The Dornas Country, a fairy-tale destination

Tourism in north-eastern Romania

Radio România Internațional, 23.01.2025, 14:00

We’re exploring, today, an area where nature is one of its main assets. We’re heading towards a destination with a legendary name: the Dornas Country. It is an eco-tourism destination inviting those interested to experience a kind of responsible tourism, by means of which visitors experiment local nature and culture. As early as the 19th century, the area has compelled recognition thanks to its special scenery and unique atmosphere.

Mihaela Cocîrță is a destination manager with the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization. She will now be telling us why the entire area has compelled recognition as a fairy-tale destination.

“Nature harmoniously blends into everything related to traditions, to the locals’ hospitality, to customs and traditions, culture and way beyond that. All that offers visitors an experience to remember, irrespective of the season. For instance, as we speak, we’ re still in the winter season and, even though the time of the winter holidays customs and traditions has come to an end, the Dornas Country still waits for visitors on the ski slopes.

Those who are into rather more relaxing activities, we suggest you take a ride with the chair lift, capable of offering a special bird-s eye view of the town of Vatra Dornei, but also of the Dornas Country. Furthermore, the Dornas Country also offers relaxation options for those who, after an eventful day in the mountains, want to relax in the SPA or Wellness centers.

So we got the newest resort opened, Dorna Candrenilor, offering relaxation options, such as shallow, long-course swimming pools, easily accessible to all categories of visitors. “

By all means, the activity on the ski slopes depends on the weather outside. As we speak, the destination manager with the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization. Mihaela Cocîrță, told us the Parc Slope was open. But what is the area’s complete offer?

“ We have three categories of ski slopes and I will mention them to you. We have the Parc ski slope with a length of 900 meters and an angle of 28.5 degrees. It has a level difference of 150 meters, with a medium level of difficulty. Also, we have the Poienita slope, also known as Parc 2, with a length of 550 meters and a level difference of 50 meters. It is perfect for children and for beginners since it has a low level of difficulty.

Then there is the Veverița (Squirrel) slope, with a length of 780 meters and a level difference of 200 meters, it also has a medium level of difficulty. Of course, all slopes are floodlit, they have snow cannons and a wide range of cable transportation facilities. There are centers where you can rent skis, snowboards, all sorts of equipment, clothing included, yet there are also monitors for those who have not used skis so far or for those who want to be reminded the correct ski posture.

It is very important for the people who come to the slope to have the appropriate behaviour so as to avoid accidents. Apart from the slope activities proper, tourists can also go on a sleigh ride since there are dedicated areas for that, or they can skate in the skating rink lying two minutes away from the ski slope. “

At the foot of the ski slopes there are restaurants and chalets offering tourists coming to the Dornas Country the opportunity to relax over cup of mulled wine or a cup of hot tea. They can also enjoy, of course, the local, natural products, famous for being so delicious. In the evening, they can have a good time in the Dorna Candrenilor resort, where they can enjoy sauna and moments of relaxation.

Moreover, in the resort of Vatra Dornei, there are many restaurants, while quite a few of them, in the peak period, stage parties or relaxing evenings for tourists. As for the active tourism, it goes with cultural tourism quite all right. In Dornas Country we can embark upon a true tradition-discovering journey.

“The Dornas Country is very rich in crafts, in traditions and customs. We still have people who have kept the legacy that was handed down to them by their ancestors. We can speak about spring a little bit, as Easter is drawing near. At that time of the year, there are quite a few ladies who still paint eggs. They paint them or they weave them. These ladies are also present at Vatra Dornei’s Ethnographic Museum in every Saturday, in a traditional evening. Then they sow the embroidered peasant blouses, yet at Easter time they paint eggs as well.

Ciocănești has been declared an open-air commune museum for a couple of years now. There, the craftswomen have opted for preserving that custom of egg painting, there even is a Museum of the Painted Eggs we recommend every time to those who visit the Dornas Country, if they want to have a glimpse of the essence of the traditions we have in our own area. Some of these eggs are even a hundred years old. “

Germany, England, Scotland, Australia or Mexico are just some of the places of origin of the foreign tourists who travel to Dornas Country. For Romanian tourists and for the foreign ones alike, the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization has also been working on several projects of setting up leisure areas, soon to be materialized.

Every season has its own charm here, and that’s for sure. Adding to the charm are the seasonal dishes. A destination manager with the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization, Mihaela Cocîrță, recommends that we also pick our stay in Dornas Country in the summer of autumn.
“With us, there is a very beautiful and very eventful period, rich in sports events, but not only that. We say that in the food of Dornas Country visitors will find a great deal of passion, mastery and authentic taste. If, for instance, a tourist turns up in autumn, he is sure to find everything related to vegetables hotchpotch and preserves prepared by housewives. Also, again during autumn, they can have a taste of such dishes as the apple pie.

They can pick the apples and, if they find accommodation in an agri-tourism guesthouse, they can join their hosts in the preparation of those dishes and can also take the recipes back home with them. At this time of the year, in winter, we have special food, mainly meat or fish-based, of course, we have the all too familiar minced meat cabbage rolls, meat jellies or aspic.

The food is absolutely yummy and locally produced. I was lucky enough to meet foreign tourists constantly, also because Via Transilvanica crosses Vatra Dornei. There is a route attracting a great many foreign tourists who keep saying the same thing: ’ You don’t know what richness you have here, in your region.’ They appreciate the natural scenery, a lot, but also the architecture.

The Dornas Country used to be under Austrian-Hungarian administration, while quite a few of the region’s iconic buildings, which shaped our region, were built in the Austro-Hungarian time. Therefore, the unspoiled nature, tying in with the architecture, the traditions and the customs make it a special place, held in high esteem by tourists. “

Germany, England, Scotland, Australia or Mexico are just some of the places of origin of the foreign tourists who travel to Dornas Country. For Romanian tourists and for the foreign ones alike, the Dornas Country Destination Management Organization has also been working on several projects of setting up leisure areas, soon to be materialized.