Tag: resort

The Dornas Country, a fairy-tale destination

We’re exploring, today, an area where nature is one of its main assets. We’re heading towards a destination with a legendary name: the Dornas Country. It is an eco-tourism destination inviting those interested to experience a kind of responsible tourism, by means of which visitors experiment local nature and culture. As early as the 19th century, the area has compelled recognition thanks to its special scenery and unique atmosphere.

Mihaela Cocîrță is a destination manager with the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization. She will now be telling us why the entire area has compelled recognition as a fairy-tale destination.

“Nature harmoniously blends into everything related to traditions, to the locals’ hospitality, to customs and traditions, culture and way beyond that. All that offers visitors an experience to remember, irrespective of the season. For instance, as we speak, we’ re still in the winter season and, even though the time of the winter holidays customs and traditions has come to an end, the Dornas Country still waits for visitors on the ski slopes.

Those who are into rather more relaxing activities, we suggest you take a ride with the chair lift, capable of offering a special bird-s eye view of the town of Vatra Dornei, but also of the Dornas Country. Furthermore, the Dornas Country also offers relaxation options for those who, after an eventful day in the mountains, want to relax in the SPA or Wellness centers.

So we got the newest resort opened, Dorna Candrenilor, offering relaxation options, such as shallow, long-course swimming pools, easily accessible to all categories of visitors. “

By all means, the activity on the ski slopes depends on the weather outside. As we speak, the destination manager with the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization. Mihaela Cocîrță, told us the Parc Slope was open. But what is the area’s complete offer?

“ We have three categories of ski slopes and I will mention them to you. We have the Parc ski slope with a length of 900 meters and an angle of 28.5 degrees. It has a level difference of 150 meters, with a medium level of difficulty. Also, we have the Poienita slope, also known as Parc 2, with a length of 550 meters and a level difference of 50 meters. It is perfect for children and for beginners since it has a low level of difficulty.

Then there is the Veverița (Squirrel) slope, with a length of 780 meters and a level difference of 200 meters, it also has a medium level of difficulty. Of course, all slopes are floodlit, they have snow cannons and a wide range of cable transportation facilities. There are centers where you can rent skis, snowboards, all sorts of equipment, clothing included, yet there are also monitors for those who have not used skis so far or for those who want to be reminded the correct ski posture.

It is very important for the people who come to the slope to have the appropriate behaviour so as to avoid accidents. Apart from the slope activities proper, tourists can also go on a sleigh ride since there are dedicated areas for that, or they can skate in the skating rink lying two minutes away from the ski slope. “

At the foot of the ski slopes there are restaurants and chalets offering tourists coming to the Dornas Country the opportunity to relax over cup of mulled wine or a cup of hot tea. They can also enjoy, of course, the local, natural products, famous for being so delicious. In the evening, they can have a good time in the Dorna Candrenilor resort, where they can enjoy sauna and moments of relaxation.

Moreover, in the resort of Vatra Dornei, there are many restaurants, while quite a few of them, in the peak period, stage parties or relaxing evenings for tourists. As for the active tourism, it goes with cultural tourism quite all right. In Dornas Country we can embark upon a true tradition-discovering journey.

“The Dornas Country is very rich in crafts, in traditions and customs. We still have people who have kept the legacy that was handed down to them by their ancestors. We can speak about spring a little bit, as Easter is drawing near. At that time of the year, there are quite a few ladies who still paint eggs. They paint them or they weave them. These ladies are also present at Vatra Dornei’s Ethnographic Museum in every Saturday, in a traditional evening. Then they sow the embroidered peasant blouses, yet at Easter time they paint eggs as well.

Ciocănești has been declared an open-air commune museum for a couple of years now. There, the craftswomen have opted for preserving that custom of egg painting, there even is a Museum of the Painted Eggs we recommend every time to those who visit the Dornas Country, if they want to have a glimpse of the essence of the traditions we have in our own area. Some of these eggs are even a hundred years old. “

Germany, England, Scotland, Australia or Mexico are just some of the places of origin of the foreign tourists who travel to Dornas Country. For Romanian tourists and for the foreign ones alike, the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization has also been working on several projects of setting up leisure areas, soon to be materialized.

Every season has its own charm here, and that’s for sure. Adding to the charm are the seasonal dishes. A destination manager with the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization, Mihaela Cocîrță, recommends that we also pick our stay in Dornas Country in the summer of autumn.
“With us, there is a very beautiful and very eventful period, rich in sports events, but not only that. We say that in the food of Dornas Country visitors will find a great deal of passion, mastery and authentic taste. If, for instance, a tourist turns up in autumn, he is sure to find everything related to vegetables hotchpotch and preserves prepared by housewives. Also, again during autumn, they can have a taste of such dishes as the apple pie.

They can pick the apples and, if they find accommodation in an agri-tourism guesthouse, they can join their hosts in the preparation of those dishes and can also take the recipes back home with them. At this time of the year, in winter, we have special food, mainly meat or fish-based, of course, we have the all too familiar minced meat cabbage rolls, meat jellies or aspic.

