Romania

Visitor Information

 

Transportation

Transportation by train, bus and maxi-taxi (mini-bus) is readily available and reliable in Romania, but it is often slow. Volunteers living across the country take train rides of 12 to 14 hours to come to the Peace Corps office. Getting around your town or region is usually quite easy, and the costs are reasonable. Volunteers are not permitted to own or drive a car or motorcycle, or to ride as the passenger on a motorcycle, for any reason in Romania . Those volunteers who choose to bring or buy a bicycle, must wear a helmet.

 

We urge all who travel within Romania on their vacations to enhance their understanding of this beautiful country. Should you wish to travel outside of Romania on vacation, we encourage you to travel to other countries in Eastern and Central Europe. For many years, these countries were not easily accessible to Americans, and now Peace Corps Volunteers and tourist alike have the opportunity to visit them and thereby improve international ties and cross-cultural knowledge. Internal train and air service is readily available in Romania

Geography

Romania is the third largest Eastern European country, after Russia and Ukraine. It is bordered on the south by the Danube River, which acts as an important drainage outlet for smaller rivers across the country. Much of the central and northern regions of the country are taken up by the U-shaped Transylvanian Alps and the Carpathian Mountains, which run from Serbia in the west to Ukraine in the north. An eroded plateau with hills and valleys occupies the center of the U, while the Moldavian plateau lies to the east. Mountains account for about a third of Romania , with alpine pastures in the higher regions and thick forests below. Another third of Romania is covered by lower hills full of orchards and vineyards. The final third, mostly in the south and east, is an agricultural plain.

 

Climate

Romania has long winters (mid-November though March), a delightful spring (April though May), a hot summer (June though August), and a beautiful autumn (September though mid-November). The winter months can be extremely cold and windy, especially in the mountains and the northern part of the country. The summer months can be very hot and humid, primarily in the lowland areas of the country. Rainfall is heaviest from April through July and averages five inches in June.

Environment

Romania is approximately the size of Oregon, located at the junction of Central Europe , the Balkan Peninsula , and the eastern Slavic lands. It borders Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, the Black Sea to the southeast, and Ukraine and Moldova to the east and north. The geography is diverse, ranging from rolling agrarian lands to high mountains in the central regions. Romania has a Continental climate, particularly in the region east of the Carpathian Mountains and south of the Transylvanian Alps .

Language

Romanian is a Romance language with a grammar similar to Latin. This resemblance makes it easy for anyone who speaks French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese to recognize words and phrases in Romanian. The language also contains words of old Dacian, Slavic, Greek, and Turkish origin, with more recent additions from French, German, and English. German is widely understood in the areas of Transylvania and the Banat, as Saxons traditionally inhabited these regions. These contributions from a variety of languages make modern Romanian a relatively difficult language to learn. Nonetheless, once the grammar and basic vocabulary is mastered, it is not difficult to gain fluency.

 

French is a common second language among the older generation, and many students speak English now. Hungarian is spoken in areas of Transylvania , where there are a significant number of ethnic Hungarians.

Social Activities

The cultural and social life of Romania is perhaps one of its most enjoyable aspects. You will have opportunities to attend concerts, operas and ballets, some of which are outstanding and quite inexpensive. Shakespeare is performed alongside foreign contemporary authors and classic Romanian writers such as Ion Luca Caragiale.

There are cinemas in larger towns that often show English-language films with Romanian subtitles. Entertainment usually depends upon the town’s size. Most sites have a cinema and various sporting activities (soccer, basketball, handball, tennis, and karate are most popular). Dance clubs and discos are also found in most sizable towns.

 

For winter activities, you can go skiing in the mountains or ice-skating at local skating rinks. During the summer months, going to the Black Sea coast and traveling and hiking in the mountains are favorite forms of recreation.

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