Radio România Internațional

Tag: tourists

  • The Dornas Country, a fairy-tale destination

    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.

  • November 9, 2024 UPDATE

    November 9, 2024 UPDATE

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    UKRAINE The EU foreign policy coordinator, Josep Borrell, assured Ukraine of Europe’s unwavering support on Saturday in Kyiv. The European Union has already provided EUR 122 billion in military and financial support to Ukraine and has trained about 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers, Josep Borrell said, adding that the bloc aimed to reach 75,000 by the end of winter. Josep Borrell, whose term in office ends in December, announced that EU defence ministers will meet next week to discuss continued military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, and will call for “increased support at this critical time”. European leaders, convened in Budapest recently, called on US President-elect Donald Trump to maintain support for Ukraine, to avoid trade wars and preserve global order.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    TOURISTS Over 300 American and Canadian tourists arrive this weekend in Constanța Port at the Black Sea, on board two cruise ships, the National Maritime Port Agency announced on Saturday. The 2 vessels are Viking Kadlin, with 178 American and Canadian passengers on board, and the River Adagio, with another 144 American tourists. “The tourist programme will include trips in the Danube Delta, wine tasting sessions in Murfatlar, walks in the old center of the city of Constanţa and in Mamaia,” the agency explained.

     

    UKRAINE Drones launched by the Russian invasion army hit Odessa, the largest Ukrainian port city at the Black Sea, where they killed one person and wounded 13, including two children, the regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Saturday, according to international news agencies. Residential buildings, private homes, shops and dozens of cars were damaged. Russia launched 51 drones, focusing on Odessa and the surrounding region, the Ukrainian air forces announced, claiming to have shot down 32 enemy aircraft.

     

    GAZA The Gaza Strip Civil Defence Saturday announced the death of 14 people, killed in 2 Israeli strikes, one on “a school”, the other in a camp of “tents for displaced persons”. A rocket fire on the Fahad al-Sabah school in Gaza City, turned into an emergency accommodation centre like most schools in the Strip, left “5 dead, including children, and 22 wounded”. The other Israeli airstrike targeted “tents for displaced people in Khan Younis” and resulted in “9 dead and 11 wounded”. The Israeli army fighting the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza Strip, said it had struck 50 terrorist targets in the last 24 hours in Gaza and Lebanon, where it says it plans to eliminate the Hezbollah Shia Islamists. Sources endorsed by the UN claim that more than 43,500 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. (AMP)

  • September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT Romania supports Israel’s right to self-defence – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said during the meeting he had on Thursday with the head of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania correspondent, Ciolacu voiced concern regarding the security situation and the danger of regional escalation. The Romanian Prime Minister paid a working visit in Israel where he was accompanied by the Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Economy. It was the second visit, Ciolacu paid to Israel since October 17th last year, ten days after Israel had been attacked by the Islamist group Hamas.

     

    DONATION The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday promulgated a law on donating a US surface-to-air Patriot missile system to third parties. The law, which was earlier endorsed by Parliament, refers to the donation, agreed upon with the US partner, of such a system to the neighboring Ukraine, a country currently invaded by the Russian troops. The new law enables the Romanian government to commence the required moves aimed at rebuilding the country’s ground-based air-defence capabilities by submitting the contracts on the purchase of another Patriot missile system to the US government.

     

    TOURISM The total number of tourists who got accommodation in Romania’s travel structures in the first seven months of this year stood at 7.666 million, 3.8% higher than the same period in 2023, data released by the National Institute for Statistics shows. According to official statistics, between January 1 and July 31 2024, Romanian tourists accounted for 82.9 % out of the total number of arrivals, whereas the number of foreign tourists stood at 17.1%. The cities with the largest number of visitors were Bucharest, Constanta in the south-east and Brasov in central Romania. Most of the foreign tourists came from Germany (128,900), Italy (117,800) and Israel (83,100). 81.1 % of the foreign tourists came from EU countries.

     

    MOLDOVA Moldova’s EU accession process would make good progress next year during Poland’s term at the helm of the EU Council, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during his Wednesday’s visit to Chișinău. The Polish official met his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, and held a speech in Parliament in Romanian, boycotted by the pro-Russian opposition. Donald Tusk then met the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who argued that Poland is a clear example of how EU integration can transform a country. The presidents of Romania and Baltic States also paid visits to Chișinău last week to express support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In October, the Republic of Moldova will host a referendum regarding the country’s EU accession, jointly with the presidential election.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team is playing its debut match in the 2024-2025 season of Nations League on Friday. In the first group fixture, Romania will play Kosovo away from home, while on September 9 it will take on Lithuania at home. Romania’s group, C2, also includes Cyprus. The top position ensures direct promotion to League 2 in the next season of Nations League, while teams in second place will play promotion playoffs. Teams in last place will be directly relegated to League D, while teams in third position will play in C2 the next season. Nations League standings also impact the European preliminary matches for the 2026 World Cup. Romania’s new headcoach is Mircea Lucescu, who returns to the national squad after 40 years. We recall Edward Iordănescu resigned at the end of EURO 2024, a tournament where Romania reached the round of 16.

