Edition 9 - RomaniaFilm Journal

Did you know that the Carpathians are the second longest mountain range in Europe, and 51% of it is located on Romanian territory?

Without having the fame of the Alps or the spectacular altitude of the Himalayas, the Carpathian Mountains mesmerize with their sometimes terrifying wilderness, their ridges covered with tall fir-trees which seem to defy gravity or the beauty of their meadows where gorgeous green blends with lively yellow and blue. It is the place imagined by Tolkien, wild and sometimes unwelcoming, with a mysterious air that inspires dreams. In the Carpathian Mountains, you’ll find naturally-sculpted statues with strange shapes reminding you of the Sphinx or pagan temples, old cave paintings, and thousands of caves in which were discovered fossils of big carnivorous animals that disappeared during the last ice age.

The mountain range stretches from the Czech Republic through Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and ends in Romania. But despite stretching across 7 countries, 51% of their total area spans over Romania’s territory. The highest peak of the Carpathians is in the Tatra Mountains, at the border of Slovakia and Poland, with a height exceeding 2,600m, while the second highest peak can be found in Romania, at an altitude of more than 2,500m.

The name of the mountains is derived from the old Dacian tribes called “Carpes” or “Carpi”, who lived in the area of the present-day Romania, stretching from the north-eastern side of the Black Sea to the fields of Transylvania.

The Romanian Carpathians are part of the eastern sector of the Carpathian Mountains and are divided into 3 geographical groups:

Eastern Carpathians (split into 3 groups: The Carpathians of Maramureș and Bukovina, the Moldavian-Transylvanian Carpathians, and the Curvature Carpathians)
Southern Carpathians (split into 4 groups: Bucegi Mountains, Făgăraș Mountains, Parâng Mountains, and Retezat-Godeanu Mountains)
Western Carpathians (split into 3 groups: Banat Mountains, Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and Apuseni Mountains)

Did you know that the first city in Europe with electric public lighting was Timișoara (1889)? The city on the Bega was also the first European city with horse-drawn trams (1869).

The oldest official document mentioning this city dates back to 1212 and is positioned in the northern bank of the Bega River. Timișoara was built on the site of the ancient Roman citadel Castrum Regium Themes. Considered the largest city in the West of Romania, Timișoara was influenced by many other cultures, as it was at the crossroad of important commercial routes. Used initially by Romans as citadel, then destroyed by Tartars in 13th century, it was later overcome in 1552 by Turkish armies and remained under its protection till 1718. Visiting this city one can see the influences of Turks, Austrians, Germans and Serbs.

Timișoara is also called Little Vienna due to its active cultural life with events taking place along the entire year. The historic records mentions Timișoara as the first European city to use electric street lighting (1889) and trams drawn by horses (1869).

Timisoara, one of the major cities of Romania situated in the Western side of Romania was the first city in Europe in which the electric street lighting was introduced. The plant and the lighting installation were opened for a trial period between 15 and 30 November. Tests were conducted by experts from Austria and Hungary who concluded that the installation had been fully compliant. Commissioned in November 1884, the Electric Power Plant of Timisoara laid the ground of the Romanian Power System.

The architecture of the town embodies churches of different cults, a Baroque style square, a Jewish quarter, a pedestrian limited area and several monuments with panoramic views.

Did you know that the tallest building in Romania is “Sky Tower”, part of the Floreasca City Center complex in Bucharest? Completed in 2012, the building is 137 m tall and has 37 floors.

Located between two of Bucharest’s arterial roads, Calea Floreasca and Barbu Văcărescu street, SkyTower is the second office building is designed as a high-rise building with a height of 137 m (449 ft). With 37 upper floors and 5 basement floors (gross floor area approximately 78,000 m² (840,000 sq ft)), this tower is the highest building in Bucharest and Romania. A restaurant and conference rooms are situated in the two uppermost floors. The facade of the Tower has an oblong structure over 4 floors with transparent, translucent and opaque areas. In the uppermost floors the facade opens up and becomes entirely transparent.

The ground floor features a generous entrance lobby, hosting reception and security desk and provides access to the upper floors via the security filter accessible by electronic card. The vertical access is ensured by ten elevators, out of which five are low-rise (up to the 18th floor) and five are high-rise (up to the 36th floor).

Each regular office floor is designed to host open space offices with afferent toilets and connections ready for installing the kitchenettes, accommodating up to 60 working stations, benefiting from a specially designed meeting area.

On June 6, 2012, SkyTower has reached the 36th floor and became the tallest building in Romania. The topping out ceremony was held on June 28, 2012.

Did you know that Anastase Dragomir invented the ejection seat with which pilots catapult themselves in emergency situations?

Anastase Dragomir (1896–1966) was a distinguished Romanian inventor, most famous for his “catapultable cockpit” patent (with Tănase Dobrescu) as an early form of ejection seat, although preceded by Everard Calthrop’s 1916 compressed air ejection seat, and others.

Anastase Dragomir, born 6 February 1896 in Brăila, Romania, was the sixth child of his family. He worked in France at several aircraft factories where he perfected a system to save pilots and passengers in case of accidents. On 3 November 1928 he applied for French patent #678566, “Nouveau système de montage des parachutes dans les appareils de locomotion aérienne”. Issued on 2 April 1930, the invention was, “a new system of parachuting from the apparatus for air locomotion, each passenger having his own parachute that allows, in critical moments, the assembly detaching from the plane, so the parachute with seated passenger passes through an opening.”

After several attempts, Dragomir managed to obtain financing and began construction of his “catapulted cockpit”. The invention was tested in a Farman airplane piloted by Lucien Bossoutrot at Paris-Orly, France airport on 28 August 1929. French newspapers later reported on the invention’s success. Dragomir returned home to Romania after the Paris-Orly experiment where, with Romanian aviation engineer captain Constantin Nicolau, he successfully repeated the experiment in an Avia airplane at Băneasa Airport in Bucharest, Romania on 26 October 1929. He continued to refine his invention and obtained Romanian patent #40658 in 1950 for his “parachuted cell”. In 1960, he received Romanian patent #41424 for a transport aircraft equipped with ejection cabins. Anastase Dragomir died in Bucharest, Romania in June 1966.

The photograph shown on the stamp is of the independently designed and developed British Martin-Baker ejection seat.

More about the patent here

Did you know that the first automobile arrived in Romania in 1889? The vehicle was a Peugeot and was owned by Baron Barbu Bellu, the first car owner in Romania.

Just like in Europe and America, the first cars, equipped with steam engines like the trains of that time—steam carriages, as they were called—appeared in the Romanian provinces towards the end of 19th Century. Even more, in 1880 engineer Dumitru Vasescu joined the inventors who were trying to improve the new vehicle. He created an innovative steam-powered car, named after him, which he took out on the streets of Paris. This car was brought to Bucharest only once, in 1906, and nothing is known about it after this point.

