Rural tourism

The summer may be over, but the weather is still perfect for a trip in the mountains.

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 11.09.2014, 12:50

This week we will be introducing you to a range of destinations recommended by representatives of the National Romanian Rural, Ecological and Cultural Tourism. Misu Chiruc, the organisation’s executive director, told us about what is on offer, starting from specific events:

“One option is the Festival of Stuffed Cabbage in Praid, the Trout Festival in Ciocanesti, the Berry Festival, the Aspic Festival, etc. These are mainly cuisine related events, but we don’t simply promote our meals and accommodation offers, we promote a system of travel under which the tourist can visit us at home, get to know us closely and spend time with the hosts, because rural tourism for me is not simply picking up the keys to an empty place where you get to spend some time alone, but spending time with real people. For real rural tourism, you have to be in a household with your host.”

We asked our guest which destinations were the most popular in the last two decades:

“Obviously, these are the places that are naturally endowed with beauty and riches. The area of Bukovina, for example, is one such naturally beautiful place. Then there was the development of the Bran-Moeciu area, where the seeds of rural tourism were sown. The areas of Vrancea and Neamt are also very popular because of the many monasteries here, as well as plenty of other venues. In the meantime, we try our best to do promotion, attract tourists, who in turn will start demanding accommodation, which encourages people to provide it. Interest in the area mounts, which leads to better offers.”

You should also be aware of the fact that this season in Romania has always been associated with making preserves and pickles of all kinds for winter. You can enjoy those in local households and tourist accommodation facilities of all levels, enjoying the food as well as the atmosphere. The traditional menus include such delicacies as trout wrapped in fir twigs and smoked to perfection, adding to the smokiness the aroma of a fir forest. Freshly made cheeses are also a local delicacy.

The best part is that tourists can take part in making all these, visiting sheepfolds to see the cheese making process, even helping. Also, if you wish to just enjoy quiet country life, you can simply look out of the window and see the unfolding of a day in the life of a village. However, these are not just family places, but also accommodate corporate and team building events. The national association has very specific packages for all sorts of requirements.

Misu Chiruc: “We are working together with the Ministry of Tourism, with the National Tourist Authority, classifying our guest houses in a professional manner. As opposed to tourism as usual, we focus on activities, not just meals and accommodation. We have hosts specialising in fishing, next to lakes, ready to assist you for that purpose alone. We are building a network of hosts specialising in facilities for children, like play areas, alongside readily available medical assistance, or psychological support. We also have hosts specialising in hunting. We are trying to create a system of specialisations.”

At any rate, wherever you decide to spend this autumn, you can take home with you all sorts of traditionally made products that you cannot find anywhere else, such as smoked sausage, country pickles, roast chestnuts, honey, fruit preserves and home made desserts, candied nuts, candy apples, or the famous plum jam made in Topoloveni, the only traditional Romanian product licensed by the European Union. Of course, there are also the home made wines and breads, home made cheeses and mutton ribs, as well as trinkets and tools of all kinds.