10 reasons why you should move to Romania
From tourist to localThinking of changing the landscape for a while? The idea of moving to another country seems appealing to you, and you just can't decide where to settle? Let's see if we can convince you to choose Romania. Here is our list of the best 10 reasons why you should move to our country!!!
Table of contents:
1. How much is a house in Romania?
2. Where: mountains vs seaside
4. How easy is it to be vegan in Romania?
10. Is Romania a tolerant country?
1.The lower prices of houses compared to other parts of the world.
Many people dream of a beautiful house with a lovely garden, a view, fresh air, and plenty of space. So, if your dream is to have all these and not wait for retirement to afford them, you should definitely consider Romania. I am not saying that Romania is super cheap, but if your dream is not to live in a house in a big city but in a beautiful rural area close to one, you have just found the perfect country.
Fortunately for you, there are many villages with beautiful traditional houses on the market. Young people prefer to live in the city, where job opportunities are more appealing, so the countryside is a bit neglected nowadays. As a direct effect, many rural areas are quite deserted but none the less beautiful, with many houses ready to move in at truly affordable prices.
*And the super bonus that comes along with this deal is that most houses are sold with quite a large garden. So, are you ready to grow some Romanian tomatoes and parsley?
2.Mountains vs. seaside
Feeling like going on a holiday and you cannot decide between the mountains or the seaside? Guess what? You can do both easily! If you are just a little bit informed about the landscape of Romania, you probably have already noticed that the country has many resorts on the Black Sea. The Black Sea is situated in the southeast part of the country, and it is considered one of the safest seas in the world. There are no poisonous fish or dangerous sharks, or spiky sea urchins waiting for you in the waters. So, you can swim relaxed, knowing that no annoying sea creature will bug you. And just to make it clear, the Black Sea is just a name and has nothing to do with the real colour of the water - the water is as blue as it can be, and sometimes a bit greener if there is a storm somewhere in the sea, and the waves bring algae to the shore. The Romanian seaside is known for its clubs and restaurants, and parties that last until morning, but, at the same time, there are plenty of places where you can sit and relax having no one around you. If you like to sunbathe naked, for example, we have good news for you as there are exceptional beaches for nudists. And if, after two or three days spent at the seaside, you feel like going on a hike in the mountains, you should know that, in approximately 3 hours, you can reach the Carpathians.
The Carpathian Mountains are incredible! Their landscapes are something between Austria and Switzerland combined with the Balkans and a bit of New Zealand here and there. At least, this is what many of our travellers have said so far.
Even if they are not as high and rocky as the Alps, their deep green forests are just breathtaking! The Carpathian Mountains are truly unique in Europe because they have kept their wilderness. While hiking here, there are high chances to see brown bears or wild boars, so it's quite advisable for you to be noisy when entering the woods.
*The Carpathians are also home to some of the most magnificent sceneries you'll ever see, especially above 2000m, where the glacial relief is present with its deep, wide valleys and crystal clear lakes. A view like that will definitely make you feel like you own the world!
3.The internet speed in Romania is just awesome!
If your work depends mainly on your presence in online, then the internet is, of course, very important. Romanian internet infrastructure is highly developed and competitive, boasting the top connection speed in the region. Developing at a fast rate, fixed broadband coverage has now come to cover 86% of the households in Romania in 2020. 5G is available in Bucharest, and a few other major cities, but its coverage is quickly expanding.
*Internet costs per month are considerably lower than in other parts of Europe, and we absolutely love that! Now, be honest, can you imagine yourself working on your laptop on a traditional wooden porch admiring some green peaks of the Carpathians Mountains?
4.Being vegan is easy-peasy!
