose you will find there the traditional combined with the modernism. So, let's find out together the archaic and the historical province's myth of Romania!

ALBA IULIA

Former Dacian fortress of Apoulon in the times of the Roman conquest renamed Apulum. In the 9th nd 10th centuries it was a fortified center named Balgrad (the White Citadel). Conquered by Hungarians became the capital city of Transylvania. On November 1, 1599 the town received the Prince Michael the Brave who proclaimed himself "ruling prince of Wallahia, Transylvania and the whole of Moldova", achieving for a short time, the political unification of the three Romanian countries. On December 1, 1918 it was at Alba Iulia that the assembly of Transylvania decided upon the unification of Transylvania and Romania.

Alba Iulia Citadel

Built by order of Emperor Charles VI of Austria, after the plans of Giovanni Morando Viscontiu, an Italian engineer, and took 24 years to built (1715-1738) and the labor of 20,000 serfs. It has a very impressive baroque style.

Princely Palace

Erected at the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th centuries, to be the seat of the Roman-Catholic bishopric of Transylvania. In the 16th century it became the residence of the princes of Transylvania and usually housed assembles of the diets.

Roman–Catholic Cathedral

Built in the later half o f the 13th century on the site of a Romanic basilica, destroyed during the invasion of the Tatars (1241). The cathedral acquired features of different styles: a Gothic altar, or in Gothic style. Here are the sarcophagi in Romanic style, of Iancu de Hunedoara (1456) and of a few members of his family, that of queen Isabelle (1559) and of her son John Sigistmund (1571), the first prince of Transylvania.

Greek–Orthodox Cathedral

It was built in 1921 – 1922, in a style of a princely church of Targoviste.

Unification Department

Where on December 1 1918, was signed the deed proclaiming the unification of Transylvania and Romania. The exhibition illustrates the countless relations that existed between the three Romanian lands, Wallachia, Moldova and Transylvania in the economic, cultural and military fields, and their aspiration for unification.

BAIA MARE

An old mining town, its existence is proved by documents from the 13th century. Even today certain vestiges of the old citadel of Baia Mare are still to be seen. In the 16th century the town and the mines around it were the property of the Hunedoresti family. Today Baia Mare is a municipal town, seat of Maramures County.

Mineralogical Museum

It has a collection of interesting and unique minerals.

Sapanta – Merry Cemetery

A unique site amazes through its wooden crosses painted by the folk artists Ioann Stan Patras. In 1935 he started carving in wood the deceased people's biography, in humorous rhymes, describing their defects, qualities, dreams and failures. He died in 1977 but before that he had carved his own cross to continue bearing his shadow on earth.

BUCHAREST

Municipality 226 square kilometers (divided into 6 administrative districts) with a population of over two million inhabitants, crossed by the Dambovita river. The tradition connects the founding of Bucharest with the name of Bucur who was a shepherd according to the legend. Is doubtless the fact that his name is of a Thracian-Geto-Dacian origin. The name of Bucharest (Bucuresti) remembers the word "bucurie" (joy) and it had decades of gladness, greatness and sorrow, too.

Historical facts

• 1701 -1702 the first "hospital" was built by Mihai Cantacuzino in the Coltea Monastery
• 1857 – architect Alexandru Orascu built the Palace of Academy – the future University
• 1861 – Bucharest has gas lamps, before Paris or Berlin
• 1864 – Townhall was founded by low
• 1871 – the streets lighting with coal gas was installed
• 1871 - first tramcar started to run and the horse trams in 1872
• since the 15th century Lipascani Street was inhabited and in a document of 1589 it's mentioned as main commercial and handicraft street of the town
• second half of the 19th century and early 20th century, important building are built: the National Bank (1883-1885), the Firemen's Tower (Foisorul de foc – 1892 – 1893), the Romanian Academy (1890), the Justice Palace (1890-1895), "Gheorghe Lazar" Lycee (1890), the Northern Railway Station (1868 – 1872), the Parliament Palace on the Hill of Metropolitan Church (1907), "Grigore Antipa" Museum (1908)

Situated in the South of the country, in the Romanian Plain it dates from the 14th century (originally called Dambovita Citadel) and is recorded in writing for the first time in 1459 as residence of Prince Vlad Tepes (the Impaler), who settled here his Princely Court. Capital of Wallachia in the 17th-19th centuries, then of Romania since 1862.

Bucharest is the main industrial center of Romania: machine construction industry, technological equipment, chemical industry, plastics industry, semiconductors, computers, planets, lorries, tyres, wood industry, agricultural equipment, food industry, pharmaceutical industry, clothing industry, textures, leather items, cosmetics.

Continuing the 17th century St.Sava Royal Academy is the University of Bucharest since 1864.

