Most impressive Romanian Churches, As Seen by a Group of Lebanese Tourists

Most impressive Romanian Churches, As Seen by a Group of Lebanese Tourists

One of the most important things to know about Romania is quite simple: despite the pregnant existence and influence of the minorities (specially, the Hungarian one), the people is very unit and homogene: 90 % of the population are Romanian, speak Romanian as Mother's language and are members of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Here started the all story: Arrival of Lebanese tourists on Bucharest airport

Every small village has a church, and the tour leader Ziad Khairallah from Vladimir Travel/Beirut made a special selection of the most impressive and spectacular Romanian churches, with the help and on the competent suggestion of Euforia Travel/Nicoleta Balasa (I had the pleasure and honor to be the tour guide, and I was totally fascinated by their joy of life! Another story, though.)

The fantastic church of Voronet Monastery, probably the most impressive and spectacular church from Romania

Visiting the Romanian Churches is maybe the best way to learn and understand something about the Romanian history. We saw together a lot of churches, ones of them very renowned, like the Black Church from Brasov, but also one almost unknown, totally off the beaten path, the Monastery of Rasca/Suceava.

I learned on this tour (thank you, Zyad & Co from Lebanon) that nowadays the biggest orthodox church of Romania lies in Targu Mures. There the people were preparing the Easter, the most important feast of the Christianity. Everything on the way reminded us those preparations, and it was really an event celebrating Easter with this fantastic group of Lebanese tourists.

A wood church in the Village museum from Bucharest, another hit

We also saw and visited one of the oldest Romanian Churches: the church from the Old Courtyard from Bucharest, which has hosted from centuries the intronization of the happy Romanian princes! It was overcrowded, because is in the middle of Bucharest, a city with 2 Millions inhabitants. Another old church, build by the Cantacuzino family, is in Sinaia,( also known like the pearl of Carpathians, a romantic and royal getaway not far from Bucharest). The old church is little, but more interesting than the new big one.

The St Nicholas Church from Brasov

A special mention for the painted churches from Bucovina. We choose the most beautiful one, namely Voronet. It is really amazing, and totally overwhelming. The colors are based on a secret recipe (probably lapis lazuli powder, with other vegetable ingredients) and have lasted for 500 years without restoration!

As the Columbian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez used to say: the most important thing in life is to tell the story of it! I must not forget the Cathedrals from Sighisoara, Sibiu(on the model of St Sophia Cathedral from Istanbul) or the Monastery of Bistrita.

Seeing this long list of churches or monasteries ( add the Evangelic Churches from Sighisoara, Targu Mures) could lead to the idea of a religious pilgrimage. Totally wrong, it was much more than that, and the churches are just a small part of of the Romania Introduction Course! We still remember museums, restaurants, songs and dances!

Best destinations for singles in Romania on Valentine's day

As the Valentine's day is approaching fast, very fast, I am sure that all of you being in a relationship, marriage etc made all the preparations needed to spend it in the most romantic way with your favorite one. Romania is of course a good option, as I recommended it more times.

For the others,which are not so happy this time, the Valentine's day could come with some unpleasant feelings like frustration, loneliness, unhappiness, depression. In fact, you must not make it so dramatic, maybe it is better so for you this time. There are some cures against this depression, which could be worse and worse. One of it is working like a crazy, more and more, like a real workaholic, but it shows the results only on short time. You must make peace with yourself and stop blaming for any real or imagined bad things. A sort of yoga, if you understand what I mean. And you can do that even while traveling, makes all easier and smoother!

As a conclusion, you need a non Valentine's Day destination! And I have a selection of such destinations in Romania, where else!

1. Skiing and practicing other winter sports is a good idea, one of the best possible. Try it in Romania in Poiana Brasov, which is huge, overcrowded and charming. Drink from time to time a glass of boiled wine on the slope, but you may not exaggerate. Getting drunk doesn't help at all, but on the contrary, causes even deeper depressions! You might hate such overcrowded places like Poiana Brasov , I agree, and allow me to remember about other ski destinations in Romania. Anyway, you may not hate people and run away from them, on the contrary. Romanians are good and lovely, anytime prepared for helping someone.

Wine tasting somewhere in Romania will help you leaving behind all the  bad feelings

2. Go on wine tasting in Romania. Is a wonderful opportunity to share the joy of life. Be careful not to get drunk, spit the wine, is a basic rule of wine tasting. I think in winter the best destinations for wine tastings are Cotnari and Focsani. Be careful and inform yourself prior of your take off, due to massive snow falls not all the destinations in Romania are easy reachable. Maybe Murfatlar is then your pocket ace, as it lies south and there does not fall so much snow. Anyway, will be probably impossible to book a full Romania Wine Tour, unfortunately.

