We know – pockets are getting smaller, and wallets are only becoming heavier. This would be no problem for the world’s tiniest print money – which measured a mere 27.5 x 38 mm. How much could you fit in your pocket?
We’ve all heard of California’s Route 1 and Australia’s Grand Ocean Road - the world’s most stunning drives. If either tops your must-do list, you really should visit Romania’s Transfăgărășan. Even Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson agrees.
Surely you've heard of Ice Hotels as they are nothing new. But if you are looking for one of a kind place to hold your wedding or christening of your child, then this Ice Church on top of Romania's highest peaks might be the perfect place.
Would you swim in the frozen waters during Romania’s coldest month to fetch a cross thrown by the Priest? Some wouldn’t - but many would. Or so the tradition proved for the past hundreds of years. Learn about Romania’s most astonishing Epiphany traditions.
Unique in Europe for their one-of-a-kind, inside-out appearance, these fresco paintings on Moldavian Churches stand out for being more than mere wall decorations – they are systematic, comprehensive, and inclusive visual representations of the religious cycles in the Bible.
This vegetable spread popular in the Balkan region has become sort of a commodity good in Romania, especially among students. Forget about gold and other precious goods, zacusca is now the most coveted possession.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays worldwide. In Romania, the Christmas spirit is spread around by the Juni – a group of young men who carol the streets and houses for days in a row.
Many communities and cultures would use words, foods, melodies, or actions to express themselves – not the Romanian people, however. For them, the deepest feelings of the human soul were best transmitted through a rug.
Sibiu salami, a trademark of Romanian cuisine, is not even made in Sibiu. In fact, it wasn’t even invented by a Romanian. How did this internationally-appreciated aliment gain popularity, and where did the name actually come from?
They’re everywhere. And they’re all watching you. However, this is not a horror story but rather the charming story of the Sibiu roofs, known for their “eyes” that watch over the city.
In 1935, the Romanian government banned any visual representation of Mickey Mouse, and the reason behind this drastic measure might make you take a double look at Disney’s most beloved character.
You’d have to be pretty out of your mind to rob a bank – let alone during the communist times. But it happened, and the authorities were so shocked that they documented the investigation in a movie, casting in the leading roles the real-life protagonists of the heist.
The Carolina Reaper is no longer the leader of the pack. The world’s used-to-be hottest pepper was recently surpassed by this new and yet-unnamed chili created in the county of Buzau, Romania.
In 1923, Romanian engineer Aurel Persu concluded that aerodynamics played an important role not just up in the air but down on earth, too. By introducing wheels inside a car's frame, he successfully built the very first aerodynamic vehicle.
Bigăr Waterfall was ranked the #1 most unique in the world by the World Geography Atlas and, if you were reading this article one year ago, it still would be. However, the unimaginable happened, and world’s most beautiful waterfall collapsed. What happened?
We know. “Merry” and “cemetery” aren’t two words that usually go together. So what makes this graveyard, literally, merry? Is it the lively-colored gravestones? Or the humorous poems inscribed on them? Take a look and decide for yourself.
“How is it possible for a rock to grow or move on its own?” is the question many, if not all, who visit the enchanted realm of the trovanți ask themselves. What is this place, and how can these huge rocks change their size - and location almost overnight?
The Romanian founder of biospeleology did not study sciences – he studied law. But his true calling was too prominent to be ignored, so Emil Racoviță pulled a one-eighty and completely changed not only his life but the world we live in today.
Built in the 12th century by German craftsmen and merchants, Sighișoara is the beating heart of the historical region of Transylvania.
Gogea Mitu was Romania’s tallest sportsman and the world’s tallest boxer. With a promising future in front of him, Mitu was just about to make his debut in the United States when he tragically – and mysteriously - died. What really happened to the “Romanian Goliath”?
One look away and oops, she’s gone! Best advice for the groom? To keep his eyes on his bride. The sudden disappearance of the bride is a normal thing during a Romanian wedding reception. And getting her back does not come cheap.
Do you enjoy the experience of watching a 3D movie and getting to “live” every minute of it? It is all thanks to the Romanian inventor Theodor Ionescu who brought 3D images to TV and cinema and created one of the biggest industries in the world.
This anti-virus service has been leading the cybersecurity market for over 21 years – and I bet you had no idea it was a Romanian company that provided it. Bitdefender was Romania’s first ever IT start-up and the world’s leader in cybersecurity. And it all started by accident.
