Culture and Tradition
Romania is a wonderfully vibrant country, rich in tradition and imagination.
A place of exceptional natural beauty, there’s a strong rural strand to its culture and customs, something cherished by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales who both owns property in Romania and visits the country every year. It is also infused with the heritage of the Romanian Orthodox Church, a faith followed by some 80% of the people. A trip to Romania isn’t complete without a visit to its mountains, hills and lakes, breathing in the pure air, staring up into the clear star-filled sky and experiencing the simple pleasures and colourful costumes of country life.
These agrarian influences mean a culinary epiphany awaits you in Romania, particularly for the meat eater (but vegetarians should not be discouraged, plenty of fresh produce is easily found!) An early cultivator of wine, the restoration and recovery of lands since 1989 has brought about a renaissance in viniculture through many small independent producers. For locally made spirits, you must try the țuică. Romania is also home to an abundance of natural water springs.
Moving into the modern, Romanian film-making has flourished in the past two decades as the country comes to terms with communism and its legacy. London now boasts an almost annual Romanian Film Festival.
Whether it be composer George Enescu; sculptor Constantin Brâncuși; ballet dancer Alina Cojocaru or soprano Angela Gheorghiu; forget about the vampires, get your teeth into real Romanian cultural achievement.