In any case, the first automobile cruising the Romanian roads, in 1889, was a 4 hp Peugeot, whose power was about twice the power of our present-day vacuum cleaners. The owner was obviously a member of nobility, given that the purchase of a steam carriage required significant financial strength. In the years to follow, their number increased. In 1895, three owners from Craiova brought into the country three 12 hp Benz automobiles. In 1896, a Peugeot was reported in Bucharest, then another one in Tecuci, then in Falticeni. 1898 was, among other things, the year when Romania welcomed its first American vehicle, an Oldsmobile, which the mass media criticised for its “stunning” speed of 15 km per hour.

These first automobiles were mostly regarded as an entertainment means, and were associated with sports and racing. It is not a coincidence that the first car owners in Romania were also sportsmen. Still, the beginning of the 20th Century brought about the first automobiles used for practical purposes. One such example is the automobile that dr. Toma Tomescu was driving simply in order to make house calls.

Did you know that the largest village in Romania is Jina, the commune formed by a single village in Mărginimea Sibiului, which covers 315 km2?

Jina

Jina (German: Sinna; Hungarian: Zsinna) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania, in the Cindrel Mountains, 44 km (27 mi) west of the county seat, Sibiu, in the Mărginimea Sibiului ethnographic area. It is composed of a single village, Jina.

The commune is located in the southwestern part of Sibiu County; it borders Alba County to the west and Vâlcea County to the south. Close-by towns are Sebeș at 38 km (24 mi), Săliște at 24 km (15 mi), and Miercurea Sibiului at 20 km (12 mi). Jina is crossed by county road DJ106E, which branches off national road DN1 in Cristian and joins the Transalpina road (DN67C) in Șugag.

Did you know that the oldest building in Romania is the Calvaria Church in Cluj-Mănăștur, which is over 1,000 years old?

Calvaria Church (Romanian: Biserica Romano-Catolică Calvaria de la Cluj-Mănăștur, Hungarian: Kolozsmonostori apátság) was built in the district of Mănăștur in Cluj-Napoca. A small Benedictine abbey surrounded by defensive walls, Calvaria Church was built starting in the 9th-10th centuries.

Did you know that the Teliu Tunnel on the Hărman – Întorsura Buzăului railway is the longest railway tunnel in Romania, with a length of 4,369.5 meters?

THE UNDERMOUNTAIN ROAD
BUILDING OF TELIU RAILWAY TUNNELS

This article refers to a stage in the construction of the railway Braşov – Întorsura Buzăului, between 1924 and 1931, namely the most difficult part, the tunnel system from Teliu.
Those three tunnels, named Columbelul, Morii and Teliu, have a total length of 4,846 m. Of the three, Teliu tunnel is the longest in Romania in our days with a length of 4,369.5 meters. The
paper presents the stages of the building the three tunnels by contribution of Romanian and German engineers and some events happened during the construction of that great utility.
We try to demonstrate that the construction of that railway had a positive impact on the local community, pulling them out of isolation and bringing greater economic development to the entire
area. This article is also about the people who attended that wonderful work, people with different backgrounds and education. We drew special attention to the fate of Romanian engineer Ion
Cotârţă, dead at the inauguration of the tunnel, as Master Manole, the builder from popular ballad, who embodies the myth of the creator’s self-sacrifice.
For documentation we have used the press articles and especially the oral testimonies of Teliu locals who lived in that period or had relatives who attended at the inauguration of the three
tunnels. Oral testimonies were recorded in 2011-2012 by students of Teliu Secondary School in a school project.
This paper ends with the oral testimony of Boriceanu Gheorghe (b. 1919) who witnessed some events from that period of time.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Did you know that Romania is the country with the most brown bears, wolves and white pelicans in the European Union?

The fauna of Romania comprises all the animal species inhabiting the country of Romania and its coastal territory in the Black Sea.

Did you know that the third female parachutist in Europe and the first in Romania was Smaranda Brăescu?

The hostility of the society did not prevent the young Smaranda Brăescu from following her dream. The ambitious daughter of Hănțești village, Tecuci, the ambitious Smaranda, managed without any support to lay the foundations of Romanian parachuting and to record numerous records. She was the first female pilot in Romania, the first female parachutist with a patent in Romania, European parachuting champion (1931) and world champion (in 1932, with a record of 7,233 m in Sacramento, USA).

Her photo of a Romanian woman on board the plane went around the world, talking about the courage of the Romanian woman who defied all the canons of a society that hardly left room for women in positions reserved for men.

125 years after the birth of Smaranda Brăescu and the 90th anniversary of the absolute record for skydiving, on May 19, 1932, the Romanian Government established the year 2022 as the Year of Smaranda Brăescu.

The first woman in Europe with a pilot’s license

The interwar period was a good time for women to assert themselves in aviation. Even if this involved efforts, especially financial ones, and all kinds of giving up, there were some daring women who overcame their status as submissive women, who did not go beyond the traditional canons imposed by the conservative society.

The example of a few people also helped them – Elena Caragiani Stoienescu, who obtained her pilot’s license in 1914, in Paris. 4. In turn, she is encouraged by the performance of the first female pilot – Baroness Raymonde de la Roche (France), who obtained her patent in 1910, and Harriet Quimby, who became a pilot in 1911, in America.

In Romania, Smaranda Brăescu, nicknamed the “Queen of Heights”, stands out with a unique aeronautical record: the first European to hold a pilot’s license, the absolute world record for altitude, parachute jump, made in 1932 in America, following a jump made with a parachute of Romanian construction, from a height of 7400 m, with a duration of 25 minutes. At the same time, the Romanian participates in numerous domestic and international aeronautical rallies, a series of European air raids, and last but not least, she voluntarily enlisted in the White Squadron, destined to transport the wounded, medicines and medical personnel in the Second World War.

Although she went through two accidents, one by plane in 1929 and the second by parachute, in 1930, which required months of hospitalization and recovery, Smaranda did not give up.

Her achievements were rewarded by King Charles II with the Golden Cross of Aeronautical Virtue, the most coveted military aviation decoration. The American record was approved by the International Aviation Federation, and the news spread around the world, inscribing its name forever in the Golden Book of World Aviation.

Did you know that Romania is the first country in the world with statistically recorded oil production (1857), with exploitations between the valleys of the Prahova and Trotuş rivers?

1857 registered no less than three world premieres for Romania, mentioned by the international statistics, events celebrated in 2017 and highlighted in the pages of our magazine. We remind them, however:

Romania is the first country in the world with oil production officially registered by the international statistics (275 tonnes); in 1859, the US had a production of 274 tonnes;
The first industrial refinery was built by the Mehedinteanu brothers on the outskirts of Ploiesti city (photo); the first commercial oil well was built in Romania (in Lucacesti, Bacau County). In Lucacesti had already been built the first industrial oil distilleries in the world (1837 – 1840), the precursors of the refinery in Ploiesti;
The first city in the world illuminated publicly by kerosene was the capital of the country – Bucharest;

In addition, Romania was the first country in the world to export petrol in the 1900s. In 1904, the first school in the world for drilling foremen was set up in Campina, which will consequently also train refining foremen. Also in 1904, the first export of petroleum products took place from Romania, in Constanta Port (during 1780 – 1820 Moldavia and Muntenia exported oil through the Danube ports).

Few people know that Romania can also be considered as one of the top three countries in the world in terms of pioneering in the natural gas industry, with numerous European awards for specific activities in the sector. Romania holds the premiere of the first natural gas export in Europe, on August 30, 1940 (from Romania to Hungary).