This important religious and administrative capital of the Dacia historical region of Romania was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1999 for its intricate fusion of both military and spiritual concepts. But it holds far greater secrets.
Back in the days before dating apps, people had to improvise. Romanians, merchants by nature, found a way to bring together young people from over 80 villages with a “maiden market,” which, contrary to its name, did not imply any exchange of money but marriage proposals.
You may have visited spectacular salt mines before. However, with a panoramic wheel, an amphitheater, and mini-golf trails, Romania's Turda Salt Mine, 120m below the surface, is like no other. Upon stepping on the very first stairs you are instantly transported to another world, not outer space, but underground.
There aren’t many things Romanians agree on. But there is one that 20 million people have believed, and continue to believe generation after generation, despite scarce medical evidence. It is called the curent (aka a draft) and it is the reason you can’t have two windows open in the same room - ever.
The Independent called him “the most influential cell biologist ever.” He was the first Romanian to win the Nobel Prize. George Emil Palade, the founder of modern molecular biology, was not just a genius - he was a very lucky man, too.
Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu built this holy place as a place of worship. Today, it is a UNESCO world heritage site that stands tall not just as a meaningful clerical site but also as Romania’s most emblematic piece of Brancovan architecture.
A new beach surfaced overnight in the county of Bihor – no less than 800 kilometers far from the Romanian seashore. How did this happen, and why is this place compared to Thailand‘s Railay Beach?
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk on the moon? Finding out might be easier than you think, for, in the Romanian county of Buzău, you can do just that - without the weightlessness, though.
Forget about Paris and London – the Romanian city of Timișoara paved the way for Europe’s transition to electrical street lighting. Discover the story behind the original City of Lights.
How high is too high? For Oradea-born pianist Thurzó Zoltán, there is no such height. Zoltán, internationally renowned for his out-of-this-world attempts to enter the Guinness World Book of Records, has finally made it with his concert atop Mount Everest.
One may think Europe's tallest rock sculpture could not go unnoticed, but did you know it can be found in Romania? Find out who made it, who requested it, and, most importantly, why would someone invest over one million dollars to have the face of Decebalus in rock?
Over 10 Churches and 10,000 households were demolished in the making of what is today the world's heaviest building – a monstrosity of a palace built to provide a home for Communist Romania’s leader, Nicolae Ceausescu.
Bucegi Mountains may not be Romania's tallest mountains, but they sure are the most mysterious ones. Discover the Romanian Sphinx, a natural wonder of the country that, unlike the Sphinx of Giza, was not crafted by hands. At least not those of a human.
Bat? Check. Ball? Check. Teams? Also, check. We just described baseball – or did we? What is Oina, Romania's national sport? And is it the precursor of American baseball?
In 1978, an entire village was evacuated to accommodate what was to become the waste drainage pool for Europe's largest copper mine. Today, only the top of what used to be the local church can be seen peeking out of the infected waters that drowned the city.
On 18 July 1976, history was made. And it was made by Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who achieved the first perfect 10 in the history of the Olympics. A score so high, the scoreboard couldn't even display it.
After joining the Réseau Art Nouveau Network in 2012, Oradea, Romania, received the title of Best Art Nouveau Destination within just ten years. How did it achieve this? And more importantly, why is everyone falling in love with this small city on the river?
George Enescu first played the violin at the tender age of four, was admitted to the Vienna Conservatory at the age of 7, and by age 10 had played a private concert at the Court of Vienna for Emperor Franz Joseph himself. The meteoric rise of Romania's national treasure knew no bounds.
Norbert Wiener revolutionized the world in 1948 when he introduced the concept of cybernetics. However, a Romanian scientist had done precisely the same ten years earlier.
You may have heard of the somewhat controversial and much-disputed art movement called Dadaism. But do you know what it is? What does “Dada” mean, and what does Romania have to do with it?
His sculpture La Jeune Fille Sophistiquée is the fifth most expensive sculpture ever sold. His work is adored and coveted all over the world. Discover the life of Constantin Brâncuși, a pioneer of modernism and one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century.
In just three years, Romanian cyber-security start-up TypingDNA took over the world and was listed by FinTechGlobal in their CyberTech100 ranking - twice. Who are they, what do they do, and how do they do it?