Top 3 Places to Visit in Romania

Romania is a country hidden at the outskirts of Europe. And for a long time it was forgotten by travelers, despite the host of wonderful sights and natural wonders it has. Freed from the Communist rule almost three decades ago, the country is slowly returning to the tourist circuit, catching up with the more popular destinations of the Old World.

Romania is a unique combination of cultures and traditions. It is a melting pot of Western traditions and influences from the East, best observed if you look at the architecture of its cities in East and West. But it has an incredibly diverse wildlife as well – it has all possible habitats (no deserts, though), each with its specific flora and fauna.

The cities in Romania have caught up with what they missed in the decades of Communist rule. For a while it was the European country with the fastest broadband internet connections, and its mobile broadband coverage is also amazing: you can browse the web, play at the all slots online casino or update your Facebook status virtually anywhere in the country.

Nature loving travelers will find an incredible variety of wildlife – especially birds – in Romania’s famous Danube Delta. The largest river delta in the European Union, it is home to thousands of animal and bird species, and it’s mostly untouched by civilization. Visitors can explore not only the wilderness of the delta, but also the traditional ways of life of the villagers living in the area.

The mountains of Romania are worth mentioning, too. Covered in mostly untouched forests, they are home to a series of animal species Westerners mostly only see in zoos. Brown bears and wolves are roaming free in these forests, sometimes venturing into the mountain cities of the country (like Brasov, for example) to find a quick snack in the city’s trash bins. Romania has the largest population of carpathian lynx, and numerous other species. And its forests and fields are full of grouses and pheasants, too.

Finally, history lovers will find an endless row of medieval castles and monasteries to explore. Again, there are differences between East and West here. The North-Western and Central part of the country was for a long time under a strong Western influence, making catholicism the dominant religion. Most towns in these areas have catholic churches, basilicas and monasteries, and often palaces inspired by the Western style (like the Baroque Palace in Oradea). In the East most churches and monasteries are Orthodox, with their unique visual style and architectural solutions. Besides, the country holds one of the few inhabited medieval castles in Europe, which is also worth a look.