Last but not least there is another important anniversary – university education in Ploiesti turns 50 in 2017, as the Petroleum and Gas Institute of Ploiesti was established in 1967.

Since 1976, the year with the largest oil production in Romania (14.7 million tonnes), statistics show a constant decline, along with the increase in imports. Romanian specialists’ estimates (in 2007) showed that Romania’s proven oil reserves are of only 200 million tonnes, which means that, given an extraction rate of 5 million tonnes a year, it would run down in about 40 years, if the probable oil reserves do not become exploitable reserves in the meantime. The question is whether those who have the knowledge, technology and the necessary funds will succeed in changing the share between energy consumption currently based on hydrocarbons in favour of less polluting, alternative energy sources along with the discovery of new, real-time exploitable oil deposits.

Did you know that Lake Sfânta Ana in the Ciomatu massif (Harghita County) is the only volcanic lake in Romania, but also in Europe?

Lake Sfânta Ana (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈsfɨnta ˈana]; Hungarian: Szent Anna-tó; lit. ‘Saint Anne Lake‘) is the only crater lake in Romania located in the volcanic crater of the Ciomad volcano of the Eastern Carpathians, near Tușnad in the Natural Reserve of Mohoș, Harghita County, Romania.

Palynology studies concluded that the history of Lake Saint Anne began about 9,800-8,800 years ago, at the stage of peat bog and shallow lake.

The depth of Saint Anne Lake is constantly decreasing. In 1867 it was 12 m, but now it is less than 7 m. In 2005, the maximum depth of the lake was 6.4 m and the sediment thickness was about 4 m. The lake is supplied exclusively from precipitation, therefore the degree of mineralization of the water is very low. The water purity approaches that of distilled water, with only 0.0029 ml mineral.

In winter, the lake is covered with a layer of ice of up to 1 m. The lake is part of the Mohos Nature Reserve.

Near the lake there is a Roman Catholic chapel dedicated to Saint Anne.

Swimming in the lake in general has been prohibited since April 2018. It is available only for sporting events under special permits.

Did you know that the Iron Gates Gorge is the longest in Europe? Here, the Danube separates the Carpathians from the Balkans.

The Iron Gates gorge (Romanian: Porțile de Fier; Serbian:Đerdapska klisura) is a natural border between Serbia and Romania the moment the Danube River enters Romania, to the city of Orsova, for approximately 150 km.

From the moment the Danube River reaches Romanian soil, it seems as if the water has found a new way. The river’s winding path has cut deep into the mountains with all its mighty power, creating several narrow sections, each of which is known as a different gorge. And all of them together form one of the most beautiful gorges in Europe, the Iron Gates. The most famous section is the Danube’s Big Boilers, where the narrowest section is located, with a width of about 150 m and a depth of up to 75 m.

The riverbed rocks, the strong currents, the shoals, and the whirlpools have made this section of the river an infamous passage for maritime transport. Today, after centuries of developments, such as navigable channels, artificial lakes, and two dams (along with two hydroelectric power stations), traffic has been made possible much easier.

Did you know that the Wooden Church of the Săpânța-Peri Monastery is the tallest wooden church in the world?

The church of Archangel Michael in Săpânța-Peri from the village of Săpânța in the region of Maramureș, Romania is the tallest wooden church in the world. A representative of the characteristic wooden churches of Maramureș with double eaves, the church continues the tradition of the old Orthodox monastery in Peri, the ruins of which are now found in the area of Hrushove in Ukraine.

Aerial drone view of the Peri-Sapanta Monastery at sunrise, Romania. Main church and a building, visitors, yellowing forest around

Located next to Sapanta Village, within a dendrology park, the wooden church was built in 1391. In 1391 Dragos Voda’s nephews donated lands and properties to Peri Monastery, so they built a stone church. For 312 years, the Romanian Diocese of Maramures used the stone church as its headquarters. Back then, the Monastery had the Archangel Michael (Sfantul Arhanghel Mihail) as the patron saint.

Here, at Sapanta-Peri, ‘The Psalm Book’ ‘The Gospel’, ‘Legend of Sunday’, ‘Vorotean Codex’ and ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ were first translated and copied into Romanian.

Did you know that the Slănic Salt Mine is the largest in Europe? It is 208 meters deep and 2.9 million m3 of salt is excavated from here.

Only 100 km from Bucharest, you will encounter one of the most acknowledged destinations for balneal and touristic activities. Since 1953, Slanic Prahova, with its astounding salt mine is a pearl of national interest and a much beloved destination for tourists coming from all around the world.

What can you expect to see at this majestic and salty site? Starting with the data, the site will offer about 2.9 million cubic meters of excavated salt, which has led to the creation of gigantic and multifaceted caves. The caves make up a total of 14 trapezoidal rooms with an extensive surface of 80 thousand square meters. You heard that right! 80 thousand square meters of salt wonderland.

The rooms have 10 meters tall openings, whilst the salt mine itself reaches a depth of 208 meters. The enormous dimensions ensured it the title of largest salt mine in Europe. But what can one do in a salt mine really? And why would one bother to visit one? Is it worth the ride? Here are a few hints about the main highlights at the Slanic Prahova salt mine.

Did you know that Romanian Ana Dumbravă was named “The Best Counter-Strike Player in the World” for the third consecutive year?

The student from the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași received both the award for “The Best Counter-Strike Player in the World in 2024” and “The Best Team in the World in 2024”, along with the team she is part of, Imperial, during a ceremony held in Belgrade.

“I want to dedicate this award to my hero, the person who made me who I am today, my mother. I know you’re up there, smiling at me, I hope I made you proud tonight!”, Ana Dumbravă wrote on Facebook after the ceremony.

Ana Dumbravă is 25 years old and started playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 10 years ago, in 2015. She is known in the gaming community under the pseudonym “ANa”.

Did you know that Romania put into circulation the smallest banknote in the world, back in 1917?

The 10 bani banknote was 2.75 x 3.80 cm. Now, Romania is the only European country where the banknotes in circulation are made of plastic.

According to the World Records Academy, the 10 Bani note, measuring 27.5 millimeters by 38 millimeters, is the smallest banknote in the world.

This banknote was issued in 1917, by the then Ministry of Finance in Romania.

During the First World War, Romania was in a very difficult situation, which forced the board of the National Bank of Romania to temporarily give up the exclusive right to issue banknotes. Thus, the Ministry of Finance was authorized to issue “banknotes for a total value of 10 million lei, 5 million lei in 50 bani; 3 million in 25 houses; 2 million in 10 houses”.

The banknotes were printed in Romania, by the Geographical Service of the Army, with a common element – the figure of King Ferdinand I.

These were the first Romanian banknotes with the portrait of a monarch and from the sources so far, it seems that these are also the smallest banknotes in the world.

Did you know that the tallest tree in Europe is a fir tree in Romania? It is located in the Sinca Forest and is 62.5 m tall.

The tallest fir tree measured so far in Romania was discovered in the ancient forest of Sinca Veche, Brasov County.
It is believed to be over 300 years old and measures 62.5 meters, almost as tall as the Grand Hotel in Bucharest.

