Romania - Rumunia

Romania

location

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Main information
Capital city	Bucharest
Political system	republic
Currency	funnel
Surface	238 391
Population	19 586 539
Tongue	Romanian


Code	40
Internet domain	.ro
Time zone	UTC 2 - winter UTC 3 - summer
Time zone	UTC 2 - winter UTC 3 - summer

Romania (rum. România, dim. /ro.mɨ'ni.a/) - south-eastern country Europe on the Black Sea, in the Carpathians, in the Hungarian Plain.

Characteristic

It borders with Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. So far not very popular among tourists, it is slowly gaining importance as an original corner, full of picturesque landscapes, traditional customs, historic buildings and sunny beaches.

Geography

Much of the Romanian-Bulgarian and Romanian-Serbian border rests on the Danube. The tributary of this river, the Prut, forms the border with Moldova. The Danube flows into the Black Sea to form a delta that is a World Biosphere Reserve.

Since large sections of the Romanian border are based on rivers, often meandering, and because the Danube Delta is constantly increasing by 2–5 meters per year, Romania has slightly increased in recent decades. Currently, the area of the country is 238,391 km², while in 1969 it was about 237,500 km².

The Carpathians are the dominant landscape form in central Romania (over 30% of the country's total area) and surround the Transylvanian Upland. In the four highest mountain ranges: Retezat (up to 2509 m above sea level), Paringu (up to 2518 m), the Fagaras Mountains (up to 2544 m) and Bucegi (up to 2507 m) located in the Southern Carpathians and the Kelimene and Rodnia Mountains in the Eastern Carpathians, numerous peaks exceed height 2000 meters. The considerable height of the mountains means that they have the features of alpine relief (small post-glacial cauldrons, post-glacial mountain lakes, rock walls), resembling the Western Tatras, and in the central part of the Fagaras Mountains, a remarkably high-mountain relief with bare rock walls resembling the High Tatras. In the south, the Carpathians turn into gentle hills and then into the Bărăgan Plain.

The three highest peaks of Romania are Moldoveanu (2,544 m), Negoiu (2,535 m) and Viștea Mare (2,527 m) in the Fagaras Mountains.

There is a geological curiosity in the Romanian Carpathians, a mountain made of salt in the town of Slănic, where a spa was created using the local brine.

Climate

In the south of the Wallachian Plain and Dobruja, the weather conditions are similar to those of the Mediterranean, and in the upland center - to those of Central Europe. The climate of the Moldavian Highlands and the Wallachian Lowlands is greatly influenced by the wind blowing from the northeast and east, called crivățul. It makes winters there harsh, snowy, but short (the average temperature in January is –3 ° C), and the summers are long and hot (the average temperature in July is 23 ° C). In Dobrogea, especially on the Black Sea coast, the heat is not so bothersome due to the milder influence of sea air masses. Crivaţul does not reach Transylvania because it faces the climatic barrier of the Carpathians. As altitude increases, the temperature decreases and the average rainfall increases. The greenhouse effect is also causing weather anomalies in Romania, contributing to the leveling of climatic differences between the Carpathians and other parts of the country. The seasons are limited to very hot summers and cold winters, resulting in increasing crop losses.

Rainfall is most abundant in May and June; the national average is 640 mm per year. In the Carpathians, the average is 1400 mm, in the plains - 500 mm, in Multanach, Dobruja and in the southern part of the Moldavian Upland - 400 mm. The least rainfall is recorded in the Danube Delta - only 380 mm per year.

Tourists interested only in culture and monuments can visit Romania at any time of the year. However, it is worth remembering that in winter high-mountain roads (e.g. Transfagarasan route closed from October to May) are closed due to heavy snowfall and it may be difficult or even impossible to reach some places. In addition, some open-air museums and caves are closed in winter.

The best time to visit is the end of September and October, when the trees sparkle with autumn colors. In combination with beautiful monuments and picturesque mountains, staying in Romania at this time of the year is a very good idea.

For tourists who like the golden coast and warm sea, the best months to relax are June and September (although Romanian sea is not very popular even in high season), when the beaches are less crowded and the prices are lower compared to the peak season.

The best conditions for mountain hikers are from May to September, unless they prefer hiking in the snow. The Romanian Carpathians offer almost unlimited possibilities - although not all routes are marked in the field, but with good maps it is easy to deal with. Winter sports can be practiced from December to April. Numerous resorts and resorts provide well-groomed ski runs with lifts and cable cars. Both beginners and advanced fans of skis and snowboarding were thought of.

