In the 18 years since the fall of Communism, Romania has gone from the repressive rule of Nicolae Ceausescu to democracy, membership of NATO and the EU, the Cheeky Girls…and the patronage of Prince Charles.
Just one year on from joining the great European “club,” Romania is a fascinating mix of ancient and modern. For lovers of tradition, it boasts medieval villages and castles galore, including Bran Castle, in the Transylvania region, which the tourist industry is more than happy to call Dracula’s Castle.
With luxurious residences in London, the Cotswolds and the Scottish Highlands, at the Prince of Wales’ disposal, a primitive cottage in the Romanian village of Viscri may, at first, seem a strange choice. But Charles is keen to promote sustainable tourism in the Transylvania region, 150 miles north of the capital city of Bucharest, where he has historic family links.
Putting his money where his mouth is, he has paid about £4,000 for a half-renovated barn with six rooms, a courtyard and outside toilet. His intention is to rent it out as a holiday let to encourage visitors to the area.
Charles is also a royal patron of the Mihai Eminescu Trust, dedicated to the conservation and regeneration of villages in Transylvania and the Maramures, two of the most unspoiled regions of Europe.
The London-based trust’s success has ensured that Viscri will remain one of Europe’s last surviving medieval landscapes, with its 14th century fortified church overlooking a village encircled by lush pastures packed with poppies, cuckoos and butterflies and oak woods that are home to deer, wolves and bears. This is the old Romania, which delights tourists in search of peace and tranquillity.
For the new Romania you just need to visit Bucharest to discover a city oozing with youthful opportunism and optimism as young professionals in sports cars and designer clothes stop for espresso and gossip at Italian-style cafes.
This bustling metropolis, nicknamed Little Paris in the 1900s has wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life. It was rebuilt in the late 19th century by French-trained architects who gave it large neoclassical buildings, fashionable parks, and even its very own Arc de Triomphe on the elegant Soseaua Kiseleff, an avenue longer than the Champs-Elysees which is flanked by mansions.
Bucharest’s buzzing cultural scene boasts a beautiful opera house, 37 museums, 22 theatres, 18 art galleries, and many jazz clubs and nightclubs. Prestigious orchestras and soloists regularly perform at the Romanian Athenaeum, an ornate, domed circular building opened in 1888.
Romania is one of the poorest EU nations, with a GDP per capita which is about 33 percent of the average. But things are changing fast with the development of trade, commerce and tourism links.
“Britons come here expecting the locals to be walking around in threadbare clothes but the opposite is true,” says Michael Johns, of Cheshire-based estate agents The Right Move Abroad (TRMA). “I’ve seen more well-dressed people in Bucharest nightclubs than I have ever seen in Manchester or London. It’s an eye-opener.”
TRMA and London-based Romanian Properties are marketing apartments in the new luxury Planorama development in Bucharest. This ambitious project consists of four 15-floor buildings with a total of 1,104 apartments set around a central piazza, with a country club, indoor heated pool and fitness centre. Prices start at £56,560 for a one-bedroom apartment and £73,600 for a two-bedroom flat.
Not far away, two of the best restaurants in Bucharest are Rossetya, close to Piata Universitatii, and Locanta Jaristea, at Str. George Georgescu 50-52. Rossetya is a chic converted villa with an upmarket menu and Locanta Jaristea serves Romanian specialities that have made it so popular you will need to book in advance.
Romanian cuisine is diverse and influenced by Balkan cuisine, as well as that of Germany, Serbia and Hungary. Pork is the main meat, and typical traditional dishes feature cabbage rolls, sausages and stews. One of the best-known traditional dishes is sarmale – cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, meat and herbs, usually served (or sometimes baked) with sour cream or horseradish. The speciality muschi poiana consists of beef stuffed with mushrooms and bacon, served in a puree of vegetables and tomato sauce. Muschi ciobanesc (shepherd’s sirloin) is pork stuffed with ham, covered in cheese and served with mayonnaise, cucumber and herbs.
Traditional Romanian cuisine and excellent local wines are among the many attractions publicised by the Romanian Convention Bureau (www.conventionbureau.ro) in a bid to encourage more European businessmen to make their country a MICE destination.
Royal link with Romania
The family link between Prince Charles, who has visited Transylvania four times since 2002, and Romania dates back to Queen Mary, consort of George V, who was related to the 15th century slayer prince Vlad the Impaler who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Romania basics
Romania covers an area of 238,391 square kilometres – about two-and-a-half times the size of Portugal – situated at the crossroads of trading routes connecting western Europe to eastern Europe and Asia. It is located on the middle and lower Danube and has a 152-mile shoreline along the Black Sea. Natural resources include coal, oil, ferrous and non-ferrous ores and timber.
