Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. It means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small portion of any sales at no additional cost to you.
Bucharest was known as ‘Little Paris’ from as early as 1900, but wartime bombings and communism destroyed much of that image. Though, looking for those Parisian vibes, you find them out in the Old Town among architectural jewels of the buildings that imitate that grand style.
Triumphal Arch comes to confirm that.It is a historical and architectural monument and was built in 1935 to commemorate the reunification of Romania in 1918.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. It means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small portion of any sales at no additional cost to you.
Pleasing your eye with its architecture, beautiful white columns and spiral staircases, and 1,000 square m “Cărturești Carusel” a bookstore in the Old Town is the biggest bookstore from Romania. In 2018 it was nominated for the Bookstore of The Year Award.
You can pass by for a quick tour and a cup of coffee or choosing among 10,000 books, handmade arts, and crafts.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. It means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small portion of any sales at no additional cost to you.
In 2011, Leif Pettersen was writing “Romania’s Top 5 World Heritage sites”. The article was published by www.bbc.com in partnership with Lonely Planet. In my previous post about Romania, I was sharing with you 10 Misconceptions about Romania. Today, I decided to share Romania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
So far, UNESCO has inscribed eight sites in Romania on the list of World Heritage Sites. It is a range from natural sites as Danube Delta and the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians to cultural landmarks.
In my opinion, whoever sees any of them at least once in his lifetime will love Romania.
The region of Moldavia as part of Romania is scattered with painted monasteries. Many of them have been founded by Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) as a gratitude for his victories over the Ottomans. Many monasteries have murals painted on both inside and outside. However, exterior murals have survived even after centuries of exposure to the elements.
There are eight UNESCO protected Churches of Moldavia:
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin of the former Monastery in Humor
Church of the Annunciation Monastery in Vatra Moldovitei
Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist in Arbore
Church of St Nicolas and the catholic of the Monastery in Probota
Church of the Holy Rood in Patrauti
Church of the Resurrection of the Monastery in Sucevita
Church of St George of the Former Monastery in Voronet
Church of St George in Suceava
2. Dacian Fortress of the Orăștie Mountains
This site is filled with mystical and positive energy and mystery.
There are six Dacian Fortresses located in Transilvania, in Hunedoara and Alba counties, in a wonderful mountain area. Fortresses were once the nucleus of the Dacian Kingdom. People’s bravery from that kingdom made Herodot, the Greek father of history name them “the bravest among the Thracians”.
The Chinese made copies of different famous cities like Venice, Paris, and Austrian Village. For Transylvania for sure, they have to make a copy of Sighișoara. The spirit of the medieval age is in every stone.
Sighișoara is a small medieval town with cobbled and narrow streets, well preserved historical buildings, and small squares. It looks like a real fairy tale.
Visiting Sighișoara, you breathe its history. Therefore, it is difficult not to fall in love with the town.
4. Monastery of Horezi
It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage in 1993, due to its beauty, and cultural significance.
It dates from the end of the 17th century and was founded by Prince of Wallachia Constantin Brancoveanu. It is a beautiful church with extremely well-preserved paintings over the centuries. It is also considered a stunning architectural masterpiece.
5. Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania
The villages with fortified Churches in Transylvania are another cultural heritage of Romania. Why fortified churches? Being exposed to invaders who were searching for grains and valuable goods, locals built the churches in the middle of the villages and fortified them. Consequently, they built protective walls and special chambers for hosting a large number of villagers and their goods.
Beside their beauty, the fortified churches are a way of teaching visitors about the architecture of the 13th-16th centuries.
The spectacular villages are:
Biertan,
Viscri (the village where Prince Charles has purchased and restored houses)
The county of Maramures is situated in the northern part of Romania. According to Lonely Planet,“Maramureş is home to some of Europe’s last peasant villages, strewn among rolling hills and steeped in local customs and history”.
You can choose to visit the ancient church in Ieud dating from 1364, or one of the tallest wooden structures in Europe, a huge steeple of 72 m of the church in Surdești. Visiting Maramureș, probably you will want to visit the all eight wooden churches that are World Heritage Sites.
Church of the Presentation of the Virgin in the temple in Bârsana
Church of St Nicholas in Budești
Church of the Holy Parascheva in Desești
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Ieud
Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Plopiș
Church of the Holy Parascheva in Poienile Izei
Church of the Holy Archangels in Rogoz
Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Șurdești
According to www. telegraph.co.uk“Visiting Maramures is an extraordinary experience, like walking into a fairy tale or stepping back into medieval Europe.” – Sarah Shuckburgh
The Danube Delta is one of the largest and best-preserved of Europe’s deltas. It is located in Dobrogea, Romania and is Unesco World Heritage and also, Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
8. Ancient and Primeval Beech Forest of the Carpathiansand Other Regions of Europe
This is a shared site and is spanning over 12 European countries. It shows the importance of the beech forest as natural heritage. It is also a legacy of the forest spread across Europe in a few thousand years.
Romania has nine locations where the European beech is protected by Unesco
Taking a tour of Romania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites you love each of them. Your tour becomes a cultural journey in time in this beautiful country, for all sites are places you Never forget. This is Romania
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. It means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small portion of any sales at no additional cost to you.