Palace of Justice in Bucharest

Seasons in Romania

Season	Meteorological	Astronomical	felt
spring	March 1 to March 31	March 21 to June 20	March to May
summer	June 1 to August 31	June 21 to September 20	June to August
autumn	September 1 to November 30	September 21 to December 20	September to November
winter	December 1 to February 28	December 21 to March 20	December to February

St. Michael in Cluj-Napoca

Weather phenomena recorded in previous years in Romania

Events (annual average)	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Vulture	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainy days	7	7	10	15	16	15	13	8	7	11	8	9
Snow days	10	9	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8
Hail days	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stormy days	0	0	0	2	10	10	10	5	1	0	0	0
Foggy days	18	13	6	4	4	2	1	1	1	8	14	17
Days with a tornado *	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Duration of the day	10	11	13	14	15	16	15	13	12	10	9	9
Hours of sunshine during the day	4	5	9	12	11	12	12	12	9	6	4	4

* Tornadoes - counted for the last 5 years

National Theater in Constanta

Romania - UV Index, year-round table

January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
1	1	1	4	7	7	8	8	5	3	1	1

source: http://hikersbay.com/climate/romania?lang=pl

St. Nicholas in Gałacz

History

View of the town of Slatina

Town Hall in Brasov

Until 1861, Romania was divided into the Principality of Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania (incorporated in the 20th century). The first attempts at unification in the 16th century were made by Michał Waleczny. However, it was impossible due to the Turkish domination in the Balkan Peninsula. Only in the mid-nineteenth century, as a result of the weakening of Turkey after the war with Russia, autonomous principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were established under the Ottoman monarchy. Aleksander Jan Cuzy in 1861 announced the creation of a new state - the Principality of Romania, as a result of the merger of both principalities. In 1866, Alexander Jan abdicated, and in his place was appointed Prince Charles I of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty. In the years 1877-1878, during the Russo-Turkish war, Romania proclaimed its independence. Thanks to the fact that Romania sided with Russia, it gained northern Dobruja which was taken from the Turks, while losing Bessarabia to Russia. In 1881, Romania declared itself a kingdom. Two years later, Charles I entered into a secret alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany against Russia. During the Second Balkan War, Romania rose against Bulgaria in 1913, which resulted in the annexation of southern Dobrogea. In August 1916, Romania entered World War I and sided with the Entente. After its end, the country's territory almost doubled - Bessarabia, Bukovina, Transylvania and most of Banat were incorporated. These changes were recognized by the international treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Neuillly-sur-Seine of 1919 and the Trianon of 1920. In the 1930s, the pro-fascist Żelazna Gwardia gained a significant position. In 1938, rule was in the hands of Charles II, who dissolved political parties and parliament. In 1939, Romania obtained security guarantees from France and Great Britain.

