Introduction to Romania
Razvan Petrescu is a well-travelled Romanian expat and travel writer. You can read his informative guide to his home country here!
- Part 1 - Background
- "In order to understand Romania, you need to know a few things about its history and geography. It is situated north of the Balkans. Several empires bordered Romania (Turkish, Russian, and Austrian) and influenced its culture and politics; Greek, Jewish, German, and French influences also shaped Romania at different times in its history." Razvan Petrescu delves into the background of his country...
- Part 2 - Stereotypes
- "Current-day Romania has been in the news lately, especially since its EU membership is under review. For this reason I want to discuss some of the more frequent stereotypes associated with Romania." Razvan Petrescu looks at reporting on four major issues dominating media reporting of Romania: corruption, poverty, orphanages and Gypsies.
- Part 3 - Info for foreigners
- "Until recently Romania has had comparatively few foreigners living or travelling in the country. While this is changing fast (with Romania's economy growing and the country's reputation as a party place spreading), as a foreigner you will still be a bit of a novelty, especially if you go to a smaller city." Razvan Petrescu takes a look at some distinctive features of Romanian society which the foreigner may find a puzzle.
- Part 4 - Living in Romania
- "...Be aware that each region of the country will be different depending on the influence it was subject to: Western Romania will be almost German, South-Eastern Romania will have a definite Turkish/Balkan flair, and North-Eastern Romania will have some Russian influence: you will see the differences in architecture, food, customs." Razvan Petrescu concludes his four-part Introduction to Romania with a look at where to live.