It reached these impressive dimensions in one of the last ancient forests in Europe, left as if at the beginning of the world.

The “World Wide Fund for Nature”, which protects the forest, is campaigning for its inclusion in the UNESCO heritage list.

The gigantic fir tree, a true monument of nature, was discovered by a group of researchers from the Faculty of Forestry in Suceava.

It surpasses the old record of 61.5 meters, which belonged to a fir tree discovered 50 years ago, in the Penteleu massif in Buzau.
“It is a more special fir tree, it is a fir tree with an exceptional diameter of one and a half meters”, said forestry engineer Calin Gotea.
Specialists are already talking about the fact that it could rewrite forestry textbooks because so far, trees taller than 40-50 meters have not been studied much.

The giant fir is the size of two eight-story buildings, taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa and three times larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Bucharest.

Did you know that Dacia is participating with 3 Sandrider cars in the 2025 Dakar Rally?

The Dacia Sandriders bids for FIA World Rally-Raid success in Saudi Arabia.

Gruelling event awaits all-star line-up of Al-Attiyah / Boulanger, Gutiérrez / Moreno and Loeb / Lurquin.

Having tamed Rallye du Maroc with a debut victory in October, The Dacia Sandriders has made the Dakar Rally, motorsport’s ultimate adventure, its next formidable challenge.

The opening round of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) from January 3-17 is a test of driver and machine without equal.

Taking place over sand dunes and rocky passes from the west to the east of Saudi Arabia, the upcoming Dakar Rally marks the start of The Dacia Sandriders’ 2025 W2RC title bid and follows its 1-2 finish on Rallye du Maroc, which served primarily as a Dakar Rally dress rehearsal.

After the Prologue stage on January 3, the 2025 Dakar Rally consists of 5145 timed kilometres across 12 days of intense competition.

Starting in Bisha in the west of Saudi Arabia, the event ends in Shubaytah to the east via a rest day in Hail and an overnight halt in the capital Riyadh. Included in the itinerary is the 48H Chrono stage covering a punishing 971 competitive kilometres.

The Dacia Sandriders’ team principal Tiphanie Isnard is under no illusions in terms of the arduous challenge in store for the three-car squad.

Inspired by the Manifesto concept car and created with the help of Renault Group and Prodrive, the Sandrider will be homologated in the Ultimate T1+ category. The Sandrider will use synthetic fuel produced by Aramco.

Technical data:
Chassis: tubular
Body: carbon fiber
Engine: V6, 3 liters, biturbo
Maximum power: 264 kW/359 hp
Maximum torque: 539 Nm at 4,250 rpm
Transmission: 4X4
Gearbox: 6-speed sequential
Suspension travel: 350 mm
Length x Width x Height: 4,140 x 2,290 x 1,810 mm

Did you know that Nadia Comaneci achieved the first 10 in gymnastics history at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games?

Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci stands before a scoreboard in Montreal, Canada, July 18, 1976. The young gymnast racked up three perfect scores of 10 during the Olympic Games in Montreal. It is the first time in the history of the Olympic games that anyone received a perfect score. (AP Photo)

On July 18, 1976, 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci stunned the world at the Olympic Games Montreal 1976 by becoming the first gymnast to score a perfect 10.0. The Romanian prodigy performed flawlessly on the uneven bars, leading the judges to award her an unprecedented score.

The 1.5-meter-tall gymnast executed her routine with impeccable precision and grace. However, the scoreboard at Montreal’s Forum wasn’t designed to display a perfect 10. Instead, it flashed “1.00,” causing initial confusion among spectators and officials. It soon became clear that Nadia had achieved what was once deemed impossible: a perfect score in Olympic gymnastics.

The teenager’s perfect score on the uneven bars was just the beginning. Over the course of the 1976 Games, she received a total of seven perfect 10s for events en route to winning three gold medals.

Nadia’s triumph in Montreal set a new standard in gymnastics. She continued her success in Moscow 1980, winning two more gold medals and achieving two additional perfect scores. Her Olympic career ended with a total of nine medals, including five gold.

Did you know that the Oravița Theater, built in 1817, was the first theater in Europe illuminated with acetylene lamps?

The „Mihai Eminescu” Old Theatre at Oraviţa (1817) is the oldest theatre in Romania and a faithful copy of Vienna’s “Burgtheater”. As the Viennese theatre underwent many changes over time, today “the original can be seen only at Oraviţa. The theatre hall (191 seats) is an architectural pearl of the Viennese Baroque in semicircular shape and wonderfully decorated in the Rococo style, inspired by the Viennese butaforosis and predominant yellow-golden colors. The stage with a unique acoustics keeps the “secrets” of the great Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu, who was here in 1868 as the “souffleur” of Mihail Pascaly’s ensemble. On this stage also, on November 5th 1931, George Enescu gave an unforgettable concert and wooed the audience with his musical performances.

Ion Niuni had the project of constructing the first theatre in 1817 in Romania. Being a macedo-romanian he did a good job. This was also the first building in Europe being lighted with some special lamps. The interior is the copy of the Burgtheater from Vien and Ieronimus Platzger, the austrian painter decorated it. The ornaments are in style rococo, being either red or gold. Francisc I and Augusta Carolina were the royal visitors in Oravita, for whom this building was constructed. It has a length of 36 m and it is 15m wide.

From the foajer it can be easily accessed the balconies. On the basic ground there are the circles of the best places indeed. The big painting Cortina Mare was picted by Francisc Zech, the director of the Gymnasium of Art in Oravita. Several plays were performed here since its realization, coming from the country and abroad too. In 1868 the troop Pascaly came here along with the famous romanian poet, Mihai Eminescu. For this reason the theatre is called just like the poet.

Did you know that in Romania there is a village where locals can only reach it by stairs?

It is Ineleț, a village in Caraș-Severin county, which is part of the Cornereva commune.

Ever wondered what off-the-grid really looks like? Inelet Village, tucked away in the craggy folds of Romania’s Carpathian Mountains, is a stark reminder of a world that technology hasn’t conquered. This remote hamlet is a breathtaking marvel of nature and human endurance, where life hangs literally on the edge—cliffside homes clinging to slopes that make strong men dizzy and old women chuckle at lowlanders’ trepidation.

Getting to Inelet isn’t for the faint of heart. It involves a hike that feels like a step back into medieval times, navigating what locals call the ‘Stairway to Heaven’—a series of precarious wooden ladders nailed into sheer rock faces. The village itself is a cluster of weathered wooden homes, populated by hardy souls who number barely into the dozens. They live off the land, with traditions woven into their daily lives as tightly as the ivy that clings to their stone foundations.

The panoramic views of the Iron Gates of the Danube are their backdrop, a daily masterpiece painted by the hand of isolation.
In this untouched enclave, every face tells a story. Stories of survival, adaptation, and the raw beauty of a life stripped down to its essence. What does it mean to live with so little yet feel like you have everything? Inelet challenges our notions of necessity and luxury, making us ponder the true ingredients of a contented life. How much of the world do we need to hold in our hands to truly appreciate its beauty?

https://www.instagram.com/romania/reel/C5ob8kbIfQz/

Did you know that Romanian Henri Coandă invented the jet engine in 1910?

