Romania: Dracula’s Homeland

Romania is a beautiful country, filled with history and legends. On our adventure days, we got to travel across the entire country – up into Transylvania and across to the coast. The countryside ranges from fields to mountains – some of the most breathtaking scenery we have seen.

Our first stop was Bran Castle – which is rumored to be Dracula’s castle. While there, we learned that Dracula (or Vlad the Impaler) was actually just imprisoned there for 3 days. However, the castle has embraced the legend and people continue to flock to the town. It is a pretty formidable sight.

We also ventured to Peles Castle, which is a more modern castle in the Carpathian mountains. It was closed for the day, but the landscape and town surrounding it provided a beautiful walk.

We drove all the way to Constanta, which is located on the Black Sea. Although it was very foggy so we couldn’t really see the water, we saw this beautiful old casino that has a storied past.

We also visited Bucharest, the capital and largest city in Romania. The architecture in the city has been influenced by the French, Ottoman, and Communist, which makes for a very interesting skyline. Beautiful Orthodox churches are hidden behind Communist blocks. The country has only been truly a democracy since the early 2000’s. They are still learning how to be a government for the people.

Here are 10 unique things I noticed during our time in Romania:

1. At the grocery store, patrons have to lock up any bags before you walk in. There is a culture of theft, and every store has a security guard at the entrance.

2. Plastic bags are not provided at the grocery store. They cost extra, and this was a good way to cut down on the number of bags I used. We got creative – we would stuff our backpacks full of groceries or remember to reuse bags we had already bought.

3. Romania is a country of superstitions. One that stood out to me was that if a girl sits on the ground or walks barefoot she won’t have children. I hope that one isn’t true!

4. People drive super fast and speed limits seem to be nonexistent. Romania has one of the highest fatality rates from car accidents in Europe, and I understand why. Cars will pass on curves, narrowly missing oncoming traffic. Anytime I was in a car, I would put on my headphones and try to sleep.

5. All the trees lining the streets are painted white around the bottom. This is to prevent cracking and splitting of the tender new bark, which can allow introduction of disease, insects and fungus.

6. In Draganesti-Olt and the surrounding villages, people still travel by horse and buggy. Cars will zip around them, but it doesn’t seem to phase the horses.

7. People display pictures of family members or previous owners on the side of their house. This is to honor them and help their spirits reach Heaven (according to the Orthodox faith).

8. Driving through the countryside, I noticed fields and fields of yellow flowers. I found out this was canola – the main ingredient in cooking oil.

9. Even in Draganesti-Olt, which is an economically disadvantaged town, there are huge mansions painted bright colors with several spires. We found out these belong to the Roma (gypsy) population. Several families will live in one house, and they often stick out next to run-down shacks.

10. God is working in a BIG way. Our host, Hope Church Romania, is doing incredible work in planting churches in EVERY village across southern Romania. Their model is community integrated and is impacting thousands of peoples lives. To learn more about their many ministry programs and how you can partner with/support them, visit http://www.hoperomania.org.