The food is absolutely yummy and locally produced. I was lucky enough to meet foreign tourists constantly, also because Via Transilvanica crosses Vatra Dornei. There is a route attracting a great many foreign tourists who keep saying the same thing: ’ You don’t know what richness you have here, in your region.’ They appreciate the natural scenery, a lot, but also the architecture.

The Dornas Country used to be under Austrian-Hungarian administration, while quite a few of the region’s iconic buildings, which shaped our region, were built in the Austro-Hungarian time. Therefore, the unspoiled nature, tying in with the architecture, the traditions and the customs make it a special place, held in high esteem by tourists. “

Germany, England, Scotland, Australia or Mexico are just some of the places of origin of the foreign tourists who travel to Dornas Country. For Romanian tourists and for the foreign ones alike, the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization has also been working on several projects of setting up leisure areas, soon to be materialized.

23 January 2025
Dambovicioara

We’re heading today towards the center of Romania. Our
stopover is a tourist resort of national interest, the commune of Dâmbovicioara.
The area is recommended to all categories of tourists, for relaxation, but also
for active tourism. Climbing, mountain cycling and agritourism can be practiced
there. Also, in the region you can watch genuine pageantries of traditional apparel,
or you can take part in festivals that promote the local cuisine.

It is a
place replete with traditions, it is a destination for the entire family. With details
on that, here is an official of the National Tourism Information
and Promotion Center, Raluca Busioc.

Dâmbovicioara
is a wonderful commune, with breathtaking scenery and I’m not the only one
saying it, as here it feels like home to me and there are also many other people
saying it, those who arrive here. Geographically speaking, Dâmbovicioara is
part of Wallachia, it is a commune in Arges county, lying on the border with Brasov
County, in Transylvania. The mountain ranges surrounding our commune are part
of the Southern Carpathians, namely Piatra Craiului, Iezer-Păpușa and Leaota. So,
the invitation we ‘re extending is for you to see spectacular landscapes existing
in those mountain trails. The trekking routes are very many, and extremely varied.
Also, you can practice bouldering in the Brusturet Gorges, a segment of the gorges
which is part of a complex of eighteen gorges in our area. Apart from tis
adventure tourism, relaxation is, by all means, welcome in our area because it
is a very quiet area, it is not crowded at all. In recent years, jointly with
the people in the community we have succeeded to lay our emphasis on experience
tourism. We have been trying to promote, and we’ve succeeded, together with
groups of tourists, to stage all sort of activities related to the life here,
to life in the countryside.

Experience-based tourism is an innovative
approach to travelling, for which center-stage is being able to experience and
understand culture, places and people, instead of only visiting traditional
tourist objectives. This kind of tourism provides
a deeper perspective on the destination. In Dâmbovicioara, you’re sure to
experience the local culture and the local way of living, which, definitely,
means unforgettable memories, says the official
of the National Tourism Information and Promotion Center, Raluca Busioc.

We experienced stitching on etamine, wood
sculpture, tourists can see for themselves how to sew the ie, the traditional blouse
specific for our area. Even the cooking workshops based on the recipes in our
region have worked very well, while people have begun to be strongly attracted
by everything related to experience tourism. Apart from the scenery or the leisure
of the guesthouses, people want to have their own memories of their stay here. Usually,
such activities target groups of at least ten people. So far, we have worked
with tourism agencies that had the role of organizing that group. I have been approached
and, jointly with the people here, in the community, with other partners, I have
created tourism programs for those people. So a connection between tourists, the
community and these activities in the community can be the Dambovicioara
Tourism Center. The Center’s Facebook page can be accessed at Turism Dambovicioara
and there it is the fastest way to contact me, but you can also contact me by phone,
that’s for sure.

You will also find a little museum with the Turism Promotion
and Information Center.

It is a room that has been arranged
according to tradition. I thought, together with my colleagues and with the
other people I have been working with, that it could act as an introduction to tradition.
There is, in the region, a museum which is a lot more complex than tis room in
the tourism center, yet the role this room had was, in fact, a meeting point
for the women in the community. Later, tourists also came, they wanted to see
for themselves how this demo of sewing and weaving work, actually, as we also
have a weaving loom here, at the tourism center. So, the main role was to give
an impetus of village women’s evening sittings that have of course got a new
shape, yet what we had in mind were the village evening sitting of the old
days.

The Dâmbovicioara river cut down, into the rock, an eight-kilometer-long
canyon, while in some of the segments the walls of the valley are more than 200
meter high. There are more than 50 caves in the region. However, Raluca Busioc
of the National Tourism Information and Promotion Center recommends that we
visit the Dâmbovicioara Cave, which offers a varied karstic relief. It was
discovered in 1579 and has electric lighting since 1980. Right at the entrance,
you will find a restaurant with a traditional menu. Access can be made through a
floodlit walkway, made of metal, on which tourists can walk the 250 meters that
are available for visiting.

Coming here, every year,
are tens of thousands of tourists who are simply impressed by the legend of
this cave. Briefly, it is about two outlaws, Fulga and
Budac. The two outlaws stole the fortunes from the rich and gave them to the poor.
So the legend is very interesting for those who come over. However, the most important tourist assets with us
remain the tourist trekking routes, especially in Piatra Craiului, since it is
one of the most spectacular mountains.

