Romania - The Land that Time Forgot

Notes

Essentials

Visas
Most nationals, including EU, UK and US citizens do not require a visa to visit Romania for stays of less than 90 days.

Regulations do frequently change though, so we advise that you check the current requirements with your nearest embassy.

Airport Tax
There are currently no taxes payable when leaving Romania by air.

Health and Immunisations
We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor’s surgery or a specialist travel clinic for up-to-date information, advice and the necessary vaccinations. For a visit of less than one month, almost certainly you will be advised to have immunisations against the following: Diphtheria and Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, Polio and Typhoid.

Insurance

What should my travel insurance policy cover?

• medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness abroad
• 24 hour emergency service and assistance
• personal liability cover in case you’re sued for causing injury or damaging property
• lost and stolen possessions cover
• cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip) cover
• Extra cover for activities that are commonly excluded from standard policies, such as certain sports

The policy should cover the whole time that you are away.

Your policy may also have:

• personal accident cover
• legal expenses cover

Common travel insurance policy exclusions

• Always check the conditions and exclusions of your policy:
  most policies will not cover drink or drug-related incidents

You must take reasonable care of your possessions or your policy will not cover you.

Practical information

Local Currency
The local currency is the leu (RON). For current exchange rates visit www.xe.com.

Where currency can be exchanged
It’s relatively easy to change money in Romania’s banks and exchange booths, although it generally takes longer in banks. These are fairly widespread so you shouldn’t have too much trouble changing money. Romania also has plenty of ATM machines, even in smaller towns. Please note that on your return, duty free shops in Bucharest airport will not accept local currency, so you should exchange it or spend it before this point.

Credit cards and travellers cheques
As a general rule we advise against taking travellers’ cheques as these can be difficult to change. The use of credit cards is limited to the better hotels and restaurants. – they are not readily accepted elsewhere.

Best time to go
Romanian winters can be very cold, with significant snowfall. The best time to visit the country is from April / May to September / October.

Main Language
The official language is Romanian, a Romance language spoken mainly by people in Romania and Moldova.

Main Religion
The principal religion is Romanian Orthodox Christianity. Other faiths include Catholicism, Calvinism and the Uniate creed.

Food and drink
Romanian food is often centred around meat – pork, beef, lamb or chicken – and the many good cheeses that are produced in the region. Cabbage and vine leaves stuffed with meat and herbs are quite popular, and stews are fairly ubiquitous. You can expect to eat lots of local produce while you are here - simple yet flavoursome local dishes made with what is seasonally available, with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, especially in summer.

If you have any special dietary requirements you must notify us at the time of booking. While we will make every effort to cater for you, we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.

A three course meal in Romania will cost around €8-10, depending on where you eat – good restaurants in the capital are likely to cost more. A bottle of beer costs from €1-3, while a bottle of wine is from €4-10.

Transport
Our tours in Romania usually use minibuses for getting around the country.

Local conditions
Travelling in the destinations that we visit requires a good deal of understanding that often standards simply won’t be as they are at home. While we aim to make your trip as comfortable as possible, please be aware that we are often visiting remote or less developed regions that may have little infrastructure.

While we aim to make your trip run as smoothly as possible there may be times when we need to ask for your patience while we rectify any problems.

What to take with you

First Aid Kit
The first thing on your list should be a first aid kit. Whilst there is no undue cause for alarm, travellers are best advised to travel well-prepared: adequately immunized, with sufficient supplies of prescription drugs, along with a medical kit.

Clothing
Our general recommendation is to bring light clothing with a couple of fleeces or jumpers for cooler evenings. You should also bring a waterproof jacket for any days that it may rain. You should bring at least one long sleeved top for any churches that you will visit.

Footwear
Footwear is a main priority on this tour. Comfortable walking shoes/boots are recommended.

Luggage
Your luggage should not exceed 20kgs (44lbs). One large rucksack, and one small hand luggage rucksack is acceptable. We advise you to travel with a rucksack or soft bag rather than a suitcase.

Other
Suncream/sunblock is a must – you should not rely on being able to find it in smaller towns in Romania.

