The requested URL was not found on this server For travel to the United States on a temporary basis For foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of participating countries* to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less Outside of Romania: +40-21-270-6000 (press 8) U.S.-Romania Cooperation on Small Modular Reactors Learn more about quality higher-education opportunities in the U.S that you will not find anywhere else in the world The American Corner program promotes understanding and cooperation between the U.S United States Ambassador Hans Klemm inaugurated the ninth American Shelf in Romania at the “Bod Péter” Covasna County Library Ambassador offered the book donation to the Library Director Szabolcs Szonda American Shelf is a book donation program consisting of reference titles classical and contemporary American literature which become part of the library’s collection “The donation that we’re making today is complementary to the holdings of American literature that the “Bod Péter” County Library already has but the intention is to find means to make it possible for Romanians and citizens of Covasna County to learn more and understand more deeply America and the people of the United States,” said Ambassador Klemm at the opening ceremony The American Shelves are part of the library partnership program initiated by the U.S Embassy in Romania and are complementary to the nine American Corners The Corners and Shelves offer authorized information resources about the U.S They are also spaces for learning and discussing about American values By | 14 September, 2016 | Topics: Press Releases | Tags: , , We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to our privacy policy. rain and melting snow have caused flooding in Romania over the last few days Romania’s Department for Emergency Situations (Departamentul pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă – DSU) said that 12 houses have been severely damaged with over 400 others flooded in some capacity Some of the worst of the flooding has been reported in the counties of Covasna and Brașov in the Transylvania region seven people were rescued after they were left isolated by flooding in areas around Șercaia and Mândra in Braşov county Late on 14 March DSU officials decided to evacuate around 300 residents from 130 houses in the village of Căpeni DSU said the decision was taken “in view of the significant increase in the flow of the Olt river and the danger of breaking the protection dam near Baraolt.” Around 40 people have refused to evacuate Romania’s National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) issued ornage (mid level) warnings for stretches of the Olt river in central areas of the country Yellow level warnings are in place for southern stretches of the Olt and Argeș Târnava Mare and Târnava Mică rivres in north central areas Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList as many head to the resorts on the ever popular Prahova Valley Situated at the border between Harghita and Covasna Counties Follow the Bucuresti – Brasov (DN1) – Chichis (DN11) – Sfantu Gheorghe – Bixad (DN12) – Baile Tusnad – Tinovul Mohos (DJ113/113A) and you should reach your destination in about five hours but do put aside a bit of time and patience for the last leg of your trip when heading to the Tinovul Mohos and Sfanta Ana Lake the final kilometres can seem like a challenge and you will find yourself enveloped by the sweet and heavy smell of elderflower The smallest city in Romania has plenty of attractions and is believed to be among the cleanest in the country A three-hour visit at Tusnad Wellness (RON 30) gives you access to an outdoor pool with warm water as well as a regular indoor pool and a jacuzzi is the indoor thermal water pool with temperatures ranging between 36-42 degrees Celsius where believers and nonbelievers alike bathe and relax while taking in the warmth Accommodation in pensions kept by the locals many offering an idillic setting and a front yard filled with colourful flowers starts at RON 80 per night per double room The thermal waters of Balvanyos have been known and used for centuries Since the opening of 4 star hotel Grand Hotel Balvanyos in 1938 they have been used year-round at the hotel’s spa Excelling through the design and quality of the finishes as well as the natural materials used it offers indoor thermal water pools and saunas as well as an outdoor jacuzzi and a special sauna in a wooden cabin whose walls are covered in fir branches A three hour visit comes with an entry fee of RON 45 Monday to Thursday and RON 60 Friday to Sunday one of the most original attractions in Romania will allow you to take a walk on the surface of a now dormant volcano crater Translated as the “moss lake,” it will welcome you with unique landscapes shaped by successive eruptions of volcanoes allowed only in groups led by a local guide will take you through a type of vegetation unique in Europe that developed in very particular conditions it got filled with rain and melted snow forming a lake After the volcano erupted again through a nearby cone the clouds of ash released landed on the lake forming a layer of peat that can be as thick as 20 meters the nature experts in charge of the reservation built a route that takes