If you intend to plan a holiday in Dambovicioara in 2024,
it is advisable that you get there when a local event is held. Palm Sunday, The
Assumption of Saint Mary, but also December 1st, the National Day of
Romania, are an opportunity for a great feast or holiday. Also, another local event
that has been very successful in recent years, an event which began in 2016, is
the Day of the Peasant Embroidered Blouse, the ie in Romanian, staged on June
24.

It is a very interesting day,
as the guests make contact with the people of the community, and it is also a
merry-making opportunity. We have succeeded, together with the people in the region,
to remind tourists of the simplicity of the days of yore, to better present the
traditions that are specific to the region. By and large, the key element in
all these activities has been the contact tourists had with the people in the
region. We are here with our arms wide open for you, in a bid to show you the
beauty of the region, to speak about us, to tell our story to the best of our
abilities and, of course, to make you enjoy quiet and relaxing stay.

So here we have a destination for all nature lovers, a
destination where you can see unique assets, where you get to know special people and where you can charge your batteries for the whole year.

15 February 2024
Famous central-European spas of the 19th century

The idea of having a vacation
or leisure time, the idea of spending a one-week or a two-week holiday somewhere is
rather recent in history. Beginning with the 19th century, once the collective
rights emerged, tourism became affordable for the social classes other than the
elites. As for the tourist resorts, they were also quick to appear. Resorts would mostly develop nearby areas that
had been previously known for the benefits the waters, of the air, or other
environmental qualities had upon the human organism. One of Europe’s most renowned
balneal spas was Karlsbad, today known as Karlovy Vary, located in The Czech Republic,
on the country’s western border with Germany. Known ever since the Middle Ages
for its thermal waters with healing properties had healing effects for a number
of conditions, the resort enjoyed an impressive inflow of tourists. Among the famous
names who visited the Karlsbad Spa were those of Russian Emperor Peter the Great, Turkey’s first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe or German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

But there were also
Romanians who visited Karlsbad. Historian Radu Marza, in his volume Romanian Travelers
and patients in Karlsbad provided an account of Romanians’ presence in that
posh resort.

Radu Marza:

The history
of Karlsbad as a balneal resort begins with the Medieval age, in the 14th
century. Yet the history of Karlsbad as we all know it, with the resonance its
name it has today, begins in the 18th century, or thereabouts. Also
mentioned and documented several are names of individuals hailing from the
Romanian space. The first character about whom we even know very many things is
a boyar named Barbu Stirbey, an Oltenian boyar who travelled to Karlsbad in
late 18th century.

Scientific studies confirmed
the resort’s beneficial action on the health condition of the human body and on
regaining the individual’s work capacity. As for the physicians, they are doing
their job and recommend the resort. Also thanks to the thermal waters, the breathtaking
natural landscape made Karlsbad one of Europe’s top five spas. Added to that
was the architecture of the buildings erected there. Just like the other
tourists, the Romanian tourists also arrived there drawn by the lake’s miraculous
properties of the place and the beauty of the surroundings.

Historian
Radu Marza:

We discovered
those Romanian visitors or travelers going there were in no way different from
visitors coming from elsewhere. Which means they perfectly fit in with that, let’s
just say, that trend of going to the spa. And it was not just the trend of going
to Karlsbad, there were also many other spas in the European space, but also spas
of the Romanian space. By all means, those in the Romanian space have a scope,
a prestige and significantly less capabilities than Karlsbad. But the
phenomenon is the same.

Who are the Romanian celebrities
who paid a visit to the Czech spa? According to Radu Marza, there were politicians’
names on the list, yet there was also info on other names, more or less.

Alexandru Vaida-Voevod
was a physician there and he is a personality as such, it is not only as a
physician that his figure is worth remembering. There were, for instance, Ionel
Brătianu, Queen Marie, various prime ministers, that including Iuliu Maniu,
Nicolae Titulescu also dropped by, Constantin Argetoianu or other public
figures. And there are also several sources about some of the personalities,
there was a string of pieces of documentary information, other such people might have
dropped by as well, but they were rather low-profile, if I may say so. And then we don’t know many accurate things about their
presence, yet the presence of other such people is a very well documented one.

However, going to the spa in Karlsbad
also acquired a social dimension, and not only a healing one.

Historian Radu
Mârza:

Karlsbad enjoyed that kind of fame in the
Romanian space as well. And we even came cross, once, over a very interesting
source of the 1920s, a little article published in a Romania magazine, dwelling
on the fact that it was a matter of bad taste, wondering, in the summer or in
early summer, where should you spend the summer season? Because it was obvious
you would go to Karlsbad. It somehow
was a social call, not going there was out of the question. You did not get any validation, socially speaking, if you didn’t go to Karlsbad. It was obvious that such a truth
did not apply entirely, that kind of opinion was not a widely-accepted tenet, yet
very many people had that kind of mindset. That is why Karlsbad was a place for
you to go to spend your vacation, to follow this or that medical procedure, but
you also went there to make yourself visible and see other people, to meet certain
people of your entourage.