Insect repellent, including a bite spray will be useful to have. You should also bring a torch / flashlight.

Fitness
This tour does not require any special degree of fitness but you will find it more enjoyable if you are reasonably fit.

Cultural and environmental guidelines
You may come across beggars while on tour. Every traveller has different perspectives on this and ultimately the choice is up to you. Many sources recommend that you watch to see if local people give, and then follow their lead with genuine beggars. We do not recommend giving money, sweets, pens etc to children as this can encourage a begging mentality and can lead to children choosing to beg rather than go to school.

Please make sure that you take any rubbish back to the hotel with you where they can be properly disposed of – this includes cigarette butts as well.

When visiting churches or monasteries it is respectful to dress appropriately – this means long sleeved shirts and trousers or long skirts.

Please do not buy any products made from endangered species – this is not sustainable and hastens the species’ decline.

Photography
You should always ask permission before taking anyone's photograph and respect their decision if they say no. In more remote areas women and older people often do not want to be photographed. Some people may also ask for some money – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot - in return for a photo. Taking photos of military installations, state buildings, and airports can lead to problems with local authorities. If you are unsure about whether it is acceptable to take a photo, please ask your tour leader or guide.

Tipping
If your local guide has been helpful then you could think about tipping. This amount can obviously be left to you. When tipping a driver, a guide or hotel staff a few Euros will always be gratefully received.

Foreign Office Advice
We constantly monitor the advice posted by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In particular we will always advise clients of any travel warnings. At present there are no warnings against travel to Romania. Please feel free to contact us should you have any specific concerns or would like to know in detail what measures are being taken to ensure visits remain trouble free and without incident.

It should be noted that this information applies to British citizens. Other nationals are asked to check the current position of their respective government.

Further Information

Public Holidays in Romania:

1-2 Jan New Year's Day
1 May Labour Day
1 Dec National Day
25-26 Dec Christmas Day

Dates are for guidance only and may vary year to year

Electrical Supply
Generally electrical supply is 200V AC (50 Hz) and uses European two circular pin style plugs.

Recommended Reading

The Rough Guide to Romania
Tim Burford and Norm Longley

Along the Enchanted Way: A Romanian Story
William Blacker

Helena Drysdale
Looking for Georghe

IMPORTANT NOTES – PLEASE READ

Please note that the information provided is correct at the time of writing but may change. It is intended as a guide only. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health visit www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk or contact your local healthcare provider.

In addition we strongly advise you to check the information and any travel advice provided by your government. For British citizens you should visit the Foreign Office website www.fco.gov.uk.

Furthermore, you should be aware that any travel warnings or advisories may affect the validity of your travel insurance. Therefore, at the time of booking your tour it is essential you check any restrictions on cover with your insurance provider.

Issue Date – 04/09/09

For possible changes to this dossier please visit www.undiscovered-destinations.com or call +44 (0)191 296 2674

Historical background

Perched on the very edge of Europe, Romania is often touted as being a snapshot of medieval Europe, and in many places the hype rings true. Dotted with dramatic castles, beautiful wooden churches and isolated mountain communities, much of the country pursues a way of life that the rest of Europe knows only from tales passed down through the generations. Travel through this inspiring land and you will find spectacular nature reserves where animals such as bears, wolves and lynx roam free, and in the Danube Delta you can see people living in traditional houses built from reeds. Romania has a tangible link with its history because much of the country still holds it dear, following traditions that have altered little for centuries. The land that supposedly inspired tales of vampires is awash with spectacular monuments, well preserved medieval cities and the manifestations of a vibrant culture that is at its most engaging in its unspoiled countryside. Travelling through Romania is almost like stepping back in time to a place unsullied by the trappings of modernity, where you can see what Europe was like before industrialisation. On this wide and varied continent, there are few places like it.

