The most interesting cities of Romania

For the most urban of you, Romania has also something to offer, besides seaside, mountains and Danube Delta. And be sure to find in the Romanian restaurants the exquisite house wines, or special wine tastings. Many parks, museums and monuments will make your delight for sure.

Bucharest, the romanian Capital, is an eclectic city

The star among Romanian cities is Bucharest, without any doubt. Once named "Little Paris", Bucharest is neither the most beautiful, nor the agreeable city you can find, but for sure the most fascinating among the Romanian cities. Bucharest emits a lot of energy, you are going to feel it, and presents also a rather unique mix of Architecture styles. The treasures of the city, together with its wounds or its ugly places, make from Bucharest a half western, half oriental, and very Romanian Capital.

Sibiu is a charming typical Saxon city, with a remarcably well preserved Downtown. In 2006 Sibiu was the European Cultural Capital 

Transilvania counts a few big cities, charming through the mix of Architecture styles and culture. The magic charm of Sibiu (in German Hermannstadt) and Brasov (German Kronstadt) with their Medium Age and Saxon flair is easy to understand by anyone. They are similar in many aspects through history and culture, and conserved a lot of the Old City.

Cluj Napoca is a dynamic Romanian city

Cluj Napoca(German Klausenburg, Hungarian Koloszvar) is a very dynamic economic and cultural hub of Transilvania. Also very dynamic is Timisoara, the country's first free city during the Revolution of 1989. Timisoara represents really an economic wonder, and proudly rebuild all its German, Hungarian or Jewish houses.

Pradea was reinvented by genial architects by the beginning of the XXth century

Oradea has been transformed by genial architects by the beginning of XXth century, without losing something from its genuine baroque charm.

All these charming medium cities luck in Moldavia and Wallachia, with two or three exceptions. There also some differences in the quality of life, mentality among Transilvania and the Old Kingdom. Impossible not to notice.
Iasi has been for centuries the Moldavian capital. Amazing today, near the old buildings, museums, and churches, there is a Bohemian, student, liberty wind. Iasi (or Jassy) is a fascinating city, with a rich history (between the World Wars there were many Jewish living here).
Braila is maybe the most surprising Romanian city. Today it may seem ruined and sleepy, but only 100 years ago rich businessmen coming from all over Balkans and Armenia made it very thrifty, and you can notice it through the many churches and other public buildings.
Constanta is a big port to the Black Sea and a tourist hub.  Constanta proposes many bars, restaurants, as also a little historic city, which is maybe not very well preserved, but charming.

Besides all these wonderful cities, you have the little towns, which have been artificially developed during the communist regime to become industrial centers. Towns like Piatra Neamt, Calarasi, Bacau may seem very depressing on a winter afternoon, but you will find them also full of joy and life in a Spring morning. Notice everywhere in suburbs the obsolete factories which are not anymore in use.

Many of these cities have vineyards very close, and you can go for a wine tasting, if you don't feel the City breaks so interesting.

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Danube Delta cruise and wine tasting on the ship

Really hard to speak to someone about Danube Delta, as you must see it, in order to understand it.
But, let's try, I need your attention and I hope to be not very abstract. Maybe you know already something about Danube, having its sources in Germany,Donaueschingen, where it is only a very little brook! Afterwards, it grows and grows, receiving many rivers and going through a few of Capitals like Vienna, Budapest and Belgrad. Bucharest and Sofia are also not far away from the longest European river, after Volga (Volga has also a Delta, but Danube Delta is bigger and better preserved).

Typical view from the Danube Delta, a virgin natural paradise

Danube Delta with its 5000 sqkm is a nature miracle and paradise. The river brings with mood and the soil in  Delta is permanently forming and disappearing. There are floating islands (plaur) and the exactly place where the river goes into the sea is unknown, it changes every moment.

Danube Delta means 6000 square kilometers, 90 % in Romania. Observe on the map the three arms Chilia, Sf Gheorghe, Sulina. Not far from here the vineyards from Murfatlar and Niculitel (not visible on the map). But they are there, don't be anxious seeing only water.

On the forementioned surface of 6000 sqkm live only 12000 people (4000 in Sulina, a port to the Black Sea) resulting an average density of 2 people on square kilometer, the lowest in all Europe. All these people living in some villages like Crisan, Maliuc, Mila 23  (none is bigger than 500 people) are mainly fishermen and gain very difficult access to the sanitary network. Most of them are Lipovans, former Russian refugees after the Lenin's Revolution, and there are many legends about their alcohol addiction.

This local fishermen is probably Lipovan, speaks  Russian and drinks  a lot of spirits

You can imagine, there is no other possibility to see Delta than by ship. I will propose you a full day cruise starting from Tulcea to Sulina, and back, with little incursions on the little channels, which is the most important and picturesque thing here (most probably, we must descend from the big ship and go further by little boats) . It will be a quite relaxing day ( if not stormy) turning in an unforgettable event. On the ship, during lunch, a surprise: wine tasting with the best Romanian wines (5 sortiments and a good meal). Man, we will have a good time. The wine selection is personal and I will only reveal on place!

