Radio România Internațional

Tag: holiday

December 29, 2023 UPDATE

BUDGET President
Klaus Iohannis Friday promulgated the state budget law and the social security budget
law for the year 2024. Next year, Romania’s budget will be focused on
investments of about 7% of the GDP, as well as on an economic growth rate of
3.4%, while the budget deficit is estimated at 5% of the GDP. The government
passed the bills on December 15, and the budgets were endorsed five days later
by the joined chambers of the Romanian Parliament.

PARLIAMENT Romania’s Senate Friday dismissed 3 bills
tabled by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania regarding the autonomy of the Szeklers Land, a
region in the centre of the country. The
initiatives were rejected by the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday. At the
plenary talks, the MPs from all the other parties stressed that the bills came against
several articles in the Constitution and harmed the rule of law, while the
initiators argued the opposite, saying that territorial autonomy worked in a
number European states. The bills provided for the Covasna and Harghita
counties and a part of Mureş county becoming autonomous, as part of a region
with legal personality. In that presumed autonomous entity, the Hungarian
language would have had the same status as the official language of the
Romanian state. The land would also have its own president, elected for a
four-year term by universal ballot. The so-called Szeklers Land, the only area
in Romania where the Hungarian population is the majority, benefited from
autonomy between 1952 and 1968. According to historians, this was an experiment
in Soviet-occupied Romania imposed on Bucharest by the Kremlin dictator Joseph
Stalin, at the insistence of the communist leaders in Budapest. The ethnic
Hungarian population in Romania has been represented, without interruption, in
the Parliament of post-communist Romania since 1990 until today, by the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. Since 1996, the UDMR has been part of
numerous coalition governments in Bucharest, whether right-wing or left-wing.

EDUCATION The Romanian government Friday passed the 2024 – 2027
National Strategy on Adult Education, aimed at enhancing citizen participation
in life-long learning programmes and at improving the quality of adult
education and training. The targeted participation rate by the end of 2027 is
12%, as against 5.9% at present. The EU average life-long learning
participation rate is 11.9%. The low level of participation in lifelong
learning schemes has led to persisting lack of skills, which prevents economic
development and hinders Romania’s adjustment to a fast-changing labour market
in the digital era, the government said in a news release.

TIMIŞOARA The activities carried out part of the ‘Timişoara – European Capital
of Culture 2023’ programme, including the Constantin Brâncuşi exhibition,
received the most votes (29%) to receive the title of ‘event of the year 2023
in Romania’, in a survey carried out by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation
and Strategy (IRES). According to the poll, the second event that marked
Romania in 2023 was the qualification of the national football team to the
final tournament of the European Championship – UEFA EURO 2024, which will take
place next summer in Germany (24% of responses). Regarding culture and free
time, 58% of the survey respondents said that they read at least one book in
2023, and 41% that they also bought books, 36% went to a show, and 20% went to
a stadium or attended a sports competition. More than three quarters of the
survey participants (76%) stated that they went to church this year.

POLICE Close to 24,000 interior ministry staff will be on
duty during the 4-day New Year’s holiday, while road traffic will be monitored
by 360 radar speed guns and DUI check teams. Meanwhile, the authorities announced
having seized over 100 tonnes of fireworks kits and opening more than 500 criminal
investigations in this respect, and have once again called on parents not to
buy firecrackers for their children as such materials may be extremely
dangerous.

HANDBALL The men’s national handball team of Romania Friday won the
Carpaţi Trophy international handball tournament, organised in Pitesti,
southern Romania, after defeating Georgia 31-25 in the final. For Romania, trained by the famous Spanish
coach Xavi Pascual, this was the last test before the European Championship -
EHF EURO 2024 to be held in Germany, between January 10 and 28, 2024. The
Romanians will play in Group B, alongside Spain, Austria and Croatia. The first
two ranked teams will qualify for the so-called main groups. A 4-times world
champion in the 1960s-70s, Romania had not qualified for a European
Championship since 1996. (AMP)

29 December 2023
November 30, 2023

DEFENCE Romania’s new Army Chief of Staff is the general lieutenant
Gheorghiţă Vlad. At the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, president Klaus
Iohannis said Vlad was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on the
Army’s process of adapting to new challenges and of maintaining a high level of
battle training for the troops. We need more determined measures to re-launch
the national defence industry, the president also said, including though
industrial cooperation, so that a larger share of the ammunition and equipment
we need to be produced domestically. This and the high level of military
training, will ensure a strong and credible defence capacity, adapted to the
new security challenges, the head of state added.

RECYCLING In
Romania, the deposit and return scheme for beverage containers became
operational on Thursday. Romania will run the second-largest programme of this
kind in Europe, after the one in Germany, in terms of the number of containes
processed. Romanians who pay a 10-Eurocent deposit on purchasing bottled
beverages from retailers will be able to return the container to drop-off
centres organised by retailers, and will be refunded their deposits without
having to produce the receipt for the original purchase. Deposit-carrying
containers will be introduced gradually, with a transition period until current
stocks in shops are sold out.

DIPLOMACY The
Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Wednesday in an
informal dinner ahead of the OSCE ministerial council in Skopje, organised by
the rotating chairmanship holder, North Macedonia. Talks focused on Russia’s
war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for an efficient OSCE in times
of conflict. In her address, the Romanian diplomat emphasised the difficult
circumstances in which the Organisation operates, in the context of Russia’s
unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. She also
reiterated Romania’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, emphasising the
multi-dimensional support given to Ukraine. Luminiţa Odobescu also highlighted
the negative impact on the Republic of Moldova, the social and economic
difficulties facing Moldova as a result of Russia’s various pressures, as well
as the relevance of Moldova in the security dynamics of the region.

KISSINGER The
former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who played a major role in shaping
the US foreign policy under presidents Nixon and Ford, died on Wednesday aged
100, the BBC announced. Kissinger was a national security adviser and a state
secretary between 1969 and 1977, during which the US ended its involvement in
the Vietnam War, opened its relations with China and saw the end of hostilities
in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East. He won the Nobel
Peace Prize, although his opponents claiming his role in bombing Cambodia and Laos
amounted to war crime. He pioneered the concept of Realpolitik, which values
pragmatism in international relations, the BBC also said.

HOLIDAY Christians
celebrate today Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. Historical records
indicate that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia, in the north and west of the
Black Sea, including present-day Dobrudja, where he ordained priests and
bishops who took the word of Christ to the Dacian population between the Danube
and the Carpatians. As such, he is recognised as the patron saint of Romania. He
was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Greece.

ISRAEL An attack
by 2 Palestinians in western Jerusalem at rush hour killed 3 people and wounded
7 others, 4 of whom are in a serious condition. The attack took place as the
truce between Israel and Hamas was renewed for the 7th consecutive
day, in order to carry on the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian
prisoners. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the attackers were
identified as Hamas supporters and had been formerly imprisoned in Israel. As
for the new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the revised list of hostages to
be freed only includes 8 children. Hamas explained that this was because of the
2 Israelis with dual, Russian and Italian citizenship, who were released
yesterday in a show of goodwill towards the Russian president Vladimir Putin. (AMP)

30 November 2023
The profile of the Romanian tourist

For about a quarter
of Romanians, going on holiday is a treat they almost always cannot afford for
themselves. However, there are other Romanians who, all throughout the year,
can have a holiday combination of at least a four-night stay and a mini-holiday,
according to specialist surveys that are published periodically. The main
reasons why people go on holiday are the need for them to have some recreation,
to cut themselves off from the stress of daily life, to have fun, but also to
reward themselves for the work throughout the year.