During World War II, Romania lost a large part of its land. In June 1940, it lost Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to the USSR, two months later northern Transylvania was transferred to Hungary, and then in September southern Dobruja was handed over to Bulgaria. As a result of this situation, Charles II abdicated in favor of his son Michael I, who in turn handed over power to a fascist group headed by General Ion Antonescu. In November 1940, Antonescu signed the act of accession of Romania to the Pact of Three (Japan, Germany, Italy) and gave Germany control over the production and supply of Romanian crude oil. After the defeat of the Germans at Chisinau and Iasi, the underground Patriotic Anti-Nazi Front established in 1943 led to the outbreak of the anti-Nazi uprising in Bucharest in August 1944, the overthrow of the Antonescu dictatorship and the declaration of war on Germany. In February 1945, the Front government was formed, headed by Prime Minister Petru Groza. A year later, the Front won most of the seats in the national assembly, opposition political parties were dissolved and Michał I abdicated. On December 30, 1947, the Romanian parliament proclaimed Romania the People's Republic, and two months later a cooperation agreement with the USSR was signed, joining the Council for Mutual Aid in 1949. Gospodarcza, and in 1955 to the Warsaw Pact. After Stalin's death, the leader of the Romanian Workers' Party, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dejem, led the Soviet forces to leave Romania. His successor, Nicolae Ceauşescu, continued this policy. In 1968, he opposed any participation in the aggression of the Warsaw Pact member states against Czechoslovakia, and then suspended Romania's participation in the pact's military structures. At first, Ceauşescu gained supporters among Western countries for his distance from the USSR. Romania, however, turned into a totalitarian police state, and Ceauşescu proclaimed himself the leader of the nation (conducator). From 1965 until 1989, the name of the country was: the Socialist Republic of Romania. He used police terror. In the 1980s, there was an economic crisis and the standard of living was lower and lower. This resulted in a dislike of the violent rule of the Romanian Communist Party. In December 1989, participants of the protests of the Hungarian population against the attempts to denationalize them were bloodily pacified in Timisoara with the use of the army. On December 21, a rally in support of Nicolae Ceauşescu was organized. It turned into an anti-government demonstration, as a result of which a day later demonstrators entered the headquarters of the Central Committee, from which the dictator and his wife (Elena) tried to escape on board a helicopter. As a result, on December 25, 1989, they were arrested and brought to an ad hoc military tribunal, which sentenced them to death - the sentence was carried out immediately, the execution was broadcast on television. After the overthrow of the dictatorship, the communist National Salvation Front became the main political force. its ranks included former activists of the Romanian Communist Party and representatives of other political currents. Ion Iliescu became the president. When the Christian Democrats won the elections in 1996, Emil Constantinescu took his place. Four years later, the post-communist Romanian Social Democracy Party won the elections, and Iliescu was re-elected president. On March 29, 2004, Romania joined the North Atlantic Pact (NATO), and on January 1, 2007, it joined the European Union. Currently ^{(as of: 2015)} candidate for the Schengen area.

St. Anthony in Arad

Culture and art

Mihai Eminescu developed modern Romanian literature at the end of the 19th century. Famous singers in Romania include Antonia Iacobescu, Inna, Alexandra Stan and Paula Seling.

Society

Romanian society is in many respects similar to the Polish one. It is very religious, quite conservative in terms of morals, very tied to tradition and declaring patriotic attitudes. Church and religion play a huge role in social life. Statistics show that after Poles, Romanians are the most pious nation in Europe. Of course, the difference is that the vast majority of Romanians are Orthodox. The Orthodox Church plays an important role in cultural, social and political life, enjoys the highest social trust in public opinion polls. Churches are full of people of all ages, although, of course, some, especially young people, turn their backs on religion, and religious practices and declarations of faith are not necessarily connected with obeying the commandments of religion, especially in the moral and sexual sphere. The attitude of the state, also of the left-wing parties to the church, is rather positive, there are no major anti-clerical tendencies, despite the constitutional separation of the state and religion, Orthodoxy has the actual status of the state religion. It should be emphasized that the Romanian Orthodox Church, unlike, for example, the Russian or Greek church, has a very ecumenical, tolerant and sympathetic attitude towards the Catholic Church. In Orthodox Romania, John Paul II enjoyed great popularity and respect, and his death caused a stir in society that was not seen in many theoretically Catholic countries. There are few nations as attached to tradition as Romanians. Especially the folk culture is cherished. Folk groups are very popular, the creators of folk music are famous stars whose records sell well and their concerts attract a large audience. Romanians strictly adhere to various traditions and customs, especially during Christmas, which, like in Poland, has a very family character, and during Easter. Romanians generally declare pride in their country, culture and language, which they consider to be the most beautiful in the world. Even fairly simple people know the works of the greatest Romanian poets and writers well, such as Mihai Eminescu or Vasile Alecsandri. Despite strong patriotism, Romanian society is rather tolerant, although the nationalist Party of Greater Romania has considerable influence. Romania has historically been an ethnic and religious mosaic, traces of which can be seen in almost every city. And now it is far from being a cultural homogeneity. About 12% of the population are national minorities. The strongest of them are the Hungarians, as well as the Gypsies, Germans and Ukrainians. There is also a group of Poles in the Bukowina region. There is some friction with the Hungarian minority on both sides by extremist groups, but they are not violent.

However, the relations with the Gypsies are problematic. Their number is controversial, according to official statistics, there are about 400,000 of them, and according to the organization of the Roma minority, as much as 1.5 million. Most of the Gypsies live in terrible poverty, do not even graduate from primary school, do not work anywhere, and make a living by begging and criminal activities. Often Gypsies are thrown out of society, the structures of the state and the law. On the other hand, Gypsies are an important element of the Romanian color. Even today, you can find Gypsy caravans on the roads, Gypsy bear trainers, and usually a Gypsy band is hired for weddings and funerals.

