ILoveRomania - Tours of Romania. - Travel agency providing orgnised trips and guided tours in Romania and surrounding countries.

Best time to visit Romania

During the recent years, many people interested in our tours have been asking us when would be the best season to visit Romania. Of course, every season is interesting in its own way and no matter when you come here, you will find something nice to see and do. You can ski in one of the Romanian winter resorts if you come between December and March or you can get a beautiful tan on the Black Sea coast if you come from June to September.

Anyway, if you are interested in a tour to Romania, you should think about two factors to influence your timing decision: the weather conditions and the travel costs.

Weather

Due to its location in South East Europe, Romania has a temperate-continental climate and the temperatures vary significantly during the year. Although we are supposed to have four distinct seasons (spring from March to May, summer from June to August, autumn from September to November and winter from December to February), we sometimes have incredible cold winters followed by very torrid summers.

Month	Average temperature 1901-2000
January	-1.5 ℃ / 29.3 ℉
February	0.6 ℃ / 33.08 ℉
March	5.7 ℃ / 42.26 ℉
April	11.1 ℃ / 51.98 ℉
May	16.3 ℃ / 61.34 ℉
June	19.6 ℃ / 67.28 ℉
July	21.5 ℃ / 70.7
August	20.9 ℃ / 69.62 ℉
September	16.8 ℃ / 62.24 ℉
October	11.2 ℃ / 52.16 ℉
November	5.7 ℃ / 42.26 ℉
December	1.2 ℃ / 34.16 ℉

Source: here

Considering the weather conditions, the best time to do a tour of Romania would be from March to October as the weather is not very cold and the roads are clean and practicable. Sometimes the summer could be very hot, but this is difficult to predict and could be an advantage if you are a person who enjoys the sun.

I would also mention that March is sometimes very cold and October is rainy, but this depends on your luck and you cannot know everything. If your itinerary in Romania includes the mountain area you should take some warm clothes as the weather is usually colder there. In the same time, the northern regions (Maramures, Bucovina) have a colder weather and the south ones are warmer (Muntenia, Black Sea Cost, Bucharest).

Travel costs

In terms of travel costs, it is better to visit Romania from September to June because you will probably be able to find lower prices for flight tickets and accommodation in this period. From September to June the airlines have a kind of low season and the prices are at least decent. The hotels are more probably to offer better prices for accommodation in this period too, because their high season is the summer when the Romanians are spending their annual holidays in the country.

Tarom, the Romanian airline, has been traditionally offering low fares to Romania (Bucharest, Constanta, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Iasi, Timisoara, etc) during the low season and you can check its website at www.tarom.ro. Blueair, the Romanian low cost airline is also very competitive in terms of fare levels and you should visit its website at www.blueair.ro.

In conclusion, the best time to visit Romania, considering both, weather and travel costs would be either the spring and early summer (from March to June) or the late summer and fall (September to October). But do not forget that every season has its own unique charm and you can find always opportunities to experience something interesting in Romania.

April 1, 2012 Category: Miscellaneous No Comments

Ten reasons to travel with a group

As a tour guide I had many chances to realize that there are many reasons to travel in group, whether is large or small. On the other hand I met some people saying they will never travel with a group. They have their own reasons and I have no intention to change their mind. But I can emphasize the main advantages of traveling with other people.

It would be absurd to believe this post tries to convince everybody this is the only way and the best method of traveling. No such thoughts. It just tries to underline the benefits of such type of travel.

1 Tariff – lower price

Well, the main advantage, probably not the most important but important enough to take it into consideration, is the tariff. Traveling with a large group can save for you some important money. If traveling on long distances then the flight ticket could represent the most expensive part of your trip, more expensive than the vacation itself. As a group you’ll get a big discount and you don’t have to worry about this anymore; at least not so much. Of course, the discounts continues with the trip itself. Sometimes, the tariff can be half the price you would pay for a solo trip.

You might say that a lower tariff means a lower standard for services. Not quite. The tour companies are keen to please their customers as they realize their business depends entirely of their feedback. And a positive feedback can bring more tourists to the same trip.

