Tourism

Romania lies at a crossroads in Europe and it is easy to reach from any cardinal point, by trans-European railways and roads, by air, or by waterways (the Danube and the Black Sea).

The country's harmonious relief, featuring plains, hills and mountains, makes Romania ideal for tourism.

The Romanian Carpathians - the southern chain of which the French geographer Emm. de Martonne, would call "The Transylvanian Alps" - feature a unique landscape in point of variety. An exquisite diversity of shapes can be seen here, from peaks and valleys reminding of old glaciers to the fantastic scenery of the deep caves.

Tourists can spend memorable holidays in mountain resorts, some of them famous all over the world. Poiana Brasov, Vatra Dornei in the north, Slanicul Moldovei, Borsec and Sovata in the central area of the mountains, Poiana Brasov, Predeal, Sinaia, Busteni, Caciulata and Calimanesti in the south, Muntele Mic, Semenic and Baile Herculane (the Herculane Spa) in the south-west, Stana de Vale in the north-west are only some of the resorts of a widespread tourist network providing high-standard accomodation.

Almost 200 resorts have been developed in the mountain, hill and plain areas (which places Romania among the first countries in the world in this respect). These resorts and spas are, medically speaking, a genuine pharmacy of nature, owing to the waters used for treatment. A large number of diseases are successfully treated in these spas, sometimes with miraculous results.

Deers, bears, wolves, foxes, wild boars, wild birds, hares, quails, pheasants etc. can be hunted everywhere across the country, in all seasons.

The sea shore - one of Europe's widest seacoasts - features a large number of resorts spreading over 90 kilometres, each special in its own way, offering tourists wonderful holidays and cures in sanatoriums.

North of the seacoast there lies the Danube Delta. Situated in the central-eastern part of Romania, the delta is enclosed by the three branches of the Danube, flowing into the Black Sea (out of the 2,000 kilometres of the great European river, 1,075 kilometres are on Romanian territory). The Danube Delta is unique in Europe in point of worth and width. Its beauty, the unique landscapes, the rich fauna etc. (also appreciated by Jacques-Yves Cousteau) made UNESCO declare it a preserve of the biosphere.

The castles and citadels of Rasnov, Bran, Hunedoara, Sinaia, Suceava, Neamt, Alba Iulia, Sighisoara, Histria and many others represent an open history book. Romania has many monuments of art and architecture, vestiges of the ancient world and tokens of the modern world. To further illustrate this truth, the tourist is invited to visit the painted churches in northern Moldavia, which the art historians consider as masterpieces of a refined and unique civilization (Voronet, Arbore, Sucevita, Moldovita etc.).

The Golden Apple distinction of International Federation of Tourism Journalists and Writers (UNESCO office), was granted to these monasteries.

The conclusion of the privatization process by the end of the year 2002 is a basic requirement of the strategy for the development of tourism in Romania, aimed at a rapid and lasting expansion of this sector.

Supported by tax facilities and the earmarking of financial resources, the development and modernization of the tourist base is directed at the implementation of the project capitalizing the assets of the national heritage.

Last but not least, alonside the promotion of the national tourist potential and the development of rural tourism in boarding houses the creation of special zones is also envisaged, such as the Black Sea Coast, the Danube Delta, balneal and spa resorts.

Resorts

Romania boasts approximately 1700 springs and lakes of a therapeutical value, spread in 157 resorts and spas grouped by elevation as follows:

I. On the sea coast: Agigea, Constanta, Costinesti, Eforie-Nord, Eforie-Sud, 2 Mai, Mamaia, Mangalia, Navodari, Neptun, Sf. Gheorghe, Sulina, Techirghiol, Vama Veche.

II. Up to an elevation of 100 m: Lacul Sarat, Amara, Balta Alba, Valea Rosie, Caineni-Bai, Movila Miresei, Ivanda, Sarata Monteoru.

III. Elevation 100-200 m: Calacea-Bai, Boholt, Buzias, Tinca, Lipova, Baile Felix, 1 Mai, Dranceni, Baile Herculane, Maria, Bixad, Sarata-Deva, Raducaneni, Tauti-Magherusi.

IV. Elevation 200-300 m: Strunga, Carbunari Calan-Bai, Baita, Bizusa-Bai, Beltiug, Vata de Jos, Ocna Mures, Mircurea Sibiului, Stoiceni, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Gura Ocnitei, Moneasa, Targu Ocna, Usturoi, Boboci, Craciunesti, Danesti, Tintea.

V. Elevation 300-400 m: Baia, Ocnele Mari, Ocnita Dejeului, Someseni, Bazna, Cojocna, Sacelu, Vulcana, Geoagiu-Bai, Pucioasa, Turda, Sangeorgiu de Mures, Govora, Piatra Soimului, Persani, Slanic Prahova.

VI. Elevation 400-500 m: Novaci, Ocna Sibiului, Poiana Campina, Telega, Vizantea, Sangeorz-Bai, Costiui, Oglinzi, Olanesti, Poiana Sarata, Venetia de Jos, Homorod Brasov, Rupea, Cohalm, Baltatesti, Rodbav, Moinesti, Biborteni, Ocna Sugatag.