The summer of 2023
has come to an end. Reason enough for us to outline the profile of the Romanian
tourist. Who is he ? What are his favorite destinations? How much money are they willing to spend? We have the perfect opportunity to look into that,
since the World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27!

Our guide through the
habits of Romanian tourists is Cristina Popa. For quite a few years now,
Cristina has been an entrepreneur in the area. Since 1996, when she graduated from
the Tourism Faculty, Cristina has been organizing trips, city-breaks, safaris or
exotic getaways. Many of the groups of tourists are accompanied by Cristina
herself. Reason enough for us to describe Cristina as someone who has become very
familiar with the habits of the Romanian tourist.

The Romanian
tourist’s perspective, that has changed a little bit!. He began to travel to further
destination more, as the fees there are not very high as compared to what
Europe can offer, what with the expenses there, a lot smaller than in Europe. In
the past years France and Spain were extremely sought-after, just as they are
now, they started to head for Kenya or for Mauritius or for the Maldives very
often. Now
Zanzibar has become quite trendy for a couple of years now. There are offers where
they have the chance to buy affordable flight tickets, the value for money is very,
very good for those destinations.

We also asked
Cristina Popa if the Romanians, as tourists, are picky.

Some people are picky. I had
a group in Zanzibar and those people there wanted to have everything at their
fingertips straight away, as they were used to that, at home, not being able to
take into account they were on another continent where people moved differently.
There they say polé polé, take your time, take your time, and if you
wanted to have the waiter fetch your beer at the table, having ordered it, it
took them half an hour for that, while getting the food brought at the table,
that lasted for about three hours. They move differently. If you, as a tourist,
can accept the fact that you are at another destination, in another zone, on
another continent, where things are different as compared to Romania or Europe,
then you should have no problem. We can make things more difficult for ourselves
because we cannot accept those who are different from us and with whom we have not
grown accustomed to.

In recent years, the rather unpleasant
situations for us all, as a society, have grown on us, we had the Covid, while as we
speak, we have the war at the border with Ukraine, there also was the energy
crisis and rampant inflation, so less money, for some…How has all that influenced
Romanians’ holiday habits? Cristina Popa once again.

The clients I
have in my portfolio were not necessarily influenced by that. The Covid, that
of course slowed us all down a little bit since travel regulations at that time
were different. If you had the vaccine or the test, there were not unpleasant
situations. Our clients continued to travel…

…And spend…But how much they spent,
here is Cristina Popa once again, telling all that.

There are fees from
500-600 Euro per person per stay, in Bulgaria and Greece, there are also fees ranging
from 900 to about 2,000 Euros per person for other destinations. I’ve just had
a group in the Maldives, they paid around 2,000 Euros per person so they were
willing to pay more, I could see they wanted so much to travel to areas they
had never been to before, and to me, that is magic because, well, that is what we are left with, eventually, with what we get to see.

Apart from the holidays we might
call classic, our guide, apart from being faithful to Romanians’ tourism
preferences, organizes another kind of tourism as well. For children and
teenagers aged 10 to 14, Cristina Popa offers that sort of tourism where
personal development blends into leisure.

I
have begun, for three years now, to offer that kind of tourism too, for
children and teenagers, those personal development camps. We go to guesthouses
that have been authorized to stage such camps, but which are different, they do
not give you that feeling you’re on a school camp, as we do not want that. We
want the children to discover themselves and realize the abilities they have been
endowed with, and do whatever pleases them. So, for instance, this year I staged
an intuition workshop so they can see how they can listen to their intuition
themselves. We stage creativity, painting, drawing workshops, all sorts of
self-confidence workshops, so they can discover themselves.

Summer has come to an
end, children have returned to school, their parents have exhausted their
summer holidays. However, for Cristina Popa or for her colleagues we can hardly
speak about relaxing. And that, because the Romanians keep going on holiday,
irrespective of the season.

In October
I go the Island of Egina with a group, in November I’ll be off to Cuba, for
February I stage a trip to Sri Lanka for the families with children. So we no
longer have that time of the year we all know, when September or October come and we relax! As we speak, we can’t complain, we have an uninterrupted inflow of tourists, provided the social and world circumstances allow that.

27 September 2023
August 13, 2023 UPDATE

DAY Naval forces are these days
staging a series of activities devoted to Navy Day here in Romania, which will
culminate on August 15, when Romanians are celebrating the Christian holiday of
the Dormition of the Mother of God, St. Mary, who is also the protector of
sailors. Various events and activities are being staged on this occasion in
Bucharest and the Romanian port-cities on the Danube – Braila, Tulcea and
Galati. The most important event will take place on Tuesday, August 15th
when, after a pause of four years, the seamen are expected to be presenting a
demonstrative exercise entitled ‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. Helicopters and
speed boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU will be opening the
exercise, which is to be followed by a parade of the school-vessel ‘Mircea’,
Romania’s honorary ambassador on the world’s seas and oceans.

CARS The number of registered new cars in Romania grew in the first
seven months of this year by a fifth as compared to the same period in 2022.
Green cars, hybrid and electric have registered an increase over 36% with a
market share of nearly 23%, according to data published by the Association of
Car Producers and Importers. Petrol cars have seen a 1.4% drop against the same
period last year while diesel vehicles have dropped almost every year 1% and
presently have a market share of 13%.

DRILL Roughly 250 servicemen from France and Luxembourg and 65
pieces of technical equipment of NATO battle group in Romania are going to
participate starting Monday until August 18th in a joint exercise in
the shooting range of Babadag, south-eastern Romania. The drill’s main aim is
to test the rapid deployment of troops and gear as well as to increase
interoperability among the forces of the NATO battle group. According to
sources with the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, the drill contributes to
raising military cooperation between Romania and the participant countries,
France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as to strengthening
NATO security on its Eastern Flank.

GAUDEAMUS The Radio Romania Gaudeamus book fair is waiting for its
visitors in downtown Sibiu, central Romania with numerous titles, sales and
events. The organizers have prepared book launches and round-table talks for
all ages. The little ones have been invited to attend the launch of a
collection entitled ‘Children Readings from Grandma’, while adults can
participate in various events focusing on self-development. The event, which
remains open until Tuesday, has brought together over 40 participants,
including some of the best known publishing houses, the main suppliers of
books, games, music and educational materials.

HOLIDAY The
Romanians are enjoying a four-day mini-holiday, after Monday, August 14th
has been declared a bank holiday here in Romania right ahead of the St. Mary
holiday on August 15th. Various events are being staged all over the
country and tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery,
in Cluj county, north-western Romania. Concerts are also taking place, such as
the Summer Well festival, in Buftea, close to Bucharest, while the days of the
city of Braila are also being celebrated. Many Romanians are celebrating these
days in the mountain resorts of the Prahova Valley, in southern Romania, while
the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast are preparing for their
busiest weekend this summer. According to hotel owners here the tourists’
number is to reach 110 thousand. The Romanian Interior Ministry has deployed
over 8 thousand police and 6 thousand gendarme troops to prevent any criminal
activity during the aforementioned holiday. The border check points at
Romania’s border with Hungary and Bulgaria are also benefiting from additional
personnel.

