We might repeat a question: Did you know…. Romania is fascinating? This seemingly unspectacular country has much more stories to tell about its past and present and about the beautiful secrets it preserves.
Here are some new facts I bet you didn’t know about Romania:
- The pen was invented by a Romanian guy. Petrache Poenaru obtained the patent for this invention in 1827.
- Romania has the largest population of brown bears in Europe. The bear is present in Romanian culture as a character in countless folk tales and witty stories, often accompanied by its friend/ antagonist, the cunning fox. (There, of course, Romania again takes pride in an extensive population of foxes).
- We may assimilate technology and the rise of the industrial revolution with rich countries like England or France, but Romania too has an interesting turn of the century story to tell. In 1884, Timisoara became the first European city with electric lighting.
- The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the second largest building in the world, only exceeded by the Pentagon.
- The oldest homo sapiens fossils were found in the cave Pestera Oaselor. These bones date back almost 40.000 years. Romania really is a representative of the Old Continent.
- The best preserved delta in Europe is the Danube Delta. It is a national reserve and an UNESCO site. It is also home to pelicans, wild horses and many amazing unique species of fauna and flora.
- The Romanian currency is “leu” which means “lion”. Bulgarians also have their “lion” currency, the “leva”.
- Here’s something really cool for coffee lovers: Francesco Illy, founder of the Illycaffe company, was born in Timisoara and invented the first automatic espresso maker.
If you think this might be an interesting place to visit, you can always book a trip here. You can also get a Bucharest airport transfer if you need a quality lift!