2 Stress free – everything is already set

Have you seen the lost tourists in the center of the city with a map in one hand and a travel book in the other, asking themselves where the heck are they? Well, it’s not your case.

As soon as you’ve reached your destination you can forget about everything. You’ll be taking care of from now on. Leave your bags in the coach and you’ll find them in your room. Don’t worry about the cabs, you’ll be transferred to your hotel. Don’t ask for a good restaurant, it is already booked. Don’t ask for directions in a city you’ve just reached, your tour guide will be with you. And the list remains open.

3 The mates – meet interesting people

Many times I’ve been told stories of people who terrified a hole group. Personally, as a tour guide with a long experience I had the chance of not meeting any of them. The people are open, glad to travel, worry-free, talkative and fun to be with. They are always ready for jokes and very curious when I tell them different histories, legends or little trivia about one things or another. In the group you might meet an interesting person, you might end up with a friend for a lifetime or you might meet even your soul mate. Be careful with the last one, sometime it might be a curse, too. Just kidding.

4 Events – different small concerts, dances, craft demonstrations

As a solo traveler you might not experience so easy, or at least so inexpensive, a concert of traditional music or an art demonstration such as carving or embroidering, to mention just few of them. Plus, as a group you don’t have to share these experience with other tourists, the artists are just for you. In the end you’ll get explanations straight from the performers, thus enhancing your trip with unique cultural experiences.

5 Accommodation – good hotels

It is very likely that as a member of a larger group you’ll enjoy the services of the best 4- and 5-star hotels. Their tariffs are generally high but in the case of large groups they can be affordable. Beside the clean and quiet rooms, you’ll get many other services, whether for free or not.

6 Better services – the company knows where to take you for good services

It is obvious that the tour company, at least a serious one, is committed to offer you the best services, an entertaining program and wonderful sights to be visited. Also, a tour company pays a lot of attention to the meals, as the local cuisine is an important experience for any traveler.

7 Customizable trips – sometimes you can enjoy a customizable trip just for you

I’ve been told many times the tourists don’t get to enjoy a real experience of the places they visit. Well, there is no tour companies that keeps the tourists as prisoners. We don’t treat them like convicts and we are not guardians. During the trip you’ll have some time off, generally several afternoons or few mornings. It’s the moment to explore the place by yourself, to interact with the locals, basically to let yourself surprised by unexpected. And even for this case, the staff will give you in advance the best suggestions such as places to be visited, names of good restaurants and maps.

8 Safe – it is much safer to travel in a group

As part of a group you’ll never feel unsafe. All the time your luggage will be under the surveillance of somebody and most of the time you’ll have somebody next to you to rely on.

9 Together in case of problems

As we cannot control the events around us, unexpected things might affect our plans. In this case the tour companies can solve much faster a problem by taking the best solution for the group. You might not even notice it! Imaging yourself in a foreigner country having a problem. Not so appealing anymore.

10 It is fun

And last but not the least, it’s the fun such groups can bring. And believe me, it’s lot of fun! Right now I’m so overwhelmed by so many fun memories that had happened while I was the tour guide of these groups.

As a tour manager of ILoveRomania®, but especially as a tour guide, I would recommend to anybody a tour like this, even for once. Here you have our shared tours. And if you think it’s not really for you then please check our list of private tours.

text & pictures by Daniel Gheorghita

February 27, 2012 Tags: Group Travel
Category: Miscellaneous, Tours of Romania No Comments

We Love Viscri

Viscri, for such a remote and small village, is one of the most famous tourist destinations of Romania. It’s being like this since Prince Charles of Wales had discovered this amazing location, a fairy tale from the forgotten medieval times. Today, almost there is no travel book, brochure or advertise which would not present the image of this frozen in time town.

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The village of Viscri, Weiskirich in the Saxon dialect, is located in the south-eastern part of Transylvania, about 8km (5mi) from the town of Bunesti, the last one been located on E60, 35km (22mi) from the famous Sighisoara. Once you have passed by the town of Bunesti you’ll drive on a bad road flanked by the Transylvanian hills.

