Gap Year Destinations

Where to go

Romania

Mountains, Gothic castles, fantastical wooden churches, bears and wolves...

Environment

Romania’s borders are characterised by rivers – the Prut River divides Romania from Moldova and a large part of Romania’s borders with Serbia and Bulgaria are formed by the Danube. The terrain of the country descends from mountainous peaks to rolling lowlands, while Romania has one of the largest areas of undisturbed forest in Europe. This diverse landscape creates an equally varied ecosystem, represented in the fact that two of Europe’s top predators are found in Romania: it’s home to 60% of Europe’s brown bears and 40% of wolves.

Climate

Romania has four standard seasons, summer is very warm to hot, with temperatures commonly reaching over 35°C, while autumn is cooler and dry. Winter is generally cold, with the maximum temperature even of low lying areas only around 2°C. Spring is characterized by cool mornings and evenings, and warm days.

Demographics and Language

Romania is home to roughly 21.6 million people, of whom 90% are ethnically Romanian. The biggest ethnic minorities are Hungarians, who make up 7% of the population, and Roma at 2.5%. Romanian, a romance language linked to Spanish, Italian and French, is spoken by over 90% of the population, with smaller percentages speaking Hungarian and Romani.

Cuisine

Romanians have a very specific relationship to food, with many sayings attached to meals and eating. Their cuisine has been influenced by many different cultures, and favourite dishes have often been subsumed onto the menu. Romanians enjoy plăcintă, for example, a pie dish brought by the Romans, Turkish meatballs and Greek moussaka.

However, Romanian traditions are also strong – at Christmas pork is often made into sausages called cărnaţi or caltaboşi and these are eaten with piftie, a type of jelly and the stew tochitură. Dessert is cozonac; sweet bread with nuts, or Turkish delight. Wine is enjoyed with most meals, and Romania has been producing it for over two thousand years – in fact, it’s the world’s ninth largest wine producer.

Religion

Over 90% of Romanians are Romanian Orthodox Christians. Other types of Christianity, such as Catholicism and Protestantism are found in Romania, although in much smaller numbers.

Economy and money

Towards the end of 1989, Romania threw off its Communist government. The following decade was a period of economic uncertainty and decline due to lack of industry and infrastructure. Since 2000, however, Romania has turned around its fiscal health – GDP has grown, inflation has dropped and unemployment is very low. On 1st January 2007, Romania joined the European Union, and is now an active member, trading textiles, industrial machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, metallurgic products, raw materials, cars, military equipment, software and pharmaceuticals across Europe. The currency is the Romanian leu.

Culture and politics

Romania’s constitution is based on France’s and was ratified in 1991 by a national referendum. It has since been modified to allow for changes specified by the EU. In Romania, a President is elected by the people, and that President then elects a Prime Minister. Both share executive responsibilities. Since entry into the EU the justice system in Romania has been reformed, and brought into closer contact with the government, however there are still many problems within the systems, including corruption.

Romania is the meeting point of three cultures – Central European, Baltic and Eastern European. As such, it has developed unique traditions and customs, many of which are shared, for example Mihai Eminescu is the state poet of both Romania and Moldova. Architecturally, Romania has some unique and fascinating buildings, especially the wooden churches of Maramureş, which take carpentry to fantastical limits, and the imposing, gothic castles of Transylvania.