Surprisingly, very little is known about Romania these days all over the world. Most people are in the dark about its geographical location, and if they have heard anything about Romania at all, it is almost certainly some terrible event that occurred in the country. For example, the execution of former president Ceaucescu, the crimes of the gypsies, the backwardness of the country, and so on.

It is not that there is no element of truth in these words. However, it is only a very small part of an old picture. There are many positive things about the Romania of today that will totally transform your negative opinion of the country. First, Romania is a country of immense natural beauty in South Eastern Europe, and the variety of geographical features it offers is simply amazing.

From the great arc of the towering Carpathian Mountains to the mouth of the Danube, Romania displays a great deal of diversity. There are the great plateaus of Transylvania, the sun kissed hills covered with vineyards in Moldavia, fertile plains drained by the rapid rivers of Walachia. Romania has every conceivable natural beauty to charm the foreign visitor.

Romania has its own seaside too. The Black Sea has a number of inviting resorts with modern architecture blending with the natural landscape. This concord between nature and non intervening architecture can also be seen in many big cities. Romania has a population of just over 22 million people.

The capital city of Romania is Bucharest, which has its own attractions. Iasi is another interesting city, as are Brasov and Sibiu, the last being the cultural capital. Another thing that is interesting about Romania is that almost every district of the country has something special and unique to offer.

Oltenia in the southern part of Romania is renowned for its carpets and embroideries; Maramures for its wooden sculptures; Bucovina has many old traditions to be proud of, and ruins from the ancient times can be seen at Dobrogea.

The great region of Transylvania has an air of mystery about it. This is due to the legend of Dracula, the mythical vampire king. The legend has its origin in the rule of Vlad the Impaler, who ruled from 1456 to 1462. This merciless ruler became a terror to his people because of the horrible method of punishment that he dealt out to disobedient subjects. He put to death anyone who seemed disloyal to him by impaling them.

This extremely cruel and bloodthirsty mode of punishment made people think that such barbarity is not possible by any human being. It was therefore attributed to some creature out of hell. This idea, along with the association with blood, gave rise to the legend of a vampire, who drank human blood. Visit the Bran castle in Brasov county of Transylvania and you will have many creepy experiences.

Now evil cannot exist without a holy counterpoint, can it? Romania has many famous monasteries, especially in the northern parts of Moldavia. Visit the reclusive monasteries of Romania and you will find the peace of mind that is so elusive in modern times. The peace and silence there will overwhelm you with joy. You will feel purged of your sorrow and grief. You can pray and have some holy water there, or just take pleasure in the beautiful landscape in peace.

Now that we have told you a lot about the treasures of Romania, hopefully you will visit the country and find out for yourself.