visitors through the main attractions of the place: the vegetation specific to the tundra The plants found here include Eriophorum vaginatum a perennial plant with cotton like flowers and the star of the reservation visitors should under no circumstances touch or the plant Andromeda polifolia which contains high concentrations of poison used by the Bulgarian Secret Service in its infamous Bulgarian umbrella assassination method they should not to eat any poisonous plants make sure not to get eaten by the bears that roam the area Racos is a welcome destination after a road that offers plenty of thrills to drivers unaccustomed to driving off road A short walk from the main road of the village up an elevated alley that passes nearby the village church’s yellow and white bell tower you will find the stunning remains of a volcano that erupted 683,000 years ago which release hollow sounds when stepped on have the consistency and colour of bricks or of the burnt layer found inside pizza ovens stepping among the colourful wild flowers and you’ll find yourself in front of a landscape completely alien to Transylvania A green lake nearby and the Basalt columns complete the volcanic landscape that is unique to Romania and this part of Europe Lake Sfanta Ana has green emerald waters and fills the cone of a volcano whose eruption was one of the most recent in Eastern Europe its waters are so pure they have nearly the same purity as distilled water While swimming has been forbidden since 2017 to preserve the purity of the waters and minimise the human impact on the landscape tourists can rent boats and row on the lake or simply take long walks on the lakeside and take in the stunning landscapes parallel to the main road in the village of Racos and you will find yourself in front of an impressive tall stone wall Behind it you’ll find the partially restored but imposing Sukosd-Bethlen Castle who is still waiting for more funds to come its way the restoration process was halted when the money run out and has not been resumed since the castle’s main features and facade remain largely intact keeping hopes alive that one day the courtyard which hosts at weekend terraces run by locals including the famous goulash made on the spot Although kurtos kalacs are a familiar sight nowadays at fairs across the country while visiting Racos you can sample the local speciality in its most original rendition Photos of Grand Santerra Spa © Grand Santerra Spa We use cookies for keeping our website reliable and secure providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the brown bear known as “Arthur” may have been the largest in all of Europe But conservationists admit it’s hard to know for sure — after all it’s not like the continent’s bears line up every year to be measured Arthur’s remarkable size may turn out to have unexpected political significance A young prince from the tiny nation of Liechtenstein is accused of killing the bear during a trophy hunt in Romania and authorities have launched an investigation into whether he did so illegally is facing criticism for downplaying the incident by claiming that there are bigger bears Home to the largest number of brown bears in the European Union Romania bans trophy hunting but allows exceptions when bears are threatening people or killing farm animals Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein was granted a permit to kill a female bear who had been menacing a village in the Carpathian Mountains “It is clear that the prince did not come to solve the problem of the locals but to kill the bear and take home the biggest trophy to hang it on the wall,” Gabriel Paun the president of Romanian environmental group Agent Green “We are dealing with a game of poaching who lives in a palace in Austria and is sixteenth in the line of succession for Liechtenstein’s monarchy has largely declined to comment on his March hunting trip I do not want to get involved in the discussion in any way,” he told Swiss newspaper Blick in his only public response Lichtenstein’s royal family did not respond immediately to a request for comment Romania’s National Environment Guard launched an investigation in April after discovering that a male bear had been killed and that key documents were missing Government paperwork viewed by The Associated Press indicated that the prince had “harvested” a 17-year-old brown bear after paying roughly $8,400 and obtaining a four-day hunting permit Conservationists have been monitoring Arthur for nine years he remained concealed in the depths of the forest and never sought out contact with humans Activists have questioned how an experienced hunter could have mistaken a massive male bear for a female “The corpse’s measurements indicate that Arthur had 593 points out of 600 which is the maximum possible in the trophy hunting industry I have never heard of such a record score before,” Paun said Romanian Prime Minister Florin Cîțu attempted to quell the controversy on Wednesday telling reporters that “not all the information in the public space is correct” and “it seems that he was not the biggest bear.” But that hasn’t stopped angry Romanians from spamming the TripAdvisor page for the prince’s Austrian castle with thousands of one-star reviews that say Environmentalists say that the