(bill)

13 August 2023
August 13, 2023

DAY Naval forces are these days
staging a series of activities devoted to Navy Day here in Romania, which will
culminate on August 15, when Romanians are celebrating the Christian holiday of
the Dormition of the Mother of God, St. Mary, who is also the protector of
sailors. Various events and activities are being staged on this occasion in
Bucharest and the Romanian port-cities on the Danube – Braila, Tulcea and
Galati. The most important event will take place on Tuesday, August 15th
when, after a pause of four years, the seamen are expected to be presenting a
demonstrative exercise entitled ‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. Helicopters and
speed boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU will be opening the
exercise, which is to be followed by a parade of the school-vessel ‘Mircea’,
Romania’s honorary ambassador on the world’s seas and oceans.

DRILL Roughly 250 servicemen from France and Luxembourg and 65
pieces of technical equipment of NATO battle group in Romania are going to
participate starting Monday until August 18th in a joint exercise in
the shooting range of Babadag, south-eastern Romania. The drill’s main aim is
to test the rapid deployment of troops and gear as well as to increase
interoperability among the forces of the NATO battle group. According to
sources with the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, the drill contributes to
raising military cooperation between Romania and the participant countries,
France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as to strengthening
NATO security on its Eastern Flank.

HOLIDAY The
Romanians are enjoying a four-day mini-holiday, after Monday, August 14th
has been declared a bank holiday here in Romania right ahead of the St. Mary
holiday on August 15th. Various events are being staged all over the
country and tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery,
in Cluj county, north-western Romania. Concerts are also taking place, such as
the Summer Well festival, in Buftea, close to Bucharest, while the days of the
city of Braila are also being celebrated. Many Romanians are celebrating these
days in the mountain resorts of the Prahova Valley, in southern Romania, while
the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast are preparing for the busiest
weekend this summer. According to hotel owners here the tourists’ number is to
reach 110 thousand. The Romanian Interior Ministry has deployed over 8 thousand
police and 6 thousand gendarme troops to prevent any criminal activity during
the aforementioned holiday. The border check points at Romania’s border with
Hungary and Bulgaria are also benefiting from additional personnel.

GAUDEAMUS The Radio Romania Gaudeamus book fair is waiting for its
visitors in downtown Sibiu, central Romania with numerous titles, sales and
events. The organizers have prepared book launches and round-table talks for
all ages. The little ones have been invited to attend the launch of a collection
entitled ‘Children Readings from Grandma’, while adults can participate in
various events focusing on self-development. The event, which remains open
until Tuesday, has brought together over 40 participants, including some of the
best known publishing houses, the main suppliers of books, games, music and
educational materials.

(bill)

13 August 2023
A mini-holiday in early June

Mountain resorts and spas, the Danube Delta or
the seaside resorts on the Black Sea coast were top tourist destinations for
many Romanians during the Pentecost mini-holidays, according to data provided
by the employers associations in the hospitality industry in this country. The
most sought after proved to be the three-four star hotels and guesthouses as
many of these accommodation facilities had been completely booked many weeks
ahead.

Romania’s railway company CFR Travelers sold all
its tickets to seaside and mountain resorts on the Prahova Valley and had to supplement
the number of its trains to Suceava, in northern Romania and to Craiova in the
southwest. As expected, tens of thousands of tourists opted for the seaside,
motivated by the fair weather and cheap fees at the beginning of a new summer
season.

According to hotel owners, beaches were
surprisingly full at the beginning of the present holiday season, with the
resort of Mamaia on top of the ranking in terms of the number of tourists. Like
in the past, Mamaia proved to be the resort of the night clubs and of those
willing to party late into the night. Accommodation fees here started from the
equivalent of 27 Euros per night in three-star hotels to 44 Euros bed and
breakfast in four-star hotels and to roughly 100 Euros for all inclusive. The
other resorts which fared well in the ranking were Eforie as well as Venus and
Saturn in the south.

Mountain resorts also reported a higher number of
tourists thanks to the good summer weather. Many tourists preferred the
guesthouses in Bukovina, north-eastern Romania, where rooms had been booked as
early as last winter, in an area, which is also famous for its exquisite
cuisine and traditions. All over the country, the authorities resorted to a
series of measures aimed at ensuring the best conditions for this mini-holiday.

Police troops, gendarmes and firefighters were
deployed in large numbers to many travel destinations and measures to ease
border traffic had been implemented at the country’s main checkpoints. A good
number of Romanians chose to spend their holidays abroad in Bulgaria or Greece,
so Romania’s southern border checkpoints proved to be the busiest of all. Long
queues were also reported at Romania’s western border with Hungary after some
Romanians had opted for travel destinations in the West.

(bill)

6 June 2023
April 28, 2023 UPDATE

EU — The European Union has decided to extend for another year the suspension of customs duties and quotas on imports from Ukraine, so as to support its economy during the war started by Russia. The announcement was made by Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the community bloc. We recall that the suspension of these taxes generated dissatisfaction among farmers in several countries, culminating with the prohibition, at the beginning of this month, of cereals imports from Ukraine by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The European Commission has now proposed paying compensations to farmers in five countries bordering Ukraine, including Romania, and allowing these countries to ban the sale of certain Ukrainian grains on their domestic markets. But, the five countries must continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products, so that they can be sold in other regions.

Congress — The representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (part of the governing coalition) held a congress in Timisoara (west). The current leader of the party, the Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, is running for a new presidential mandate. According to him, a strategic document will also be adopted during the congress that will show the priorities of Romania and of the Hungarian community for the coming years in the economic, social, political and rights-of-national-minorities fields. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania wants to remain in the government also after the change of the prime minister, scheduled for the end of May, said Kelemen Hunor, who received assurances in this regard. The leaders of National Liberal Party and of the Social Democratic Party (the main parties of the three-party coalition), the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu, respectively, also took the floor at the congress.

May Day – Over 400 festivals, concerts, trade fairs and sports competitions are scheduled to take place over the May Day long weekend. Over 70,000 people are expected to travel to the Black Sea coast on this occasion. Some 24,000 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters will be on duty across the country to prevent and combat crime, fluidize road traffic and reduce waiting times at border checkpoints as well as to ensure order and safety at various public events, the Interior Ministry reports. The Border Police has also taken measures to optimize customs procedures and reduce waiting times, with a focus on the crossing points on the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders.

Schengen — Romanias accession to Schengen, the European free travel area, could be debated at the end of September, when the first meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council is scheduled under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode announced. He showed that, until the end of June, under the presidency of Sweden, the accession file of Romania and Bulgaria has no chance to be on the agenda of the JHA Council. “Spain stated, through the Interior Minister Marlaska, both in Bucharest and in Vienna, a few days ago, that it will put on the agenda of its presidency the file of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. So (…) we put our hope in the Spanish presidency. The Spanish presidency will decide, depending on the discussions and the conclusions it will reach in its approach with Austria, whether this will happen in September or in October, November, December,” said minister Bode. In December 2022, Austria blocked Romanias Schengen candidacy, claiming that our country is part of the Balkan route of illegal migration. The accusation was rejected by the Romanian authorities and officially denied by the European institutions.

Budget — Romanias state budget registered a deficit of 1.42% of the gross domestic product, i.e. 22.75 billion lei, in the first three months of 2023, the Romanian Finance Ministry announced. The loss was mainly caused by the increase in the volume of investments by 56.5% compared to the same period of the previous year and the compensation of bills related to the consumption of electricity and natural gas for domestic and non-domestic customers in the amount of 2.5 billion lei. Other factors that contributed to the deficit were the higher volume of reimbursements of goods and services for medicines, the slowing down of the fees and taxes collection rate as well as the implementation of the second stage of the Support Program for Romania. Last year, the state budget registered, in the same period, a deficit of 15.7 billion lei.

