Natural and historical atractions from Romania

Romania is the third country in Europe when it comes to large sized caverns with rivers and waterfalls (Topolnita, Cetatile Ponorului), with mural pictures (Cuciulat cavern, Adam’s cavern). The most beautiful ones are the Ursilor(Bears’) cavern in Chiscau, Scarisoara, Izvorul Tausoarelor, Cetatile Ponorului, Topolnita which are already in the tourist circuits.

External factors like wind and water have sculpted strange forms into rocks, forms like towers, mushrooms, sphinxes etc. The most representative forms of nature’s art can be found in Bucegi (Babele, Sfinxul), in Ceahlău (Panaghia Toaca cliffs, Căciula Dorobanţului, Turnu lui Buda) and in Ciucas (Ciupercile, Tigaile Mari, Turnu lui Goliat).

Impressive and spectacular are the defiles (Bicazului, Turzii, Nerei, Carasului, Cernei, Oltetului, Dunării, Jiului, Oltului, Mureşului, Crisului Repede).

The „ Unextinguished Fires” at Andreiasu de Jos (Vrancea), the ”Muddy Volcanoes” at Paclele Mari (Buzău), the geological structures like „calcareous blocks” at Badila (Buzău), the Salt Mountain at Slanic (Prahova) and the Red Ravine are natural monuments which represent great tourist attractions.

Mountain lakes either glacial (Bucura, Zănoaga in Retezat, Capra and Balea in Fagaras, Calcescu ans Rosiile in Parang, Lala and Buhaiescu in Rodna), volcanic (St. Ana in Mount Ciomatu) or naturally dammed (Red Lake on Bicaz and in Hasmasu Mare Mountains) represent elements of high magnificence.

The Romanian coast has an important necklace of fresh water lakes (Siutghiol, Tasaul, Neptun and Jupiter), salty water lakes (Techirghiol, Nuntasi) and sulphurous water lakes (Mangalia) which are used for therapeutic purpose.

Our country holds a vast thesaurus of archaeological vestiges, artistic and architectural monuments as well as an invaluable ethno-folkloric legacy which attest the permanent presence and evolution in these lands of the Romanian people.

So, we can find prehistoric vestiges which attest the presence of man since the Inferior Palaeolithic and Middle Palaeolithic (the Mousterian culture 100.000-40.000 B.C) in museums in Craiova, Slatina, Bucuresti and Deva.

As vestiges of antiquity we can remind the ruins of the Greek cities which were built by Greek colonists (VII-VI B.C) and who came into contact with the locals sharing with them elements of the Greek, Persian and Roman culture.

Historical monuments and monuments of medieval art can be found in Bucovina-Voronet, Humor, Suceava and Modovita. These monuments are seen by UNESCO as an universal thesaurus of exceptional value and have been internationally awarded with the Tourism Journalists and Writers’ International Federation’ “Pomme d’Or” distinction.