Romania get there. About Romania. Romania weather map

Description

Romania is one of the most mysterious and picturesque countries in Europe; tours to Romania are not so popular, but interesting; there is something to see in Romania! Everything around is saturated with the spirit of the Middle Ages: from ancient cobbled streets to mysterious forests. No country is more associated with vampires than Romania. Vampires occupy an important place in the folklore traditions of this land. Her reputation was established by Bram Stoker. His novel Dracula took place in Transylvania.

Geographical position

Romania is located in southeastern Europe. It borders with Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia. Country area is 237.5 thousand sq. km.

Climate

Romania has a temperate continental climate, with a maritime climate prevailing in the east. The average temperature in January is from 0 to -5, in July from +20 to +23.

Resorts

Cap Aurora

The youngest seaside resort on the Romanian coast. The coast consists of a large number of cozy coves where you can retire for relaxing swimming and relaxation. If the sea is rough, the water on the large sandy beaches becomes cloudy, and then the sheltered bays of Cap Aurora become the most popular destination. Despite its small size, the Cap Aurora resort offers a variety of activities. These include sports grounds, tennis courts, and entertainment facilities.

Venus

A picturesque seaside resort in Romania. Pleasant and refreshing sea breezes, white beaches with fine sand, and an abundance of greenery will create a pleasant atmosphere for relaxation. The value of the resort is the presence of thermal waters on the shores of Lake Mangalia. In addition, the resort is home to a lot of birds that you can admire, and you can also go fishing

Mom, I

A popular beach resort on the Romanian Black Sea coast. Mamaia has an excellent wide beach with fine golden sand, the width of the beach is about 100 meters, the length is about 8 kilometers, the hotels are located right next to the sea. There are special treatment centers offering healing courses using sapropel mud and rejuvenation preparations. Mamaia often hosts folklore, music festivals and entertainment events.

Neptune - Olympus

The Neptune-Olympus resort was created on the territory of the Komorova forest adjacent to the coast. Mixed coniferous and deciduous trees and an abundance of ozone create an atmosphere here that is ideal for relaxation and wellness. One of the undeniable advantages of Neptune and Olympus is the opportunity to combine a beach holiday with balneological treatment. The resort has medical and health complexes equipped with modern physiotherapy, cosmetology and diagnostic equipment.

Saturn

Saturn is a Romanian beach resort located on the Black Sea coast. It is located 42 km from Constanta and one kilometer from Mangalia. The golden sandy beaches of this resort have healing properties, and the mineral springs of Mangalia are almost nearby, so here you can not only relax, but also heal.

Jupiter

One of the famous resorts on the coast of Romania, which is located 40 km from the city of Constanta. A wonderful sandy beach is located along a picturesque bay. The resort is adjacent to the Komorova forest, thanks to which it is distinguished by an abundance of greenery and unusually clean air. The Komorow Forest provides excellent opportunities for recreational walks, walking and cycling. In the center of the resort there is an artificial lake called Tisman, around which there are places of recreation and entertainment.

Ephoria Nord

The second largest health resort in Romania, the Eforia Nord resort is known not only in its own country, but also far beyond its borders. Treatment here is based on the use of sapropel mud, which is extracted from Lake Techirghiol. They are used to treat gynecological diseases, metabolic and skin diseases, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. There are many attractions around, both historical and natural. These are the Murfatlar vineyard, the remains of the Callatis fortress, the Istrian fortress, the Genoese lighthouse, and the Mangalia stud farm.

Kitchen

Romanian cuisine is incredibly varied and delicious. Corn and dishes made from it are a kind of “calling card” of the country. In all provinces, it is traditional to have mamaliga with cheese on the table every day. Meat is actively used in Romanian cuisine. It is combined in every possible way, both with hominy and vegetables. Romanians prefer poultry and veal, although, for example, lamb is very widely used in Transylvanian cooking. Fish and snails are also quite common on the table. National Romanian cuisine is replete with a variety of vegetable soups and broths. But the most popular first course is sour stew - chorbi. Romanians eat a lot of fruits and melons - watermelons, melons, pumpkins. Grape wines are widely used among drinks. Throughout the country, especially in cities, people drink a lot of coffee.