However, the balneal resort
of Karlsbad was beyond reach for the lower classes, yet it was affordable for
the Romanian middle class. Teachers, civil servants, banking people, petty tradesmen
spent their vacation in Karlsbad. After 1945, after the communist regime was
instated and nationalization was forcefully implemented in both Romania and
Czechoslovakia, part of the working and the peasants’ class could
afford visiting Karlsbad. But even so, going to Karlsbad did not become a mass phenomenon
either, because of the strong borders and the grassroots’ low income. (EN)

10 October 2022
The Beginning of the Summer Season in Romania

This weekend, which also marks the International
Workers’ Day with barbeques and parties the summer season officially kicks off
in Romania. Many Romanians are these days travelling to the seaside resorts on
the Black Sea coast, where over 100 hotels are expected to be open. According
to travel operators, after two years of pandemic, people are now appreciating
holidays more than ever as over 80% of the rooms have already been booked and
resorts are expected to be crowded this summer season.

Hotel owners believe that roughly 30 thousand
tourists are going to spend May Day at the seaside, most of them in the resorts
of Mamaia and Costinesti. Night clubs and the Sunwaves electronic music
festival in Mamaia resort are expected to be the main attractions for young
people these days, as well as the festivals of hip-hop&trap and rock music
in the resort of Costinesti.

Prices for a holiday in a seaside resort have risen
at least 15% and when demand is higher, in the month of August, for instance,
prices can get even higher, because as the tour operators have explained, like
in any market economy it is the supply and demand, which is setting the
price.

According to Romania’s Tourism Minister, Daniel
Cadariu, beaches in the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast have
been prepared to welcome tourists. They have been cleaned by the National
Administration ‘Romanian Waters’ and submitted to operators. According to
Minister Cadariu holiday vouchers, aimed at giving an impetus to local tourism,
are to soon make it to the employees of the state and some private companies.
Every institution decides whether to offer these vouchers or not, but they have
been urged to do it as soon as possible. Here is Tourism Minister Daniel
Cadariu with more on the issue.

Daniel Cadariu: In December
we passed an emergency ordinance, on which every institution based its budget,
so that they may get the right amount of money. Now it’s true that part of this
money has so far been spent on public procurement but according to figures
released last week, nearly 97 million lei have already been deposited into the accounts
of the beneficiaries.

The Minister has also announced that private
companies can also give holiday vouchers up to six minimum wages and aren’t
limited to the 1450 lei ceiling as the state companies. This could be a real
stimulus for their employees at a time of severe labour force crisis Minister Cadariu
went on to say.

(bill)

29 April 2022
Winter holiday in Busteni

Today we invite you to join us on a trip to the town of Busteni, in the Prahova Valley, a two-hour trip from the capital Bucharest. The well-deserved name of ‘Gate to Bucegi Mountains’ comes from the fact that this is the perfect place to start exploring the mountains, where there are at least 200 tourist routes. Also, a walk through this quiet town at the foot of the mountain is worth taking, as the place is rich in beautiful traditional houses. They have a porch with pillars that support arches built in the Brancoveanu style and also stone stairs.

Mihai Colesi is a coordinator with the Tourist Information and Promotion Center and he highlighted for us the main attractions of the place: “The landscapes are unique, the Caraiman Massif is spectacular and there are several spots that are particularly attractive, such as the Sphinx, Babele and the cross on top of the massif. The climate allows tourist activities all throughout the year. The ski slopes, Kalinderu I and II, have a lift chair with a capacity of 1,200 seats per hour. Next to the slopes there is a leisure park, for all ages, which also has a slope for beginners. Also, on the upper side of Kalinderu there is a special piste for sleighs, provided with all the necessary safety devices in order to avoid any accident. At the bottom of the slopes there are 8 ski rentals, where people can rent equipment for both beginner and advanced skiers or snowboarders.”

The resort’s largest and most precious monument is the National Heroes’ Cross. It was built between 1926 and 1927, at an altitude of 2,291 meters, at the request of Queen Marie. The cross is made of steel and is placed on a ferroconcrete plinth. The monument has impressive dimensions: it is 48 meters high and 14 meters wide. At night, when the sky is clear and the lights of the monument are on, tourists can enjoy a very special sight. Busteni is a resort for all seasons and for all categories of tourists.

Speaking about that, is Mihai Colesi, coordinator with the Tourist Information and Promotion Center: ”Apart from sports and leisure tourism, we’re trying to find alternative solutions for tourists to spend their free time. In the summer, tourists can opt for hang gliding, paintball and bouldering. Also, we have religious and cultural tourism. In Busteni we have the Aurel Stroe Cultural Center that presents cultural events and theatre shows all year round. Furthermore, the Caraiman Monastery has become a strong point of attraction. The Princely Church and the Cantacuzino castle are two other tourist hotspots. We also recommend a visit to the Cezar Petrescu Museum. “

More and more people are spending their holidays in Busteni. The recent success enjoyed by this resort is the result of investments made in infrastructure, the town’s modernization, the restoration of its tourist sites and the events held.