    (bill)

     

  • Harghita County, a family destination

    Harghita County, a family destination

    Hello, dear friends and
    welcome to another travel feature on Radio Romania International. This is DB at
    the microphone and today we invite you to the county of Harghita, located in Romania’s
    central region. Here one can find the only volcanic lake in eastern Europe, the
    St. Anne Lake as well as the Praid salt mine, a genuine salt town at a depth of
    120 meters from the surface. The region offers excellent conditions for mountain
    hiking and is famous for its ski slopes very appreciated by winter sports
    lovers.


    Mezey Zsolt, project manager
    with the Intercommunity Development Association has told us that all the travel programmes
    here are very safe and family-friendly.




    Mezey Zsolt: My
    first suggestion is the Salt Land because here we are running a series of activities
    aimed at introducing several trades and involving visitors in them, based on
    the old principle, which says that ‘learning is doing’. This is an
    unforgettable experience because tourists are being assisted by professionals
    while getting involved in several activities related to one trade or another. Visitors
    can participate in pottery for instance, so they can take home the object they have
    created with their own hands. Then we invite visitors to bake the famous kürtőskalacs
    or polish aragonite jewels. You can find more details on our webpage at visitharghita.com.




    Harghita has lots to offer
    in terms of adventure tourism as well. Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt,
    project manager with the Intercommunity Development Association.




    Mezey Zsolt: An experience
    which is becoming increasingly popular is via ferrata. The name originates in the
    Italian Dolomites and initially was a military infrastructure. It is actually a
    climbing route that employs steel cables, rungs or ladders fixed to rocks. The
    Gheorgheni-Red Lake route includes our via ferrata infrastructure dubbed ‘Wild
    Ferenc’ on the south-western side of Suhardul Mic Mountain. This route is 200
    meter long and 170 meters above the ground. Another suchlike infrastructure can
    be found on the Sugau Gorges nature reserve and is known as Astragalus. With a total
    length of 700 meters, it has five routes 285 meters from the ground. But I
    believe the most beautiful of them all is in the Corbu village and it is known
    as ‘The Hawks’ Stone’. This route, which covers 150 meters, includes a
    suspended 15-meters long bridge and a vertical section with stairs. This
    programme is available between April and November but it very much depends on
    the weather. For more information, videos and photos of the aforementioned
    routes visit our webpage at visitharghita.com.




    Another novel experience
    would be a trip to a genuine sheepfold, where one can learn first hand about
    this ancient trade and traditions related. Here visitors can enjoy a rich traditional
    meal consisting of several courses of delicious bio food. Specialised guides
    will be accompanying you on your trip and if you feel like getting a bit of an
    adrenaline rush, the region offers proper conditions for trips in 4×4 vehicles.
    Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt.




    Mezey
    Zsolt: In a well-equipped terrain vehicle, you can explore
    the Hasmas Mountains and the Bicazului Gorges. Upon request, the experience can
    be completed by a via-ferrata route in the region but there are also other
    routes available in various transport vehicles, such as the Unimog. A historical
    route can be covered in this vehicle or in a ZIL 157, an army truck built in
    the former USSR, which we have dubbed ‘the crocodile’. A 6×6 terrain vehicle
    offers safety and comfort, and the routes have been chosen in such a way to
    offer access to breath-taking views and other interesting spots along the way. We
    also have a one-hour guided tour of the botanical reserve at Tinov Mohos, which
    is very interesting especially for kids as it takes them through an area, which
    is a remnant of the Ice Age, where they can see carnivorous plants and other
    rare species. Like I said, many of these plant species are dating back to the Ice
    Age and I would invite visitors in the area to also take a boat trip on the St.
    Anne Lake, as this experience has lately become very popular with families in
    general. The boats are big enough to take 3-4 people who are required to wear
    life vests, which come in all sizes.