Population

Population - approximately 28.5 million people. Romanians 89.5%, Hungarians 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Germans 0.3%, Ukrainians 0.3%, Russians 0.2%, Turks 0.2%, Tatars 0.1%, Serbs 0 .1%, Slovaks 0.1% Other nationalities: Bulgarians, Croats, Jews, Czechs, Armenians, Italians.

Religion

The official religion is Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christians 86.7%, Catholics 4.7%, Greek Catholics 0.9%, Muslims 0.3%, others 7.4%

Language

The official language is Romanian. Hungarian and German are also used.

Time

Greenwich Mean (GMT +3) in summer and (GMT +2) in winter. It is 1 hour behind Moscow time.

Currency

The monetary unit in Romania is the leu (RON). Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks or at specialized exchange offices located in hotels, train stations, airports, some supermarkets and on the main streets of cities.

Visa

Citizens of Russia and the CIS require a visa to enter Romania.

Transport

Public transport in Bucharest is represented by modern buses, trolleybuses, trams and metro. The Bucharest metro connects the city center with the outskirts. The metro has three lines. Flights operate from Bucharest to all major cities in the country. The basis of the Romanian transport system is railway transport. Ferry crossings operate. Basically, only small passenger vessels (boats, boats) use the rivers.

Official holidays and weekends

• January 1-2 - New Year.
• April-May - Easter and Easter Monday.
• May 1 - Labor Day.
• December 1 is the Day of the Unification of Romania and Transylvania.
• December 25-26 - Christmas.

Tours to Romania from a tour operator

On our website you can choose and buy a suitable excursion tour to Romania or Transylvania

Romania is a beautiful country with picturesque nature and amazing sights that tourists from all over the world crave to see. Here are the Carpathian Mountains, the Black Sea, clean air, springs, the Danube River, and, of course, impressive architectural structures. And everyone who goes to journey in Romania, will be able to learn more about unusual folk rituals, gypsy customs and Count Dracula.

The culture of this mysterious country is a mixture of gypsy folklore, amazing hospitality, multilingual dialect and an alliance of several religions.

The best cities and attractions in Romania

One of the most popular and attractive cities is. In “little Paris,” as locals often call it, the past and the present are intertwined, and in some areas tourists have the feeling that they have found themselves in Western medieval Europe. The capital has an active day and night life, there are many restaurants and cafes, prices which will pleasantly surprise you and often hosts various events and holidays.

Another tourist city is, which is considered the heart of Transylvania. Now this is one of the most visited places in Eastern Europe: the infrastructure is well developed, but there are no modern entertainment areas, since they do not fit into the architectural style of ancient Brasov. The most famous local attraction is the Black Temple, created in the Gothic style.

Among the numerous ski resorts in Romania, it is worth highlighting. These places are perfect for active winter recreation: mountains over 2000 meters high, excellent trails, gentle and steep descents. The city is also called the eco-capital of the country, because on its territory there is a national natural monument - Bucegi Park.

Of the popular attractions in Romania, travelers highlight , , - all of them are located in Bucharest. It is impossible not to mention Dracula's castle in Transylvania, in the town of Bran, which has already become the calling card of the country. But in Sinai you can visit Peles Castle, the summer residence of the Romanian kings.

When is the best time to go to Romania?

If it turns up travel package You should go to this wonderful country from the end of April to the beginning of July or from the end of August to the end of October, because this is the best time to explore Romanian cities. The air temperature in these months is the most comfortable. There are many festivals in July and August, but the weather is hot. Those who want to ski should consider January and February for a trip.

About security

Romania is the calmest country of the former USSR. Sociable and friendly people live here who are happy to communicate with tourists and share important information. In cities you can walk at night without any problems - there is practically no hooliganism. Bucharest is much safer than most European capitals. Petty thefts almost never happen near attractions. There are also no huge numbers of gypsies in the country pestering travelers.

