Alba Iulia Citadel was built 3 centuries ago by the Austrian Empire. 20.000 workers were needed to raise it. The perimeter of the walls is 12km. The citadel is star-shaped, it has 7 bastions and 7 gates. The coat of arms of the Habsburgs decorate the entrance to the citadel.
Romania is situated right at the junction of Central and South-eastern Europe; its Westernmost regions of Transylvania and Banat are historically and culturally part of Central Europe while the other regions belong to the South-Eastern European area.
Romania covers an area of 238,400 sq. kilometers. In terms of population, it is the 7th largest country of the European Union. Romania borders Hungary and Serbia to the West, Ukraine and Moldova to the Northeast and East and Bulgaria to the South.
Romania has several historic regions, each with a centuries-old history and specific traditions; among which we remember Walachia, Bukovina, Moldavia, Oltenia, Dobruja, Banat and the largest one, Transylvania (including the sub-regions of Crisana and Maramures)
Romania is a member of EU, therefore if you’re a citizen of EU a simple ID card will be enough, no passport will be necessary. Visas will not be required for citizens of USA, Canada, Australia, all EU members, as well as more than 50 other countries.
Bucharest is the capital of Romania; with almost 2 million residents, it is EU’s 6th largest city in terms of population within city limits and one of the 20 largest urban areas in the union.
Sibiu, the heart of the Saxon civilization and the German community of Transylvania was European Capital of Culture in 2007. Sibiu is a city with a wonderful architectural heritage, located only 80km/50mi from Alba Iulia.
Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania’s most important city will soon become the European Youth Capital in 2015. Cluj-Napoca is a booming university hub with the strongest IT industry in Romania and a fabulous night life. You can reach Cluj-Napoca from Alba Iulia in less than 1,5h.
Romania’s country code is +40. The internet code is .ro Romania has the fastest download speed anywhere in the European Union.
The official language of the country is Romanian (a Romance language with a grammar which is similar to Latin, which makes it easier for speakers of French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese to understand it.
Most Romanians from the new generation speak good English, some speak French while in Transylvania, German is rather popular. Getting directions should be easy in the major cities.
The second most spoken language in Romania is Hungarian. The Hungarian community is the most significant minority in Romania and represents a fifth of the total population of Transylvania.
Romanian is widely spoken in the neighboring country of Romania, Republic of Moldova. More than 70% of the population of the republic are native Romanian speakers. Republic of Moldova has been part of Romania until the 1940’s.
Romania is a member of NATO since 2004 and a part of the European Union since 2007.
Apart from Bucharest, the biggest cities of Romania are Cluj-Napoca (324,000) and Timisoara: 319,00).
