Gateway to the orient

Monumentul Eroilor Aerului, București

Romania isn’t the typical tourist destination for western Europeans. In their heads the country is associated with poverty, migration, and crime – only Bram Stoker and his vampire tale are linked to Romania with the same intensity. In reality, it is a country full of friendly people making the best of their situation. A country in development with a coast at the Black Sea, a country with vast forests (housing the biggest population of brown bears in Europe) and a long history between the east and the west.

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Marea Neagră

Marea Neagră, Constanța

Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia and Turkey surround the Black Sea. For the Romanians it is the Marea Neagră, for the Turkish the Karadeniz – all meaning the same. It is suspected that the name refers to earlier ideas of connecting colors to the cardinal direction: green = east, white = west, red = south and black = north. That also explains why the red sea received its name.

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Gara de Nord

Gara de Nord, București

The most important transportation hub of București is located in the north of the city: the Gara de Nord. From its 13 tracks trains are going to all parts of the country and if you plan a trip to the Black Sea or to Transylvania this is your starting point. And even if you don’t want to travel by train it is worth to get here and watch the colorful trains coming and going, to observe people getting on and off. Standing at the tracks is like travelling back in time; some decades earlier German railway station looked the same.

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Lacul Morii

Lacul Morii, București

The largest lake of București is the mill lake in the northwest of the city (referred to as sector six), about six kilometers from the city center. It is in fact an artificial lake created from the water of river Dâmbovița. The lake ensures a constant water flow of the river through the city and prevents floods – but for the people it is mostly a recreational area.

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