Henri Marie Coandă (Romanian pronunciation: [ɑ̃ˈri ˈko̯andə] (7 June 1886 – 25 November 1972) was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer, and builder of an experimental aircraft, the Coandă-1910, which never flew. He invented a great number of devices, designed a “flying saucer” and discovered the Coandă effect of fluid dynamics.

In the 1950s, Coandă inflated his importance in aviation history, describing falsely how he had invented the air-breathing jet engine and incorporated that design into the Coandă-1910 aircraft. However, his ducted engine design, the “turbo-propulseur”, was described in its patent as working the same way with either water or air running through.

The Coandă-1910 was an unconventional sesquiplane aircraft powered by a ducted fan. Called the “turbo-propulseur” by Coandă, its experimental engine consisted of a conventional piston engine driving a multi-bladed centrifugal blower which exhausted into a duct. The unusual aircraft attracted attention at the Second International Aeronautical Exhibition in Paris in October 1910, being the only exhibit without a propeller, but the aircraft was not displayed afterwards, and it fell from public awareness. Coandă used a similar turbo-propulseur to drive a snow sledge, but he did not develop it further for aircraft.

Decades later, after the practical demonstration of motorjets and turbojets, Coandă began to tell various conflicting stories about how his early experiments were precursors to the jet, even that his turbo-propulseur was the first motorjet engine with fuel combustion in the airstream. He also claimed to have made a single brief flight in December 1910, crashing just after takeoff, the aircraft being destroyed by fire. Two aviation historians countered Coandă’s version of events, saying there was no proof that the engine had combustion in the airstream, and no proof that the aircraft ever flew. In 1965, Coandă brought drawings forward to prove his claim of combustion ducting, but these were shown to be reworked, differing substantially from the originals. Many aviation historians were dismissive, saying that Coandă’s turbo-propulseur design involved a weak stream of “plain air,” not a powerful jet of air expanding from fuel combustion.

Did you know that in 1943, Professor Victor Daimaca from Tg. Jiu discovered two comets, one of which was named Comet Daimaca 1943?

Victor Daimaca (born August 22, 1892, Turnu Severin – died May 20, 1969, Bucharest) was a Romanian pedagogue and astronomer. He is the only Romanian to discover comets.

In September 1943, with binoculars purchased from the Poles in the Political Internment Camp in Tg.-Jiu, he discovered the comet that bears his name (Daimaca 1943 C), and in December of the same year another comet, observed simultaneously from the Netherlands and the USA by two other researchers, which would be called Comet Van Gent-Peltier-Daimaca 1943 W. Five other comets were observed and identified, but they would bear the names of their discoverers: Kopff, Giacobini-Zinner, Encke, Honde, Backharov.

Comet van Gent–Peltier–Daimaca, formally designated as C/1943 W1, is a non-periodic comet with a rather peculiar discovery. It was independently discovered by four astronomers, however the established system of naming comets by the International Astronomical Union only recognizes the names of the first three people who observed it.

Did you know that the Mânzăleşti Cave is the largest salt cave in Europe and the second in the world, with a length of 1,337 meters?

Mânzăleşti salt 6S is a cave on the Meledic plateau, considered the longest cave carved in salt in the world.

Covering an area of approximately 1.7 km2 of the upper part of a block of salt, there is a complex karst and well developed. Were found 50 cavities. The most important is Pestera 6S de la Manzalesti, with 3234 m development and -42 m depth. It is develops on three main levels, the inferior being crossed by water.

Plateau Meledic is modeled on the salt deposit Lopatari with 3.4 km2 surface and an inclination of 60o. According to the structural position of the solid salt, age has been assessed as Aquitanian. The average content of the deposit is 81.7% NaCl.

Clays and breaches of its upper part have thicknesses up to 40 meters but there are also relatively large areas where salt is at the surface.

After the formation pressure of the first galleries, subaerial drainages (among the Mare Lake and Meledic Creek, respectively among the back slope antitetique C and Meledic Creek) have been gradually transferred to depth in modeling vadose regime and amplifying the network of galleries.

Now, the cave is developed on three main levels superimposed that is less have water, the higher have important caving in. The branch southeast of the cave is covered by water collected in the back slope antitetique C.

Did you know that zimbrul (bison in English), the largest land mammal in Europe, lives in Romania?

Zimbrul – The European bison (pl.: bison) (Bison bonasus) or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent (/ˈviːzənt/ or /ˈwiːzənt/), the zubr (/ˈzuːbər/), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the American bison. The European bison is the heaviest wild land animal in Europe, and individuals in the past may have been even larger than their modern-day descendants. During late antiquity and the Middle Ages, bison became extinct in much of Europe and Asia, surviving into the 20th century only in northern-central Europe and the northern Caucasus Mountains. During the early years of the 20th century, bison were hunted to extinction in the wild.

By the late 2010s, the species numbered several thousand and had been returned to the wild by captive breeding programmes. It is no longer in immediate danger of extinction, but remains absent from most of its historical range. It is not to be confused with the aurochs (Bos primigenius), the extinct ancestor of domestic cattle, with which it once co-existed.

Besides humans, bison have few predators. In the 19th century, there were scattered reports of wolves, lions, tigers, and bears hunting bison. In the past, especially during the Middle Ages, humans commonly killed bison for their hide and meat. They used their horns to make drinking horns.

European bison were hunted to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century, with the last wild animals of the B. b. bonasus subspecies being shot in the Białowieża Forest (on today’s Belarus–Poland border) in 1921. The last of the Caucasian wisent subspecies (B. b. caucasicus) was shot in the northwestern Caucasus in 1927. The Carpathian wisent (B. b. hungarorum) had been hunted to extinction by 1852.

Romania: The European bison were reintroduced in 1958, when the first two animals were brought from Poland and kept in a reserve in Hațeg. Similar locations later appeared in Vama Buzăului (Valea Zimbrilor Nature Reserve) and Bucșani, Dâmbovița. The idea of free bison, on the Romanian territory, was born in 1999, through a program supported by the World Bank and the European Union. Almost 160 free-roaming animals, as of 2019, population slowly increasing in the four areas where wild bison can be found: Northern Romania – Vânători-Neamț Natural Park, and South-West Romania – Țarcu Mountains and Poiana Ruscă Mountains, as part of the Life-Bison project initiated by WWF Romania and Rewilding Europe, with co-funding from the EU through its LIFE Programme, but also in the Southern Carpathians, in the Făgăraș Mountains, as part of the Foundation Conservation Carpathia project, carried out within the LIFE Carpathia project. Since 2019, Foundation Conservation Carpathia has started to reintroduce the European Bison in the Făgăraș Mountains, after more than 200 years since their disappearance from the central forests of Romania. Foundation Conservation Carpathia aims to reintroduce 75 European bisons into the Făgăraș Mountains. In June 2024, 14 additional bison were brought to the southern Carpathian mountains from Germany and Sweden.

Did you know that Băneasa – “Aurel Vlaicu” Airport is the third oldest airport in the world. The first flights were made here in 1909 by Louis Blériot?

Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (IATA: BBU, ICAO: LRBS) (generally known as Băneasa Airport or Bucharest City Airport) is located in Băneasa district, Bucharest, Romania, 8.5 km (5.3 mi) north of the city center.[1] Named after Aurel Vlaicu, a Romanian engineer, inventor, aeroplane constructor, and early pilot, it was Bucharest’s only commercial airport until 1969, when the Otopeni Airport (today Henri Coandă International Airport) was opened to civilian use.

Until March 2012, when it was converted into a business airport, Aurel Vlaicu International was the second airport in Romania in terms of air traffic, and Bucharest’s low-cost airline hub.

The first flights in the Băneasa area took place in 1909 and they were carried out by the French pilot and aviation pioneer Louis Blériot, who flew on 18 October at the Băneasa Hippodrome. In 1912, one of the first flight schools in Romania was opened at the Băneasa airfield by George Valentin Bibescu. This makes Băneasa airport the oldest continuously operating airport in Eastern Europe, and places it among the five oldest airports in the world.

In March 2012, Băneasa was dedicated to business air traffic. The last passenger air traffic was transferred to Henri Coandă International Airport on 25 March 2012.

In 2017 and 2018, public talks organized by the managing company took place, suggesting that the airport may be re-opened for regular flights, following renovation works, that may be completed in two years from start. In June 2019, it was announced that the airport will reopen for commercial flights in early 2020.

The building is a late 1940s design, and was not built to cope with more than 600,000 passengers per year and departures every 25 minutes. As such in the few years before 2012 when the airport was closed to commercial scheduled flights, the facilities were extremely undersized and became very crowded. The building cannot be expanded, because of its status as a historic monument, and because of the sheer lack of space in the airport area.

Did you know that the Danube-Black Sea Canal in Dobrogea is the third in the world in terms of the length of a man-made navigation channel, after Suez and Panama?

The Danube–Black Sea Canal (Romanian: Canalul Dunăre–Marea Neagră) is a navigable canal in Romania, which runs from Cernavodă on the Danube river, via two branches, to Constanța and Năvodari on the Black Sea. Administered from Agigea, it is an important part of the waterway link between the North Sea and the Black Sea via the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal. The main branch of the canal, with a length of 64.4 km (40.0 mi), which connects the Port of Cernavodă with the Port of Constanța, was built in 1976–1984, while the northern branch, known as the Poarta Albă–Midia Năvodari Canal, with a length of 31.2 km (19.4 mi), connecting Poarta Albă and the Port of Midia, was built between 1983 and 1987.

Although the idea of building a navigable canal between the Danube and the Black Sea is old, the first concrete attempt was made between 1949 and 1953, when the communist authorities of the time used this opportunity to eliminate political opponents, so the canal became notorious as the site of labor camps, when at any given time, between 5,000 and 20,000 detainees, mostly political prisoners, worked on its excavation. The total number of prisoners used as labor force during this period is unknown, with the total number of deaths being estimated at several tens of thousands. The construction works of the Danube–Black Sea Canal were to be resumed 20 years later, in different conditions.

The main reasons for the building of the canal were to circumvent the Danube Delta which is difficult to navigate, shorten the distance to the Black Sea and several issues related to the loading and unloading of ships.

In its delta, the Danube is divided into three main branches, none of which is suited to optimal navigation: the Chilia branch is the deepest, but its mouths were not stable, which made navigation dangerous; the Sulina branch is not deep enough for maritime ships and it also used to be isolated from the railroad system; the Sfântu Gheorghe branch is shallow and sinuous.

At the time when the decision to build the canal was taken, it was officially announced that these works would also serve a secondary purpose, that of land reclamation, with the drainage of marshes in the area. Also during the construction period, the Danube–Black Sea Canal was advertised as a fast and direct connection between the Soviet Volga–Don Canal and Central Europe.

The earliest plans for building this canal were drawn in the late 1830s. The 1829 Treaty of Adrianople canceled the trade monopoly of the Ottoman Empire in the Danubian Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, allowing these countries to build their own fleets by 1834. Both Romanian and non-Romanian ships used mostly the Danube port cities of Brăila and Galați, which saw an economic boom. But there were a number of barriers to this trade: the Ottomans controlled the navigation regime on the Danube, while the Russian Empire controlled access to the Black Sea in the Danube Delta, and there was little the Danubian Principalities could do to rectify this situation. Both countries welcomed the Austrian Empire’s 1834 decision, endorsed by Count István Széchenyi, to extend the steamboat navigation to the maritime Danube. The Austrian initiative was badly received by the Russians, who considered their trade through Odesa and ports in the Crimea threatened by the development of Brăila and Galați. Without resolving to direct measures, the Russian Empire, who controlled the Sulina branch, started to show rigidity, instituting on February 7, 1836, a compulsory quarantine on the island of Letea, collecting taxes to cover the Russian financial deficit, and by not performing maintenance for the navigation on the Sulina branch to remove the continuous deposits of sand.

Did you know that the longest word in the Romanian language has 44 letters. It is “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconioza” and is the full name of a chronic lung disease that occurs mainly in mine workers following prolonged inhalation of silica dust?

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (/ˌnjuːmənoʊˌʌltrəˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpɪkˌsɪlɪkoʊvɒlˌkeɪnoʊˌkoʊniˈoʊsɪs/) is a 45-letter word coined in 1935 by the then-president of the National Puzzlers’ League, Everett M. Smith. It has sometimes been used as a synonym for the occupational disease known as silicosis, but it should not be as most silicosis is not related to mining of volcanic dusts. Oxford Dictionaries defines it as “an artificial long word said to mean a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust”.

Clinical and toxicological research conducted on volcanic crystalline silica has found little to no evidence of its ability to cause silicosis/pneumoconiosis-like diseases and geochemical analyses have shown that there are inherent factors in the crystalline structure which may render volcanic crystalline silica much less pathogenic than some other forms of crystalline silica.

Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis.

Did you know that Romania has had four Nobel Prize laureates: George Emil Palade (medicine), Elie Wiesel (peace), Herta Müller (literature) and Stefan Hell (chemistry)?

George Emil Palade (Fellowship of the Royal Society, Royal Microscopical Society) (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdʒe̯ordʒe eˈmil paˈlade]; November 19, 1912 – October 7, 2008) was a Romanian-American cell biologist.
Described as “the most influential cell biologist ever”, in 1974 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve. The prize was granted for his innovations in electron microscopy and cell fractionation which together laid the foundations of modern molecular cell biology, the most notable discovery being the ribosomes of the endoplasmic reticulum – which he first described in 1955.

Palade also received the U.S. National Medal of Science in Biological Sciences for “pioneering discoveries of a host of fundamental, highly organized structures in living cells” in 1986, and was previously elected a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1961. In 1968 he was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society (HonFRMS) and in 1984 he became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS).

Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel (/ˈɛli viːˈzɛl/ EL-ee vee-ZEL or /ˈiːlaɪ ˈviːsəl/ EE-ly VEE-səl; Yiddish: אליעזר “אלי” װיזל, romanized: Eliezer “Eli” Vizl; September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

In his political activities Wiesel became a regular speaker on the subject of the Holocaust and remained a strong defender of human rights during his lifetime. He also advocated for many other causes like the state of Israel and against Hamas and victims of oppression including Soviet and Ethiopian Jews, the apartheid in South Africa, the Bosnian genocide, Sudan, the Kurds and the Armenian genocide, Argentina’s Desaparecidos or Nicaragua’s Miskito people.

He was a professor of the humanities at Boston University, which created the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies in his honor. He was involved with Jewish causes and human rights causes and helped establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Wiesel was awarded various prestigious awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. He was a founding board member of the New York Human Rights Foundation and remained active in it throughout his life.

Herta Müller (born 17 August 1953) is a Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist noted for her works depicting the harsh conditions of life in Communist Romania under the repressive Nicolae Ceauşescu regime, the history of the Germans in the Banat (and more broadly, Transylvania), and the persecution of Romanian ethnic Germans by Stalinist Soviet occupying forces in Romania. Müller has been an internationally well-known author since the early 1990s, and her works have been translated into more than 20 languages. She has received over 20 awards, including the 1998 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. On 8 October 2009, it was announced she would be awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Stefan Walter Hell (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɛfan ˈhɛl]: born 23 December 1962) is a Romanian-German physicist and one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, and of the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, both of which are in Germany. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014 “for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy”, together with Eric Betzig and William Moerner.

Did you know that the “Sphinx” in the Bucegi Mountains is the same height as the “Sphinx” in Egypt (8 m)?

The Sphinx (Romanian: Sfinxul) is a natural rock formation in the Bucegi Natural Park which is in the Bucegi Mountains of Romania. It is located at an altitude of 2,216 metres (7,270 ft) within the Babele complex of rock formations.

The first photo of the Great Bucegi Sphinx was probably taken in about the year 1900. This photograph was taken from a front position, not from a lateral one, as it usually appears in modern pictures. It only acquired its nickname, referring to the Great Sphinx of Giza, in the year 1936. The image of the sphinx appears when the rock, having an 8 m height and a 12 m width, is observed from a certain angle. The megalith has its clearest outline on 21 November, at the time the sun goes down.

The Sphinx features in the 1967 film The Dacians, in which it is a place of sacrifice to the god Zalmoxis. It also plays a significant role in the 1980 film Burebista, in which it is equated with the eponymous ancient Dacian king and the eternity of Romanian identity.

Did you know that the oldest fossils of Homo sapiens were discovered in southwestern Romania and are between 37,800 and 42,000 years old?

Peștera cu Oase (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈpeʃtera ku ˈo̯ase], meaning “The Cave with Bones”) is a system of 12 karstic galleries and chambers located near the city Anina, in the Caraș-Severin county, southwestern Romania, where some of the oldest European early modern human (EEMH) remains, between 42,000 and 37,000 years old, have been found.

While “Oase 1” lower jaw is fully mature, the facial skeleton is that of a mid-second-decade adolescent, therefore corresponding to a second individual, designated as “Oase 2”. Further analyses have revealed that the left temporal bone represents a third individual, assessed as adolescent versus mature female, designated as “Oase 3”. However, additional finds and work have shown that the temporal bone derives from the same cranium as the “Oase 2” facial and parietal bones. The lack of archaeological signs such as torches, charcoal or tools could suggest that the human remains may have washed in the cave through fissures. The “Oase 2” and “Oase 3” confirm a pattern already known from the probably contemporaneous “Oase 1” mandible, indicating a mixture of archaic, early modern human and Neanderthal morphological features. Thus, the specimens exhibit a suite of derived “modern human” features like projecting chin, no brow ridge, a high and rounded brain case. Yet, these features are associated with several archaic aspects of the cranium and dentition that place them outside the range of variation for modern humans, like a large face, a large crest of bone behind the ear and big teeth that get even larger toward the back. This mosaic of Neanderthal and modern human resembles similar traits found in a 25,000 years old fossil of a child in Abrigo do Lagar Velho or in the 31,000 years old site of Mladeč, by Cidália Duarte, et al. (1999).

In 2015 genetics research revealed that the Oase 1 fossil had a recent Neanderthal ancestor, with an estimated 5-11% Neanderthal autosomal DNA. The specimen’s 12th chromosome was 50% Neanderthal.

Researchers sequenced the genome of “Oase 2” (41,500–39,500 years old) to high coverage (20-fold) from its petrous bone.

Around 6% of “Oase 2″‘s genome is Neanderthal in origin, which is lower than for “Oase 1”; however, this is still much higher than expected based on its age and what is seen in other Upper Palaeolithic genomes.

“Oase 2” belongs to the same basal subclade of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup N as “Oase 1”. When compared against all DNA samples on record, “Oase 2” and “Oase 1” share the closest genetic affinity with each other. “Oase 1” and “Oase 2” appear to be from related, but not necessarily identical populations.

“Oase 1” shows an affinity for Ice Age Europeans that is not found in “Oase 2”, while “Oase 2” is closer to Asians and Native Americans. “Oase 1” shows a genetic affinity for “Peştera Muierii 2” that is not found in “Oase 2”. After “Oase 1”, the next closest genetic affinity for “Oase 2” among ancient DNA samples is the c. 40kya Tianyuan man from Northern China. Neither “Oase 2” nor “Oase 1” are particularly close genetically to any modern human populations.

Did you know that Peleș Castle in Sinaia was the first on the continent to be completely electrically lit?

Peleș Castle (Romanian: Castelul Peleș pronounced [kasˈtelul ˈpeleʃ] ^ⓘ) is a Neo-Renaissance palace in the Royal Domain of Sinaia in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. Its inauguration was held in 1883. It was constructed for King Carol I of Romania.

The first three design plans submitted for Peleș were copies of other palaces in Western Europe, and King Carol I rejected them all as lacking originality and being too costly. German architect Johannes Schultz won the project by presenting a more original plan, something that appealed to the King’s taste: a grand palatial alpine castle combining different features of classic European styles, mostly following Italian elegance and German aesthetics along Renaissance lines. Works were also led by architect Carol Benesch. Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman, who designed the towers, including the main central tower, which is 66 metres (217 ft) in height. The Sipot Building, which served as Liman’s headquarters during the construction, was built later on. Liman would supervise the building of the nearby Pelișor Castle (1889–1903, the future residence of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania), as well as of King Ferdinand’s villa in the Royal Sheepfold Meadow. King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth lived in Foişor Villa during construction, as King Ferdinand and Queen Marie had during the construction of Pelișor Castle.

Château de Peleș, Sinaia, Roumanie.

After the forced abdication of King Michael I of Romania in 1947, Communist Romania seized all royal property, including the Peleș Estate. The castle was opened as a tourist attraction for a short time. It also served as a recreation and resting place for Romanian cultural personalities. The castle was declared a museum in 1953. Nicolae Ceaușescu closed the entire estate between 1975 and 1990, during the last years of the Communist regime. The area was declared a “State Protocol Interest Area”, and the only persons permitted on the property were maintenance and military personnel.

In 1997, the castle was returned to the royal family in a long judicial case that was finally concluded in 2007. Michael I subsequently said the castle should continue to house the Peleș National Museum, as well as being occasionally used for public royal ceremonies.