Mihai Colesi, the coordinator of the Tourist Promotion and Information Centre tells us more: “I’m glad to say that in the last three years, the number of visitors has grown constantly. More recently, we’ve also had tourists from the Nordic countries, but we’re still attracting a lot of visitors from Israel, Italy and France. They have all discovered the beauty of the area. They have been overwhelmed by the landscape and said what a shame we haven’t been able to promote ourselves better before. The tourist promotion and information centre provides maps of the town and of the mountain routes. The latest maps we have created also include GPS coordinates, but there are also mountain guides available. In recent years, we’ve also been hosting in February the Ice Climbing World Cup, which is a great success with visitors. The Busteni Days festival is also held generally in the first weekend in February. We hope to be able to hold it this year as well. For the time being, the weather looks good. There’s enough snow on the ski tracks and it looks like it’s going to be a long winter. In summer, Busteni hosts various outdoor festivals in the amphitheatre located in the town’s central park.”

Busteni is not only a mountain resort for tourists who want to relax and practice various sports, but a place where Romanian craftsmen are very active. Mihai Colesi has the details: “At the entrance to the resort, and also close to the cable car connecting the resort to Babele nature monument, there are special areas where craftsmen display their products. Also, in the center of the town, at the Cultural Center, there is a craftsmen’s fair open all year round. Participants come from all over the country and sell Romanian traditional products. Foreign tourists are delighted about it and say the prices are very good. Busteni offers more than 250 accommodation places, including guest houses and hotels. We are always eager to welcome tourists. We are trying to offer as many services as possible, and make sure our guests are happy with what they can find here, from landscapes to all the other attractions of Busteni”.

17 January 2019
Start of the summer season in Mamaia resort

The most popular and largest festivals are held here, with the best DJs. Accommodation comes in all shapes and forms, and entertainment is to match. You can take the gondola, you can visit the water park, and you have a variety of trips available in Dobrogea region and the Danube Delta.

However, in order to get to know Mamaia better, we should take you on a trip back in time. 112 years ago, Mamaia opened for business as a summer vacation destination, more precisely in 1906. Organizing the facilities started in 1905.

Razvan Victor Pantelimon, a lecturer with the School of History and Political Sciences at the Ovidius University of Constanta, told us some details: “This was the vision of a few very important people. First there was engineer Anghel Saligny, who built a number of administration and infrastructure buildings, starting with the famous bridge over the Danube. Once Constanta harbor was improved, he also had the idea to build a number of spas close to the city of Constanta. Another visionary with a very important role was the mayor of the city at the time, Ion Banescu. He held the position for a very short time, only two years, between 1905 and 1907. The citys local council leased an area north of the city, which was initially a fishing village. This is the origin of what is now known as Mamaia.”

This was an international resort right from the start, because the landscaping was made by a French architect, Edouard Redont, who made the blueprints, turning the beach into parks, according to Razvan Victor Pantelimon: “The first map of Mamaia resort was made in France, in December 1905, by the Architecture and Landscaping Service with Paris City Hall. Also in Paris, France, in early 1906, one thousand copies of photos of the beach were made. The official inauguration of Mamaia resort was in August 1906, when two trains left from Constanta. The inauguration was attended by a large crowd. What is interesting is that they built a railroad between the old railway station in Constanta and the resort, over 8 km long. Success came quickly. Statistics show that within a few months, in 1906, over 45,000 tourists visited Mamaia. It was a success, considering that the city of Constanta had only 12,000 inhabitants.”

Along the years, Mamaia saw some hard times as well. The first was during WWI and its immediate aftermath. Here is Razvan Victor Pantelimon, a lecturer with the School of History and Political Sciences at Ovidius University of Constanta with details: “We can say there was a slump until the 1920s, when construction resumed. The Royal Palace was built starting in the 1920s, with blueprints made by Italian architect Mario Stoppa. The resort flourished in the 1930s. The casino was built, and the first large hotel, The Rex. What is interesting is that in 1934 there were 12,000 foreign tourists from surrounding countries, like Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Then, during WWII and in the 1950s, the resort took a step backward too — it was left in dereliction, but in the 1960s a new policy for development was implemented, aimed at bringing foreign tourists to Mamaia. We can say that it gained international recognition in 1968, when Miguel Angel Asturias, South American Nobel Prize winner, came to Mamaia and said that it could rival any resort on the French Riviera – Cote dAzur, the Italian Riviera, or the beaches of Florida. After the 1990s it once again went into a slump, and growth resumed only after 2000.”

It would be worth mentioning that the resort of Mamaia hosted the Radio Holiday headquarters, the foreign language station of Radio Romania. This famous station enjoyed great success during the communist period with entertainment programming.

After the year 2000, the resort developed a lot, as confirmed by Stefan Necula, the director of a travel agency focused on the seaside: “We tried to cater for all types of tourists, with offers in all inclusive hotels and also in boutique hotels. We consider that this will be more and more a favorite destination for foreign tourists. We are trying to open up more and more towards festivals, because it would attract foreign tourists, who are used to having such events at the beach. One very important event is Neversea, one of the biggest music festivals in Eastern Europe. I think the trips we organize and introduce in our tourist packages are good for the development of the resort. We want tourists to get to know the local culture instead of just spending time on the beach.”