Traditions

Romanians are extremely friendly and hospitable people. Contrary to stereotypes, they are elegant, well-groomed and cultured. Savoir-vivre and courtesy play a huge role. The polite form is the third person plural, meaning "Dumneavoastră" = "You" combined with the title Mr. "Domnul" Mrs. "Doamna" or to young women Miss "Domnișoara" So when asking for directions we say, for example, "Spuneți-mi Doamnă cum ajung la ..? ", that is," Tell me how to get to ...? "On the word thank you =" Mulțumesc "we answer not as" please "but" Mulțumesc și eu ", or" thank you and me "or “Cu plăcere”, meaning “with pleasure.” Just like in Poland, there is a custom (but not always) of kissing women on the hand when greeting them, giving them their place in public transport and giving way to priority. For the lady of the house. Despite such a great attachment to polite forms, Romanians are very contact and direct people. It is normal that completely strangers waiting together at the bus stop or in one compartment on the train talk to each other with a cigarette alone or with sweets. Especially in the provinces, in bars and pubs, with regular visitors, when a new person appears, especially a foreigner, it is possible that he will be invited by the locals for a beer and drawn into a conversation without any malicious intentions on their part. A beautiful feature of Romanians is helpfulness. A Romanian, when asked, for example, for the way, can go completely disinterested and personally lead the questioner to the place instead of going where he intended. On the other hand, Romanians are certainly not titans of work, and punctuality and organization of life leave much to be desired. Especially at the railway and bus stations, there is incredible chaos and obtaining reliable information is extremely difficult. Regulations and rules are not very important in Romania. Although Romanians are neat when it comes to the appearance and clothing, as well as the appearance of apartments or public spaces, they throw garbage where it falls, unfortunately also in the bosom of nature. Since they are people with a hot temperament, misunderstandings, for example in a line, can become violent and emotional. Romanians like Poles and consider them a friendly nation. When a Romanian hears that the interlocutor is from Poland, he usually declares that Poles are a wonderful nation and the best friends of Romanians. People who rent private accommodation for tourists or sellers of souvenirs often significantly reduce prices when they find out that the client is a Pole.

Drive

When going to Romania, you have to answer the question what you want to see. If we want to visit churches in the vicinity of Suceava, it will be most advantageous to go through Lviv and Chernivtsi. Although you have to wait at the border, the road is 500 km shorter than through Slovakia and Hungary. If we are going to the south of Romania, the right path will be through Kosice, Miskolc, Szeged and Arad. The route from Miskolc to Oradea is also a good option, but it all depends on the destination.

Border

Polish citizens do not need a visa for a tourist stay not exceeding three months. From January 1, 2007 Romania belongs to the European Union. We can cross the border with an ID card.

By plane

LOT Polish Airlines and TAROM maintain the air connection on the route Warsaw – Bucharest. The cost of the ticket, without promotion and airport charges, is approx. PLN 900. There is also a connection with the low-cost Wizz Air airlines with a change in Budapest.

By train

You can get there with a change in Vienna. The journey time is 23:10, but the inconvenience is the need to change the train station. The train from Krakow arrives at the Wien Südbf (Ost) station and you have to move to the Wien Westbf station.
Whereas Warsaw it has no direct rail connection. PKP suggests a transfer with a change in Vienna. Journey time approximately 28 hours. You can also go via Budapest Keleti (change).

By car

There are several routes connecting Romania with Poland. The shortest leads through Ukraine, although most tourists choose the route through Slovakia and Hungary, crossing the border with Romania in Borş, near Oradea or wheel Satu Mare (in Csengersima).

You must pay a vignette upon entry. Its price in 2017 was EUR 7.

There are several sections of highways in and around Bucharest. The highways are free and the condition of the road surface does not differ from European standards. Difficulties to move along side roads are often found horse carts (even with registration plates) and animals (mainly cows and sheep) crossing the roads. It is especially dangerous in the evening and at night, and on winding roads in the mountains.

Main roads usually good and very good; standard slightly better than in Poland, but some sections are gravel on the side roads.

The signage is usually good. Sometimes, however, they are misleading (such as the departure from Bucharest to Constanta). You have to ask the locals. As usual, in such cases the use of GPS systems is recommended.