incident demonstrates that Romania needs stronger protections for its bears and that the loophole that allows people to hunt “problem bears” can too easily be abused Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser manors and fortified churches scattered across scenic villages and unspoiled nature are all waiting to be discovered in Covasna County at just a two-hour and a half drive from Bucharest and the county promises travellers the full experience of living history and traditions   The first thing that may surprise a new visitor upon entering Covasna county in central Romania is how easily one gets here – Sfantu Gheorghe is located only 34 km from Brasov and around 200 km from the capital The next pleasant surprise (in a long list to follow) is the rich diversity Places to see… It gives one the feeling of walking straight into the middle of a Grimm Brothers fairytale when stepping into the main lodge of the Kalnoky Manor  The quaint rooms are styled with Szekely antique furniture and the atmosphere is complete with stove fires and the smell of apple pie and caraway tea Upon discovering Kalnoky Manor and its surroundings it is not hard to understand what attracted the owner There is a sense of living history and enduring traditions that give the traveller the reassuring feeling that time can Such is the case of the Szentkereszty Castle in Arcus where only the surrounding arboretum can be visited the Mikes-Szentkereszty Castle in Zagon or the Damokos-Gyula Castle in Cernat the Benke manor in Moacsa and the Daniel Castle in Talisoara The latter was bought and refurbished by Lilla and Attila Racz in 2008 They had to decide between buying an apartment in Bucharest where they both worked at the time The property was refurbished and six years later the hotel was opened to the public featuring eight rooms besides visiting the county’s manors and fortified churches say the owners of Castle Daniel and Kalnoky Manor Nature lovers can enjoy the scenic landscapes with bike tours and horse rides and there is also the option of off-road tours for the more adventurous Must-see places include the Varghis Gorge with a nearby 800 meter cave and further on in the neighbouring Brasov County the Racos extinct volcano and the Emerald Lake  Covasna’s renowned mineral springs and spa facilities are another attraction that makes it worth paying a visit to What are perhaps less known are the local “mofetas” (gas emanating sites) which are recommended for the treatment of various afflictions The one in Hatuica is built over a mineral water spring and the CO2 exposure is enough to warm one’s feet in several minutes History buffs on the other hand can travel as far back as prehistoric times by visiting the Baraolt Museum which hosts almost a complete three million year-old mastodon fossil as well as the nearby coal mine where it was discovered Castle Daniel offers groups themed evenings with music especially the local traditionally-baked potato bread a poultry dish with a cream sauce and home-made noodles And no meal is complete without the local plum brandy (palinca) are trying to transform into a premium product produces some 2,200 litres of palinca a year under the Potio Nobilis brand their product has already won numerous medals in international competitions They might all seem to taste the same for the first-time drinker but the smell will definitely pleasantly surprise even non-fans Visiting craftsmen is another activity that should not be missed while in Covasna Time slows down in the county’s scenic villages and it even feels like it’s standing still entirely when one crosses the threshold of local traditional craftsmen The Suto family in Varghis has been sculpting and hand-painting furniture since 1568 They came to the area to sculpt and paint the furniture for the Daniel Castle and the next 15 generations have strictly followed this tradition Traditional Szekler furniture pieces such as beds drawers or chairs are still crafted and colourfully hand-painted today in the Suto family for local “We’ve received requests to do modern pieces such as bar stools We only do traditional pieces,” proudly says Istvan Suto Even the tools he uses are traditional and the paints are made from local minerals Some of the most popular pieces the craftsmen sell are traditional dowry boxes that come with a price tag of about RON 1,400 (approximately EUR 320.) Preserving authenticity and traditional techniques is the motto of another local craftsman says the blacksmith who needed half a year to create the iron gates that adorn the entrance to the Daniel Castle It takes skill to mold the metal using only traditional techniques and the blacksmith is more than happy to fire up his forge and show tourists how iron can be transformed into flowers and he might even use the forge to indulge his guests with a special treat – fire-grilled bacon complete with local onions Szekler potato bread and the ever present palinca the best way to store it and age it would be in a barrel made out of plum tree wood This is yet another reason to pay a visit to Szoke Tibor in the village of Harale If a hundred years ago there were over 50 families of coopers in the area He and his family craft mainly traditional wooden barrels ideal for aging wine or palinca but the cooper is