A  Romanian city break might be thing you need, if you organize it right, as a Non Valentine destination

3.As you need to kill your spleen only a few days, consider a city break in Romania, but avoid clubbing, I think to be the worst thing for you (or maybe on the contrary, you can find your night stand putting on your feet again). I can recommend Bucharest, Constanta, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca, as they have own airports and a lot of things to do and to see. And least, but not lasts, Timisoara and Oradea. If the weather will be better and the streets accessible, you can reach other Romanian cities and towns, anyone could say  something to you, you must only be prepared to hear it.

Going to the countryside is an excellent brillant idea, but not in this season

4.Going to the countryside might be an excellent idea, but the above mentioned observation applies again. There is the danger not to reach your destination, or being forced to remain there a few days longer than you have been planning. Bucovina is a good idea for that.

Most important things to do in Northern Romania

In the Romanian province of Bucovina, District Suceava, very close to the Ukraina border, you have a lot of things to and to discover.
 A good possibility is staying in Suceava with its good hotels, and exploring every day, a bigger or smaller neighboring area. Don't think now to Maramures and Satu Mare, nevertheless they are also in the extreme North of Romania. Now we shall be focused on Bucovina.

Observe please the hills and the mountains, making this area so beautiful and picturesque. The villages seem to be rich, the houses are big. Traditions are well kept and the rural society seems to be still o.k.! Don't miss in one day of your holidays in the area the black pottery of Marginea, which is very cute and has a long tradition.

On the day when you are going to visit the Putna Monastery, allow yourself some extra hours for an instructive trip to Radauti. The town of Radauti is easy accessible through a wide plain, the only one proper plain in the hilly Bucovina! A few centuries ago Radauti was an interesting ethnic mix, counting Romanian, Germans, Jews, Polish and other nationalities.

The St Nicholas Church of Radauti, nowadays the Metropolitan cathedral

Radauti has been for centuries an important trade point, which is still today, despite the huge difference comparing to the prosperous Suceava, the local star and capital. Radauti hosted even an important Orthodox archbishop, but faced many internal and fratricide fights, making it to decay a little, for the profit of Suceava.

If you arrive in Radauti at noon, or at night, it is the right time to do a culinary trip to restaurant Nordic, asking about Lidia Sticlet. I hope she is still there, at her leading place, and will strive to fill the most bizarre and cosmopolitan culinary wishes (nevertheless, she has a soft spot for the Romanian national meals, like cabbage rolls, with a half dry white wine).

The ancient Bogdana Monastery, build by the grounders of the Moldavian dynasty, namely bogdan I, which is burried here.

If you enter the town at other moment of the day, start your cultural trip from the very centre, with the Etnographic Museum. You will be able to understand better afterwards the rich long history of the town, as also the agricultural civilization of the area. Observe and admire the rich collections of wooden icons, sledges or horse wagons made by the local craftsmen, as also other agricultural  tools widely used in the area. The objects concerning the Hutzuls are of the utmost importance, because this mystery civilization is really fascinating. No one was able to answer to the simple question " Where come the Hutzuls from?". But they do exist in many remote villages, are Orthodox of the ancient calendar an their mainly occupations are shepherds and horse keeping ( they breed a special art of horses, also known as Hutzul, which is huge and strong).

The Etnographic museum from Radati is a good starting point for your trip in this area

Walk further on the streets of Radauti, towards Jewish temple, build at 1876. Very intrepid bankers, trade agents or industrials, the Jews build schools, hospital, temples, and even an establishment for old people! The Jews started to come by the end of the XVIIIth century, and were forced to leave the city in 1941, when the German troops occupied the town. Very few people escaped the Holocaust, and consequently nowadays there are very few people of this ethnic group in the town (mainly old people).

Next comes the Orthodox church of St. Nicholas, which is really an important worship building with big dimensions and interesting architecture. Next to St Nicholas church you may see Catholic or Lutheran churches, which belonged once to the German colonists, brought by the Austrian administration of Bucovina. They were craftsmen, skilled glass blowers, bricklayers, carpenters as also army officers or official clerks. But a visit in Radauti is not complete without seeing the Bogdana Monastery. Its very old and very simple, without the normal signs of importance and opulence of a Royal church. The Bogdana monastery looks simply like a peasant house, with a round pointed roof. Thick walls, no towers, these are other characteristics of this amazing church. For a history or culture freak is simply a must, because here is buried Bogdan, the first ruler of Moldavia, who reached the area coming by horse from Maramures with an important suite.