Fuel prices are about PLN 1 / liter higher than in Poland. The quality of the fuel is average - 85, 91 gasoline can be found, but 95 is commonly used (98 octane is not present in Romania).

By bus

Travel possible via Slovakia and Hungary and by Ukraine. The road through Ukraine is very bad, it is a long drive (from Poland - Ostrołęka, to Romania - Roman, about 24 hours) and in great discomfort due to the quality of Ukrainian roads. Customs clearance and crossing the border are also not the most pleasant. Transport costs start from PLN 150 one way.

It is quite convenient and cheap to use the Hungarian OrangeWays bus lines. They can take you from Krakow to Oradea, Cluj Napoca or Targu Mures (always with an hour change in Budapest). The cost ranges from PLN 100 to PLN 150 - depending on the season.

By ship

Tourist shipping is maintained on Danube (on the Bulgarian border). No information is available on regular passenger cruises, but cruise lines can be purchased.

An administrative division

Romania is administratively divided into 41 districts (judeţe, dim. zudece) and one city separated with district rights (municipiu) – Bucharest. The historical division takes into account eight lands: Banate, Bukovina, Dobrogea, Krishana, Maramures, Moldova, Transylvania and Wallachia.

Romanian counties

Cities

According to official data from 2011, Romania had over 310 cities with a population of over 1.5 thousand. residents. The capital of the country, Bucharest, was the only city with over a million inhabitants; 18 cities with a population of 100,000 ÷ 500,000; 11 cities with a population of 50,000 ÷ 100,000, 20 cities with a population of 25,000 ÷ 50,000 and the rest of the cities below 25,000 residents. For comparison, in 1937 in Romania there were: 5 cities with a population of over 100,000, 9 cities with a population of 50,000 ÷ 100,000, 22 cities with a population of 20,000 ÷ 50,000. and 107 cities with a population of 10-20 thousand.

The main cities in Romania are:

Interesting places

Piatra Craiului Mountains

Iasi, capital city of historical Moldova, they are a very interesting and well-developed city. They abound in numerous monuments and beautiful churches. The most impressive building here is the Romanian Palace of Culture. There is also a huge shopping mall in the city where you can buy almost anything. There is also a beautiful park with a huge area with an interesting botanical garden.

Romania is a very interesting region Bukovina lying on the border with Ukraine and Moldova. The capital of the region is about 120 thousand. city population Suceavalooking prosperous. From the 14th to the 16th century, Suceava was the capital of the principality of Moldavia. There is no uniform old town, but it has many monuments scattered around the city. The most important are the ruins of a massive 15th-century fortress, which the troops of our king Jan Olbracht tried unsuccessfully in 1492. In addition, there are many churches in Suceava with the most representative church of St. Dimitri. They are built in nowhere other than Romania with a unique unique style. Its basic elements are very characteristic sloping roofs and towers with helmets in the shape of a pointed "sorcerer's cap". Moldavian churches are very richly decorated with colorful frescoes. In the vicinity of Suceava there is a group of the most important monuments of Romania entered on the UNESCO list - Painted Monasteries. They were built from the 16th to the 17th century in the Moldavian style, with the fact that they were also decorated with frescoes on the external walls. The most important of them are in Dragomirna, Humor, Voronet, Sucevita, Moldovita and Putna. In the monastery in Putna, the frescoes on the outer walls have not survived, but the monastery itself is extremely monumental. The greatest Romanian hero, Hospodar, Stefan the Great, reigning in the second half of the 15th century, who defeated many more Turkish troops in the great battle of Vaslui in 1475, is buried here. He was first an ally, then, unfortunately, an enemy of Poland. Bukovina is a region inhabited by many nationalities and religions: Romanians, Ukrainians, Germans, Gypsies and Poles, Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Catholics and Protestants. There are several villages in the vicinity of Suceava (e.g. Ducks) inhabited mostly by Poles speaking 17th-century Polish, very hospitable and cordial people. It is worth visiting their villages and drinking beer or something stronger in a local bar with fellow countrymen. You can also rent a place to stay in Polish community centers.

