Although still regarded by many as an off the beaten path destination, Romania is a country full of surprises, folklore and exciting places that leave long lasting impressions in visitors’ minds. Check out these interesting, wacky facts about my beloved country.

1. 12 Things I Bet You Didn’t Know
About Romania.

2. Although still regarded by many as an off
the beaten path destination, Romania is a country
full of surprises, folklore and exciting places that
leave long lasting impressions in visitors’ minds.

3. 1. The Merry Cemetery .
Tucked away in a tiny village of Maramures county, near
the Ukrainian border, the Merry Cemetery (Cimitirul Vesel).
Sapanta’s cheerful cemetery stands out for its colorful high
wooden crosses carved in oak and painted with scenes of the
deceased’s life.
Moreover, each tombstone features a witty poem depicting
the person’s life and the way he/she died.

4. To give you an idea, here is a funny epitaph
translated by Wikipedia:
Under this heavy cross
Lies my poor mother in-law
Three more days she would have lived,
I would die, and she would read (this cross).
You, who here are passing by
Not to wake her up please try
Cause’ if she comes back home
She’ll criticize me more.
But I’ll behave so well
That she’ll not return from hell.
Stay here, my dear mother in-law!

6. 2. Romanian inventors have changed the world.
Romania gave birth to some extraordinary scientists and
engineers, most of whom have actually changed the
world.
Some of these include:
 Nicolae Constantin Paulescu – discoverer of insulin;

7.  Eugen Pavel – inventor of Hyper CD-ROM;
 Aurel Persu – the first engineer and car
designer to build a car with the wheels inside
its aerodynamic line.
 Petrache Poenaru – inventor of fountain pen ;

8.  Emil Racovita – founder of biospeleology (the study of
organisms living in caves);
Furthermore, Romanian engineers have successfully
contributed to the history of flight. Henri Coanda, Traian Vuia
and Aurel Vlaicu – all of them have played an important role as
pioneers in aerodynamics and aviation.

9. 3. Romanian is the only romance language in eastern
europe.
Most people believe that Romanian language is very similar to
those spoken in Russia or other Slavic countries, but in reality,
Romanian is a Romance language closely related to Italian,
French, Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese.

10. English Romanian
Welcome Bine ai venit
Hello Salut / Bună ziua
Thank you Mersi / Mulţumesc
I love you Te iubesc
Merry Christmas Crăciun fericit
Happy New Year Un Nou Fericit
Happy Easter Paşte Fericit
Happy Birthday La mulţi ani
..and the most important thing to know
Would you like to dance with me?
Dorești să dansezi cu mine?

11. 4. Romania has 7 Unesco world heritage sites
Churches of Moldavia

12. Historic Centre of Sighisoara

13. Monastery of Horezu

14. Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania

15. Wooden Churches of Maramures

16. Danube Delta

17. 5. Romania is Europe’s richest country in gold
resources.

18. 6. Romania boasts the world’s largest administrative
building.
Built by former Romanian dictator – Nicolae Ceausescu,
Bucharest’s Palace of the Parliament – also known as People’s
House – is the largest, heaviest and most expensive civil
administration building on the planet.

20. 7. Romania’s national currency is leu, which means lion
(english).

21. 8. Romania has the best-preserved delta in europe
Although the second largest river delta in Europe after the Caspian
Depression’s Volga Delta (Russia/Kazakhstan), the Danube Delta in
Romania is the best preserved on the continent.
It features no less than 23 natural ecosystems, boasting an
amazing variety of unique flora and fauna.

23. 9. The largest population of brown bears in europe lives
in Romania.

24. 10. The statue of decebalus, europe’s largest rock
sculpture.
Somewhere along the Danube, near the small city of Orsova, in
southwestern Romania, lies a 55-m high rock sculpture depicting
Decebalus, the last king of Dacia.
The monument is the largest rock sculpture in Europe and can
only be reached by boat.

26. 11. The only gold museum in europe.
Also known as the Mineralogical Collection of Brad, The Gold
Museum in the small Romanian city of Brad is the only one of its kind
in Europe.
The pieces are so unique and spectacular that their value does not
depend on grammage anymore.
For instance, a lizard shaped
item of only seven tenths of a
gram of gold has been evaluated
at 3 million EUR.

27. 12. The first city lit by electric street lamps in
continental europe.
Timisoara, one of the most beautiful and vibrant
Romanian metropolises, was the first mainland
European city to be lit by electric street lamps,
back in 1884.
As per international standards, it was second only to New York City.

29. And one thing…..
Not Budapest!!!!!