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Features
- Romanians You Should Know: Carol I
- Romania During Communism
- Romanian Food
- Overrated Romania: The Mud Volcanoes
- Romanians You Should Know: Nadia Comaneci
- Romanians You Should Know: Nicolae Titulescu
- Romanians You Should Know: Rodion Camataru
- Romanians You Should Know: Mihai Eminescu
- Romanians You Should Know: Stefan Kovacs
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Romanians You Should Know: Rodion Camataru
Legend has it that when Austrian Toni Polster heard news that Rodion Camataru had scored another hat-trick, and had thereby overtaken him at the top of Europe’s scoring chart, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said “I’m not going to Monte Carlo.... -
Romanians You Should Know: Nicolae Titulescu
Romania’s greatest diplomat, the negotiating skills of Nicolae Titulescu were in large part responsible for Romania more than doubling the size of its territory in the Treaty of Versailles that followed the end of World War I.... -
Romanians You Should Know: Mihai Eminescu
Born Mihail Eminovici in Botosani (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in 1850, Mihai Eminescu is widely regarded as Romania’s finest romantic writer, and is recognized as both Romania and Moldova’s national poet.... -
Romanians You Should Know: Carol I
Few visitors to Bucharest will leave without seeing the enormous horseback statue of Carol I - the first king of modern Romania - which appeared in front of the University Library in Piata Revolutiei at the end of last year.... -
Romania During Communism
Almost twenty years after the revolution that toppled Romania's communist regime, headed by the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the Romanian History Museum (MNIR) recently launched a major new website, Communism in Romania, the front-end of a project designed to look at the communist period in Romania in a ’serious, objective way.... -
Romanians You Should Know: Nadia Comaneci
There’s an urban myth in the US that claims all baby girls born in the six months after the 1976 Montreal Olympics were called Nadia.... -
Romanians You Should Know: Stefan Kovacs
Winner of two consecutive European Cups with Ajax Amsterdam from 1972-73, Ştefan Kovács is the mjost successful Romanian football coach in history.... -
Romanian Food
Let’s face it, nobody travels to Romania for the food. As with most of the Balkans the vast majority of what’s on offer is a diluted version of Turkish cuisine, with Hungarian and Germanic influences clearly discernable in Transylvania....
Overrated Romania: The Mud Volcanoes
Romanians love banging on about the many unique natural wonders their country boasts. And indeed, from the Danube Delta to the Carpathian Mountains, there are certainly a decent number of natural sights to take in and enjoy.
The Vulcanii Noroiosi (Mud Volcanoes), near Buzau, about an hour and a half's drive from Bucharest, are not, alas, a natural wonder to boast about. Never before in Romania have we been so utterly dissapointed. Listening to any number of the Romanians who over the years have told me about this 'unique natural wonder' or 'spectacular moonscape' I was eager to get here, so much so that I dragged the entire family here on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year.
So, what did we find? A spectacular moonscape of hot bubbling mud, with smoke and violent, dramatic eruptions?
No. We found a desert-like landscape of rather small proportions littered here and there with the odd puddle of mud, like this:
Not all that impressive at all, and certainly not worth the drive.
The next time a Romanian bangs on about this place I will ask if they have actually been there.
I am now fairly sure the answer will be negative.
For those of you still want to visit the 'volcanoes', you will need a car. Drive to Buzau, via Urziceni, and take the road to Brasov. At the village of Satuc you will see the first signpost for 'Vulcanii Noroiosi'; from there it is a simple case of following the signs, which for once are clear and correct. There is a car park and cafe at the entrance to the volcanoes, but no real visitors' centre. A sign (in Romanian only) explains how the volcanoes were found (but not formed), while a bored man sells tickets and postcards.
All in all a sorry affair, and somewhat typical of Romania.