Literacy – The degree of literacy for Romanian students between the ages of 6 and 14 is low, only 11% of them being in the “functional” area, shows the 2023 edition of the National Literacy Report. According to the document, made by the standardized test platform for students brio.ro, together with seven other non-profit organizations in the field of education, the results are similar to those of last year, without notable changes. “There are 42% functionally illiterate children, 47% minimally literate and only 11% are functional. The school system does nothing to help them, children enter school non-functional and after eight years the non-functional percentage drops by only 1.5%. Almost everything children learn in school is rote learning. Children are not able to interpret the texts they read and fail to make logical inferences about the texts, consequently they will be virtually unable to interact with any type of text,” the executive director of the brio.ro platform, Gabi Barctic said. Literacy skills reflect a persons ability to relate to a text. The competent reader understands and interprets the text even at a first careful reading, uses the information in it and interacts with it to achieve their goals. (LS)

28 April 2023
April 23, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT The international community has a
duty to support Ukraine, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and his Chilean
counterpart Gabriel Boric said in Santiago de
Chile. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, president Boric condemned
the war and expressed his country’s solidarity with Ukraine. Mr. Iohannis announced that the first Romanian language department in Latin
America will be established this year at Universidad de Chile. During the
visit, a memorandum was signed concerning cooperation in emergency situations,
such as earthquakes and wildfires. Previously, president Iohannis was in
Brazil, and the last stage of his south-American tour is Argentina.

SPENDING Romanian authorities are looking at a plan to
reduce public spending, which will be endorsed by the government in an
emergency order next week, after the
measures have been approved in a meeting of the ruling coalition made up of the
Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Both the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Social
Democratic finance minister, Adrian Câciu, promised that salaries and
investments would not be cut, nor would additional taxes and charges be
introduced. In the last government meeting, held a few days ago, PM Ciucă called
on large-scale taxpayers to meet their obligations to the budget, and urged fiscal
authorities to ensure tax collection.

REFUGEES Nearly 266,000 Romanian and foreign
citizens Saturday crossed in and out of Romania, the border police announced.
According to a news release issued on Sunday, out of the over 112,000 people
who entered Romania, 8,784 were Ukrainian nationals. Since February
10, 2022, two weeks before the start of the Russian invasion of that country,
more than 4 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them
transited the country en route to Western Europe,
but over 100,000 have chosen to stay here. The government of Romania decided
that private citizens that host Ukrainian refugees will only be refunded
accommodation and meal expenses until the end of this month. As of May 1, the
people coming into Romania from Ukraine will receive directly a fixed amount to
cover immediate accommodation and food expenses for 4 months. The money will be
paid from the funds of emergency inspectorates. After this 4-month period,
financial aid will only be provided for accommodation, until the end of this
year, and the refugees are encouraged to enrol with Romanian employment
agencies in order to benefit from the same rights and benefits as Romanian
nationals.

EDUCATION Trade unions in the public education sector intend to step
up protests primarily concerning staff salaries, after the Government announced
plans to cut down budget spending, including a freeze on salaries and hiring in
the public sector. Major trade union federations in the sector threaten that
the current school year might be ended sooner than scheduled, as they are
considering an all-out strike as of May 22. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, they
will be picketing the government headquarters, and on May 10 a protest rally is
scheduled in Bucharest. The education minister, Ligia Deca, said she was
confident solutions would be found to avoid a strike.

HOLIDAY Christians Sunday celebrated St. George, who is also
the patron saint of the Romanian Land Forces. According to tradition, St.
George was a high-ranking soldier in the Roman Army under Emperor Diocletian, who
was tortured and sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith.
St George is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity, and a large
number of settlements have claimed him as a patron saint. Over 1 million
Romanians bear his name.

COIN The National Bank of Romania Monday releases a celebratory
silver coin on the occasion of the 90th birthday anniversary of the
great poet Nichita Stănescu. The coins will be accompanied by authenticity
certificates and presentation leaflets in Romanian, English and French. The 5,000
coins will be sold for EUR 90 per piece.

SPORTS The Romanian athlete Denis Florin Mihai won the
bronze in the 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the European championships
held in Zagreb, Croatia, after defeating Bulgaria’s Stefan Hristov Grigorov. Before
the last day of the competition, Romania had won a total of 5 medals, including
2 gold ones, for Andreea Beatrice Ana, in the 55 kg and Alexandra Nicoleta
Anghel in the 72 kg categories, and 3 bronze ones, won by Cătălina Axente in
the 76 kilo, Kriszta Tunde Incze in the 65 kg category, and Denis Florin Mihai.
At the previous edition, hosted by Budapest, Hungary, Romania won 4 medals, including
one gold (Andreea Ana – 55 kg), one silver (Nicu Ojog – 97 kg Greco-Roman), and
two bronze (Alina Vuc -55 kg and Kriszta Incze – 65 kg). (AMP)

23 April 2023
April 23, 2023

VISIT The international community has a
duty to support Ukraine, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and his Chilean
counterpart Gabriel Boric said in Santiago de
Chile. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, president Boric condemned
the war and expressed his country’s solidarity with Ukraine. Mr. Iohannis announced that the first Romanian language chair in Latin
America will be established this year at Universidad de Chile. During the
visit, a memorandum was signed concerning cooperation in emergency situations,
such as earthquakes and wildfires. Previously, president Iohannis was in
Brazil, and from Chile he is next to go to Argentina.

SPENDING Romanian authorities are looking at a plan to
reduce public spending, which will be endorsed by the government in an
emergency order next week, after the
measures have been approved in a meeting of the ruling coalition made up of the
Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Both the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Social
Democratic finance minister, Adrian Câciu, promised that salaries and
investments would not be cut, nor would additional taxes and charges be
introduced. In the last government meeting, held a few days ago, PM Ciucă called
on large-scale taxpayers to meet their obligations to the budget, and urged fiscal
authorities to ensure tax collection.

REFUGEES Nearly 266,000 Romanian and foreign
citizens Saturday crossed in and out of Romania, the border police announced.
According to a news release issued on Sunday, out of the over 112,000 people
who entered Romania, 8,784 were Ukrainian nationals. Since February
10, 2022, two weeks before the start of the Russian invasion of that country,
more than 4 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them
transited the country en route to Western Europe,
but over 100,000 have chosen to stay here. The government of Romania decided
that private citizens that host Ukrainian refugees will only be refunded
accommodation and meal expenses until the end of this month. As of May 1, the
people coming into Romania from Ukraine will receive directly a fixed amount to
cover immediate accommodation and food expenses for 4 months. The money will be
paid from the funds of emergency inspectorates. After this 4-month period,
financial aid will only be provided for accommodation, until the end of this
year, and the refugees are encouraged to enrol with Romanian employment
agencies in order to benefit from the same rights and benefits as Romanian
nationals.

HOLIDAY Christians are celebrating St. George today, who is
also the patron saint of the Romanian Land Forces. According to tradition, St.
George was a high-ranking soldier in the Roman Army under Emperor Diocletian, who
was tortured and sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith.
St George is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity, and a large
number of settlements have claimed him as a patron saint. Over 1 million
Romanians bear his name.