    Such a family-friendly
    programme is the animal park of Babusgató, where children can interact with
    animals and spend a great time. As we all know, animal therapy has been largely
    used around the world with great effects on patients. Here is again at the
    microphone Mezey Zsolt




    Mezey Zsolt: Here children can see and
    even touch deer, Icelandic horses, rabbits and other cute animals. Another
    family-friendly experience is the bob-sleigh race, which is actually crossing areas
    of breath-taking beauty. There are three bob-sleigh tracks here, including a
    summer one, 15 hundred meter long, which can be accessed by means of the ski
    lifts and I would like to inform you that the track in Toplita is the longest
    in Romania stretching over almost 18 hundred meters. Most of it crosses a
    forest and the bob-sleigh gains a speed of 40 kilometers an hour. Children with
    ages between three and eight can enjoy this experience only if accompanied by adults.
    The oldest track, located in the commune of Ghimes has recently become an
    attraction for thrill-seeking tourists, who have described the landscapes here
    as similar to those they have seen in Austria or Switzerland.




    Tourists
    visiting the area are also offered another option; that of taking a one-day
    tour of Transylvania, by visiting a multi-cultural theme park entitled
    Mini-Transylvania, showcasing replicas of the main historical buildings in this
    part of Romania. The park is located close to Odorheiu Secuiesc and covers a
    surface of eight thousand square meters. (bill)

  • December 26, 2017 UPDATE

    December 26, 2017 UPDATE

    CHRISTMAS – In Romania, Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians celebrated, on the second day of Christmas, the Synaxis of the Theotokos, which is a celebration of Mary, the Mother of God. This is one of the oldest feast days devoted to Virgin Mary, dating back to the 5th Century. The Synaxis of the Theotokos is the assembly of believers to honour the one through whom the incarnation of God was possible. Also on Tuesday, Roman Catholic Christians celebrate St Stephen, the first martyr.




    HOLIDAYS – Thousands of Romanians are spending their winter holidays in the mountain resorts in Valea Prahovei region in the south, in Maramures in the north-west of the country and in Bucovina, in the north-east. Sinaia and Buşteni, on Prahova Valley, are among the most popular resorts in the country at this time of the year. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, at over 2,000 m altitude, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, was opened on Sunday. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad.




    ROYAL HOUSE – The Royal House of Romania attended on Tuesday the Christmas service held at the Orthodox church in Săvârşin, the west of Romania. The royals are on 40-day mourning after the death of Romanias last king, Michael I. He passed away on December 5, aged 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, where the other 3 monarchs of Romania are also interred. Tens of thousands of people took part in the national funerals of the one they regard as a model of dignity, honour, devotion and love for the country.




    CONSULTATIONS – The PM of Romania, Mihai Tudose, has agreed to hold talks on Wednesday with representatives of over 40 NGOs involved in the street protests against the controversial changes in the justice laws. The organisations had sent the PM an open letter expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, democratic principles and fundamental human rights. They say there have been major deficiencies in the dialogue and consultations between lawmakers and society with respect to the justice laws and the changes of the criminal codes. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, sent a letter to President Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an official opinion from the Venice Commission with respect to the legislative reform endorsed by Parliament. Previously, the embassies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden to Bucharest issued a joint letter calling on all stakeholders in the judiciary reform process to avoid measures that would weaken the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. In response, the Foreign Ministry said strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption are among the priorities of the Government of Romania. In turn, the leaders of the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, respectively, promised that the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu would inform embassies properly with respect to the legislative changes in this field.




    EU – The German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if the EU managed to get a smart deal with Britain that governs relations with Europe after Brexit, it could be a model for other countries. The German diplomat added that Tukey and Ukraine are not likely to get full EU membership very soon, which is why the EU should consider alternative forms of closer cooperation. Gabriel also suggested that such an approach could take the form of a closer customs union with Turkey. Although the current situation proves that that country is still rather far from joining the EU, recent moves by Ankara indicate willingness to improve relations with Brussels, the German official also said. Shortly before Christmas, Turkey decided to free a German pilgrim after nearly 9 months of detention, and a German journalist who had spent 7 months in custody over alleged ties with a terrorist organisation.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 3, 2017

    May 3, 2017

    ORGANISED CRIME – Police and prosecutors with the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) have today conducted home searches in Bucharest and several counties in Romania, targeting an organised crime group in a case involving the National Freight Railways Corporation. Forty people, including the current and the former managers of the corporation, are suspected of having set up an organised crime group, aggravated embezzlement, forgery and fraud. The group members allegedly under-appraised in 2016 assets belonging to the company, before selling nearly 2,500 freight cars intended for scrapping. The difference between the actual worth and the under-assessed worth of the goods went, according to the police, into the accounts of a company that collected ferrous scrap metal. As a result, the Corporation incurred losses of over 6.3 million euros.