open to the production of less conventional items as well This includes large spa tubs made entirely out of wood that can fit up to ten people at a cost of around RON 3,000 (approximately EUR 675) the Tibor family is happy to welcome guests and the coopers are proud to demonstrate their skills and share stories don’t be surprised if you will be offered some more palinca to sample yet again administered by a company which has among shareholders the National Union of Manufacturers Cooperative (UCECOM) will be sold within a tender at a price that will be established after an analysis of an evaluation expert Also the Hefaistos Hotel from Covasna will be sold both of them according to the organization and development regulation for UCECOM tenders The experts will evaluate the market value for each hotel The operation will be approved by the shareholders of the Hefaistos CM company next month. Hefaistos Hotel from Eforie Nord is a two-star hotel which has 650 meters of beach and is placed in the center of the resort with 202 rooms and 404 accommodation places Home » experiences » Getaway to discover the best of Kürtőskalács Kürtőskalács is the holiday cake of Szekler families being a symbol of Transylvanian Hungarians and the dessert has its own festival in the center of Sfântu Gheorghe municipality We found out about the organization of this event by chance and since we were not that far from the venue we chose to head towards Covasna instead of returning to the seaside I was convinced that it is an ancient dessert with Hungarian specificity according to the organizers of the festival cozonac arrived in Romania through the Saxons is a Hungarian invention that spread widely in the XNUMXth century The Germans completely forgot about this dessert baked on a wooden cylinder and in the Carpathian Basin it persists in the Szeklerland But before we could partake of the local sweets Although the event can attract tens or hundreds of Romanian and foreign tourists it was deficient in terms of publicity and useful information using the location mentioned by the organizers on the event page visited the cemetery in Sfântu Gheorghe and were one step away from abandoning the experience Intuition told us that we had something to lose so we wandered around the extremely clean streets of the city of Covasna for another 25 minutes and when we smelled the smell of baked buns We arrived just as the organizers were announcing the rules for choosing the best kürtőskalács the jury announced the main rules: the dish must necessarily contain local ingredients be soft on the inside and feel the warmth of the soul of the one who prepared it and the pastries were waiting patiently to be baked we decided to start our day with a local breakfast actually with a langoustine and a cappuccino but the dish I ate at Sfântu Gheorghe was the best langos I've tried so far The two coffees and the dish cost a total of 22 lei Such prices have long been set in most big cities in Romania the prices were between 10 and 20 lei.  The middle of the day caught us sniffing the aromas of kürtőskalács from the stands in Sfântu Gheorghe That's how I found out that you can make the cozonac salty but also that the one with walnut and sugar is the most requested The one with dehydrated and granulated raspberries had a special taste Click on the photo if you want to enter the atmosphere of the festival.  In evaluating the products made by the competing teams the jury members took into account certain criteria they agreed that the secret of a successful kürtőskalács lies in the use of natural in the preparation of these traditional products additives and flavor enhancers must be avoided which have no place in a traditional product The kürtőskalács must be crispy on the outside the thickness of the dough and the preparation technique are aspects that make the difference The record for the "Longest Kürtőskalács in the Szeklerland" was achieved by the members of the Youth Organization of Sântionlunca They managed to prepare a 20 m kürtőskalács half a kilogram of yeast and the same amount of salt 1 kg of vanilla sugar and 25 liters of milk The same team achieved a kürtőskalács of 15 m in the previous edition Except that on DN13E (Covasna – Intorsura Buzăului) and 14 kilometers of the route will seem like an eternity this landscape opens before your eyes and you have the energy to continue And if you are bagel lovers and you like the ones originating from Buzău You will find this local product freshly baked even on Sundays at a bakery in the station area I have been working in the media for more than 20 years I try to see what good things have been done on the coast what needs to be corrected and if there are models that we can follow Funkytravel.ro is a digital "book" where you will discover analyzes about tourism interviews with people who work in this industry but also some of the adventures we have experienced holiday discount codes and verified travel information You can be sure that our messages will not be stressful or uninteresting Funkytravel.ro is a digital "book" in which you will discover analyzes about tourism, interviews with people who work in this industry, accommodation tips, but also some of the adventures we lived. 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