Arch of Triumph

Temporarily erected in wood and stucco (1922) to celebrate the victory of the Romanian Army in the First World War, and finally built of armed concrete, marble and granite.

Cotroceni National Museum

This museum was inaugurated in 1991 in the old wing of Cotroceni Palace, built on a historical site. Once, here there was a monastery dedicated to God by Serban Cantacuzino, as a sign of gratitude for having escaped alive from a trying circumstance. Later, in 1893 a palace sprang up which the future king Ferdinand gave as a gift to his young wife, Marie. Today this architectural complex houses the residence of the Romanian president and the museum which preserves the air of the old monastic cells, displaying collections recalling the epoch of the 17trh century as well as that of the royal court between the years 1891 – 1947.

Manuc's Inn

Situated near the Curtea Veche (Old Princely Court) it exists from the first half of the 19th century. It is impressive by its proportions (it occupies almost a hectare), by the great number of the stables for horses and the rooms for travelers, by the original and picturesque aspect seen in the fair days. A hotel, a restaurant, a wine cellar with interiors evoking the old times, remake the archaic atmosphere of Bucharest in 1800.

Museum of the Romanian Peasant

This museum is part of the large family of the European Museums of Folk Arts and Traditions. It is placed in a historical monument building (new Romanian style) its original poetics development in the relation to the object was one of the reason why the museum was awarded with the EMYA – European Museum of the Year Award. The present monument of architecture sheltering the Museum of the Romanian Peasant was inaugurated in 1941.

Museum of Fine Arts

Opened in 1948 this museum owns the country's major national and international art treasures. It is housed in the former royal palace, an impressive neo-classical building. The old royal palace took its present shape in the reign of King Carol I (1866-1914), from the plans by the French architect Paul Gottereau. The first conversions and extensions were undertaken between 1933 and 1940, planned by the architect N. Nenciulescu who also dealt with the national properties of the Romanian monarchy. Between 1948 and 1960 a group of architects was given the task of converting the palace into a museum and the seat of the Council of Ministers. During the building and restoration work the French style of the façade was preserved. In the early 1990s the entire building was given over to the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Old Princely Court

The town was situated on the left bank of the Dambovita River. Medieval fortification from the 14th century sent the evidence of the existence of the town to the reign of Mircea the Old (1386-1418). Very soon, this edifice was reconstructed in the form it had in the years when it served as residence of Wallachian princes becoming one of the most original points of interest of the Capital. In the vicinity, Mircea Ciobanul (1545-1554 and 1558–1559) erected the Curtea Veche Church, the oldest church preserved in Bucharest.

Palace of the Parliament

Built by Ceusescu between 1984 – 1989, second largest building in the world after Pentagon in Washington D.C. (high 86m and another 25m below the ground; 60,000m2 in area, hundreds of offices, halls for receptions).

The Patriarchal Cathedral

Romanian Atheneum

It is a stunningly beautiful, domed building of Bucharest's most venerable cultural institutions. Constructed in 1888 with funds raised by public subscription, it became a center for conferences, concerts and exhibitions. Today it is the home of the George Enescu National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Village Museum

In 1936 by inaugurating the Museum of the Romanian Village, the first open air exhibition synthesis of the old Romanian folk culture and civilization was realized in our country. It contains peasant households with their complete inventory illustrating the village universe in all regions of Romania. Over 65 cottages, farmsteads, churches, workshops, water mills and roadside crosses from all over the country give you a fair image how Romania's rural folk live.

Buftea

Commune situated about 22 km North from Bucharest where one can see the Stirbei Palace, built by the ruling prince Barbu Stibei (1849-1853).

Caldarusani

Belonging to a commune situated 40 km north to Bucharest this place shelters a monastery. It was founded by ruling prince Matei Basarab (1623 – 1654). The monastery was founded in 1638 and had an important cultural role as a famous monk of the time spent his life here writing and translating books.

Mogosoaia

Commune, 15km northwest of the capital. Here in 1702 on the shore of the lake the ruling prince Constantin Brancoveanu built an elegant palace, combining elements of Romanian traditional architecture and those of Italian architecture. The complex is surrounded by a park with age-old trees.

Snagov

Commune situated at 35 km north of the capital. It is one of the most favorite leisure spots: lake (576 hectare large and 18 km long), forest, restaurants and villas. On an island is the Snagov Monastery, dating from the 16th century. The tomb of the famous prince Vlad Tepes – the Impaler – the prototype of Dracula, is believed to be lying there, although there is not complete agreement among historians as to the identity of the skeleton found inside.

Tiganesti

35km north of Bucharest, the convent dates from 1780 surrounded by the forest and the lake Ciolpani.