Mamaia is not an exclusive destination, Stefan Necula told us: “We have a variety of prices around the resort. We have two star units for tourists on a budget, but also four and five star hotels, with matching prices. They offer services comparable to Western European ones. The feedback from tourists has been positive. The latest round came around the May Day holiday, when tourists flocked to the clubs in the north of the resort. As you know, the entertainment was exceptional. Loads of tourists came for May Day from the UK, Germany and Italy, many of them accompanied by Romanians who promoted the resort. We are eagerly awaiting tourists who want to get to know the place and feel its vibe. The hotels, restaurants, and clubs here, as well as the beach facilities, are eager to accommodate any tourist.”

In Mamaia you have a rich history, with lots of events and all sorts of entertainment. Contact soon your travel agent to check out what is on offer this summer season.

26 July 2018

Hörerpostsendung 29.11.2015

Herzlich willkommen zur Hörerpostsendung von RRI. Wie man sieht, liegt in Mitteleuropa schon der erste Schnee. Auch in Rumänien ist das Schönwetter vorbei, in Bukarest hat es seit Donnerstagnachmittag fast ununterbrochen geregnet, einige nördliche Landkreise wurden bereits von Schneestürmen heimgesucht. Zum Wintereinbruch in Deutschland schrieb uns Herbert Jörger (aus Bühl, Baden-Württemberg) per E-Mail:

Ich bedanke mich für den Erhalt von drei QSL-Karten sowie das beigefügte Blatt über die Winterfrequenzen. Mit Ihrem Programm bin ich sehr zufrieden. Es ist für mich auch verständlich, dass bei allen Betrieben und Firmen der Rotstift angesetzt wird, Ihre QSL-Karten sind immer eine besondere Überraschung. In welchem Gebiet wird bei Ihnen hauptsächlich der Wintersport betrieben? Bei uns ist es gestern Nacht Winter geworden. In der Ebene blieb der Schnee nicht liegen, da es zu warm ist.

Vielen Dank für Ihr Feedback, lieber Herr Jörger. Rumänien verfügt über mehrere kilometerlange Schipisten. Die Länge dieser steigt aber von Jahr zu Jahr und es werden immer mehr neue eingerichtet. Zurzeit gibt es in Rumänien laut Informationen des Tourismusministeriums 154 Schipisten, die meisten davon mit einer Länge unter 1 km. Die bekanntesten Wintersportorte liegen in den Südkarpaten, genauer gesagt im Prahova-Tal und in Poiana Braşov (dt. Kronstädter Schullerau), einem Vorort von Kronstadt in Südsiebenbürgen. Aber auch in Nordrumänien, in der Marmarosch und in der Bukowina sind einige beliebte Reiseziele für Wintersportliebhaber zu finden. Und ferner sind auch im Westgebirge und im Banater Bergland einige Orte fernab vom Massentourismus zu finden, die als Geheimtipp gelten. In der Rubrik Reiseland Rumänien haben wir einige vorgestellt: Vatra Dornei in der Bukowina, Semenic im gleichnamigen Gebirge im Banater Bergland, Rânca am Fu‎ße des Parâng-Gebirges oder Vârtop, das Feriendorf im Westgebirge, wo man nebst Schilaufen auch wandern und klettern kann.

Am bekanntesten bleibt jedoch Poiana Braşov, das Resort belegt zweifelsohne den ersten Platz in der Rangliste der rumänischen Schiferienorte. Vor einigen Jahren wurden die Pisten erweitert und verlängert. Der Ferienort steht ganz oben in allen Ranglisten. Die Schipisten sind sowohl für Anfänger als auch für Fortgeschrittene geeignet. Es gibt vielfältige Liftanlagen, die zahlreiche Absatzmöglichen für die Pisten bieten: zwei Seilbahnen, eine Gondel, zwei Sessellifte und fünf Schilifte. Poiana Braşov ist der einzige Schiferienort, der jährlich mehr als 3.000 englische Touristen anzieht und der von diesen als das preiswerteste Schireiseziel der Welt gewählt wurde. Au‎ßerdem hat hier der erste Schiwettbewerb in Rumänien im Jahr 1906 stattgefunden. 1951 wurden hier die Internationalen Universitären Winterspiele ausgetragen.

Andreas Pawelczyk ist in Mannheim zuhause, er ist einer unserer Stammhörer, liest viele der gesendeten Beiträge auch auf unserer Homepage nach und gibt uns regelmä‎ßig Feedback. Besonders vom Sozialreport scheint er angetan zu sein, die Rubrik präsentiert den rumänischen Alltag und diverse soziale Problematiken. Hier eine Zusammenfassung aus den letzten E-Mails, die wir von Herrn Pawelczyk erhielten:

Eine Meldung, die mich erstaunte, war, dass die Rumänen einen sehr hohen Arzneimittelverbrauch haben, insbesondere von Antibiotika. 55% der Rumänen glauben, dass Antibiotika bei einer Grippe oder Erkältung wirken. 75% der Befragten sagen, Antibiotika sei von Arzt verschrieben worden. 18% sagen gar, sie hätten das Medikament einfach in der Apotheke gekauft. Leider gibt es bei der Selbstmedikation auch Gefahren, die man beachten muss. Dies können Überdosierungen und auch Resistenzen sein. Der Grund für solche fragwürdigen Selbstmedikationen sind niedriger Bildungsgrad, Zeitmangel und mangelnde finanzielle Möglichkeiten.

