The Golden Apples Cultural-Touristic Route
Several travel destinations in Romania have been awarded the Golden Apple by the World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers (FIJET)
Daniel Onea, 12.09.2024, 14:00
The Cultural-touristic “Golden Apples” Route includes destinations such as Bukovina, the Danube Delta, Mărginimea Sibiului, Târgu Jiu and Oradea. All these travel destinations have got the Golden Apple Award from the World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers (FIJET). Bukovina was the first to get the aforementioned award back in 1975 for the famous outdoor paintings of its churches. The award can be admired in the museum of the Moldoviţa Monastery.
This travel route with award-winning destinations was also approved by the Ministry of Tourism in 2021, according to Laura Dragu Popescu from the Professional Travel Employers Association, Gorjul, the founder of the aforementioned route.
Laura Dragu Popescu:” The purpose of having these routes approved was that of promoting and developing a travel product with a cultural component and showcasing a travel programme available to travel lovers in Romania. And it also showcases the travel destinations FIJET awarded in our country. There are 7 destinations awarded in the Golden Apples Route. Let’s start with Targu Jiu, which got its Apple Award in 2014. We continue with Oradea and Sibiu. Then we go to Moldoviţa, in Moldavia, which has on display the first Golden Award Romania received back in 1975. Next we go to the Danube Delta and we present to the public a series of destinations, which are worth seeing.”
Out of the destinations proposed by this route, Laura Dragu Popescu with the Professional Travel Employers Association Gorjul, invites us to discover those from Romania’s western regions.
Laura Dragu Popescu:” Târgu Jiu is probably one of the most beautiful cities in Romania. Its uniqueness is visible everywhere and the Brancusi Axis, created by the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi attracts thousands of visitors monthly. After Târgu Jiu many tourists choose to travel to Timisoara and Oradea in order to visit the western part of Romania. Timișoara got the Golden Apple award last year, in 2023, while the city was European Capital of Culture. It is very close to Targu Jiu and a very visited spot by those who want to make the most of the city’s cultural, medical and sports potential, being at the same time, an attraction for young people, because Timișoara is a major university center.”
In Timișoara one can visit the Museum of the 1989 Revolution, which has been enlarged and diversified after additional research was conducted into the anti-communist uprising in Romania more than 30 years ago.
Furthermore, in Timisoara one can find a genuine melting pot, where various ethnic minorities have been living in peace for a very long period of time. So the cultural agenda is also very rich, you know. The city is also famous for its Christmas Fair, which begins in December and ends later in January as the Serbs, Germans and Romanians here celebrate Christmas on different dates.
So, the Christmas Fair in Timișoara is the longest of its kind in Romania.
Let’s now carry on our journey together with Laura Dragu Popescu, with the the Professional Travel Employers Association, Gorjul. Close to Timișoara, on the Golden Apples Route of course, there lies the city of Oradea, part of the historical region known as Crișana.
Laura Dragu Popescu:” This is an interesting city from the touristic point of view. There are 89 Art Nouveau objectives, out of which 26 have been declared historical monuments. The city is 900 years old and from the viewpoint of a travel agency it’s a cultural and spa destination as Oradea is very close to the Felix Spa and another spa known as May 1st. In Oradea, tourists can admire the Church with a Moon, which has a little museum on its premises. They can visit the Citadel here, the Museum of the Criş Land, the Palace, the City Hall and also the Sion synagogue. One can spend here a four, five-day holiday without the fear of monotony. There is also an Aqua Park close to the center of this city and those interested in religious monuments can take a look at the St. Cross Monastery, which is very interesting. This axis Târgu Jiu-Timișoara-Oradea, is more than attractive for tourists, you know. It’s the western part of Romania, which is accessible from Bucharest by plane, bus or by train, which cover this distance on a daily basis. We thought this ‘Golden Apples Route’ as means of promotion out of a bigger collection our professional association is promoting, a collection with novel travel programmes. We consider it a part of beautiful Romania.”
This Golden Apples route, a travel project promoted by the Professional Travel Employers Association, Gorjul is available for tourists the entire year, as Laura Dragu Popescu says.
Laura Dragu Popescu: “Prices for such a holiday package can start from 530 euro per person including transport and seven days bed and breakfast plus a guide or 670 Euros for accommodation and three meals per day. The group has to be of at least 15 people. We must also mention that the sums mentioned don’t cover tickets at various tourist objectives or other personal expenses such as souvenirs, photos etc.
This programme, the “Golden Apples Route”, is being carried out through various travel agencies and groups smaller than 15 people can call the agency and can join other groups with a departure set by that agency.
In other words, the Golden Apples Route has been designed as a group travel programme. Visitors can travel by themselves, but the expenses will be higher this way though. According to the great Romanian historian, Nicolae Iorga: “Every place on earth has its own story but you’ll have to pay attention and listen carefully to it and you may understand it if you love it a little” So we invite you to discover the story of Romania’s Golden Apples.”
The cultural route programme and of the cultural-touristic routes were created in 1987 by the Council of Europe, with the purpose of highlighting a common European heritage.
So, travel authorities in Romania have created a voluntary system of acknowledging the Cultural Travel routes developed by travel agencies or local public authorities.
You can find more information on the Golden Apples route or the destinations awarded by the World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers on the webpage of the Romanian Ministry of Economy Entrepreneurship and Tourism.
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