Sighişoara

Maramureș, Desești - a wooden church

Maramureș, Sapanta - Happy Cemetery

Being in Romania, be sure to visit lying in the heart Transylvania Sighişoara. This town with a population of 30,000 boasts a wonderfully preserved, extremely picturesque medieval old town entered on the UNESCO list as a monument on a global scale. The city is situated on a hill and consists of two parts: the Lower Town (Orasul de jos) and the Upper Town (Orasul de sus) over which towers a tall medieval tower that gives the impression of being transferred from a fantasy story. From it you can see a wonderful panorama of the city built in the Middle Ages by German settlers. The house in Sighişoara has been preserved in which the famous Vlad the Impaler was born, although it is not certain, the famous Vlad the Impaler, known as Dracula, was born. In August, a folklore festival takes place in Sighişoara.

Beach enthusiasts can recommend Vama Veche located on the border with Bulgaria and Sfantu Gheorghe in the Danube Delta. Vama Veche is considered by many people to be the last mecca of hippies in Europe, also the only underground beach in Romania. There are various bars along the coast, each one playing different music. In the evening, the beach turns into a huge dance floor. Sfantu Gheorge is a bit calmer, not counting a modern, noisy campground with the only disco in the village. You can get there by boat from Tulcea - the journey can take 5 hours (classic version - about 25 lei) or 1.5 hours. (approx. 35 lei). The ship runs only on selected days of the week.

It fights for the title of the most agricultural region with Bukovina Maramures, located close to the border with Hungary and Ukraine. In one of the villages - Sapanta - there is a Merry Cemetery - created by a local artist after World War II, a cemetery with carved and colorfully painted tombstones with epitaphs - rhymes describing the life of the deceased in a humorous way. Admission: 5 lei / person ^{(as of: 2017)}. In front of the cemetery there are many shops with souvenirs and a traditional palinka (Romanian home vodka> 50%) closed in plastic bottles of mineral water and Coca-Cola.

For climbers and mountain lovers, there will also be many peaks located in the Carpathians. You can go, for example, along the Transfagaraska route (the highest point is 2034 m above sea level) and climb the surrounding hills. There are no trails - you can walk any road you like. Being on the Transfagaraska, you should not miss Cetatea Poienari, Dracula's castle (it is located at the end of the road). Admission 5 lei / person ^{(as of: 2014)}. Photographing and filming paid 260 lei / hour, but nobody checks it - you can do it, there are no cameras in the fortress.

It is a unique attraction attracting botanists, naturalists and nature observers from all over Europe Danube delta. At the end of its long journey through Europe, the Danube creates a true kingdom of waters and a landscape of unparalleled beauty. Recognized as a biosphere reserve, the Danube Delta is one of the most visited UNESCO sites in Romania.

Objects from the UNESCO World Heritage List

Danube Delta
Dackie fortresses in the mountains Orastie
Monastery of Horezu
Moldavian monasteries
Old Town Sighişoary
Villages with defensive churches in Transylvania
The complex of wooden churches from Maramures

Transport

Romania has a well-developed rail network. You can get almost anywhere by train. Connections between the main cities are quite frequent, ticket prices are generally much cheaper than in Poland. The trains run on time, but unfortunately they are rather slow, the technical condition of the rolling stock is much worse than that of the Polish State Railways. The downside is the terrible organization. Timetables and information are not always legible and not always up-to-date, the rules for selling tickets are quite confusing, so it is worth buying tickets in advance and coming to the stations much earlier before the departure of the train to find out about it all and buy a ticket without stress. It is best to buy tickets not at stations, but in advance (from 10 to 2 days before the date of travel) at CFR offices (Caile Ferete Romane - Romanian Iron Roads). Such offices are usually located in a completely different part of the city than the train station. The attraction of traveling by rail is the possibility of admiring the magnificent mountain views (rail routes are often very picturesque) and the possibility of getting in touch with Romanian fellow passengers. Inter-city trains, but due to ticket prices there is an offer for richer tourists. Bus connections are quite good, but mainly due to private transport companies. The state-owned "PKS" has buses in a deplorable technical condition, its stations are even more chaotic than the railroads, while the buses are crowded. It is much better to use private lines. Roads of national importance are generally in a technical condition similar to the Polish one. Drogi lokalne (np. w górach) w zimie czasem mogą być zupełnie nieprzejezdne. Rumuni jeżdżą szybko nawet po górskich, wąskich trasach. Dość dobrym sposobem poruszania się, zwłaszcza między mniejszymi miejscowościami, jest autostop. Kierowcy zatrzymują się chętnie, jednak często oczekują zapłaty za podwiezienie. Warto dogadać się co do ceny zanim wsiądzie się do samochodu, żeby uniknąć nieprzyjemnych niespodzianek. Przyjęło się płacić stawki takie, jak za autobus na danej trasie lub trochę niższe. Jednak większość kierowców, kiedy orientują się, że mają do czynienia z obcokrajowcem, nie oczekują zapłaty.