Did you know that the Palace of Parliament (People’s House) is the second largest building in the world, after the Pentagon?

Construction of Bucharest and Romania’s most famous building, Palatul Parlamentului ie the Palace of Parliament (known locally as Casa Poporului ie the People’s House) began in 1984, and continued through what were the darkest days of the Nicolae Ceausescu regime. Standing 84m above ground level on 12 floors, the building has long been shrouded in mystery, rumour and hyperbole.

Known for its ornate interior composed of 23 sections, the palace houses the two chambers of the Parliament of Romania: the Senate (Senat) and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera Deputaților), along with three museums and an international conference center. The museums in the Palace are the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Communist Totalitarianism (established in 2015) and the Museum of the Palace. Though originally named the House of the Republic when under construction, the palace became widely known as The People’s House after the Romanian Revolution of December 1989. Due to its impressive characteristics, events organized by state institutions and international bodies such as conferences and symposia take place there, but despite this about 70% of the building remains empty.

As of 2020, the Palace of the Parliament is valued at €4 billion, making it the most expensive administrative building in the world. The cost of heating and electricity alone exceeds $6 million per year.

Did you know that Săpânța is home to the “Happy Cemetery”, famous for its brightly colored grave crosses and naive paintings depicting scenes from the lives and occupations of the buried people?

Part of the UNESCO Heritage

The cemetery’s uniqueness is recognized not only in Romania, but also in Europe. It got the first place in a funerary monuments top. It’s undeniable how special the paintings are and how the colours will truly transfer you into an artistic paradise. Sapanta Blue, the main colour used on the tombstones combines with countless other mixtures of colours. There are poems written on the wooden oak crosses and drawings with scenes of the deceased life on the upper side of every cross.

The Merry Cemetery (Cimitirul Vesel) is located in the Săpânța village, Maramureș county, and it is the place where those who depart from this world prefer to do so in a light-hearted tone.

The wooden crosses on the tombs are painted in bright, symbolic colors, predominantly in blue, bearing an image and filled with darkly humorous poems related to the deceased’s life and their image in the memory of their families and in that of the community.

These being said, the Merry Cemetery is definitely one of the most famous cemeteries in Romania, if not in the world.

Poenari Fortress — Vlad the Impaler’s Mountain Stronghold

High above the Argeș Valley, near the southern approach to the Transfăgărășan, Poenari Fortress occupies a commanding position on a rocky ridge.

The fortress is historically associated with Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Țepeș, the fifteenth-century ruler of Wallachia. He strengthened an existing fortification here, making Poenari part of the region’s defensive network.

That connection distinguishes Poenari from the fictional world of Count Dracula. Vlad was a historical ruler; Bram Stoker’s vampire belongs to literature. Calling Poenari “Dracula’s real castle” blurs the distinction between them.

Today, the surviving walls and towers reveal the compact scale of a mountain stronghold. The steep slopes and views across the valley help explain the strategic value of its position.

The pedestrian approach involves climbing 1,480 steps through the forest. The ascent is part of the experience, gradually revealing the landscape around the ruins.

Stories of escape routes and dramatic events have become part of Poenari’s popular mythology. They add atmosphere, but should be distinguished from documented history.

For anyone planning a visit, current opening arrangements and access conditions should be checked with the administering museum before travelling.

Craiova Christmas Market 2024 — A City of Festive Stories

From fairy-tale characters to a flying Santa sleigh, Craiova’s 2024 Christmas Market transformed the city centre into a collection of illuminated worlds.

The event ran from 15 November 2024 to 5 January 2025, with different areas celebrating Beauty and the Beast, Santa’s Village, traditional Romanian Christmas and a galactic setting inspired by Star Wars.

In Mihai Viteazul Square, Beauty and the Beast came to life through illuminated displays. Elsewhere, visitors encountered science-fiction decorations, festive stalls and Santa’s sleigh travelling overhead.

The market also offered an ice rink, a Ferris wheel, performances, handmade gifts and traditional food. Seasonal treats and elaborate lighting added to the atmosphere, turning an evening walk through the city into a colourful winter experience.

Craiova also placed second in the European Best Destinations Christmas market vote held in 2024, behind Gdańsk in Poland.

These photographs capture that edition’s decorations and atmosphere. Themes and attractions change from year to year.

The Transylvanian Cat — A Different Story from Transylvania

Transylvania may bring Dracula to mind, but this story introduces a rather different character: a Romanian cat breed with a distinctive coat.

The Transylvanian breed was developed from naturally occurring cats found in Romania. Its characteristic appearance is associated with the Carpati mutation, which produces a salt-and-pepper effect across the body and paler colouring on areas such as the ears, face, paws and tail.

Medium-sized and muscular, these cats have a balanced, athletic build. Their colouring develops as they grow, so a kitten’s appearance can change noticeably before adulthood.

The breed’s development involves documenting its ancestry, defining a consistent standard and presenting successive generations for assessment.

When this episode was published in December 2024, international recognition was still developing. According to the Transylvanian Breed Project, the World Cat Federation approved full recognition on 23 August 2026.

Recognition belongs to a particular federation and should not be confused with acceptance by every international cat registry.

A distinctive Romanian feline story, with no vampire credentials required.

Subcarpați — Romanian Folklore Meets Urban Beats

What happens when traditional Romanian melodies meet hip-hop and electronic music? Subcarpați offer one distinctive answer: a sound they describe as “underground folclor”.

Started in 2010 by Bean MC, the project brings folk influences into contemporary music through vocal samples, instrumental textures, rap and electronic production.

The appeal lies in the encounter between different musical worlds. A traditional voice or melody can take on a different energy when placed alongside bass, percussion and spoken verses. Familiar sounds become something to hear afresh.

For international listeners, Subcarpați offer an introduction to Romanian musical traditions through a contemporary sound. For listeners who recognise those traditions, the music offers another way to reconnect with them.

Listen to the videos below for a taste of that meeting between folklore and urban music.

Papanași — Fresh Cheese, Sour Cream & Fruit Preserve

At first glance, fried papanași might look like doughnuts. Their distinctive ingredient, however, is fresh cheese, mixed into the dough rather than added as a filling.

The familiar restaurant version usually arrives as a golden ring topped with a smaller dough ball, generously dressed with sour cream and fruit preserve. The contrast is part of the appeal: a lightly crisp exterior, a soft centre, tangy cream and sweet fruit.

There is more than one way to make papanași. Fried versions generally combine fresh cheese with eggs, flour and a raising agent. Boiled versions often include semolina and may be served with toasted breadcrumbs, sugar and cream. Ingredients and toppings vary between recipes and households.

Papanași belong to a wider Central and Eastern European tradition of fresh-cheese dumplings and pastries. Their history is less straightforward than a single invention story, and claims about their precise birthplace should be treated with care.

In Romania, they are a familiar presence on traditional restaurant menus and in home cooking. Whether fried or boiled, their character comes from simple ingredients brought together in a rich, comforting dessert.

If you order the fried version, expect a generous serving: the little ball on top is only the beginning.

Teliu Tunnel

Calvaria Church

Jina

Peugeot 1889