Of all the countries in Europe, Romania can be called the most diverse, budget-friendly and beauty-rich country. The birthplace of the most famous and bloodthirsty villain - Dracula, excellent seaside resorts, a wonderful place for skiing, a gastronomic paradise. All these advantages are slightly spoiled by the fact that Romania is the poorest European country. You should not expect miracles from the service and level of hotels, you should not expect the ideal condition of roads and developed tourist infrastructure. However, there will certainly be vivid impressions and a wonderful healing climate, as well as delicacies and mysterious stories.

Visa, insurance and other formalities

Romania is an EU country, but has not joined the Schengen Agreement. A visa for tourists from Russia is required. It costs 35 euros (provided that you do the registration yourself). Along with the application form and passport, you must submit a hotel reservation, return ticket, and a bank statement proving that you have the necessary funds for travel (at least 50 euros for one day). Sometimes consulates may require a certificate from your place of work indicating your position and monthly income. This requirement does not always apply, but it is necessary to prepare this document.

You can apply for a visa at the Romanian consulate or at visa centers (paying extra for services). You can entrust the hassle of obtaining a Romanian visa to a travel company, but then the price of the coveted sticker will increase by 100%, or even more.

You definitely need to be insured; it is better to purchase insurance yourself from any company. The main thing is that the total sum insured is not less than 80,000 euros.

Road

The most convenient way to get to the Romanian capital is by plane. A round-trip ticket will cost 170 euros (the cheapest tickets are offered by Aeroflot). A direct flight from Moscow to Bucharest lasts two and a half hours.

The train to Bucharest from Moscow takes 24 hours and another 12 hours. It runs only during the tourist season (May-September), and the ticket price is practically the same as an air ticket (from 155 euros).

You can get to Bucharest from Chisinau by bus (the journey takes 9 hours, a round trip ticket costs 40 euros). And by train - from Lviv (11 hours travel, 35 euros one way).

Hotels

A day in a hostel in the center of Bucharest will cost 7-9 euros. A modest hotel on the outskirts of the city at *** level will cost 12-15 euros/day. In the center, a double room with breakfast will cost 25-30 euros.

In the Romanian provinces, especially in the towns most beloved by tourists, an overnight stay will cost the same amount. A modest hotel on a quiet street in the city of Sibiu welcomes guests in double rooms for 20 euros/day.

A popular place to stay in Romania is the family home. Tourists are provided with a room with all amenities, breakfast included. You can ask the owners for full board. A day in such an establishment costs from 25 euros. But if you stay here for several days, a significant discount is provided. This option is suitable for a large family or a youth group.

Where and how to eat?

Traditional breakfast in a street cafe (coffee, pastries or sandwich) - 2-3 euros. Lunch in a restaurant - 10-12 euros. Dinner in a traditional Romanian tavern - from 7 euros (with wine - from 10 euros). In Romania there is a very big difference in prices between cafes for tourists and those for local residents. It is worth choosing a cafe or restaurant for Romanians. The food there will be just as tasty, but the bill will be several times less. A visit to a traditional tavern is enough to enjoy the local flavor.

If you choose an apartment and provide your own meals, your daily diet will cost 7-10 euros/day, it all depends on your gastronomic preferences. It is better to buy products at the market, here you can bargain.

You should try corn porridge - mamalyga, chorba with meat, stuffed tomatoes. These dishes are offered to tourists in traditional restaurants.

Where to visit? What to see?

Tourists come to Romania to relax by the sea in the summer, ski in the winter, see castles and wine cellars in the fall, and receive treatment at numerous balneological resorts in the spring. It doesn’t often happen that the capital of a country is poorer in attractions than the province. In the case of Romania, this is exactly the case. You can live in Bucharest for two days and no more. The main tourist treasures are kept in cities such as Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Sinaia. Let's consider all the possibilities for tourists who decide to visit Romania.

