Vacations on Offer at Romania's Tourism Fair

Between November 9 and 12, the Romanian Tourism Fair, the autumn edition, took place in Bucharest. For four days, the most beautiful holiday destinations in Romania were presented, as well as discounted tourist packages, even as low as half price. The event was a real attraction for those who were looking for the best travel tips and wanted to escape the stress of organizing a vacation.

We stop first in Maramureș. Paul Habina, director of the Maramureș Destination Management Organization, says that the entire area stands out for preserving traditions, but also for a very rich and unspoiled nature.

"More than 45% of Maramureș is still covered with forests, many of them virgin. It is the place where green tourism can be practiced. We have a circuit of wooden churches. There are over 16 wooden churches included in this circuit, eight of which are part of the UNESCO heritage. We are proud of the tallest wooden building in Europe, in Săpânta-Peri, and the second tallest wooden building, the old Church of Șurdeşti, which is also a UNESCO heritage. In addition to these, we have the Bârsana Monastery, which is famous, but we also have natural attractions, such as the Cascada Cailor de la Borșa, the Vaser Valley, which can be traveled with the help of a snowmobile, as well as the areas in the Lăpuș area. Most accommodation units prepare packages for the winter holidays, which include, in addition to accommodation and all meals, various activities. Tourists can actively participate in the preparation of Christmas dishes. This year we chose to participate in the fair in a self-built stand, outside the exhibition space, precisely because we wanted to bring as much as possible from Maramureș and present it."

Also in the north of Romania, Bucovina is a nationally and internationally known destination for the monasteries and churches included in the UNESCO world heritage, says Laura Ursu, from the Suceava National Tourist Information and Promotion Center.

"Those who come to us in the area are both individual tourists and tourists who come in groups, and it is also a very attractive destination for families with a larger number of children. All the time, at the autumn editions of the National Tourism Fair, we promote what we offer during the winter holidays, the offers of tour operators, hotels, guesthouses with everything they offer to the tourists who cross their doorstep. And we, at the tourism office with Suceava County Council, make a catalog presenting the traditions and customs that take place throughout the county. Festivals of traditions and customs, carol concerts, Christmas fairs are organized. Now, in the Bucovina stand, there is also a trout farm from the Dornelor area, which offers traditional products, specific to the winter holidays. We also have a folk craftsman who promotes crafts.”

In the center of Romania, we have Vama Buzăului. Fabian Roth, administrator of the Valea Zimbrilor reserve, welcomes us at the destination stand.

"It is a tourist resort of local interest, a special area, with clean air, with a special landscape. In the Valea Zimbrilor reserve, you can find many other animals in addition to bison. It is also aimed at families with children, who can see reindeer, mouflons, peacocks. We have a diverse range, a generous play space for the little ones. Then, the Howling Waterfall is not to be missed, It is located at the foot of the Ciucaș Mountains. The tourist arriving at Vama Buzăului has the opportunity to eat at a local gastropub. They can eat dishes at the housewife's home, with dishes of the house and dishes from the area."

Caraș-Severin county is also proud of its local cuisine. But also with virtual tours through virtual reality headsets. At the Banatului Montan stand, we were greeted by Dan Mirea, director of the County Center for the Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture.

"We came here with a virtual tour of the localities and tourist areas that can be visited in Caraș-Severin County. Those who wish can see them both on a screen and with a pair of special glasses. In addition to that, we came up with an artistic program. Three famous soloists from Banat came together with the professional orchestra Virtuozii Semenicului and, last but not least, the ensemble Junii Gugulani from Caransebeș, an ensemble that represents Banat at all major festivals in the country and abroad. We brought Marian Popovici, one of the greatest chefs that Romania has, he was named Romanian chef of the year in 2017. He came with us this year with a wide range of traditional products from Banatul de Munte: homemade sausages, cheese from the mountainous area of Banat, with plum brandy, rachiu, as we call it, and, last but not least, with preserved natural products, such as jams and zacusca of seven kinds."

Romulus Dan Busnea, journalist and promoter of tourism in Bacău county, presented to the tourists the offer of the Slănic Moldova spa resort, the salt mine in Târgu Ocna, and promoted the palaces on Valea Trotușului. Last but not least, he sent us an invitation to the Festivals of Traditions and Customs.

"These traditional festivals of winter customs are held here, one of the biggest being the one in Bacău, and the other, which also attracted foreign tourists, is the one in Comănești. They take place both in Bacău, Moinești, Comănești, Târgu Ocna, but also in Slănic Moldova. It is a gathering of all the ensembles of the area, with traditional dances and games, starting with the bear game, the goat game, the calusari. It's an explosion of color and sound, very interesting as a manifestation, during the festive days around Christmas, up to and including New Year's Eve. Apart from the soul of the place, many tourists who come to the area participate, some even specifically to film and get directly involved in these exceptional events."

The Amara resort (eastern Romania) stands out for a dendrological park of 64 hectares, but also for the treatments practiced here. Muresan Mara, from Amara City Hall, also announced the completion of a project on the edge of the lake.

"We are developing Perla Beach by introducing pedestrian walkways, picnic areas, gazebos, we have two bird observatories. In addition, we also have spaces set up for children's games. We have developed the public lighting system, road infrastructure and utilities, because Perla beach is right at the entrance to the Amara resort. We also created a pool for people with disabilities. It is well known that Amara, over time, brought there many tourists who treated their rheumatic problems with sapropelic mud. The completion date of the project is December 31 this year."

Here are some attractive offers for a vacation in Romania! We will return to these areas in future editions of our feature.