Ancient Romania was inhabited by a Thracian tribe known as the Dacians, who were based largely in the interior. Our earliest knowledge of them comes largely from Greek historians such as Heredotus who chronicled their battles against the Persian Emperor Darius in the 6th century BC. Around this time, Greek trading communities began to establish themselves on the coast, but rarely ventured beyond. By the 1st century BC, the Dacian kingdom reached its zenith under King Burebista, and under his leadership it was a powerful state large enough to pose a threat to the Romans, attacking Roman territories along the Danube and supposedly lending its support to plots against Julius Caesar. Rome attacked the Dacians in the 2nd century AD, resulting in victory at their capital Sarmizegetusa and resulting in the conquest of the kingdom. The last Dacian king, Decebal, committed suicide rather than be taken prisoner, and Dacia became a province of the ever hungry Roman Empire.

Rome stayed in present day Romania until attacks by the Germanic Goths in the 3rd century prompted them to withdraw. Romania was settled by the Goths, who intermarried with local inhabitants, and they were followed by a wave of nomadic tribes from the east over the following centuries – Huns, Slavs, Gepids, Magyars and Avars contributing to Romania’s diverse ethnic mix today.

Little is known of Romania from then until around the 10th century, when a feudal system ruled by a military class had emerged. Romania was essentially divided into three separate provinces – Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia – and remained so almost until the modern age. By the 11th century, the area of today's Transylvania became a largely autonomous part of the Kingdom of Hungary, and official encouragement was given for Saxon settlement, largely as a way to protect Hungary from attack by Tartar forces that were rampaging through the region. Transylvania was part of Hungary until the 16th century, when it became the short-lived independent Principality of Transylvania, and during this time was made up of numerous small states with varying degrees of independence. Wallachia came into being as a unified region slightly later, when Prince Basarab united various groups south of the Carpathians to create the first Romanian principality. East of the Carpathians, the principality of Moldavia was formed when King Bogdan led his people over the mountains to escape Hungarian rule, defeating an army that was sent to conquer him. In all of these regions, peasants made up the majority of the population, ruled over by a landed aristocracy – in the case of Transylvania, made up almost entirely of Hungarians. Oppression was commonplace and taxation high.

An external threat arose in the 14th and 15th centuries in the form of the Ottoman Empire, ever keen to expand its territories northwards. Affecting mostly the more vulnerable Wallachia and Moldavia, gradually the land began to fall under Ottoman control, although fierce resistance was offered by kings such as Stephen the Great and many defeats were inflicted upon the Turkish forces. Transylvania was the last to fall – with Ottoman conquest of Hungary Transylvania became a vassal state, paying tribute to maintain a certain degree of autonomy. Resistance continued throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, and in 1600 however a coalition of the three states attacked Ottoman strongholds on the Danube and forced them to call a truce. It was not to last however – feuding between the rulers of the principalities weakened the alliance and the Ottomans regained control, firstly ruling their territories through local rulers but later installing Turks.

In 1683, on their way west the Turks were defeated at Vienna, with Transylvania then falling under Hapsburg rule. Attempts were made to concert the population to Catholicism, leading to widescale discontent which erupted into an independence struggle led by Ferenc Rakoczi, and peasant rebellions. Moldavia and Wallachia remained under Ottoman rule but in all three regions the stirrings of nationalism were beginning to be felt. Romanians were everywhere treated as second class citizens, and in some instances forbidden to live within the city walls. An uprising in Wallachia in 1821 led to the restoration of rule by local boyars instead of Turkish rulers. Ottoman power in the region, and beyond, was beginning to decline, just as Tsarist Russia was on the rise.

Keen to expand their own borders, and presenting themselves as the defenders of the Christian faith in Romania and the Balkans, in the early 19th century Russia embarked on a series of wars with Ottoman Turkey – by now known as the ‘Sick Man of Europe’ in reference to its waning power. Moldavia and Wallachia became Russian protectorates in 1829. 1848 saw revolutions in all three principalities and although these were ultimately unsuccessful, they began to point the way towards a unified state. Demands were made to abolish the feudal system and allow greater freedoms for ordinary people, but Russia stepped in to quell the chaos that was building and restore the status quo. Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War saw the Moldavia and Wallachia return to Turkish rule by the middle of the century, while Transylvania remained under Hungary’s rule. However Turkey was no longer in a position to administer many of its territories, and encouraged by Russia Romania declared independence from Russia in 1877, with King Carol I being crowned just a few years later.