Romanian cuisine is super rich, tasty, and very diverse. But in a country where most people believe that "the most delicious vegetable is pork," being a vegan seems more like a struggle. But one can't be farther from the truth. Romanians are mainly Orthodox, and fasting before Christmas and Easter is a big thing here. Orthodox fasting implies eliminating all dairy products, eggs, and meat, including fish and seafood. So basically, for at least 48 days before Easter and 40 days before Christmas, a true orthodox will eat only vegetables, legumes, cereals, and fruits. For centuries we have developed tasty fasting recipes, which are vegan 100%. From fresh salads to delicious jams, sour soups, and bean pate to roasted peppers with garlic, fruit tarts, and pies, the sky is the limit!
The best advice that we can give you is to try finding at the marketplace one or two sellers of trust from where to buy fresh vegetables grown in their own garden. It may take a while, and you may have to use your Sherlock Holmes skills, but with a bit of patience and the right questions, you will definitely find someone who sells fresh garden-farmed goodies.
*Our favourite vegan dishes are roasted eggplant salad on toast with tomatoes and wild mushrooms stew with a pinch of garlic served with hot, creamy polenta. Yummy!!!
5.You will love the people!
Moving to another country can be overwhelming, but undoubtedly, friends can really ease the process. Making new acquaintances in Romania is super easy, and you shouldn't be surprised if we will be the first to interact with you. Although we are known for our hospitality and our ability to welcome and make people feel as comfortable as possible, we are also curious people, and we like to ask a lot of questions. Our native curiosity trait comes from a place of no hidden interests at all. We just like to find out new things about other places and how people live in other parts of the world, so, in short, for us, it is just a simple good conversation. But, undeniably, it is also a great way of knowing someone who doesn't hesitate to ask us as many questions as we do. We will gladly answer, though most of the time, we will complain about all the things that go wrong in Romania nowadays, and we will make a lot of jokes about the situation as well.
You will rapidly learn that Romanians are optimistic, happy, and easy-going. Yet, we just can't escape complaining! Overall, every discussion ends in laughs and good jokes because we, indeed, possess a good sense of humor. We like to end the day in a positive manner with good company and, if possible, with a nice glass of wine.
Once you have surrounded yourself with a couple of friends, you will soon notice that the friendship circle will rapidly increase. The friends of your friends will soon become your friends as well. Did your phone break? No worries! Tell a friend, and in no time, through this entire new network of friends, you will find the best place to fix it. Does your car need some reparations? Your friends will take care of that! A simple call, and you'll find the best, the cheapest, and the closest mechanic to you. Problem solved! Romania is also one of the safest countries in the world, according to the Global Peace Index.
*And a little tip from us: the number one question that you will hear over and over again will be, "Why did you choose to move to Romania?" We know that our country is great, but still ... why? So be prepared to answer this question many times, and if you start to feel bored of doing it, just send them the link to this article. You're welcome!
6.Easy traveling all over the world!
Take a map of the world and search for Romania. Do you see? Romania's location on the map is fabulous! Geographically speaking, Romania is a country situated in the southeast part of Central Europe, and that means that you can reach any part of Europe with ease. Many young people and families choose to enjoy driving tours in Europe in their holidays. You can choose to go south, crossing Bulgaria and heading to Turkey or Greece, going north to explore the vast land of Ukraine. In the west, there is Hungary with its beautiful capital Budapest or the other two European gems, our neighbors Serbia and Montenegro. And in the east, there is the tiny and picturesque Republic of Moldova, of which Romania is deeply connected through common history and language. But if driving is not your thing, you will be glad to discover that our country has many airports scattered all over its territory. There are international airports in Bucharest, Constanta, Iasi, Suceava, Brasov, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca, and Timisoara, with good connections to the main destinations of the world.
*Just to give you an example, there is only a one-hour flight from Bucharest to Istanbul! Romanians love to travel, and destinations like Bali, Zanzibar, Costa Rica, or Dubai are among our favourites!
