When I tell people I have just returned from vacation in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria most people get that funny look on their face. For any of you hard core travelers out there you know this look. I have seen this look before and I can usually guess what comes next. Their question is always the same “Why in the world would you want to go there?”. My response is pretty standard “I had never been there before and it sounded interesting!”.
Let’s start with the big reasons visit…
- There are 17 UNESCO sites within these three countries which is pretty amazing! Even more incredible trying to put this in perspective all three countries total square miles combined is smaller than California yet there are only 23 UNESCO sites in all of the United States. Apologies to my dedicated readers but this needs another shout out; although not all UNESCO sites interest me however those that I do find interesting never disappoint me! Bottom line: You can see a lot of amazing places that are relatively close together!
- Enjoying simple living and wholesome local food. While our hotels were in urban areas we would drive through the countryside during the day filled with many farms. It was commonplace to see a horse and buggy as a mode of transport between farms into the villages.
- The language barrier is minimal as majority of locals speak English. We visited a few open air markets where communication were a little challenging however with basic hand gestures we managed to sort it out. We learned only the basic phrases that while our pronunciation may have been terrible most locals were touched that we had made the effort.
- It is very inexpensive. The exchange rate is extremely favorable to the US Dollar, Euro or British pound. We had very nice 2 course dinners for $15-$30 for 2 adults not including alcohol.
Best thing I ate and drank in each country…
In Romania: A lovely bean soup in a bread bowl and raspberry lemonade. 
In Moldova: A cheese plăcintă which is similar to a pot pie or pasty and a glass of Negru du Pucari wine.
In Bulgaria: A stuffed pepper with tomatoes, onions, beans, topped with feta and a perfect cappuccino.
While we visited so many places along the way I have summarized them with photos in a video for your viewing pleasure. Grab some popcorn, sit back and watch the brief movie.
In order of appearance and all UNESCO sites denoted with *:
Romania
- Palace of the Parliament
- Bucharest random street view
- Peleș Castle,
- Bran Castle (Dracula’s castle
- witnessed the annual spring Ploughman Festival
- Râșnov Fortress
- Viscri fortified church *
- Sighişoara *
- Painted Monasteries of Bucovina *
Moldova
- Orheiul Vechi
- Circa cellars
- the streets and people of Chișinău
- Mănăstirea Noul Neamț
- Pucari vineyards
Bulgaria
- Boyana Church *
- Rila Monastery *
- St Alexandar Nevsky Cathedral
- Sofia Synagogue
- Sofia Central Bath houses
- Sofia random street views
Seek your adventure!
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