VII. Elevation 500-600 m: Sarata Odorhei, Siriu, Slatinita, Anies, Slanicul Moldovei, Sovata, Corund, Bodoc, Leghia, Malnas-Bai, Covasna, Seiche, Campulung Muscel, Praid, Sarata Campulung, Bughea de Sus, Brosteni, Luna.

VIII. Elevation 600-700 m: Zizin, Slanic Muscel, Meledie, Albesti, Tusnad, Valcele, Jigodin, Topluta, Borsa, Bradetu-Arges.

IX. Elevation 700-800 m: Dambovita, Ozunca-Bai, Sugas, Breb, Iacobeni-Casin, Bran, Homorod-Odorhei, Sinaia, Turia, Timisul de Sus, Valea Vinului.

X. Elevation 800-900 m: Vatra Dornei, Dorna Candreni, Busteni, Iacobeni, Borsec, Cheia, Cosna, Poiana Tapului, Poiana Negri.

XI. Elevation 900-1000 m: Sarul Dornei, Azuga, Lacul Rosu.

XII. Elevation over 1000 m: Predeal, Bilbor, Harghita-Bai, Paltinis Stana de Vale.

Thermal Mineral Waters

1. Spas with thermal mineral waters

Baia	25^o - 28^oC
Baile Felix	46^oC
Baile 1 Mai	28^o - 42^oC
Baile Herculane	45^o - 55^oC
Calacea	38^o - 39^oC
Calan	25^o - 29^oC
Geoagiu	29^o - 31^oC
Mangalia	21^o - 28^oC
Moneasa	23,5^o - 32^oC
Siriu	31^oC
Toplita	23^o - 25^oC
Tusnad	21^o - 24^oC
Tintea	25^o -28^oC
Vata de Jos	35^o - 36^oC

2. Spas with heliothermal lakes

Ocnele Mari	30^o - 40^oC
Ocnele Sibiului	22^o - 40^oC
Sovata	30^o - 55^oC
Turda	20^o - 36^oC

Note: all the other lakes with concentrated chlorosodic water (and the sea water) have a temperature of 20^o-30^oC on the warm days in the high season.

Bottled Mineral Waters

* Biborteni	* Poiana Negri
* Bodoc	* Poiana Vinului
(Cosna)
* Boholt	* Sapanta
* Borsec	* Sarul Dornei
* Buzias	** Sangeorz
(Izvorul Hebe)
* Covasna	* Stoiceni
* Harghita	** Tinca
* Lipova	* Valcele
** Malnas	* Varghis
* Poiana Cosnei	* Zizin

Note:
* table mineral water (also having a cure value)
** waters for balneal cure

Spas

Diseases

Disorders of the locomotor systems: rheumas, neurologic, peripheric and orthopaedic-traumatic: Amara Bazna, Balta Alba, Baltatesti, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Calacea, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Felix, Govora, Herculane, Homorod, 1 Mai, Lacu Sarat, Mangalia, Moneasa, Ocna Sibiului, Ocnele Mari, Pucioasa, Rodbav, Slanic, Sacelu, Sovata, Tinca, Techirghiol, Vata, Vatra Dornei.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system: Balvanyos, Borsec, Buzias, Covasna, Lipova, Vatra Dornei, Tusnad.

Gynecological diseases: Amara, Bazna, Baltatesti, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Felix, Geoagiu, 1 Mai, Homorod, Lacu Sarat, Mangalia, Moneasa, Ocna Sibiului, Rodbav, Slanic, Sacelu, Sovata, Techirghiol.

Diseases of the respiratory system: Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Govora, Mangalia, Slanic Moldova.

E.E.N. (T) diseases: Slanic Moldova, Sacelu.

Diseases of the endocrine system: Borsa, Borsec, Stana de Vale.

Diseases of the skin: Balta Alba, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Mangalia, Techirghiol.

Diseases of the digestive sytem and of the annexed glands: Borsec, Calacea, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Lipova, Malnas, Olanesti, Sangeorz, Slanic Moldova, Tinca, Valcele.

Nutrition disorders: Calimanesti-Caciulata, Malnas, Olanesti, Slanic Moldova, Sangeorz, Valcele.

Diseases of the urogenital tract: Calimanesti-Caciulata, Olanesti, Slanic Moldova.

Neurosis: Balvanyos, Borsec, Moneasa, Sinaia, Stana de Vale, Tusnad, Vata.

Professional diseases: Calimanesti-Caciulata, Sinaia, Govora.

Museums and Collections

In every county seat there is a county museum displaying exhibits pertaining to history, arts, ethnography, science, etc. In many towns and communes there are collections (most of them private) with a specialized profile: records, memoirs, folklore, natural sciences, archaeology, etc.

On the whole, one can visit in Romania over 400 museums and collections preserving Romanian cultural and spiritual values spread in ca. 300 localities the country over.

Useful information

Tarom Office
SOUKENICK� 8, Nov� Mesto, Praha 1
Phone/Tel./Fax: +420 2 222 31 59 76
E-mail: tarom.praha@email.cz
Director: Rodica Radu

Source: MIP