    PRESS FREEDOM – “Journalists are intimidated not just in authoritarian regimes, but also in countries that are usually regarded as democratic, the president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani said in a message on World Press Freedom Day, celebrated today. A former journalist himself, Tajani mentions as negative examples Turkey, Russia and China, and says the EU is the strongest defender of the freedom of expression all over the world. World Press Freedom Day is celebrated in Bucharest as well, with the launch of the FreeEx Report on press freedom in Romania in 2016-2017, which looks at the main events with an impact on the freedom of expression. Previously, a similar report drawn up by Reporters without Borders (RSF) and released last week ranked Romania 46th out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom. “The excessive politicising of the mass-media, corrupt financing mechanisms, editorial policies subordinated to owner interests and the intelligence agency infiltration of staff – such has been the impact of the medias transformation into political propaganda tools, which has been particularly visible in election years, reads the RSF report. Romania went up 3 places since last year, when it was 49th in this ranking.




    TOURISM – Check-ins in Romanian accommodation units in the first quarter of the year totalled more than 2 million people, up around 11% compared to the same period of 2016, according to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. Most of the foreign tourists came from Europe (76.2% of the total), especially from Germany, Italy, and the UK. Last year the number of foreign tourists was nearly 11% larger than in 2015, namely 2.5 million, a record for the last few decades.




    BREXIT – Britain will not pay 100 billion euros to leave the EU, the Brexit Secretary David Davis said today, after British media reported that the EU negotiators have revised their original figures. The new bill, 40 billion euros higher than previous estimates, includes the payment of farming subsidies and administrative fees to the EU. Other elements taken into account are the budget of the UK and the EU investment expenditure. The revision of estimates indicates a tougher position taken by the 27 member states with respect to Britains demands. Today, the EU chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, will present detailed guidelines for the EU side. The date of the official divorce was set for March 29, 2019, unless an extension is agreed on by decision-makers.




    MOLDOVA – The presence of any troops or military bases headed and controlled by other countries, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, is against the Constitution, Moldovas Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday. The president of the Constitutional Court, Alexandru Tănase, explained that although the legislation makes it clear that the Republic of Moldova does not allow the deployment of foreign military on its territory, there are still Russian Federation troops in the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transdniester.




    WRESTLING – The Romanian athlete Andrei Dukov won the silver in the 57-kilo freestyle category, on Tuesday, at the European Wrestling Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia. Defeated in the final by the Georgian-born Azeri Giorgi Edisherashvili, Dukov improved his performance since last year, when he won bronze in the continental championship. Also on Tuesday, on the first day of the competition, the Romanian Alina Vuc won the bronze in the 48 kilo category, after defeating the Polish Anna Lukasiak. Romania, which has already reached its two medal target for this competition, is taking part in the European Championship in Novi Sad with 14 athletes.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • How Romanians spent winter holidays

    How Romanians spent winter holidays

    Romanians who preferred not to stay at home for the winter holidays have spent close to 36 million euros on New Years holiday packages in Romania and abroad. According to a survey conducted by the Employers Federation in Romanian Tourism, about 147 thousand people have spent the New Years Eve in Romania, a number slightly lower than in 2014. According to the same sources, the end of the year, marked by political, social and economic unrest, urged some tourists to reconsider their planned winter holidays.



    The trend of choosing Romania as a tourist destination will be maintained during the year 2016, due to the international political circumstances and the road safety Romania offers. Even if the regions renowned for preserving Romanian traditions were overcrowded, at national level the number of tourists was reduced by 3.5% as compared to last year, particularly in the mountain regions. Not all the Romanian resorts have seen a drop in the number of tourists as many chose to spent the holidays in spas (4% more than last year). Resorts on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta have also reported an increased number of tourists.



    Rural guesthouses are most sought-after in winter holidays, followed by hotel packages in big cities. The most popular destinations with the Romanians were mountain resorts in the Prahova Valley, Poiana Brasov, Paltinis, Ranca, Straja, Calimanesti, Felix Spa and the traditional rural areas, Bran-Moeciu, Maramures and Bukovina. Tourists have this year paid higher prices than in 2015, by 5% more on average. Even if they benefited from more days off than last year, few Romanians booked holiday packages abroad. The number of those who went abroad stood at 8 thousand, 5% less than in 2015.



    They had to choose from various winter-sports resorts in Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia and Bulgaria, City Break packages in European countries or exotic destinations, such as the Bahamas, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa or Vietnam. The Romanian tourists have shown an increased interest in the Dominican Republic, the Maldives, Mexico and Brazil. According to the aforementioned travel federation, the shifting outlook on money and time management has prompted many Romanians to spare money and vacation at home during the winter holidays, so that they may enjoy more city-break packages and holidays during the year. At the same time the unusually warm weather in December made many Romanians cancel their reservations for the New Years Eve.


    (Translated by D. Bilt)