7.Romania has the lowest cost of education in the EU
Whoever you are, from wherever you come, choosing to study in Romania can be one of the best choices you'll ever make. As a part of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), Romanian diplomas issued by accredited Universities are automatically recognized in all of Europe and beyond. Thousands and thousands of students from all over the world chose Romania to complete their studies, attracted by the excellent academic standards aligned with the Bologna System. Plus, education and living costs are the cheapest in all European Union so, Romania can be a great choice even for those who want to graduate a second university.
There are more than 70 Romanian state and private universities that offer supplementary preparatory years for learning the Romanian language. But many also offer programs in other languages. Besides Romanian, classes are taught in English, French, German, and Hungarian. The most popular faculties are Medicine, Marketing, IT, Economic Sciences and Foreign Languages, but there are infinitely more choices out there.
*We strongly recommend choosing a state university as they are better than the private ones and cheaper as well.
8.Experiencing the authentic rural life
Rural areas are, undoubtedly, one of the major assets of Romania. They are easy to find everywhere, less than 30 minutes driving from any town. But the most beautiful and authentic ones are to be found in the mountains.
There is something so soothing about these places! Most probably, that comes from the fact that people here maintained the old simple way of living. I feel truly blessed to live in a country where traditions are still so well preserved because they give you that feeling of returning to the roots, which is so uplifting!
Seeing how people go in the morning to work in the fields, how they feed the animals or how they talk with them, how they milk the cows and sheep and make their own cheese and yoghurt - it feels like the 1800s just stopped here. Well, it's an updated 1800s, with good mobile reception and LCD most of the time, but, even so, it's impossible not to feel peaceful here!
Emerging yourself with all your senses in this beautiful peasant world is a fantastic experience, and we highly recommend it. We live such stressful lives, so it's a huge relief to know that there are places like that where you can say stop for a while, reduce the tempo and just be! And if you want to learn how to milk a cow and make cheese, or how to cut the grass and collect the hay into stacks, how to prepare jams and pick potatoes from the garden, or to learn the secrets of making plum brandy – rural Romania is the answer!
*For the utmost rural experience, we recommend Apuseni Mountains, Cerna Valley, Maramures, and Neamt regions. There, on top of the mountains, you'll find remote villages with just a couple of houses, where a handful of people still live like in the old days.
9.Romania is the best place of learning a new craft
There is never too late to learn something new, isn't it?
Some of the best-known crafts in Romania are wood carving, painting eggs, leather crafting basket weaving, embroidering, icon painting, looming carpets, and pottery making. Romanian folk culture experienced a revival in recent years and is constantly being rediscovered and reinterpreted by local and foreign designers and artisans. Romanian traditions are better preserved in the countryside, where many local artisans teach their skills. Workshops can be found in cities, too, but the real experience remains in the rural. Learning a craft is not only about getting a new skill, it makes you part of a long journey - a journey that started hundreds of years ago when the secrets of crafting were handed down from parents to children like the most precious treasure on earth.
*Handmade objects are highly appreciated in Romania, especially when offered as gifts. You'll never go wrong with something done from the heart!
10.You will be part of a multicultural country!
Romania has an incredible history, and discovering it is so rewarding and surprising. Starting with the 7000-year-old Cucuteni culture and the ancient Dacian, Roman, and Greek heritage, continuing with the medieval castles and fortresses to the interwar city centres, Romania is a never-ending history lesson. The country abounds in attractions as there are so many archaeological sites, UNESCO monuments, and incredible natural landscapes scattered all over its territory.
Also, all four main historical regions display a variety of historical and cultural landmarks. Transylvania has a unique Hungarian, German, and Romanian heritage, while Moldavia and Walachia better preserved the Jewish and Armenian influence. Dobruja is still marked by the Turkish and Tartar communities, and all together, they frame a unique country like no other!
*Living here and exploring what Romania has to offer will change many of your beliefs. We are equally Westerners, Balkanic, Oriental, Slavs, and Latins! Traveling anywhere else in the world after staying in Romania for a while will give you many "I’ve seen that already” moments and even make you more adaptable than ever before.
Now that our list is over, what do you think?