This week you are invited to discover the best destinations to spend the Easter holidays in Romania, as presented at Romania’s spring Tourism Fair.
And, as nature is springing back to life and the migratory birds are returning, we invite you for starters in the Danube Delta. This area is a UNESCO heritage site, in 1991 being declared a biosphere reserve.
Iliuta Goian, from the “Discover the Danube Delta” travel agency, told us why it is a good idea to come to the Delta for these holidays: “This is a great time to come here, especially since the weather is getting warmer and everything is green, while the birds are returning. The Lipovan Russians who live here have some great traditions around Easter, well worth discovering, especially the food. Most of the dishes we make with lamb, they make with fish. They do have roast lamb, but many other things, including the lamb meatloaf, also made from fish.”
However, if you want to sample a wider range of traditions, Moldavia is the place to be. Cosmina Robu, a councilor for the municipality of Iasi, told us why her city is the best destination: “This is a great place because Iasi is the seat of the Metropolitan Bishopric of Moldavia and Bukovina. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishopric, which organizes important processions during these days. At the same time, the Iasi City Council organizes an Easter Fair.”
Here you can enjoy traditional Easter dishes, cooked with love and care by the locals, with recipes dating back hundreds of years, left from generation to generation. Another great destination in Moldavia is Targu Neamt, and Ionela Lungu, an expert in traditional arts and crafts, told us what the Tourism Fair held by the local county council has to offer around the Easter holidays:
Ionela Lungu: “It is well worth coming here, and you will be calling over all your friends and neighbors with their families. You will love it, and you will be recommending it to others too. Everyone around Easter is relaxed, they are enjoying their vacation, and you are welcome to our B&Bs. Each B&B has a guide who can show you the places to visit, with great things to do around the Targu Neamt area.”
Bukovina is another area famous for its traditions, and we could not miss going to this place. Aurelia Badale, head of the Vama Bukovina Tourism Association, told us about the special spiritual experience of spending the Easter holidays here: “Around the big holidays such as Easter, traditional craftsmen demonstrate their skills in painting, weaving and sewing, which are highly appreciated by foreign tourists. In this area you can taste the spirit of communion around Easter in monasteries. You can also sample the delicious dishes which have been blessed on Easter night, and which are allowed after 40 days of Lent: ham, sausages, eggs, lots of lamb, the special Easter cakes, and above all the painted eggs, proof that everyone went to great pains to celebrate the holidays. It is also a time for young women to show off their prowess in making traditional clothing, wearing their best on Easter Sunday. Old men also wear their traditional garb proudly, inviting young people to continue this tradition.”
You can expect to spend around 350 lei, that is 78 Euros, per night for a four-day package with full accommodation and a festive dinner in a 4- star B&B.
If you haven’t yet decided on a destination, we can suggest a place a bit off the beaten path. If you want to visit traditional workshops and see how the famous painted Easter eggs are made, in an old fashioned patriarchal atmosphere, there is no better place to be than Straja.
Mihai Dumitrescu, owner of a local hotel, told us the details: “We promote tourist packages for the area around the Retezat National Park, cultural and religious tourism, in both our area and Hunedoara County. We cover the entire range of tourist activities. Our specialty is traditional tourism, where you can spend the holidays at a house away from home, with traditional food. A 3- night package with half board and a festive Easter meal is 350 lei per person, and tourists can enjoy all sorts of traditional dishes. On Easter night they are offered Easter pound cake and wine on the house, to better enjoy the spirit of the holidays alongside their entire family, in our care.”
In the hope we have convinced you to celebrate Easter in Romania, you are invited to tune in again to find out about more great travel destinations in this country.
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