SPORTS The Romanian athlete Denis Florin Mihai won the
bronze in the 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling category at the European championships
held in Zagreb, Croatia, after defeating Bulgaria’s Stefan Hristov Grigorov. Before
the last day of the competition, Romania had won a total of 5 medals, including
2 gold ones, for Andreea Beatrice Ana, in the 55 kg and Alexandra Nicoleta
Anghel in the 72 kg categories, and 3 bronze ones, won by Cătălina Axente in
the 76 kilo, Kriszta Tunde Incze in the 65 kg category, and Denis Florin Mihai.
At the previous edition, hosted by Budapest, Hungary, Romania won 4 medals, including
one gold (Andreea Ana – 55 kg), one silver (Nicu Ojog – 97 kg Greco-Roman), and
two bronze (Alina Vuc -55 kg and Kriszta Incze – 65 kg). (AMP)

23 April 2023
Romania’s Tourism Fair and its offers

The 47th edition of Romanias Tourism Fair was held over February 23rd and 26th in Romanias capital city Bucharest. Romanias most interesting tourism offers and assets were presented as part of the event. Traditional craftsmen were there, obviously, they provided live demonstrations of the ancient crafts. In this weeks instalment in our regular Travelers Guide series you will find out something about the most interesting holiday destination for the coming period.

A PR specialist with Timis Countys Tourism Promotion and Development Association, Bianca Vințan told us Timișoara was prepared to become a true capital of European Culture. Besides, Timis Countys tourism offer for 2033 was very generous.

Bianca Vintan:

“We invite tourists to discover the Win Road. The road comprises five small wine cellars in the Silagiu area, as well as visits to the regions local producers. Tourists can find accommodation nearby the wine cellars; they can taste the local produce or can bathe in Buzias resorts healing waters. Apart from that, lovers of nature and of the outdoor experience are invited to roll along 15 cyclo- tourism paths in Timis County. Ther also is another option, that of trekking in the Padeas area, Fardea, the Surduc lake. Loads of things for them to discover in our county. “

Niculai Barbă is vice-president of Suceava County Council, as well as a coordinator of the National Tourism Promotion and Information Centre. Present at Bukovinas stand, Niculai Barba outlined, for all those interested, the most interesting tourism programs.

“This year, we also have special events as part of the “Ciprian Porumbescu Year ” program. Therefore, we have developed events tourism in great numbers, in 2023. Then we present the period for which we are extremely sought-after, the Easter holiday. Booking for Easter and Christmas in Bukovina is made one year in advance. In no short supply are traditional cuisine, customs and traditions offers, traditional craftsmen, traditional music. At this edition of the fair we have come with performers of the “Ciprian Porumbescu” Ensemble, in a bid to put to good use the Romanian composers work. “

Luminița Niculiță is one of the traditional craftsmen whose work was presented at Bukovinas stand. She came all the way from the museum-commune of Ciocănești and is surrounded by traditional handicraft items.

“At the tourism fair we have brought a fine collection of painted eggs, typical for the region of Bukovina, especially for the museum-commune of Ciocanesti, where I hail from. Its not only the painted eggs we can brag about, we can also boast the beautiful houses with their painted façades, something unique the world over. Thanks to the painted eggs, the painted houses, of the traditions that have been preserved, our commune was declared an outdoor museum-commune. I have taken up the craft of painting eggs ever since I was four, guided by my mother, by grandparents, by aunties. I started with the simplest patterns, while now, as I am 20, I can say I already have a rich experience. Egg-painting workshops can also be staged, but we need to be announced well in advance so that we can prepare the required materials. We have tourist from all continents and from all European countries. Everybody was astonished we did not enjoy Switzerlands fame, landscape-wise. Were waiting for everybody to come over so they can see that for themselves. “

Ramona Niță is the director of Breazas National Tourism Information and Promotion Centre. She came with special Easter and Whitsuntide offers, but also with offers off the market price, valid throughout the year.

“For instance, we have a four-star guesthouse with an Easter package offer is made of a three-night accommodation stay with half-board and the festive Easter dinner. The double-room fee per person is 1,200 lei (243 Euros). Apart from accommodation and dinners, there also are activities such as a camp fire or dances. They have a very beautiful courtyard, with gazebos. There are also offers for the summer period. They include weekdays, and you pay four nights for the price of three, of five for the price of four. We have standard fees for the weekends, as the demand for that is very high. “

Judith Grapă is a documentarist with the Faragas Country Museum. She presented the reasons why the Fagaras Citadel should not be excluded by tourists for their holiday options in 2023.

“It is the only citadel of Romanias princesses. Transylvanias princes, in the 16th and the 17th centuries, offered this citadel to their wives as a wedding gift. Their ladyships, the princesses, were the ones who administered it, alongside the included estate known as the Fagaras Country. Secondly, it is one of the worlds most beautiful fortresses, which has been awarded a diploma of excellence. Thirdly, it is a very well-preserved citadel. The citadel has been partially restored and looks really fine. The first floor is open for visitors, there we have 26 rooms, the Fagaras Country Museum can also be found there. On the second floor, we have for more rooms set in the style of the 18th century. We invited you to come over mainly during the days of the Medfest, a medieval festival, a festival of the citadel days, held in the last week of August.”

From Transylvania we travel all the way down to the Romanian Black Sea Coast. Alina Monica Rapotan is the property manager of a guesthouse in the resort of Jupiter.

“Ours is an offer accounting for 10% off the market price. During the season, the accommodation fee for two adults and a child younger than 5 can reach 220 lei (44 euros). In June, for two adults, we can offer a fee of 140 Lei (28 Euro). We have our own kitchen and playgrounds for children, indoors and outdoors. Were in the middle of a forest. The air is fresh and were that close to the beach. “

An executive director with Arad County Council, Dr. Andrei Ando, went to the tourism fair with an offer for three distinct regions in Arad County.

“First off, Arad municipal city, where we promote historical and cultural tourism. Secondly, the Mures River Valley, a historical region in Arad municipal city. Here we lay emphasis on the Savirsin castle, on the traditions acknowledged by UNESCO. Then we promote the Miniș-Măderat vineyard, one of central Europes historic vineyards. There we have two sorts of wine: Cadarcă, a red sort of wine and Mustoasă of Măderat, a sort of white wine. Concurrently, at this edition of the fair, we wanted to promote Arad municipal city as a city-break destination. We have so far discussed with 22 tourism agencies so that Arad could be included in their autumn offer. We have 70 refurbished palaces in Arad city center, Romanias largest urban city center area, we have the longest string of Secession-style buildings.”

Also available at the tourism fair were adventure or balneal tourism offer. Also the UNESCO Buzau Land geopark and the Mountainous Banat had very lively stands, teeming with ideas for a successful holiday. In Travelers Guides following editions, we shall have more on each of these destinations, so we can understand their unique selling points, capable of helping you to have a holiday to remember, in Romania. (EN)

2 March 2023
Skiing in Romania

There are not a few ski slopes, and the offers are attractive. At the same time, you are invited to enjoy the spectacular sights in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains.

For foreign tourists, Romania can be very interesting, especially if we know how to position ourselves, says Adrian Voican, tourist agency manager. Even though the country doesnt have the tallest mountains in Europe, we do have something unique: the tourist objectives, and the affordability of cuisine and accommodation:

“Valea Prahovei is the area that is closest to my heart, the more so as we are close to the opening of the airport in Brasov, so that tourists who wish to reach the Brasov area, from the country and abroad, can get straight there. This will happen in the first half of next year. Sinaia is the diamond of resorts on Prahova Valley. Three new ski slopes will open this winter. This will bring up the total length of our ski slopes from 22 km to 30 km, on Valea Dorului, Valea cu Brazi, Valea lui Carp, and Valea Soarelui. It should be mentioned that the altitudes of the slopes vary from 860 m to 2,000 m. So, even if it is warmer and the snow is lacking at lower levels, we almost always can count on snow at higher altitudes. And dont forget the snow cannons. Also, Sinaia City Hall managed to purchase the old ski lift and cable car, and now we are about to issue a universal ski pass for the entire resort.”