Dracula's Castle and other historical sites

The history of Romania is replete with bloody wars, internal strife and constant conflicts with its neighbors. The main reminder of this is the numerous castles fortified with impenetrable walls, ditches and drawbridges. Among all this diversity, a place stands out for which most tourists come to the country.

Dracul means “dragon” in Romanian. The nickname of the ruler Vlad the Impaler is associated with his cruelty. Only specialists and schoolchildren would know about this personality from textbooks. But Bram Stoker's novel changed everything. For more than a hundred years, tourists have been coming to Romania to visit the castle of the bloodsucking count. There is a medieval museum inside. For many, it will be a disappointment that the famous Dracula spent only one night here, but the majority of tourists do not care too much about this.

Dracula Bran Castle is located in the vicinity of Brasov, 30 kilometers from its center. The town can be reached by train from Bucharest (the journey takes 2.5 hours, a ticket costs 10 euros one way). From Brasov we go by bus (40 minutes journey, ticket - 1.60 euros one way).

The entrance ticket to Bran Castle costs 6.80 euros.

Particular attention should be paid to the souvenir market, which is located in front of the castle. The variety of souvenirs on the theme of “blood-sucking” is simply amazing, as are the prices for these same souvenirs.

A trip to Brasov will be interesting not only because of the Bran Castle, as the town itself is interesting for tourists: narrow medieval streets, coffee shops, ancient churches, a mixture of architectural styles.

Other royal castles of Romania are nearby: Poenari, Peles and Pelisor. But it is better to visit them as part of a tourist group, so as not to waste time on transfers and waiting for public transport. Such an excursion will cost 50 euros if you buy it at a travel agency in Bucharest or Constanta. A trip to the castles of Romania is the most popular tour that will be of interest to even the youngest travelers.

Tourists are offered numerous “Dracula tours” with an individual Russian-speaking guide. The cost of such a tour (duration 6 days), including meals and accommodation, starts from 350 euros per person.

Black Sea resorts

Almost three hundred kilometers of the Black Sea coast, which belong to Romania, are dotted with sanatoriums, hotels, beaches, water parks and other tourist delights. The climate here is the same as in, but the service and opportunities are completely different. Low prices for holidays also attract tourists.

Romanian beaches are perfectly sandy. The entrance to the sea is gentle, and on the beaches themselves there are sun loungers, umbrellas, and cafes. Public beaches do not look as attractive, but they are much better than domestic ones. Fees for using private beaches can reach up to 5 euros/day.

The resort area is not happy with the prices. A place in a city hotel will cost 40 euros/day.

The average bill in a restaurant is 18-20 euros (two courses and a glass of wine).

A holiday in the resort town of Mamaia will cost less. Overnight stay in a villa - no more than 20 euros/day. But the room must be booked in winter.

Mamaia's entertainment includes water parks (day ticket - 14 euros, children 7 euros), a dolphinarium and an aquarium (ticket 2.50 euros to each establishment), numerous amusement parks, etc.

In Mamaia you can take a course of mud therapy. Local healing muds are well known throughout the world. People come here to relieve diabetes, normalize metabolism, lose weight, and get rid of skin and nervous diseases. In medical centers on the Black Sea coast of Romania, you can undergo a course of treatment (6 days and 12 treatment procedures - from 160 euros per person).

The whole world comes to Romanian resorts for rejuvenation. Local mineral waters and mud work wonders. Rejuvenating treatments (baths, massages, inhalations, masks, etc.) can be purchased individually, or in one package (from 250 euros per person).

Ski resorts

Romania is a mountainous country. For ski lovers, there is an excellent selection of resorts:

• Poiana Brasov - next to Dracula's castle. Perfect for inexperienced skiers and families with children. The slopes are gentle, there are many sledding hills. Among the shortcomings - there are few restaurants and cafes;
• Sinaia is an hour's drive from Brasov. The infrastructure is well developed, the place is picturesque. There are several hotels in the town. Slopes of varying difficulty levels;
• Azuga is not far from Sinai. The most modern ski resort in Romania. In addition to ideal slopes for skiers of different experience, there are nightclubs, entertainment centers, wine cellars, etc.