Nothing foretells the secluded beauty of Viscri. Before reaching the village you’ll be able to admire from the distance the famous fortified church built around 1100. Since 1993 the medieval structure is being part of the UNESCO world heritage.

The Germans were brought in Transylvania by the Hungarian kings who had wanted to secure the borders of their newly conquered territory, to enclose the local population and to develop the local economy. The Germans had received many privileges and agreed to emigrate to Transylvania. Initially they had built 7 cities but then they built many others. The German colonists who came to Viscri in the 12th century found a chapel which had been already built by the Szeklers (probably a Turkic tribe related to the Hungarians who later adopted the Hungarian language). The chapel was integrated in the new church built by the Germans which makes it one of the oldest structures of this kind in Transylvania.

The church was modified and extended many times. In the 16th century the Saxon community had the church fortified with outer walls. The donjon, built in the 13th century, had been connected to the church before the fortification of the church. Do not miss the view from the top of the tower as it offers a great panorama over the village and surrounding hills. In the 18th century a covered corridor was built as a corn storehouse. Later on, some of the rooms were transformed into a school.

The interior of the fortified church is quite simple but still, there are several art pieces to be admired such as the altar, the old pews or the baptismal font dating back to the 13th century. The altar, dedicated to the Blessing of the Children, was made by an artist from Rupea in the 19th century. Beside the interior of the church you can spend some time in one of the towers which had been transformed into a museum. It displays old tools, traditional costumes, books, ceramics or dowry chests.

The beauty of the fortified church is matched or even outclassed by the quaint houses lined up on each side of the main road. Take some time and let yourself lost on these roads. Admire the architecture of the houses or enjoy an interesting chat with the locals. The reason the houses and the church of Viscri look so well maintained is because Prince Charles, through his trust, renovated them. More than that, he had purchased one of these old houses ant transformed it into a guest house without bringing any alteration of the original building.

If you look for accommodation then you should know that there are several families that transformed their houses into guest houses.

All these, the fortified church, the old houses, the unpaved roads, the animals on the roads, the people or the landscape,definitely make from Viscri a top destination of Romania.

Schedule of the Viscri fortified church:
Monday – Sunday: 09:00-13:00 / 14:00 – 18:00
Entrance fee: €1.5

text and pictures by Daniel Gheorghita

February 21, 2012 Tags: fortified churches, Transylvania, UNESCO sites of Romania, Viscri
Category: Pictures of Romania, Tourist Atractions, Transylvania, Viscri No Comments

We Love Biertan

Biertan, or Birthaläm in German, is not just an amazing fortified church built more than 400 year ago nor just another UNESCO site. It is a travel back in time.

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Biertan is located in the south-eastern part of Transylvania, quite in the center of Romania. Part of the Sibiu county, it is just 30km from Sighisoara and 81km from Sibiu. The easiest way to reach Biertan is buy car or public bus from Sighisora. Also, a cab could be taken from the towns of Sighisoara or Medias.

Most of the tourists visit Biertan coming from Sighisoara, another UNESCO site. While driving on the national road between Sighisoara and Medias, flanked on each side by the gentle slopes of the Transylvanian plateau, passing through the old villages or the plantations of hops, you’ll have the feeling of traveling in a secluded world. And this feeling will become more and more accentuated once you’ve turned left in the village of Saros pe Tarnave. From now on you’ll admire the old Saxon-like houses, lined up on each side of the road like some soldiers of a medieval world long time forgotten. Saros pe Tarnave, Scaroch in German, boasts an interesting fortified church built in the 14th century, too. Few tourist stop here although, many of the heading off straight to Biertan.

Not far away from the town of Biertan you’ll be able to admire the entire edifice, the outer walls flanked by several towers and the massive church. Biertan is one of the oldest Saxon settlements from Transylvania. The first inhabitants came here in the 13th century, the first document mentioning Biertan dating back to 1224. They were brought in Transylvania by the Hungarian kings who had wanted to secure the borders of their newly conquered territory, to enclose the local population and to develop the local economy. The Germans had received many privileges and agreed to emigrate to Transylvania. Initially they had built 7 cities but then they built many others.