This doesnt mean that Sinaia is the only destination, even though it was designated the most attractive ski resort in Romania at the World Ski Awards, the only global initiative to promote and award excellence in winter tourism.

“Poiana Brasov is not to be dismissed by any accounts. On the contrary, here the total length of slopes is 24 km, and they claim it is the longest in the country. Then we have Straja, in the southwest of Romania. They say that they have the longest slope in the country, 8.6 km, and that their skiing area is top of the list. This kind of competition is beneficial. Covasna has four slopes. Here they blend spa tourism with active tourism and winter skiing. The same with Sovata, where the authorities have invested using European funds and attracting other sources of financing, to make the resort attractive both in summer and in winter.”

According to Adrian Voican, tourism agency manager, Romanias slogan that would attract foreign tourists could be Learn to Ski in Romania. In fact, Romania could be the ideal destination for parents who want to teach their children to ski.

“There are plenty of slopes. You dont need slopes kilometers upon kilometers long, you can have a slope that is one km, or one half of that. You can learn how to ski on the slopes in Cazacu or Sorica, in Azuga, or on Kalinderu, in Busteni. You dont need huge, or very high up slopes that go into the Book of Records. All you need is good facilities where kids feel great, to have snow, to have accessible prices, and monitors, of which we have great ones, and to have rental equipment available. This concept of Learn to Ski in Romania could be very attractive for many that would have a vacation here. We have been promoting Romania on foreign markets for a very long time. The main countries where we have partners, trying to attract as many tourists as we can to our country are France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, and even the US.”

In terms of active tourism, beyond summer treks, Romania is a prime destination for travel skiing, according to Cosmin Andron, mountain climber and tourist guide.

“In terms of foreign tourists who want to do winter sports in Romania, most of them come for travel skiing, and the classical destinations are the Rodna Mountains, in the north, Bucegi, Fagaras, Retezat, Parang Mountains, and the Apuseni Mountains. Most of the people I accompanied are from Eastern Europe, Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks mostly, and Austrians, Brits, and French people from Western Europe. Generally, these tourists prefer objectives where they can spend time between the days of skiing. It is true that most tourists are not focused exclusively on skiing, because Romania does not offer in its tourist circuit trails of great technical complexity. The people coming here seek the exotic in the destination, which automatically involves other tourist objectives, beyond the sports aspect. For instance, we have agro-tourism in Maramures, and especially in the Bucegi Mountains area. Tourists are asking for, and we also recommend, a visit to Peles Castle and Bran Castle. Depending on the destination, at least one day out of five or six is spent to visit other objectives.”

Romania is not an expensive destination, if you dont count access to ski lifts and cable cars in resorts. Here is Cosmin Andron:

“This is a destination for low cost airlines. For someone considering a week of free ride skiing in Bucegi, Fagaras, Retezat, you can get to the mountains with flights to Bucharest or Sibiu. The ones who want to go to the northern places, such as the Rodnei, Maramures, or Apuseni mountains, they have available the airports in Cluj or Tg. Mures. Then, accommodation is mainly in B&Bs, which are still at very competitive prices compared to Western Europe. In addition, some places can be accessed by cable car, which may be accessed only once in an outing of four or five days. For instance, at Balea, in the Fagaras Mountains. Other places can be reached by car. So, Romania is not exclusively a destination for down slope skiing, but for this mix of archaic, authentic, and skiing. Alongside my colleagues, I extend an invitation to you to discover Ropmania, because this is what a trip abroad is about, discovering places, people, traditions. This is a different manner of doing active tourism.”

There are many events that take place near or even on ski slopes. Of these, one of the most eagerly expected is a premier event for Central and Eastern Europe. The organizers of the first Massif event, between March 3 and 5, 2023, in Poiana Brasov, promise the perfect combination between a music festival and a winter sports festival.

14 December 2022
Skiing in Romania

There are not a few ski slopes, and the offers are attractive. At the same time, you are invited to enjoy the spectacular sights in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains.

For foreign tourists, Romania can be very interesting, especially if we know how to position ourselves, says Adrian Voican, tourist agency manager. Even though the country doesnt have the tallest mountains in Europe, we do have something unique: the tourist objectives, and the affordability of cuisine and accommodation:

“Valea Prahovei is the area that is closest to my heart, the more so as we are close to the opening of the airport in Brasov, so that tourists who wish to reach the Brasov area, from the country and abroad, can get straight there. This will happen in the first half of next year. Sinaia is the diamond of resorts on Prahova Valley. Three new ski slopes will open this winter. This will bring up the total length of our ski slopes from 22 km to 30 km, on Valea Dorului, Valea cu Brazi, Valea lui Carp, and Valea Soarelui. It should be mentioned that the altitudes of the slopes vary from 860 m to 2,000 m. So, even if it is warmer and the snow is lacking at lower levels, we almost always can count on snow at higher altitudes. And dont forget the snow cannons. Also, Sinaia City Hall managed to purchase the old ski lift and cable car, and now we are about to issue a universal ski pass for the entire resort.”

This doesnt mean that Sinaia is the only destination, even though it was designated the most attractive ski resort in Romania at the World Ski Awards, the only global initiative to promote and award excellence in winter tourism.

“Poiana Brasov is not to be dismissed by any accounts. On the contrary, here the total length of slopes is 24 km, and they claim it is the longest in the country. Then we have Straja, in the southwest of Romania. They say that they have the longest slope in the country, 8.6 km, and that their skiing area is top of the list. This kind of competition is beneficial. Covasna has four slopes. Here they blend spa tourism with active tourism and winter skiing. The same with Sovata, where the authorities have invested using European funds and attracting other sources of financing, to make the resort attractive both in summer and in winter.”

According to Adrian Voican, tourism agency manager, Romanias slogan that would attract foreign tourists could be Learn to Ski in Romania. In fact, Romania could be the ideal destination for parents who want to teach their children to ski.

“There are plenty of slopes. You dont need slopes kilometers upon kilometers long, you can have a slope that is one km, or one half of that. You can learn how to ski on the slopes in Cazacu or Sorica, in Azuga, or on Kalinderu, in Busteni. You dont need huge, or very high up slopes that go into the Book of Records. All you need is good facilities where kids feel great, to have snow, to have accessible prices, and monitors, of which we have great ones, and to have rental equipment available. This concept of Learn to Ski in Romania could be very attractive for many that would have a vacation here. We have been promoting Romania on foreign markets for a very long time. The main countries where we have partners, trying to attract as many tourists as we can to our country are France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, and even the US.”

In terms of active tourism, beyond summer treks, Romania is a prime destination for travel skiing, according to Cosmin Andron, mountain climber and tourist guide.

“In terms of foreign tourists who want to do winter sports in Romania, most of them come for travel skiing, and the classical destinations are the Rodna Mountains, in the north, Bucegi, Fagaras, Retezat, Parang Mountains, and the Apuseni Mountains. Most of the people I accompanied are from Eastern Europe, Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks mostly, and Austrians, Brits, and French people from Western Europe. Generally, these tourists prefer objectives where they can spend time between the days of skiing. It is true that most tourists are not focused exclusively on skiing, because Romania does not offer in its tourist circuit trails of great technical complexity. The people coming here seek the exotic in the destination, which automatically involves other tourist objectives, beyond the sports aspect. For instance, we have agro-tourism in Maramures, and especially in the Bucegi Mountains area. Tourists are asking for, and we also recommend, a visit to Peles Castle and Bran Castle. Depending on the destination, at least one day out of five or six is spent to visit other objectives.”