Ich konnte von Ihnen einen weiteren interessanten, aber auch sehr bedrückenden

Bericht zum Thema Armutsbekämpfung hören, den ich in Eurem Internetauftritt nochmals nachlesen konnte.

Nach Statistiken internationaler Behörden sieht es mit der Armutsbekämpfung in Rumänien düster aus. Die Sozialpolitik Rumäniens gehört mittlerweile zu den schlechtesten in ganz Europa. Es soll eine gro‎ße Kluft zwischen einer reichen Minderheit und der Mehrheit der Bevölkerung geben. Das durchschnittliche Monatsgehalt soll im Lande bei ca. 400 Euro liegen. Dies sei nach westeuropäischer Sicht zu wenig. Diese gro‎ßen Ungleichheiten im Lande Rumänien führen dazu, dass es Menschen gibt, die morgens noch nicht wissen, wie sie am Tage zu ihrem Essen kommen. 48,5% der Kinder sollen an der Armutsgrenze leben.

Infolge der ganzen Entwicklungen in Rumänien soll die Bevölkerung in Rumänien seit 1990 bis heute von 23 Mio. Einwohnern auf jetzt 20 Mio. Einwohner geschrumpft sein. Problemhaft auch das Steueraufkommen in Rumänien. Steuerhinterziehung und Korruption seien weit verbreitet. Ich meine, dass sich Rumänien da noch was einfallen lassen muss, wenn es um die Sozialpolitik geht, denn von der Demokratie alleine lebt man nicht besser.

Sehr interessant fand ich auch Ihren letzten Sozialreport. Da ging es um die Arbeitsmarktchancen von Akademikern in Rumänien. So sollen ca. 30% der Jungakademiker in den ersten drei Jahren keine Arbeit finden. Gründe sollen unter anderem die mangelnde Berufserfahrung sein. Manche von ihnen wissen nicht, was sie machen sollen. Es handelt sich vorwiegend um 24-25 Jährige. Die Einstellungen laufen meistens auch nur in Bukarest und den Gro‎ßstädten ab. Angeblich sollen sie überwiegend in Callcentern (also Telefonverkauf) arbeiten.

Nun ist das für mich als Dipl.-Volkswirt der Universität Mannheim nichts Neues. Schon Mitte der 80er Jahre waren von den arbeitssuchenden “Wirtschaftswissenschaftlern” Deutschlands ca. 67% ohne Berufserfahrung. Manche schlimmen Fälle mussten gar bis zu 6 Jahren nach dem Studium Bewerbungen schreiben, um an die erste Stelle ranzukommen und dies mit schlimmen finanziellen Einbu‎ßen. Dazu kam noch, dass man keine Unterstützungsleistungen bekam, weil man eben noch nicht gearbeitet hatte. So lag man dann praktisch wie ein “Baby” den Eltern auf der Tasche herum, was das Familienklima stark belasten konnte.

Vielen Dank für Ihre Zeilen, lieber Herr Pawelczyk. Im Zusammenhang mit den von Ihnen gehörten Sendungen hat mich etwas anderes nachdenklich gestimmt. Anlass für den Sozialreport zum Thema Armutsbekämpfung war der Besuch des UN-Sonderberichterstatters für Armut und Menschenrechte, Philip Alston, in Rumänien. Alston sagte anschlie‎ßend in einer Presseerklärung, dass viele Amtsträger, die im rumänischen Sozialschutzwesen tätig sind, oft Fakten abstreiten. Ja, manche würden sogar eine seltsame Einstellung haben, sie sagen, dass Armut den Armen anzulasten sei, denn diese würden sich aus freien Stücken für Armut entscheiden, da sie nichts dagegen tun würden. Nun, ich will nicht abstreiten, dass es für Einzelfälle wohl stimmen mag, aber diese Behauptung ignoriert die Tatsache, dass beispielsweise Kinder aus ländlichen Regionen oft nicht dieselben Chancen auf Bildung und folglich auch nicht dieselben Berufsperspektiven haben wie ihre Altersgenossen in den Städten. Die Gesellschaft im heutigen Rumänien ist zutiefst gespalten. Und es ist nicht nur die Kluft zwischen städtischen und ländlichen Gebieten. Es geht um die Kluft zwischen den über 40%, die an der Armutsgrenze leben, und dem Rest der Bevölkerung. Der Wohlstand der letzteren steht im Mittelpunkt der Regierungstätigkeit“, sagte der UN-Berichterstatter und erteilte damit der rumänischen Regierung eine Schelte.

Zum Thema Arbeitsmarktchancen der jungen Akademiker: Da haben wir es mit einem Teufelskreis zu tun — die Unternehmen stellen die frischgebackenen Hochschulabsolventen nicht ein, weil sie keine Berufserfahrung haben, hei‎ßt es; aber gleichzeitig können sie diese Erfahrung auch nicht sammeln, gerade weil man ihnen die Chance nicht gibt, zu arbeiten und am Anfang auch Fehler machen zu dürfen. Hier muss man unser Wirtschaftssystem hinterfragen, das ausschlie‎ßlich auf Profitmaximierung setzt. Es ist aber z.T. auch dem rumänischen Bildungssystem anzulasten, dass immer noch sehr theorielastig ist und nur wenige Möglichkeiten bietet, schon während der Ausbildung praktische Erfahrung zu sammeln.