Accommodation in local hotels - from 25 euros for a double room.

The average bill in mountain restaurants and cafes is 15 euros (dinner with wine).

A one-day “ski passport” to the resorts of Romania will cost a tourist 32 euros (88 euros for 4 days). Children's "passports" cost half as much. The ski season starts in December and ends in mid-March.

We also recommend reading the article. From it you will learn what the cheapest ski resorts are in Eastern Europe and Russia, including: Harrachov, Kopaonik, Abzakovo, Elbrus region and others. The article provides an overview of the most budget-friendly places in Eastern Europe, where prices are 2-3 times cheaper than in the West.

Excursions abroad in Romania

Most often, tourists do not want to travel outside of Romania. The country is self-sufficient, diverse and very interesting. But if your soul requires even more impressions, you can easily get to:

• — it’s better to go from Constanta. Just get to Varna, for example. The excursion will cost 40 euros and will last one day;
• — you can get from Bucharest to by train in 13 hours. One-way ticket - from 96 euros.
the most beautiful castles in Hungary. It provides a detailed description of the best castles in the country, their history and attractions, as well as opening hours and entrance fees.

Traveling outside of Romania is a hassle. The country is not small, and all trips involve additional costs. In addition, such trips do not always bring more vivid impressions than the beauty of Romania.

When to go?

Romania is good all year round. Every season will be interesting. The best time to visit the castles of Transylvania is in autumn or spring. At this time, the Carpathian views are especially charming, and the crowds of tourists are not so numerous.

Ski lovers come to Romania in winter and in the first half of March (the cheapest time!).

Holidays on the Black Sea and mud treatment are summer pleasures. But you can be treated in Carpathian sanatoriums (salt caves, mud and mineral springs) at any time of the year.

Be careful!

Despite its extraordinary attractiveness for tourists, Romania is one of the poorest countries in the EU. Unemployment, lack of investment, low standard of living, Roma diaspora - this list of the country's problems can be continued for a long time. The police here work with full dedication and are trying with all their might to protect tourists from all kinds of scammers and beggars. But the police can't do everything. Travelers should be careful and follow four rules to ensure a carefree and positive holiday:

• keep all documents in the hotel safe, and carry only photocopies with you;
• never carry a wallet in your back pocket and generally try not to let it out of sight;
• do not respond to offers from street vendors and suspicious individuals;
• Do not buy jewelry secondhand.

Be that as it may, Romania is a country for the most vibrant and at the same time budget holiday. Have a nice experience!

We are sharing a ready-made plan for a short trip to Romania: which cities are worth visiting, why minibuses are preferable to trains, where you should stay overnight and what food you should definitely try.

Why Romania?

I was inspired to travel to Romania by friends who repeatedly and enthusiastically described the beauty of the local nature, and the lack of knowledge of Eastern Europe by me personally. At that time, I was a little tired of refined European towns and wanted to plunge into an unknown and slightly wild world, however, without making clear plans and not expecting to experience anything special.

At that time, to my shame, I was not yet familiar with Bram Stoker’s novel, and therefore I enthusiastically read “Dracula” right on the road, moving from city to city. Perhaps largely because of the book traveling with me, Transylvania seemed so bright and atmospheric to me. So, my advice is to re-read the classic, better even before traveling here.

How to get there?

I chose the cheapest option from St. Petersburg to Bucharest - an Air Moldova flight with a 9-hour connection in Chisinau for a leisurely stroll around the capital of Moldova. The one-way flight cost me about €90. I was able to taste Moldovan wine, which is known to be alcoholic, only on the first plane. A couple of days before departure, the airline sadly informed me that the connecting flight was canceled and rescheduled for the next day. I didn’t plan to stay for a day and had already started frantically looking for buses and trains, when suddenly the OneTwoTrip team, from whom I bought the ticket, offered to transfer me without additional payment in 2 hours to a Tarom flight, a local Romanian carrier. So I finally ended up in Bucharest, and now I think that it was for the best: I spent an extra half day in the Romanian capital, which deserves at least three days to get to know it.

