Lifestyle and Social Activities

Sports Activities

Students can join the Students’ Sport and Athletics Club. The groups arranges exercise classes, tournaments and other different sports events. There are also several gymnastic centres and dance classes available in various cities. You can practice almost any sport from football, squash, athletics, tennis etc

The International students usually take part with their own team in the different tournaments.

Religious Activities

There are several Churches, and Muslim student usually have their place of worship in large auditorium of a building, some cities in Romania have legendary central mosques and there are places of worship for other faith.

Clubs, Pubs and Restaurants

All over Romania, you will find so many things to do, see and experience, you may not have enough time to do everything. Romania is full of interesting places, where one can easily pass many hours enjoying the entertainment that can be found in Romania.

The are also a wide range of bars, cafes and clubs all over Romanian cities. Whatever type of bar, club or nightlife you are looking for, you will find it in Romania. Although moderate partying in clubs/pubs can be fun, frequent nightlife may be expensive in time and besides, as medical students, you need more time to study than to be in clubs every week. We encourage students to get more involve in excursion programmes that arrange visits to different tourist destinations in Romania. This is more relaxing and educative. The public and private tourist offices in Romania publish an annual and monthly diary of events.

Cuisine & Drinks

"The central characteristic of the Romanian cuisine is its great variety. It is a cuisine influenced by repeated waves of different cultures: the ancient Greeks, with whom Romanians traded; the Romans, who gave the country its name; the Saxons, who settled in southern Transylvania; the Turks, who for centuries dominated Romania; as well as Slavic and Magyar (Hungarian) neighbors. All of these influences gradually blended into the varied and delicious Romanian culinary tradition"

Nicolae Klepper — Taste of Romania

The main ingredients used by Romanian chefs are meats such as pork, beef and lamb, fish, vegetables, dairy products and fruit. A traditional Romanian meal may include:
Appetizer
All kinds of cheeses, cold cuts and vegetable spreads.
Soup
"Ciorba de perisoare" (meatball soup), "ciorba taraneasca" (vegetable soup, with or without meat), "ciorba de burta" (tripe soup).
Fish
"Saramura" (grilled carp in brine), "nisetru la gratar" (grilled Black Sea sturgeon) or "scrumbie la gratar" (grilled herring).
Entree
"Tocanita" or "tochitura" (meat stew seasoned with onions and/ or spices), "ghiveci" (over 20 vegetables cooked in oil), "sarmale" (pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with a mix of minced meats, rice and spices) and "mititei" (The "Wee Ones" — small skinless grilled sausages) are among the favorites.
Romanians produce great pickled vegetables, called "muraturi" (red peppers, green tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, red cabbage, cauliflower).
Dessert
"Papanasi" (cottage cheese donuts, topped with sour cream and fruit preserve), "clatite cu branza" (crepes filled with cottage cheese, raisins and spices) and "cozonac" (traditional holiday sweet bread filled with walnuts, poppy seeds or cream cheese).

A traditional drink enjoyed with appetizers is "tuica" or "palinca" (a potent plum brandy) which varies in strength, dryness and bouquet according to the production area.

Romania produces excellent wines, some of which are exported all over the world. Romanian beers are excellent as well.

In recent years foreign chefs have come with fresh ideas and introduced a variety of delicious cuisines from around the world: French, Italian, Chinese, Indian and Japanese are offered, to name a few.

Tourist destinations in Romania

Main Attractions

Black Sea Resorts

 Warm climate, miles of sand beaches, ancient monuments, vineyards and modern resorts invite travelers to seriously consider Romania's Black Sea Coast as their summer vacation destination.

Beaches, stretching from Mangalia to Mamaia, are dotted with fine resorts and hotels, and countless sports and entertainment facilities.

Castles & Fortresses

• Biertan Fortified Church
• Bran Castle
• Calnic Fortified Church
• Cisnadie Fortified Church
• Corvinesti Castle in Hunedoara
• Cristian Fortified Church
• Darjiu Fortified Church
• Fagaras Fortress
• Harman Fortified Church
• Peles Castle in Sinaia
• Prejmer Fortified Church
• Rasnov Fortress
• Saschiz Fortified Church
• Valea Viilor Fortified Church
• Viscri Fortified Church

Danube Delta

The mighty Danube River flows 1,788 miles from its springs in Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea. Just before reaching the sea it forms the second largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas: 2,200 square miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and reed islands. The Danube Delta is a wildlife enthusiast’s (especially a bird watcher’s) paradise. Travelers can spend three or more days exploring its passages, teaming with the highest concentration of bird colonies in all of Europe.

Medieval Towns

Central Romania encompasses what is popularly known as Transylvania – a place that immediately brings to mind the legend of Count Dracula. While the legend is certainly intriguing and a genuine tourist attraction, the region has much more to offer. Some of Europe’s best-preserved medieval towns, most notably Sighisoara, Brasov and Sibiu, are located here. Other medieval towns are: bistrita, medias, sebes and cluj-napoca

National Parks

• Apuseni Nature Park
• Bicazului Gorges - Hasmas Nat. Park
• Calimani National Park
• Ceahlau National Park
• Piatra Craiului National Park
• Retezat National Park

The Painted Monasteries

• Arbore Chuch
• Humor Monastery
• Moldovita Monastery
• Patrauti Church
• Probota Church
• St. George Church
• Sucevita Monastery
• Voronet Monastery
• Original Fresco Making Techniques

And the ‘Merry Cemetry’ in Sapanta near Mara-mures.The ancestors in this village believes death is the beginning and not the end.

Spas

• Baile Felix
• Bazna
• Eforie Nord
• Mangalia
• Ocna Sibiului
• Sovata

Traditional Villages

The golden glow of the sun against the soft pastel houses; residents going about their business, tending the chickens, their vegetable gardens or sitting on the front porch can make an unforgettable scene. In villages and in the countryside, on lands dominated by ancestral castles, old fortresses and peaceful monasteries, life moves a little slower and follows ancient rhythms of tradition and culture.

It’s not unusual to see a farmer bringing his fruits to the marketplace in a horse drawn wagon or to encounter a village festival where the locals perform ancient rites of planting and harvest dressed in colorful traditional costumes. Cold, pure well water beckons the thirsty traveler from the roadside. Men kiss women’s hands in a courtly greeting unchanged for hundreds of years.  Lush vineyards, first planted by Dacians – ancient inhabitants of Romania, yield fine wines. 

World Heritage Sites

Medieval towns, fortified churches, painted monasteries, wooden masterpieces and ancient Dacian ruins are just some of the attractions that make up Romania’s exceptional cultural heritage. 25 of its beautifully preserved architectural gems have been included by UNESCO in the World Cultural Heritage in acknowledgement of their natural, scenic and monumental appeal. A tour of these sites is a good way to discover Romania’s history, artistic wealth and popular traditions.  Each and every stop on this route will reveal a unique and stunning location.