A Review of the Best Romanian Destinations in 2015

Today we review the most interesting destinations covered in our Travellers Guide programmes in 2015.

Daniel Onea, 31.12.2015, 13:11

Our imaginary journey has taken you all across Romania, from the Black sea coast to the Carpathian Mountains, the wine regions and the monasteries, as well as many lesser-known places, albeit just as beautiful. We also talked about unique projects and interesting activities for tourists. Last but not least, 2015 was a busy time for quiz lovers, as our radio station ran no less than four competitions, one of which will finish in 2016.

In one of our first programmes in 2015 we took you on a tour of the Romanian mountain resorts in the centre and north of the country. Romanias ski slopes are not very long, but they are extended from one year to the next and new pistes are being created. In terms of facilities, however, they have everything you need, from modern cable cars to rental centres, floodlighting and ski learning centres.

It was also at the beginning of 2015 that we launched the first competition of the year, about the spa town of Govora. We talked about the history of the town, the healing properties of its waters and about the wide range of treatment available in Govora, as well as the sites worth visiting in the area, including some very old and beautifully decorated monasteries.

Our listener from Germany Beate Hansen won the grand prize consisting in a trip to Romania. During her stay in Govora, Beate had the opportunity to visit many extremely interesting tourist sites in the region of Oltenia. She travelled to Horezu Monastery; the village of Olari, where the famous Horezu pottery is made; and the town of Targu Jiu, which is home to the monumental sculptures of Constantin Brancusi: the Endless Column, the Gate of the Kiss and the Table of Silence. Beate also visited the sculptors home village of Hobita, and the Curtea de Arges Monastery.

Also in January, we had a programme about trekking in Romania and another about horseback riding in Bihor County.

At the beginning of February, we went back to the ski resorts. It is usually in February that the snow layer reaches its highest level in Romania, so many activities and competitions are held around this time, not to mention some very popular outdoor parties on the ski slopes, with live music, light shows and competitions.

Also in February, already thinking of summer, we launched our second competition of the year, about the resorts in the southern part of the Romanian Black Sea coast. In the programmes dedicated to this competition, we introduced our listeners to the resorts of Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Neptun, Olimp and Cap Aurora, as well as the port-town of Mangalia, which was built on the site of the ancient city of Callatis. Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak of Poland and Olexandr Getz of Ukraine were the lucky winners of an eight-day trip to the Romanian coast.

In late March, we had a preview of some of the years most important tourist events. One such event was the first edition of the European Castles Fair. Held between May 1st and 3rd, the event was aimed at promoting the beauty of Europes historical monuments. The Dracula Festival was held around the same time. The festival primarily sought to promote Romania and its traditions, by contrasting the myth of Dracula with the true history of the Romanian ruler Vlad the Impaler.

Away from the medieval atmosphere of these festivals, we took our listeners to a military-themed holiday park called Arsenal Park, where eccentric tourists can spend the night in beds built in gun carriages, in light armoured vehicles or even underground, in bunkers.

And it was also in April that we visited the spa town of Herculane, one of the oldest spas in Romania and perhaps the world, which was first mentioned in historical records in 153 AD.

In early May we launched a new competition called Home with Mother Rutas Spindle. The lucky winners were Jamila Bekkai of Morocco and Gilbert Dupont of France. The grand prize consisted in an eight-day trip to Romania between September 1st and the 8th. The visitors stayed in guesthouses in Sambata de Sus, in the Fagaras area, in Brasov County and in Marginimea Sibiului, in Sibiu County.

Also in May, we spoke about a special project called Discover the Soul of Transylvania, which takes tourists on a tour of the fortified churches in the area. More than 400,000 visitors were expected to join the tour by the end of October. 41 of these fortified churches are included on the Transylvania card, the first holiday card available in Romania providing access to tourist sites.

In July we travelled to the Romanian Black sea Coast, the perfect destination for a family holiday. Its biggest attractions, apart from the beach and the sun, are the many play facilities for children, amusement parks and spa centres.

Other instalments in Travellers Guide in 2015 looked at the most popular sites around the Danube Gorges area and at some of Romanias most beautiful villages. We also went to the Romanian Travel Fair to find out about the best holiday offers in Romania, before introducing you to the atmosphere of the winter holidays and the best places to spend Christmas and New Years.

In 2016, our travel series will continue with new and exciting destinations.