The Vulcanii Noroiosi (Mud Volcanoes), near Buzau, about an hour and a half's drive from Bucharest, are not, alas, a natural wonder to boast about. Never before in Romania have we been so utterly dissapointed. Listening to any number of the Romanians who over the years have told me about this 'unique natural wonder' or 'spectacular moonscape' I was eager to get here, so much so that I dragged the entire family here on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year.
So, what did we find? A spectacular moonscape of hot bubbling mud, with smoke and violent, dramatic eruptions?
No. We found a desert-like landscape of rather small proportions littered here and there with the odd puddle of mud, like this:
Not all that impressive at all, and certainly not worth the drive.
The next time a Romanian bangs on about this place I will ask if they have actually been there.
I am now fairly sure the answer will be negative.
For those of you still want to visit the 'volcanoes', you will need a car. Drive to Buzau, via Urziceni, and take the road to Brasov. At the village of Satuc you will see the first signpost for 'Vulcanii Noroiosi'; from there it is a simple case of following the signs, which for once are clear and correct. There is a car park and cafe at the entrance to the volcanoes, but no real visitors' centre. A sign (in Romanian only) explains how the volcanoes were found (but not formed), while a bored man sells tickets and postcards.
All in all a sorry affair, and somewhat typical of Romania.
To the author of 'overrated romania': you are more or less right. I was at the volcanoes just a week ago, and I too was 'disappointed'. But not really disappointed, because I knew I shouldn't expect to much. This small volcanic site is not bad, but not as stretched out and volcanic as one would expect. Worth a visit, when in the area. But don't travel to far for this, it isn't worth it. But dear Author, you have to admit, the picture you are showing in your piece isn't the best picture you took, right? ;) Whatever.For real disappointment, go to the salt mine in Praid (transylvania)! True horror, surely for a nature loving traveller. I visited the mine with a Hungarian friend. The 'salt mine' is just a big hole at -150 metres, filled with romanian tourists playing pingpong, badminton and kids jumping around in air castles. There is nothing salt-miny or cave-like about it: just an underground playground with restaurants, bars... forget it! Badminton seems to be a must when visiting... BUT, there is another salt mine in Turda, close to Cluj Napoca, of which my Hungarian friend said it's much better, he visited the mine last year. I believe the salt mine in Turda will at least give you the feeling of visiting a salt mine.I was biking transylvania and the Carpats for 10 days. Really beautiful, unspoiled nature, lovely people. I truely loved it, and the transylvanian food and people are great too. But everywhere I came, I had the feeling that what was said to be nice and beautiful, was just the opposite. I had by far the best time at the shores of nameless lakes and in forgotten villages. There was very little about the Calimani Natural Park and the volcanic lake in my book, I rode into the park and up on the volcanoe with my mountainbike... man it was great! Not 1 tourist for the whole day, drinkable rivers, eagles, wild horses, talking forests, and yes the obligate awful dogs. Forget about what your travel book says, just get out there and explore...In Romania I had the feeling that local tourists can spoil and litter the (natural) site very fast and heavily. My advice: don't go to places which could be very crowded or that every travel book and every romanian recommends. Go of the beaten track, much better. Romania is a pearl, go out and discover it yourself.
There is indeed many things to look forward to enjoying in Romania. If you are looking for really upsacle Tourism,go to France or Germany.If you are looking for something that exists in a Fairy Tale boook,then,do go to Romaina,and out into the Northern Countryside. Transylvania is incredible,and totally worth the effort to get there.While this site invites you to go by train from Hungary,it is quite easy to get to Bucharest from the US by Air.And,no haggling over money,visas,or other such confusion.Once you make it to Bucharest,well,..the beauty just outside the city is wonderful! The most beautiful are the smaller villages that show people out in the fields,taking care of their work,ploughing,sewing seed,etc,and not wearing the latest fashions.I,for one love that.I am sick of going to places,seeing people wearing the same things I am,and doing things same I leave America to get away from.Anyway,..Romania is great! Enjoy it!