Tongue

W mniejszych miastach niektórzy mieszkańcy znają język angielski na tyle dobrze, aby można się było bezproblemowo porozumieć. W większych miastach, jak Iasi, Oradea, Sibiu czy Konstanca dużo łatwiej nawiązać kontakt. Mimo wszystko warto nauczyć się kilku przydatnych zwrotów po rumuńsku.

Rumuni rozumieją języki romańskie dużo lepiej niż angielski. Warto spróbować porozumieć się zwłaszcza po włosku i francusku, gdyż w XIX wieku te dwa języki bardzo wpłynęły na obecny rumuński.

Trzeba pamiętać, że Rumunia w obecnych granicach istnieje stosunkowo od niedawna i poszczególne regiony rozwijały się osobno. Szczególnie wyróżnia się tu Transylwania, gdzie jeszcze niedawno były liczne mniejszości narodowe (Niemcy i Węgrzy). Z tego też powodu można stosunkowo często spotkać ludzi mówiących tymi językami.

Kilka podstawowych zwrotów znajdziemy tutaj – Romanian phrasebook.

Shopping

Ceny są niższe od polskich (jeśli chodzi o produkty rolne, czasem nawet trzykrotnie).

Gastronomy

W restauracjach i barach średnie ceny są niższe niż w Polsce. Warto spróbować lokalnych specjałów. Bardzo popularna jest też kuchnia włoska.

Popularnym fast-foodem jest suberec – smażone ciasto z nadzieniem z sera lub mięsa oraz placinta – placek przypominający grubego naleśnika podawany ze śmietaną i serem oraz sosem czosnkowym (ok. 1,5-2 lei/szt – 2008 r.). Oprócz tego dużo jest budek z kebabami itp. Dla wegetarian jedyną pociechą są tanie warzywa i owoce. W restauracjach trudno o jarskie posiłki.

Accommodation

Na stacjach kolejowych w popularnych, turystycznych miejscowościach można spotkać panie oferujące dość tanie pokoje (cazare) w prywatnych mieszkaniach. To opcja w średniej cenie. Zwykle kosztują około 25 lei/os (odpowiednik około 25 PLN). Jeśli cena wydaje się wysoka, warto się potargować – często można uzyskać połowę wyjściowej ceny.Ceny noclegów w schroniskach są podobne do polskich. Można znaleźć także hotele w umiarkowanej (w przeliczeniu ok. 55 PLN) oraz kabiny na campingach (występujących w turystycznych miejscach). Najbardziej popularnym sposobem nocowania jest jednak nocleg „na dziko” w namiocie – nie jest to zabronione w Rumunii, a często staje się koniecznością (campingi są zwykle w dosyć dużej odległości od siebie).

Science

W Rumunii, podobnie jak w Polsce funkcjonuje bezpłatna nauka podstawowa.

work

O pracę nie powinno się martwić. Można się nauczyć angielskiego i pracować w biurze.

Restauracje i kawiarnie

O nie nie należy się martwić. W każdym mieście będzie chociaż jedna restauracja czy kawiarnia.

Security

Rumunia jest raczej bezpiecznym krajem. Czasami zdarzają się oszustwa, należy też uważać na nastolatków, gdyż mogą próbować wyłudzić pieniądze. Kradzieże są sporadyczne.

Health

Nie ma problemu z odnalezieniem aptek. Opieka medyczna dla przyjezdnych jest darmowa tylko w sytuacjach zagrożenia życia. Jest porównywalna do polskiej.

contact

Telephone

Kod telefoniczny Rumunii to 40.

Internet

Kawiarenki internetowe z bardzo dobrymi łączami można znaleźć właściwie wszędzie; cena – podobnie jak w Polsce – w okolicach 3 lei za godzinę (maj 2007). W wielu restauracjach, nawet w mniejszych miejscowościach, istnieje możliwość uzyskania dostępu do internetu bezprzewodowego, bez dodatkowych opłat; wystarczy kelnera zapytać o hasło dostępu (wrzesień 2011).