People

Foreign visitors consider Romanians among the friendliest and most hospitable people on earth. Romanians are by nature fun loving, warm, hospitable, with an innate good sense of humour.

Romania is associated with big names in arts and sports:

Constantin Brancusi - one of the most acclaimed modern sculptors.

Angela Gheorghiu - one of the world's greatest opera soprano.

Alexandra Nechita - a young Romanian painter living in California, known for her distinct style. For more info about Alexandra and her art please visit www.iapart.com.

Ilie Nastase - U.S. Open and Roland Garros winner, is still one of crowd's favorites at the U.S. Open.

Nadia Comaneci - the Olympic champion gymnast, saluted by people everywhere.

Other world renowned Romanian artists include the writer Eugen Ionesco, pan flute virtuoso Gheorghe Zamfir, piano player Radu Lupu and musician George Enescu.

Tourist Attractions

The Black Sea Resorts

Warm climate, miles of sand beaches, ancient monuments, vineyards and modern resorts invite travellers to seriously consider Romania's Black Sea Coast as their summer vacation destination.

Beaches, stretching from Mangalia to Mamaia, are dotted with fine resorts and hotels, and countless sports and entertainment facilities.

Remnants of the Ancient Greek culture as far back as the 7th Century, BC, when seafarers established trading colonies along the coast, are still being discovered.

Romania's main sea resorts are centred on 45 miles of fine sand beaches and include Mamaia, Eforie, Neptun, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mangalia.

The Black Sea coast has long been known for cures of arthritic, rheumatic, internal and nervous disorders. Eforie Nord and Mangalia Spas specialize in mud baths (the mud is taken from the area's salty lake waters) as well as in world famous "Gerovital" and "Aslavital" original rejuvenation treatments.

Holidaymakers on the Romanian Black Sea Coast can also join organized trips from the seaside to a number of locations in the country, including the Danube Delta, the painted monasteries of Bucovina, to the nation's capital city, Bucharest, or to nearby Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

Castles & Fortresses

Romania's numerous castles best illustrate the country's medieval heritage. Many castles and fortresses in Romania feature unique architectural elements and styles that reflect local traditions, customs. While castles built from the 14th to the 18th Centuries are strong and austere fortresses built mainly for defence against invaders, those erected beginning in the late 1800s are imposing and luxurious.

Universal literature found valuable sources of inspiration in some of Romania's castles, with the most famous novels written about them being "The Castle from the Carpathians" by Jules Verne and "Dracula" by Bram Stoker.

Bran Castle

This fortified medieval castle, often referred to as Dracula's Castle, was built in 1377 to protect nearby Brasov from invaders. It also served as a customs station.

The castle's rooms and towers surround an inner courtyard. Some rooms are connected through underground passages to the inner court. In 1920, the people of Brasov who owned the castle offered it as a gift to Queen Maria of Romania, and the castle soon became her favourite residence.

Bran is home to a rich collection of Romanian and foreign furniture and art items from the 14th-19th Centuries. The castle sits high atop a 200 ft. tall rock overlooking the picturesque village of Bran. On the grounds below there is an open-air ethnographic museum of old village buildings with exhibits of furniture, household objects and costumes.

Location: the village of Bran, 16 miles southwest of Brasov.

Open: Tuesday through Sunday, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Access: road.

Nearby attractions: the city of Brasov (16 miles), Peles Castle (35 miles), Rasnov Fortress (7 miles), ski resorts in Predeal (15 miles) and Poiana Brasov (10 miles), Bucharest (110 miles), Sighisoara (88 miles), Sibiu (96 miles).

The Danube Delta - UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site

The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas - The Danube Delta (Delta Dunarii).

The Danube Delta is home to more than 300 migratory and permanent bird species; 160 kinds of fish that include caviar-bearing sturgeon and 800 plant families. This wetlands preserve covers more than 1,678,000 acres (2,622 sq. miles) comprising channels and canals widening into tree-fringed lakes, reed islands, numerous lakes and marshes, oak forests intertwined with lianas and creepers, desert dunes and traditional fishermen villages.

Activities: eco-tourism, bird watching, fishing, camping, hiking.

Medieval Towns

Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara are some of Europe's best-preserved medieval towns. They are living, veritable symbols of Transylvania. Visitors can stumble upon unique architectural treasures, small ancient tiny houses that line narrow streets, cobblestoned passageways and covered stone steps as they wander. Tiny shops purvey a range of antiques and fine hand-made products of artisans and artists who have established little communities in the countryside.

The Painted Monasteries

Among the most picturesque treasures of Romania are the painted churches located in Bucovina, many of which are protected by UNESCO as part of humankind's world heritage.

These richly decorated houses of worship are "albums" of fresco art that have survived the elements since the 15th century.

Beside their vivid frescoes the painted monasteries are famous for the original way of depicting beliefs or events: Sucevita with its unique ladder of Virtue; Humor, featuring the devil amusingly depicted as a woman, and Moldovita, where a monumental scene of the Siege of Constantinopole is displayed.

Spas

Started by Romans and unique in Europe. Today Romania's 70 natural spas provide relief for many medical disorders and illnesses including rheumatism, endocrine, kidney, liver, respiratory, heart, stomach and nervous diseases as well as nutrition, metabolism and gynaecological disorders.

Romania is home to more than one third of Europe's mineral and thermal springs. Natural factors are complemented — under attentive medical care — by physiotherapy, acupuncture, electrotherapy and medicines produced from plants.

Romania's main spas include: Mangalia, Neptun, Eforie Nord, Covasna, Slanic Moldova, Vatra Dornei, Borsec, Sovata, Tusnad, Calimanesti, Govora, Herculane, Buzias and Baile Felix.