Making this trip now, I would probably take advantage of the offer from BlueAir from Helsinki to Bucharest: they can get tickets for € 55.

Our decision to go to Romania was quite spontaneous. At the beginning of summer, when I was leafing through the pages of the “Tourism and Leisure” magazine and dreaming (as in the joke) about another globe, my gaze fell on the “Romania” section. A certain company offered a combined tour: a vacation at sea + a trip to the mountains. It was all called “In the footsteps of Count Dracula.”

Then my daughter and I had the following dialogue:
Me: Shouldn't we go to Romania?
Daughter: Where is it? Is there even a sea there?
I am. Black... And Romania is the birthplace of Dracula.
Daughter: So what? Can I go visit him?!
Me: Dracula's Castle is on the tour program.
Daughter: Mom, act!

In general, we went... As the great Lem said, “in reality, everything is completely different from what it really is.” This is what I really want to tell you about what we actually saw.

So:
Visas. Until recently, Romania was a visa-free country for Russians. Recently, a visa has been needed, but it is issued without any problems - you just fill out a simple form, submit one photograph, and after five working days you receive a visa.

The local currency is lei. As a matter of fact, thousands of lei. One leu roughly corresponds to our ruble before denomination. The current exchange rate is approximately 34,000 lei per dollar, so converting local prices into rubles is very convenient - you just subtract three zeros and a little more from the price in lei. Then, however, you go crazy at the resulting price - everything is so cheap (by our standards).

Safety. The country is quite safe, there are practically no violent crimes. The only place where you need to watch your bags and wallets is the old town in Bucharest (there are a lot of gypsies there). Hotels of any star rating always have free safes, and you shouldn’t leave the balcony door open when you leave the room. I was told that in a nearby hotel, a tourist (Ukrainian) was robbed in our presence - a friend left the balcony open and went to the beach. The documents were later given to him, but the digital camera, cell phone and money were never returned. Well what can I say? This doesn't only happen in Romania...

Sanitation. This is okay. You can eat it anywhere.

Service. The only thing we noticed was that in restaurants, waiters don’t like it when a large group asks for a separate bill for each person. Otherwise, everything is very decent - change is given carefully everywhere, in restaurants there are no Turkish tricks with double menus. Hotels clean and change linen quite regularly (in the three stars where we lived, towels were changed every day, bed linen every three days). Any problems that arise (for example, a light bulb in our room burned out) are resolved quickly and without reminders.

Tips. In hotels (neither maids nor porters) are not provided; in restaurants, as a rule, the waiter brings change, rounded up to 10 thousand lei in his favor. I don’t know about taxis - if we went somewhere outside the program, we used public transport.

Language. Naturally, Romanian. The older generation, when meeting Russians, joyfully tries to remember Russian; young people, as a rule, can communicate in English or (less often) German. The level of English proficiency, it seemed to us, was surprisingly good (we were scared that Romanians don’t know English at all). However, we met a surprising number of English speaking people. Well, okay, there are waiters or salespeople in resort towns, but when in a residential area of ​​Bucharest in a store “for our own”, the cashier smartly spoke to us in English... Maybe we were just so lucky - I don’t know.

Romanians. I thought that all Romanians were brunettes. No matter how it is: I, fair-haired and blue-eyed, were mistaken several times for one of their own and spoke to me in Romanian.

That's probably all the introductory information... Now about our journey. First we spent nine days at sea. There are several resort centers in Romania, but we did not have the opportunity to choose a resort - everyone who went on a combined tour was sent to Neptune-Olympus. In principle, we did not regret it. Neptune, one of the oldest resorts, began to develop quite a long time ago due to its microclimate. There’s a huge forest nearby (called Komarovo, by the way. Hello, St. Petersburg people!), and the breeze blows all the time, so it’s never too hot. Disadvantages of Neptune - hotels, as a rule, are not new (although they are maintained in good condition), built under Ceausescu. Basically, these are two stars, there are a few three stars. There seems to be only one four, built recently and, as a result, not on the first line. The neighboring resorts – Saturn, Venus, etc. – look approximately the same. (named after Roman gods).