Romania is not an expensive destination, if you dont count access to ski lifts and cable cars in resorts. Here is Cosmin Andron:

“This is a destination for low cost airlines. For someone considering a week of free ride skiing in Bucegi, Fagaras, Retezat, you can get to the mountains with flights to Bucharest or Sibiu. The ones who want to go to the northern places, such as the Rodnei, Maramures, or Apuseni mountains, they have available the airports in Cluj or Tg. Mures. Then, accommodation is mainly in B&Bs, which are still at very competitive prices compared to Western Europe. In addition, some places can be accessed by cable car, which may be accessed only once in an outing of four or five days. For instance, at Balea, in the Fagaras Mountains. Other places can be reached by car. So, Romania is not exclusively a destination for down slope skiing, but for this mix of archaic, authentic, and skiing. Alongside my colleagues, I extend an invitation to you to discover Ropmania, because this is what a trip abroad is about, discovering places, people, traditions. This is a different manner of doing active tourism.”

There are many events that take place near or even on ski slopes. Of these, one of the most eagerly expected is a premier event for Central and Eastern Europe. The organizers of the first Massif event, between March 3 and 5, 2023, in Poiana Brasov, promise the perfect combination between a music festival and a winter sports festival.

14 December 2022
A summer holiday in the Carpathian mountains

It’s
mountain lovers we dedicate today’s installment to, since the Romanian
Carpathians’ tourism offer is extremely generous for those who want a relaxing holiday,
or an active one. The beginners as well as the advanced tourists can practice
all sorts of mountain sports. As for the families, they can discover trekking
routes. Furthermore, a holiday in the mountains can also translate into an incursion
into the fascinating world of the rural regions. Old traditions are still being
kept in the villages that are scattered on the hills. As for the dining table,
it is rich in food prepared using the ancestors’ recipes.

Marius Adrian Coviltir has been a member of the
Carpathians Mountain Association since 2008, when the association
was established. Marius has been the vice-president of the association for more
than ten years now. Also, Marius Adrian Coviltir is a mountain rescue service
operative and head of squad as part of Vrancea County’s Mountain Rescue Service.

Marius Adrian Coviltir:

There is a very generous offer, that of Romania’s Mountains, thanks to a
wide range of opportunities to spend the leisure time there, for the
well-trained people, who want rather more difficult areas for themselves,
higher ones, but also for the tourists who are not that well trained physically
or regarding experience of equipment. So we can recommend a couple of areas. My
recommendation has to do with the most important project carried by the Carpathians Mountain Association, which is ongoing, as
we speak. It is about an altitude shelter in the Faragas Mountains. Fagaras is
also the Romanian Carpathians’ main massif. It has the largest surface area and
it is also here that we find Romania’s seven tallest peaks, lying at an altitude
of more than 2,500 meters. We have a main ridge, which is very attractive and
where I ran into most of the tourists in Romania’s mountain area.

A holiday in the Romanian Carpathians might also enable tourists
to get closer to the rural world. Therefore, we get to know villagers and we
can get acquainted with their traditions. We’re sure to discover a universe
which is as old as it is diverse.

Marius
Adrian Coviltir once again.

Therefore, I can mention
the Vrancea Mountains, but also other areas lying a bit further away from us, in
the westernmost points. I’m speaking about the mountainous Banat area which
includes a couple of less-well-known regions where traditions have been very
well kept, sone of them truly Romanian, others being influenced by the national
minorities. In the Banat Mountains we have Czechs, Germans and Hungarians. There
we can run into that kind of mix of three or four cultures.

The mountains are a perfect place for an active holiday.
The swift-running waters invite you to practice rafting, while the high ridges invite
you to practice climbing. In fact, people do the escalade quite often. With
details on that, here is the vice-president of the Carpathians Mountain Association,
Marius Adrian Coviltir, once again.

We have many areas where routes have
been arranged to that end. Most of them are in central Romania, in Bucegi Mountains,
Piatra Craiului. The rock in that area is prone to such sports activities. Access
also matters here as well. Lying at the centre of the country, those are easier-to-access
areas, and pretty well stocked as regards the accommodation infrastructure. There
are also competitions. We must admit that in recent years we’ve had fewer competitions
because of the pandemic which took its toll on all of us, yet as of this year,
all those competitions will be resumed. Most of them have to do with the
mountain marathons, or with running or climbing contests. Most of them are
carried in the Bugeci, Piatra Craiului or Ciucas mountains. There marathons
there are all too familiar, and you can get all the info about such events on
the Internet.

The Romanian Carpathians are also famous for the
wilderness of the places, for the areas that are still unspoiled by the human intervention.

Marius Adrian Coviltir:

Ours is a richness
that has not been put to good use properly . Nevertheless, in the protected areas,
in the nature or national parks, such activities are staged quite often,
targeting the lay public. They promote the flora, the fauna, with the entire
set of rules properly observed, so that the effect on the environment stands at
the minimum or is practically inexistent. There we can observe the plants and the
trees in the region, but mostly animals. Tourists are attracted by animals because
they are more difficult to notice. We’re mainly speaking about the bear and the
wolf. Various animal observation towers have been built, while the info can be
accessed visiting the parks’ sites.

Here is the vice-president of the
Carpathians Mountain Association, Marius Adrian Coviltir, once again, this time
speaking about how the foreign tourists have also been impressed by the
wilderness of the places.

I met very many tourists, mainly German-speaking
tourists, but also a lot from Eastern Europe, from Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic.
They are very much attracted by the offer of our mountains. In another move,
some of them said the natural assets could have been put to good use more efficiently,
as access is still difficult in certain areas. In recent years, such problems
did not occur that often. The tourist infrastructure made of marked trekking
routes, pathways, but also the tourist shelters have seen a great deal of improvement.
Likewise, the access driveways. So overall, a good impression prevails. The
wilderness of the places is very much appreciated, it is something that cannot
be seen in the West any more. For instance, the Alps have very much been under a
steady degradation because of human intervention.

Marius Adrian Coviltir recommends the Vrancea
Mountains as a holiday destination.

They’re not that well promoted, and
for a good reason, somehow, since until 2010,
2012, the trekking routes were not in the best condition. Meanwhile, as the
Vrancea Mountain Rescue Service was founded, things have changed. The routes
have been reconditioned and, practically, the mountain tourism in Vrancea has
been reborn. The Association I represent, over 2011-2013 got involved in that
as well, and roughly 250 kilometers of pathways have been marked. These
mountains are pretty wild. I am not sure if they are Romania’s wildest, but
they definitely are at the top. Human intervention has been rather limited. The
Vrancea Mountains are not that high, their Goru Peak being the highest, with an
altitude of 1,773 meters. We have 20 tourist trekking routes that cover 300 kilometers
of pathways.

So
here is a rich and diversified offer for you to spend a holiday far from the hubbub
of the city, and far from its sweltering heat, but quite close to Romania’s natural
riches.

(EN)

1 September 2022
Easter in Maramureș

One of the traditional Easter destinations in Romania is the region of Maramureș, in the north, where customs and traditions are well preserved. The tourist offer of Maramureș is comprehensive and addresses both those who want an active holiday and those interested just in relaxation. In addition, the local craftspeople organize shows in which they display their talent.