No way not to love Delta. Some tourists even settled here for the rest of their lifes

But maybe I should be more specific: transfer from and to Bucharest Airport, 2 nights in a 3 *** hotel in Tulcea, Delta Cruise with wine tasting compose a strong package costing only 300 Euros; for booking in September you are going to receive a discount of 5 %.

Danube Delta has a rich history, as it was a strategic position for controlling navigation and commerce on the river. You will be amazed of the strange beauty of the town Sulina. I can tell you much more about the history, climates and ecosystems from Danube Delta, but this remains open fort the trip! For bookings mail at dorugiu@gmx.net

A wind mill in Delta, another pearl you must see

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The new crop, the young wine

Every year, the new grapes crop is a fiesta. The people work hard, so hard in the vineyards from morning until evening, and believe me, it is really a hard work! Nevertheless, they find the necessary energy in the late evening for singing, dancing, drinking must ( young wine) and eating.

It is really amazing to see on their faces a magic shine, the shine of an accomplished duty. And is also amazing to observe these people during their celebrations in the late evening. They don't bother to think to the next day, when they are going to work again very hard (and the other days too, the vintage lasts 1-2 months). Finding this energy is totally a mystery, and is due maybe to the wine( did you observe that under certain circumstances the wine acts similarily with the coffee?). Would you like facing this challenge? Tell me if  you would, we can arrange and organize it.

And keep in mind that you must be very fit, in the best shape if you really wanna take part! There are nevertheless some interesting rewards: money (20 euros daily) and three meals as a bonus. Much more important, the feeling of being very useful, and the opportunity to taste the new wine (must), the old wine and to combine them. The possibilities of having contact with the locals is also to be mentioned.

The local favorite meal for pairing with the must is the smoked sheep. This combination is for long runners indeed, tastes really fantastic, but you need a strong stomach. The next day you are going to drink only water (or tea, even better!) and most probably you won't be able to work. But two or three days with this diet, your training is completed and the locals will adopt you for sure.

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Romanian myths and legends about wine

In Romania there is a long tradition about wine making and wine, lasting from proven 4000 years ago. For a Romanian living in Bucharest or other big city these traditions make no sense, they have only historical significance.

Losing traditions is one of the major arguments against globalization, and I would like to reveal all these hidden myths for a better understanding of Romanian art civilization.

First of all, when greeting a guest the Romanian show a lot of joy and hospitality, they give bread, salt and wine.

Second, wine is related since the times before Christ with fertility (remember Dyonysos and his huge long lasting celebrations!). Today, by every wedding ceremonial held in an orthodox church there is a ritual for the bride and her groom to drink more times from a  glass of wine, and eating from a slice of bread. Further, when the bride reaches the new home, she must rotate three times around a table with a glass of wine and a bread. The money donations for the young couple are collected on a slice of bread drenched with wine, hoping in a miraculous multiplication of the amount!

Wine is widely used by the orthodox church during almost all its rituals. Even a baby reaching its first oblation  receives a few drops of wine on his lips.

Similarly, by the funerals, be sure to find a bottle of wine in the coffin to be drunk in the after world. The priest splashes the coffin and the dead body with wine; it is forbidden to drink hob a nob, and before drinking be sure to a few drops on the ground in memoriam.

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The Decalogue of a trained wine taster (10 Commands for really enjoying the wine)

1.Wine is really a living drink. Avoid moving too much the bottle before opening. Don't drink the wine immediately after bringing it from the cellar. Allow him some time to relax, in order that all its component come back to their natural state.

2. Don't hold the wine longer than two hours in the refrigerator, and never forget him near heating sources.

3.Avoid the  contact of the wine bottle or wine glass with your hands; due to the temperature of your hands the wine loses its flavor.

4.The young wine is to serve colder than the old one. If one wine is too cool, keep it 10 minutes in a heated room and it will be ready to serve.

5.Serve a red wine usually to the room temperature (18 degrees Celsius), and a white wine cooler, at 8 Degrees Celsius. On the contrary, an easy red is to serve at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

6.Pair the white wine with appetizers, fish, sea fruit, or the spicy heavy dish and keep the stronger red wine for special occasions. If you have more several dishes on your list and want using only a sort of wine use a dried rose and you won't be wrong.

7. Keep in mind that only a few selected wines are becoming better as the time goes by. The normal ones have a limited time to be drunken.

8.Before serving a red wine keep it a few days at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

9.Don't mix the wine with juices, soda, ice, water as it will lose everything he has to say to your taste.

10.Never boil the wine.

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