In 1916 Romania entered World War I on the Entente side, after the Entente agreed to recognize Romanian rights over Transylvania, which at that time was still part of Austria-Hungary. During the war, Wallachia was occupied by the German – Austro-Hungarian alliance, although Moldavia put up a fierce resistance. The outcome of the war saw Transylvania finally returned to Romania, while the former Russian province of Bessarabia also united with the country. This was the time of Greater Romania, when the country reached its greatest extent. It was however marred by a turbulent political life, with governments formed and dissolved with an alarming frequency – between 1930 and 1940 alone there were 25 different administrations.

Fascism was on the rise in Europe and Romania was not spared its grasp. Extreme right wing parties began to emerge, notably the Iron Guard, initially supported by the king Carol II before he became alarmed by political chaos and moved to ban all political parties in 1938, establishing a royal dictatorship. Germany at this time was looking at Romania with increasingly aggressive territorial ambitions, intimidating the king into ceding much of Transylvania to its ally Hungary. The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between the Soviet Union and Germany allowed the Soviets to grab Bessarabia and much of Bukovina, and all of a sudden Romania’s boundaries had shrunk considerably. The king, unable to remain in power, abdicated, and a fascist dictatorship allied to Nazi Germany emerged. Drastic consequences for the local population ensued, with Romania’s sizeable Gypsy and Jewish populations deported to the extermination camps until the tide of the war turned and Romania was occupied by Soviet forces in 1944. Between 280,000 and 380,000 Jews lost their lives, together with around 35,000 gypsies.

After the war, Romania fell under the Soviet sphere of influence, and was declared a communist ‘People’s Republic’ with the abolition of the monarchy which had only just stepped back to reassume its role following the fall of the fascist dictator Antonescu. Peasant resistance to collectivisation was met with mass arrests, and suspected dissidents were sent off to labour camps or exterminated. Police terror was widespread, and Romania continued to be occupied by Russian forces until 1958. In 1969 Nicolae Ceausescu came to power, a previously obscure Party member who was to have profound consequences for the country. Under Ceausescu, relations with the west thawed as he attempted to distance Romania from the Soviet Union. However his social and economic policies for the country were disastrous. Obsessed with increasing productivity money was ploughed into industry to the detriment of basic necessities such as food, and women were ‘encouraged’ to contribute to a larger workforce by the banning of abortions and contraception – a situation which led to the harrowing images of Romanian orphanages that hit European screens after his death, as women were forced to give up children they could not afford to support. Ethnic groups such as the Magyars, a remnant of the Hungarian occupation of parts of the country, were discriminated against. Ceausescu maintained his regime through the feared Securitate, his secret police which were responsible for a rule of terror and kept a wide network of informants. Romania was in a dire state – brutally repressed, suffering from shortages of basic goods, and by the 1980s suffering from economic collapse.

The wave of change sweeping across Eastern Europe at the end of the 1980s did not go unnoticed in Romania, but as with most dictators, Ceausescu was determined to hold on to power, denouncing glasnost and crushing protests with a characteristic level of brutality that left that many dead. The writing was on the wall however as the will of the people proved too strong to resist, army and police abandoning any loyalty that they had once had. Ceausescu was captured and executed, along with his wife, on Christmas Day 1989.

Since then Romania has moved to become a free market economy with a democratic political system, emerging from the dark days of Communism but still somewhat at the periphery of Europe. It is easy to see remnants of its feudal past, lurking in the small villages of the mountains and forests, and the striking architecture of the monasteries and churches harks back to an era of landlords and serfs, or wealthy aristocracy and peasants. It is still possible to see people going about with horse and cart contraptions, much as their ancestors would have done, and enter the forests with their primeval feel and amazing wildlife and you could be at any point in history. Romania retains a charm that has not yet been obliterated by the homogeneity of modern life, a truly precious thing in 21st century Europe that deserves attention.