For centuries the Germans kept their traditions, language and their own way of living. They developed the economy and the constructions of Transylvania like no one else. Unfortunately, their world came to a close in the 20th century when many of them had perished in the Second World War or they emigrated back to Germany in the communist era and right after its collapse. Today Biertan reminds of this forgotten world only through its old houses and its fortified church, an amazing UNESCO site.

The fortified church of Biertan was built between 1490 and 1524 in the Late Gothic style, being the last one in Transylvania of this type. The impressive church is protected by the outer walls and several towers built in the same time with the church. One of the most interesting buildings of the entire complex is the matrimonial prison where the couples who wanted to divorce where forced to spend some time together, sharing all the time just one room, one chair, one set of tableware and so on.

One of the towers of the church from Biertan was transformed into a catholic chapel. In the 16th century many of the Saxons became members of the Protestant religion. Those who had remained faithful to their old religion had the tower transformed into a catholic chapel.

The interior of the church boasts some very interesting art exhibits. The largest polyptych altar in the country displays 28 scenes from the life of Jesus and Holly Virgin. The pulpit is carved in stone in the 16th century while the pews, made in the same time, exhibits an interesting and valuable marquetry. In the western part of the church one can see a gallery where the organ is located. Built in the 19th century by Karl Hesse, a famous organ builder from Vienna. It is still in good working conditions. But probably the most famous exhibit of the church is the massive door of the former treasury room. Made of oak tree in the 16th century, the door has an impressive locking system that blocks it in about 20 spots. Beside this, the door has an interesting marquetry design.

The hole complex offers a great view over the reddish-like roofs of the town and over the surrounding hills. It is truly an escape from the bustling life of the cities. And if it happens to be hungry, then try the local medieval restaurant Unglerus located right next to the citadel. They provide accommodation in nice local house right across the medieval fortified church of Biertan.

From Biertan you could enjoy several day-trips to Sighisoara, Medias or Sibiu. Biertan is a very good base to dive in the world of the forgotten villages from Transylvania. Definitely, Biertan is one of the most interesting UNESCO sites of Romania which should be on the agenda of each and every traveler. ILoveRomania® has several tours that include this amazing tourist destination, both for shared tours or private tours.

Schedule of the Biertan fortified church:
Monday – Sunday: 09:00-13:00 / 14:00 – 18:00
Entrance fee: €1.5

text and pictures by Daniel Gheorghita

February 18, 2012 Tags: Biertan, fortified churches, UNESCO sites of Romania
Category: Biertan, Pictures of Romania, Tourist Atractions, Tours of Romania, Transylvania No Comments

Torture instruments exhibition in Bucharest

A frightening exhibition is opened in Bucharest between 1 February 2012 and 10 June 2012. The Museum of Bucharest will host dozens of medieval torture instruments used in Europe until the 18th century.

The entire collection displayed at Suţu Palace in Bucharest consists of original pieces which belong to Piotr Buczkowski, a Polish collector. The exhibits are accompanied by illustrations and descriptions in Romanian and English.

Among the most famous instruments, one can see the Virgin of Nuremberg (Iron Maiden), the Rack, Judas Cradle or the Witch’s Chair. In addition to instruments whose used resulted in severe bodily damage and eventually led to death, on display are also those used for minor transgressions, where torture was limited to inflicting humiliation such as the Mask of Infamy or the Frock of Penance.

The Torture instruments exhibition at Suţu Palace (Museum of Bucharest) will be opened until 10 June 2012 and it can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10 and 18. The entrance fee is 15 lei (aprox. 4 Euro) for adults, 7 lei (aprox. 2 Euro) for children and students and 3 lei (aprox. 1 Euro) per person for groups.

text by Dan Penciu

February 15, 2012 Tags: The Torture Instruments Exhibition from Bucharest
Category: Bucharest, Tourist Atractions, Tours of Romania, Wallachia No Comments