Romania is located between 43 and 49 degrees north latitude and 20 and 30 degrees east longitude. It is located in the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula, bordering the Black Sea coast to the east. The southern part of Romania is in southeastern Europe, but most of it is located in central Europe. The territory covers an area of about 230,000 square kilometers and has a total population of 19.5 million.
The Romanian army opposed the Ottoman Empire during the Romanian War of Independence. The Romanian War of Independence is the name given to the "Russo-Turkish War" by Romanian historians, in which Romania fought in Russia and gained independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Romania has a temperate continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers, with four distinct seasons.
Romania's terrain is roughly evenly distributed between mountains, hills and plains, the Carpathian Mountains cross Romania from north to southwest, and the Moldovan peak is the highest point in Romania at 2544 meters above sea level.
Air travel in Romania is growing in popularity as competition intensifies and prices are lower, sometimes lower than the cheapest train or bus tickets. This, combined with improvements in airport infrastructure, has led to an increase in passenger numbers compared to past decades.
While Romania is not traditionally considered the "land of buses", buses are becoming an increasingly popular way to reach the country from abroad, especially from the Balkans and the former Soviet Union, but also from Western Europe such as Germany and Switzerland.
While trains remain the most popular mode of travel from Central Europe to Romania, train services to the Balkans and the former Soviet Union are rather poor quality and less frequent due to good service.
The general rule of thumb when choosing a bus or train is: if trains are equally frequent, cost about the same price, and take roughly the same amount of time, then be sure to use trains. Otherwise, consider taking the bus. They accept cash and credit cards,
Cruises on the Danube are available, although they are expensive. Departing from Paso or Vienna, the final destination is the Danube Delta.
You can taste local dishes, fishermen's borscht, cooked with different kinds of fish on board. But be careful, they use the water of the Danube!
Romania's road infrastructure is quite modest compared to Western and Central Europe. There are few roads, only in the south of the country, which is scenic and passes through some spectacular mountains, valleys and forests.
In particular, the roads of Transylvania are built on old medieval routes, and there is always something to stop to visit along the way. Drivers will encounter a lot of circuitous roads in and around town.
Their rules are simple: cars already at roundabouts have priority, and cars outside must wait. Be especially careful on the roads connecting Romania to its western border, as traffic is heavy and most roads have only one or at most two lanes in each direction, with some sections unlit.
Transport in Romania is still a weak link, but the transport infrastructure has improved significantly. There are three expressways in operation.
Train travel has improved significantly. Several upgrades are underway on several railway tracks, which makes rail traffic on these lines somewhat slow for the time being.
Although Romanians are generally friendly and polite, this does not always apply to their driving style. Speeding is common. Meeting angry drivers is the norm, and the accident rate is among the highest in the EU.
The Romanian police have a zero-tolerance policy for drunk driving, and the checks are very frequent, basically any amount of alcohol in your blood is considered drunk driving.
Hitchhiking is easy in Romania. Generally, you don't have to wait more than 5 minutes. Locals are used to leaving some "gas money" for drivers, but if you are an outsider, no one will be angry even if you don't keep money. If it doesn't go along the way, the driver will take you on a detour.
Romanians are very talkative, although they don't speak any languages such as Chinese, English, French, and German. They love to chat with passengers on the road.
Football matches are their favorite topic. If you're lucky enough, you might even be invited to lunch or dinner, offering a room for the night.
The Danube Delta is considered the best-preserved river delta in Europe and one of the largest. Although it consists mainly of vast wetlands, it actually has 23 different ecosystems. It is located on the routes of many major migration routes, where more than 320 species of birds can be found in summer.
Bran Castle, one of Romania's landmarks, is located on top of a hill in Transylvania. Dracula, the legendary "Centennial Vampire", "Son of the Dragon", "Prince of Darkness", and "Lord of the Undead" live here. It is said to be the prototype of the castle in Bramstock's 1897 novel Dracula, and Romania has become the home of vampires.
Romanians are good at winemaking and have a long tradition of winemaking. Everyone likes to entertain their guests with homemade wine, and there are also homemade liquors sold on the roadside, which are of good quality and cheap.
Romania also has brandy with a unique taste. A local brandy made from plums has a unique flavor. Vodka is also quite cheap.
In Romania, tap water is generally drinkable, but most people opt for bottled water.
The Romanian people are very hospitable and welcome to tourists. Romanians insist when offering something, because "no" sometimes doesn't mean "no", they just think it's polite for you to refuse, and it's polite for them to insist.
Football is the most popular sport in Romania, with more than 219,000 registered players as of 2018. According to UEFA, the professional football market in Romania is about 740 million euros
Romanians like to eat a spiconi, but it has only meat and no shell. It is almost always cooked on a rotisserie, but can also be cooked with hot steam; Romanians often eat it with beer at picnics. Pork, chicken and beef are the favorite meats of Romanians, but lamb and fish are also popular.