Our guide today is Dan Carpov, a promoter of Maramureș region: “In Maramureș, Easter is a time of joy, when people are happy to observe the region’s ancient traditions and customs. They wear traditional costumes, dance and prepare delicious dishes. The Easter traditions of the region are famous even abroad. The people of Maramureș value humaneness, family, and respect for the others. Easter is a good period for tourism, and those who want to visit Maramureș will find many locations worth a visit as well as many attractive programs. One such program is called ‘Easter in Maramureș’ which is also a unique event. It is organized in Sighetu Marmației on the occasion of the Easter holiday, Easter being the biggest Christian holiday, and also an opportunity for the people of Maramureș to live moments of holy joy within their community and together with tourists. ‘Easter in Maramureș’ wants to promote the traditional village of Maramureș, with all its charm: music, traditional dress, crafts and food. And everything takes place in an authentic location: the Maramureș Village Museum in Sighetu Marmației.”

You may wonder what a trip to Maramureș during the Easter holiday would look like. Here is Dan Carpov, a promoter of Maramureș with details: “I would start the trip in the city of Baia Mare, a gateway to Maramureș. Another gate to the region is Sighetu Marmației, the other important city of Maramureș county. I would make a daily schedule and start with Maundy Thursday, when tourists are supposed to attend the religious service in church, where the people of Maramureș usually give food and clothes to those in need, in memory of the souls of their dear ones that have passed away. Friday is a sad day in the Orthodox calendar, and Christians fast and pray, and go to church to attend a special service, dressed in their traditional attire, which is an occasion for tourists to admire the beauty of the Maramureș folk costumes. On Saturday the general atmosphere is getting more optimistic. People make the last preparations for the Easter celebrations and the housewives are giving the final touch to the special Easter dishes and prepare for the Easter Day. On Sunday, families meet for the Easter festive meal, and a special tradition on this day is the painted-egg knocking. All guesthouses in the region offer Easter packages, in which tradition comes first.”

For the more active tourists, Maramureș offers lots of possibilities from the picturesque hiking trails to the region’s lakes and rivers, just good for a bath in summer. Dan Carpov, is back with details: “The warm weather is just setting in, and we are already nostalgic about the ski slopes with a lot of snow, which were the delight of tourists in winter: the new Olympic slope from Borșa, the Șuior, Cavnic, and Izvoare resorts. All these slopes live up to European standards. Cyclists can enjoy wonderful routes, away from the traffic. The bicycle routes were recently refurbished and marked in cooperation with the Maramureș County Mountain Rescue Service. Preparations are being made for the mountain running, bike triathlon, and swimming competitions for the coming season, and in some areas of Maramureș people can also practice paragliding, another fashionable sport at present.”

Maramureș is famous for its centuries-old wooden churches which visitors should not miss, although it’s hard to see them all in one single visit. Dan Carpov has more: “I would recommend the ‘Circuit of the wooden churches in Maramureș’. It is a very dear project that has been recently included in a European circuit which comprises all these impressive places of worship. The circuit presents 16 wooden churches that spread on an area of about 300 km. Obviously, we do not recommend a quick visit, but it is important to know that, of all these churches, eight are included on the UNESCO heritage list. Every wooden church is waiting for tourists to discover its secrets.”

The region of Maramureș also boasts an authentic tradition of woodcarving, and those who visit the area will have the chance to admire the famous wooden gates, houses, and churches as well as other wooden objects, used for decoration or in the households. Dan Carpov is back at the microphone with more: “Pottery is another traditional craft in the region of Maramureș, just like traditional dress making. Many hardworking women process materials in spectacular ways, and they make traditional costumes from scratch. We are not talking only about traditional shirts and dresses made with ancient techniques, we refer to the whole folk costume. These costumes are always in high demand, because they are worn both by the artists of the region and by ordinary people when they participate in various events such as weddings and baptisms.”

That is why Maramureș is such a popular destination during the Easter holiday. So, don’t waste any more time, contact your tour operator in advance and book a trip for next year’s Easter celebrations in Maramureș county, Romania. (LS)

21 April 2022
January 24, 2022

CELEBRATION
Today Romania celebrates 163 years since the Union of the Romanian
Principalities, the first major step in the formation of the Romanian nation
state, paving the way for the Great Union of 1918. On January 24, 1859,
Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected ruler of Wallachia, after on January 5 he had
become sovereign of Moldavia. His rule laid the foundations for modern Romania.
January 24 is a banking holiday in Romania. While many people chose to spend
the holiday in mountain resorts, the ones who stayed at home had the option of
attending military and religious ceremonies and celebratory concerts organised
around the country under COVID-19 restrictions. Bucharest’s Patriarchal
Cathedral hosted a service devoted to all those who contributed to the 1859 Union.
Politicians posted messages on this occasion. President Klaus Iohannis said the
Union on January 24, 1859 proves the importance of a project able to bring
together the energy of the Romanian nation, and urged people to work
persistently to consolidate the country’s current European and democratic path.
The Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that the Union was the result of the
untiring efforts of the politicians of the time, driven by the nation’s dream
of unity and of administrative, economic and social progress. This desire
endured with all the following generations, triggering major changes in the
Romanian society, Nicolae Ciucă added. In turn, the speaker of the Chamber of
Deputies and president of the Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu said that,
163 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities, what Romanians need
more than ever is unity and stability, if they are to handle current economic,
healthcare and security challenges.

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 12,082 new cases of SARS-CoV-2
infections in 24 hours and 41 related deaths. The incidence rate in the capital
Bucharest is on the rise, reaching 10.23 cases per thousand people. The city
has been in the red tier since January 12, when the incidence rate went over 3
per thousand. The COVID-19 testing capacity is set to increase this week to
150,000 tests per day, as over 3,800 family physicians have signed contracts
with public health insurance agencies in this respect. In Bucharest and the
nearby county of Ilfov, where the largest number of cases is reported, testing
centres have already been opened in 20 hospitals. On Wednesday at the latest
COVID-19 testing will also be resumed in schools, after more than 10 million
test kits were received by school inspectorates. The health minister Alexandru
Rafila expects the current (5th) wave of the pandemic to reach its
peak in Romania in about 3 weeks’ time.

UKRAINE The European Union does not intend for the time being to follow in
the footsteps of the US and order the families of its diplomats to leave
Ukraine, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said today, according to
France Presse and Reuters. On Sunday night a senior US official justified the
decision saying that a Russian invasion may take place at any time. The US
secretary of state Antony Blinken is to address a meeting of the EU foreign
ministers in Brussels today, via video link, to update them on his recent talks
with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Attending
the meeting in Brussels is the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu. Russia has deployed around 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border,
which the West reads as a preparation for an attack designed to prevent Ukraine
from joining NATO.

DOCUMENTARY The French public TV channel France 3 tonight airs for the first
time a documentary on Marie of Romania, the amazing queen of the
Carpathians, as part of its highly popular history series Secrets
of history. The production of the documentary took one year and a half.
Archive photos and footage have been collected, along with testimonies by
historians and members of the Royal House of Romania. Scenes have been shot at
the Peleş and Bran castles in the southern Carpathians, at the Cotroceni
National Museum in Bucharest and at the Curtea de Argeş Monastery where Royal
House members have been buried. Queen Marie, the wife of King Ferdinand I, was
acknowledged in Europe as an ambassador of the Romanian nation and a supporter
of the Romanian nation state.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep lost to Alizé Cornet
of France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in the round of 16 of the Australian Open in
Melbourne today. For Halep (15 WTA) this was the first defeat after a string of
8 consecutive wins. Also today, Sorana Cîrstea of Romania takes on seed no. 7 Iga
Swiatek of Poland, in the same competition round. (A.M.P.)

24 January 2022