Stereotypes about Romania
People imagine Romania as a wild and not very interesting country. Communal news carries stories about corrupt customs officers, Scams, black market, bad food and rude handling. A traveler casually reminiscing, that he is going there, will probably hear: 'To Romania? And who would dare, some kamikaze? Take a Kalashnikov and insure yourself for life”. However, who will dare and try to get to know Romania up close, will quickly find out, that the warnings were unfounded, and the announced obstacles – Exaggerated. Unfortunately, some difficulties cannot be avoided. People expecting a high level of service and a 'European” comfort will be painfully disappointed. So it's better not to focus on luxuries, Recall, as it is with us tree, i.e.. about ten years ago, sometimes, and look at Romania with an eye not armed with any prejudices.
The fact is, that political upheaval 1989 of the year did not bring significant economic benefits to the country. Several years of hibernation followed, not to say: “Regress”. However, after overthrowing the post-communist government in 1996 r. Romania has made great progress, suddenly entering the path of capitalism. As it has been said, this early phase of the "new."”, resembling Poland at the turn of the years 80. i 90., to many fellow countrymen she may seem familiar. Big banks and money changers; small private shops, whose assortment covers literally everything, and restaurants of long-gone glory, where the client has a choice of two dishes: cutlet i cutlet; shelves of grocery stores filled with colorful Western products and suspiciously presented domestic food; city buses looking like wrecks excavated from the seabed and comfortable international express trains…
Romania is likely to get rid of the East European Wild West label quickly, for now, however, you have to be patient and not complain, that “the stagecoach runs every two years, except public holidays and Sundays”. Probably no one, who has ever visited Romania, he did not remain immune to its charms. Most travelers, who went there recently, describes his experiences enthusiastically, recommending this country especially to adventurers going on the road with a thin wallet. It's not a fairy tale – it really is much cheaper there than with us.
And one more thing: Romanians are extremely friendly to visitors from abroad. Their hospitality and kindness leave Poles far behind. The fact is probably not without significance here, that until recently they did not have the opportunity to contact foreigners at all. But now they are more than making up for it.. They are happy to provide all kinds of help, and information is provided by, regardless of the language barrier – are able to converse with a foreigner in their native speech, interspersing the conversation with French words and eloquent gestures. Ba, last year a Polish tourist crossing the border by train, in the middle of the night she heard a welcome from a Romanian customs officer: "Where are you going?” – question asked with a good accent.
What is it about this country, that it captivates at first sight? Everything, actually: crags shrouded in fog, high mountain bluffs and chasms, steppes and primeval forests full of wild animals, karst landscape, sandy beaches and steep cliffs of the Black Sea, picturesque vineyards on the hills and vast farmlands in the lowlands, a great river with the famous delta, seaside ports, medieval fortresses and monuments untouched by time. Above all, however, the diversity of the cultural heritage is astonishing, which Romania owes to its location on the border of east and west influence, North and South. In Transylvania (Transylvania) traces of medieval Saxon settlement and Hungarian rule are still clear. Bukovina is like an echo of western Ukraine, Moldova brings to mind the Wild Fields, the architecture of Dobrudja resembles Byzantium. The western part of Romania is easily recognized as the former outskirts of Austria-Hungary, and the southern – as a former Roman province, marked by Turkish influence. Bucharest, called "hell on Earth"” and at the same time the 'Paris of the East”, has a specific Romanesque character. Great museums and churches of the four denominations, scattered all over the country, they reflect the richness of cultures found nowhere else in Eastern Europe.
Some go to Romania, to wander the unspeakable mountain trails, inside – to sunbathe by the sea, still others visit medieval towns and castles, admire the churches, Orthodox churches and kirchs or follow the traces of the vampire legend of Count Dracula. But there are also those, who are looking for the charm of the past centuries, which is frozen in time, and find it far from the guide routes, in quiet, quiet villages. They stand stunned at the sight of a shaggy juhas sitting in front of the hut, a team of oxen strolling dignifiedly along a busy road or a gypsy wagon slipping through a mountain retreat. Contrasts and surprises guarantee an unforgettable experience. And so: Good road!, as they say in Romania, wishing you a good journey.