I read unflattering reviews about the Mioritsa hotel - members of our tour group also complained about it. Among other things, it is also located far from the sea and next to the railway. Why our travel agencies work with him is a mystery to me. Our three ruble was quite consistent with its stars.

Romanians say that if you want to have a more luxurious holiday, then you need to go to Mamaia - it began to develop later than Neptune, there are newer and more star-studded hotels, and there is even a water park (the only one in Romania).

The sea in Romania is, naturally, Black (after the Mediterranean, you want to add salt to it). In some places it is really very shallow (knee-deep), but in Neptune there is a good bay about two kilometers long, where you can swim three steps from the shore. By the way, in Romania the buoys are placed very funny. Usually they show the border where you can’t swim, and in Romania - where you can’t stand up. If you wish, you can swim behind the buoys; rescuers (if you don’t swim a kilometer from the shore) take this calmly. Another advantage of Romania as a poor country is that there are almost no motorized pleasures (in Tunisia, because of the motorboats, you won’t be able to swim beyond the buoys).

Beaches (small shell rock) are publicly accessible. In some places there are sun loungers and umbrellas (for a fee), but the majority of vacationers come to the beach with their own umbrellas and rugs. There are equipped volleyball courts and basketball hoops. Romanians (and they make up 90 percent of vacationers at sea) are a sporty and active people, they really love all kinds of ball games (on the shore and in the water). If you want to join an unfamiliar company, you will be welcome.

The sea is clean, the beaches are also cleaned... I liked the Romanians as neighbors on the beach. First of all, by not leaving children unattended and not believing that their precious children can do whatever they want. If a Romanian child starts yelling, one of the adults immediately materializes next to him, comforting or (depending on the situation) punishing him. If the child accidentally disturbed you, they will apologize to you and give the child a reprimand. Adult Romanians on the beach behave correctly and do not pester, at most they can ask for a lighter.

Food. We had BB (breakfast only) in our package. Breakfast in our three stars was quite decent. In addition to the standard set (muesli, sausages, eggs, omelet, ham, sausage, cheese, yoghurt, fruit), a nice addition was the presence of dairy products (cottage cheese, local curdled milk, etc.) - everything was fresh, and baked goods. By the way, there were no juices for breakfast. And in general, drinking juices is somehow not customary in Romania. Even in expensive restaurants, freshly squeezed juices are usually not on the menu. But Romania is a country where they simply don’t know how to brew bad coffee. The tea in the hotel was from tea bags, but the black coffee was boiled and strong.

As for lunches and dinners, eating in Romania is not a problem. The only inconvenience is that the menu is not always in English (the coast, as I already said, is a resort mainly for its own people). However, we got out of the situation simply: we went to a tavern we liked, looked at what the natives were eating and asked the waiter to bring us the same thing. The waiter showed us the chosen dish (and its price) on the menu and, after our “yes” (in Romanian “yes” is “yes”), he rushed to fulfill the order. Prices (ridiculous by Moscow standards). It cost us a maximum of 250-300 rubles for two to eat (without alcohol) (the only time we paid more was lunch at a restaurant in the mountains - salads, mountain trout, local cabbage rolls, venison, water, coffee and cakes cost us less than 600 rubles). A trip to the pastry shop (4 cakes, tea and double coffee) – 80 rubles.

Prices on the local market: tomatoes - 15-20 thousand lei, apricots, peaches, plums - 20-25. The grapes were not in season yet (it was July), so the most expensive one cost 50 thousand. I must say that after Romania in Moscow I am not drawn to fruits - the taste is too different.

Another point where Romanians are simply wizards is puff pastry. Something like puff pastries (with cottage cheese, feta cheese, apples), called strudel, are truly delicious. They also sell something like bagels with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, called covrigi. Don't pass by! And local cakes, of course...

