My Romanian Experience | Episode #1: Maroun ELIA

Maroun Elia

First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Maroun ELIA from Lebanon, and I explored Romania with my wife, Madonna, in September 2017. Initially, I discovered Romania over the internet. I was impressed and overwhelmed by its landscapes, countryside and green lands, thus my curiosity led me to ask more questions and search for the answers.

The best sentence to describe Romania is “A closer way to Heaven”. We enjoyed every moment of our trip. I don’t think you can compare Romania to another country you cannot because it has its own culture, tradition, monasteries, the Carpathian Mountains, and lovely countryside, especially Maramures. Simply put, Romania is unique. Even “death” in Romania has a different meaning. In the village of Săpânța, you will find the Merry Cemetery, with its colorful tombstones, where death is defined as a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life.

The monasteries in Romania play an important role in tourism, especially the Bârsana Monastery. Here, you can find inner peace and love, especially in the architecture of its wooden churches, which I find to be the most beautiful and divine landmark in the world. Not to mention the hand-carved wooden gates in Breb Village, which serve as the entrance to the home.

On the other hand, there were cities that stole our heart, one of them being Brasov. We had an amazing time in the afternoon and at night in Downtown Brasov, and after numerous attempts, we managed to finally book a table at a restaurant and enjoy Romanian dishes and sweets. In addition, Alba Iulia is a very attractive city; I wish I could have seen it from above. Usually, if you want to see the stars, you look up at the sky. But on Earth, Alba Iulia is the brightest star! And there are many stars to remember, such as Cluj-Napoca, Sighisoara, Sibiu, Sibiel, and Bran, where you can celebrate the Halloween night at Dracula’s Castle.

We will surely visit Romania for a second time, to experience and discover more cities, villages, and things we had no time to do on our first trip. Until then, pa pa!

– Maroun E. ELIA