The 2013 Tourist Year
Lets take a look back at the main tourist destinations we selected for you in 2013.
Daniel Onea, 02.01.2014, 13:45
In 2013, we tried to lure you with both well-known and less known places, but equally appealing when it comes to spending quality leisure time. The year 2013, just like the previous years, was a year of contests.
One of them took our listeners through Romania’s salt mines, and the winners, Roberta and John Selesky of Texas, USA, were announced in March. Breathtaking landscapes, friendly people, places loaded with history are just some of the arguments in favor of choosing Romania as the place for a great holiday said our winners at the end of their stay in Romania. Roberta and John enjoyed a 10 day stay in four places known for their beautiful salt mines: Slanic Prahova, Targu Ocna, Praid and Turda.
2013 was also an anniversary year for Radio Romania. On November 1st, 1928, Radio Romania had its first official broadcast, so in 2013 we celebrated 85 years of radio. The grand prize of the Radio 85 contest was a 10-day stay, full board, in the counties of Gorj, Timis and Cluj, which are covered by some of our regional stations. The contest was won by two listeners from Turkmenistan: Elena Gurbanova and Igor Paskarev, selected from among 515 listeners and internet users.
Actually, since 1996, when Radio Romania started organizing contests, listeners from 19 countries have visited Romania, and their number will grow in 2014. Last year we already launched a new contest, titled “From Wine’s Road to the Princely Road”, run by the Prahova County Council. The contest lasts until 15 March 2014 and the grand prize will be a 9 day stay, full board for two, in Prahova county, over September 1st –9th.
In early 2013 we invited you to take a trip to Rasnov, in central Romania. This is a tourist destination where Romantic legends are rewoven in the medieval citadel, and old music can still be heard in the old churches of the town. We recommended those who love adrenaline rush to try the jumping installation in Rasnov, which is actually the tallest in Europe, 135m high, with the possibility of being extended up to 155 meters. Then, we focused on tourist activities in the Bucegi mountain area, which is also home to the Bucegi Nature Park. This protected area is one of the most visited after the Danube Delta, with over one million two hundred people going there every year.
In the spring of 2013 we visited the city of Iasi, in north-eastern Romania. The city is first and foremost defined by its rich history and art, then by science and innovation. Both inhabitants and visitors to the city are surrounded by history every step of the way. Then, in late spring we invited you to spend Easter in Romania. Our offer was diverse and you had the opportunity to select from the many spas or rural guesthouses that Romania has both at the seaside and in the mountain areas.
When the summer heat became rather unbearable in the big cities, we came up with another suggestion: the Black Sea Coast. Stretching along 245 kms, the coast has beautiful beaches and the water is perfect for diving, especially in the south, where the sandy bottom of the sea is replaced by stones and limestone.
We didn’t forget the Danube Delta either, which we visited on board a floating hotel. Back then we recommended Mila 23, the village where Romanian kayak-canoe champion Ivan Pataichin was born, and also Sulina, a town with beautiful museums and churches and a multi-confessional cemetery, which recalls the times of prosperity of the easternmost city of the EU. In the second half of the 19th century, due to the increase in the volume of freight carried through Sulina, thanks to the port’s tax-free status, the town in which over 20 ethnic groups lived in harmony flourished. Many ship owners were doing business there, and the town was home to 8 consular offices.
When we speak about fall in Romania we inevitably think about rooms filled with jars of pickled vegetables, confectionaries and lots of home made goodies. Autumn is maybe the best time to spend holidays in the countryside. In 2013 we talked about the ANTREC program called “ Holliday in the countryside”. The conclusion was that wherever you may choose to go, be it Transylvania, Maramures, Bucovina or Muntenia, you cannot go wrong. Obviously, winter came with season offers for Christmas and New Year in Romania.
It was a year full of offers and we intend to come up with at least as many this year. May you have a good and prosperous year and stay tuned to Radio Romania International!