Zum Schluss die Zeilen von Dietmar Wolf (aus Hammelburg in Unterfranken), der diesmal eine andere Möglichkeit wählte, unsere Sendung zu hören, und gleich einen Gru‎ß an einen Hobby-Kollegen loswerden wollte:

Liebe deutsche Redaktion, lieber Sorin Georgescu,

herzlichen Dank für die Verlesung meiner E-Mail in der Hörerecke. Auch diesen Sonntag war es mit dem Radiohören wieder etwas ANDERS:-). Ich war heute mit der Familie unterwegs und wollte anschlie‎ßend trotzdem noch etwas Joggen gehen. Da es ja jetzt wieder früher dunkel wird, dachte ich das wird dann schwierig mit der Sonntagssendung von RRI.

Es kommt ja mal vor, dass man eine Sendung verpasst, aber am SONNTAG mit der Hörerecke, das geht ja gar nicht:-) Deshalb habe ich unseren RTI-Hörerclubpräsidenten Bernd Seiser angerufen und ihn gebeten, mir die Sendung oder zumindest den Funkbriefkasten mitzuschneiden, da ich nicht genau wusste, ab wann der Briefkasten dann auf der Homepage abrufbar ist, denn ich höre ja IMMER und viel lieber auf der Kurzwelle.

Ich bin dann also losgelaufen und unterwegs bimmelte dann mein Handy, eine E-Mail war angekommen und diese E-Mail war vom lieben Bernd Seiser. Sofort habe ich mir die mp3-Datei runtergeladen und konnte dann während des Joggens Radio Rumänien genie‎ßen. Wenn das kein Zeit-Management ist?:-) Die Radio Community funktioniert also Bestens!

Vielleicht können Sie den Bernd in der Sendung von mir Grü‎ßen und ihm für diesen Service danken:-)!

PS: Ja, ich bin wieder auf den Sodenberg gerannt aber diesmal lag schon etwas Schnee, der Winter kommt!

Anbei noch ein paar Fotos von heute. Alles in Grau, mit bissl Schnee…

src=http://devrri.freshlemon.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/foto.jpg

Winter im Wald auf dem Sodenberg

Foto: Dietmar Wolf

Vielen Dank, lieber Herr Wolf, — und dem Gru‎ß an Bernd Seiser schlie‎ßen wir uns an. Unsere Sendungen können Sie übrigens als mp3-Datei auch von der Webseite radio360.eu herunterladen oder auch einfach nur nachhören, ohne sie herunterzuladen. Und auf Ihrem Handy können Sie unsere Sendung in Ortssenderqualität auch live hören, indem sie unsere Homepage ansteuern und den Live-Stream beispielsweise mit der Wiedergabe-App Vlc öffnen oder in der App TuneIn für Android unseren Sender suchen. Für Iphones oder IPads dürfte es ähnliche Apps geben. Selbstverständlich müssen Sie über eine gute Internetverbindung im Freien verfügen und auch eine Flatrate mit gro‎ßzügigem Datenangebot von Ihrem Mobilfunk-Anbieter haben — sonst kann das teuer werden.

Oder Sie sind mit einem W-Lan, also einem kabellosen Internet-Netzwerk verbunden, in Gro‎ßstädten dürften kostenlose Hotspots vorhanden sein, dann geht es nur noch zu lasten des Akkus Ihres Handys. Wer sich mit dieser Möglichkeit, uns live auf dem Handy oder dem Tablet zu hören, nicht auskennt, der schreibe uns, ich erkläre es gerne Schritt für Schritt.

Postbriefe erhielten wir von Paul Gager aus Österreich (im dicken Umschlag waren auch viele Zeitungsausschnitte — vielen Dank!), Peter Möller, Erhard Lauber, Frank Bresonik, Wolfgang Kühn, Klaus Huber, Jürgen Wegner, Christoph Paustian, Johann Ruff, Ulrich Wicke (alle aus Deutschland).

E-Mails erhielten wir bis Sonntagmittag von Georg Lechner und Georg Pleschberger (beide aus Österreich), Dmitrij Kutusow (aus Russland) sowie von Norbert Hansen, Bernd Seiser, Horst Kuhn, Marco Lehner, Dietmar Wolf, Herbert Jörger, Andreas Pawelczyk, Volker Willschrey, Hans-Martin Kurka, Alessandro Agosta, Erik Öffinger, Heinrich Eusterbrock, Ulrich Schnelle (im Namen des Vereins der Kurzwellenfreunde im Rhein/Ruhr-Gebiet) und Hans-Joachim Pellin — alle zuletzt genannten Hörer aus Deutschland.

Das Internetformular nutzten Greta Friedrich (Deutschland) und Paul Gager (Österreich).

Nächsten Sonntag werde ich ein paar Hörerfragen beantworten, die ich mir aufgehoben habe. Bis dahin: Bleiben Sie gesund und munter!

Audiobeitrag hören:

29 November 2015