Disadvantages of holidays on the Romanian coast. Since 80 or 90 percent of vacationers are Romanians, the souvenir industry on the coast is almost undeveloped. And there are few excursions from the coast offered. You can go to the Danube Delta, visit a winery (with wine tasting), go to a folk dinner with singing and dancing. There are excursions to Budapest and to “Dracula’s Castle”, but we had them in the tour program. That's probably all. In Konstanz, as they say, there is nothing special to see (the city was badly destroyed during the war), but there seems to be a good aquarium and dolphinarium. My daughter and I, however, never made it there. In general, such excursion “poverty” is understandable - those who vacation on the coast are mostly their own people.

As for entertainment in Neptune... I know that there is a bowling center, nightclubs, discos and all that stuff, but we led a plant life on the coast and didn’t go anywhere.

Part two. Travel to the mountains.
Our route looked like this: reference point - Sinaia (with the Sinaia Monastery and Peles Castle), Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Sighisoara, Brasov, Bucharest. In addition, there is also a climb to Mount Busteni (2200 m above sea level). The distances are not small, but the roads in Romania turned out to be quite decent, and they gave us a Daewoo minibus - brand new and with air conditioning. I won’t dwell on the beauty and sights. Suffice it to say that all members of our group constantly bought more film - no one expected it to be SO beautiful.

There are many more foreign tourists in the mountains than on the coast. Accordingly, prices are higher (though not much), and there are more souvenirs. However, it seems to me that it is mainly not souvenirs that are worth buying, but handicrafts - sheep skins, wickerwork, embroidery. In Sinai, for example, there is a long alley in the park where local embroidery and lace are sold. The saleswomen immediately knit or embroider themselves. If you like a certain pattern, you can order yourself, for example, a tablecloth or blouse of a certain size and certain colors, and then a few days later pay and pick up your order. The prices are again ridiculous (by Moscow standards). But the Dracula T-shirts we bought near Bran Castle turned out to be Turkish-made. In addition to this place, there are also souvenir rows along the tourist routes. The mountain roads themselves are amazingly beautiful. In the mountains there are untouched forests with unafraid animals, so along the way we saw roe deer, foxes, and squirrels. They say that sometimes bears come out onto the road.

However, the mountains and forests end about fifty kilometers from Sinaia, and the further path to Bucharest is no longer so picturesque. Bucharest is a completely different matter. I can believe that in the last century or the century before last this city was called little Paris.

But good Uncle Ceausescu did more for his capital than Stalin, Khrushchev and Luzhkov combined for Moscow. The buildings he built for all sorts of ministries and departments are called by Romanians with gloomy humor “Ceaushans”. The spectacle is absolutely surreal... Suffice it to say that the unfinished building of the Palace of the Soviets (or something like that) is the second largest in the world in terms of area (after the Pentagon). And to build this architectural nightmare, entire blocks of historical buildings were demolished. Where the old buildings have been preserved, it is clear that at one time this city was very beautiful. However, now they have slowly begun to restore it.

And also – the highway leading from the center of Bucharest to the airport and one of the parks in the area of ​​​​this highway are called the Chiseleva Highway and Park. Not in honor of the journalist, of course, but in honor of the Tsarist general Kiselev, whose troops liberated Bucharest from the Turks. Grateful residents of Bucharest collected money for a gift, but he refused, saying that it would be better if the Bucharest residents paved the roads with this money. The Bucharest people did just that - they built a road from Bucharest to the north and named it after Kiselev. And then they chipped in again and built a park next to the highway, also named after him. By the way, neither the highway nor the park were renamed even under Antonescu. But Ceausescu at one time frolicked with renaming. Brasov (and it is not for nothing that it is called the Romanian Salzburg) under him was called Stalingrad. Thank God, the city was returned to its historical name...

But I have to repeat myself - Bucharest, in general, didn’t look very good to us, but I think that judging Romania by its capital would not be very accurate...

In general, as with any trip, there were pros and cons, but my daughter and I are quite seriously going to Romania again - this time with a stop in Bukovina and western Transylvania. For some reason, this country, as they say, “hooked” us.