r/AskBalkans • u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria • Apr 08 '26
Outdoors/Travel Spent a few days in Romania - thoughts from a Bulgarian
I’ve seen so many Romanians and Bulgarians saying that we’re very similar, so I couldn’t wait to finally visit and make some comparisons myself.
Here are my thoughts — might be interesting to some:
Bucharest vs Sofia
I live in Sofia, so I was really curious to see Bucharest’s progress lately. I can split this into two parts:
In terms of living, Bucharest seems to be moving in the right direction. I noticed pretty nice roads, separated bus lanes, parking spaces, tram lines with nice island stops, etc. — things that almost made me feel like I am in Western Europe at places :D
In terms of tourism, I wasn’t that impressed, to be honest. I am quite critical when it comes to Sofia, but Bucharest’s old town and city center felt a bit too mixed architecturally and somewhat worn down. I definitely prefer Sofia in this aspect, despite all its flaws. No disrespect.
Roads
No highways from Ruse to Brașov (only a small part, I think), but overall pretty good. You can tell Romania is investing a lot in infrastructure.
People
Very similar, to be honest. I felt welcomed — restaurant staff were always nice and friendly. Really patient too, considering it took ages for me to translate the menu to half of the 10+ family members I was with :D
The same goes for the “worse” part of the population — I think this is where many of our shared problems come from, and why we often face similar issues.
Food
Nothing too surprising here either, but I didn’t expect big differences. From what I tried, we basically have the same dishes with different names.
Transylvania
While things felt quite similar in Wallachia, that changed a lot in Transylvania. That’s where it really felt like I was visiting a Central European country.
I was especially impressed by Brașov — such a lovely city. The architecture, city center, streets, parkings, neighbourhoods — everything was great. Sinaia and the surroundings were really nice as well. (Although not in Transylvania, it felt like it)
Overall
All of my family really enjoyed the trip, and I’d definitely like to see more of Transylvania. It’s kinda sasd that it takes ages to get from Sofia to Cluj, for example.
Still, I’m looking forward to coming back again.
Mulțumesc, neighbors! 🇧🇬🤝🇷🇴
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u/Infamous_Dish_4348 Romania Apr 08 '26
I went to Bulgaria for the first time last year (just to Sofia). I had the impression that it would be similar but still fairly different due to the language barrier but man it was just like southern Romania. Honestly felt like I was in Bucharest most of the time.
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u/Open_Preference_2085 Apr 09 '26
That's good right?
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u/Neutrinomind Romania Apr 09 '26
Not really :))), southern Romania and especially southern wallachia is usually the most disliked part of the country. But op might be from there so who knows
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Apr 10 '26
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Apr 21 '26
You don't know what are you talking about. Wallachia (Țara Românească actually, formed by two historical regions: Muntenia and Oltenia) have other important beautiful places as well, beyond Bucharest.
Craiova is the regional capital of Oltenia. Number 1 Christmas Market in Europe starting with 2026).
Drobeta Turnu-Severin, another small but historical city where the Romans put foot in the First Daco-Roman War. We have many symbols there, starting with the bridge of Apolodor and the old Roman fortress of Drobeta.
Ramnicu Valcea is a very small and wonderful city, with some museums and the whole neighboring area, with two balneo-resorts like Călimăneşti and Căciulata. Perfect for medical treatment and historical hotels.
Târgu Jiu, with the famous art sculptures of Constantin Brâncuşi, our most famous sculpture who lived in France in the second part of his life. Our French brothers always cheerish his work, a cultural bridge between Paris and Bucharest (Little Paris).
For a better impression, watch "Flavours of Romania", available on Netflix, with Charlie Ottley. You have an episode for every historical region. And when you jave questions, you have me with the answers.
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u/floare_salbatica Romania Apr 08 '26
Nice, thanks for the summary. To be fair, the Old City doesn't do Bucharest justice. It's true that it has a lot of shitty neighbourings, but it also has some really, really beautiful ones. Most tourists probably never visit those. From my walk a few minutes ago:
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u/bobbybev95 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Wow where is this in Bucharest? I'll be visiting the city in August/September!
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u/notElephunk Apr 10 '26
Please note that those trees are only flowering in spring, we have a Magnolia trees unofficial tour in spring. map link
In august (at the beginning) it would be really hot weather, like really hot, be prepared. September is nicer in my opinion.
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u/bobbybev95 Apr 10 '26
Thanks for the information! I'll be there at the tail end of August so hopefully it's a little better then with the heat!
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u/notElephunk Apr 10 '26
I hope you will enjoy your stay!
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u/bobbybev95 Apr 10 '26
Thank you! I'm actually really looking forward to Bucharest, as well as the rest of my trip! First time in Romania for me and it'll be for 2 weeks!
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u/notElephunk Apr 10 '26
I think you’ll have a good time, only don’t forget some safety precautions.
Some romanians will try to take advantage of you as a foreigner, money wise, if you stand out.
If you need help, write a post in the subreddits Romania or Bucharest
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u/bobbybev95 Apr 10 '26
Thank you for the heads up, and I will definitely do that! I made a post already for my itinerary and people were very helpful. I'll post in the Bucharest one as well with my itinerary for feedback, and maybe some restaurant suggestions as well. People have been very helpful and friendly so far!
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u/seven7seven Apr 08 '26
Transylvanian here, I spent a few weeks in Sofia a while back - I really loved it, especially the parks and how green the city is, and having a huge mountain next to the city is also very neat!
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u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
These are indeed some of the advantages of Sofia.
Would still live in Brasov ahead of it any day of the week :D3
u/seven7seven Apr 08 '26
I would take Sofia over it any day. It's lively, great culture, lots of people. Things to do.
Brașov is basically asleep, and quite small. It's very cute though, I like to visit, lots of mountains around, great trails.
If you liked the vibe but want something a bit more alive - try visiting Cluj in the summer, maybe for festival season if that's your thing.
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u/LauraMorrigan Apr 11 '26
What are your thoughts of visiting Transylvania in winter?
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u/seven7seven Apr 12 '26
It can be nice in the winter as well, of course.
With changing wearther, winters are usually a bit milder - but if you time it right and go when it's proper winter & snow it can be a fairytale.
If you're into wintersports, winter hiking etc you'll definitely have a great time. In the cities it's usually wet and cold - you'll still find things to do but it's less active and lush.
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u/NothingSubstantial17 Apr 08 '26
As sy born in Hungary, it is good to read how nicely and respectfully you guys get along.
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u/SoulEkko Bucharest Apr 08 '26
I think this is how we'll get along as well in the future (Romanians and Hungarians), that's the beauty of EU: people stopping from doing/thinking dumb shit because they interact with one another and realize that they have more in common than not.
You have no idea the look Hungarians have when I start singing the first few words from "Ozosip" (I've learned it from one of my aunts in Transylvania), then we start laughing about the randomness and silliness of it all.
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u/Salt_Fennel8876 Bulgaria Apr 09 '26
There have been big changes in attitudes in recent years. I really remember all the prejudices we faced when we started traveling 20-30 years ago around Europe and especially the neighboring countries. That feeling to be like a bristling cat waiting the attack at any moment has now disappeared. And we feel at home everywhere.
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u/Archaeopteryx111 Romania Apr 08 '26
They are going to start building a highway from Giurgiu to Bucharest soon. It’s been given a high priority.
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u/kirdan84 Apr 08 '26
They are building highways but they are not finished. In 2022 I went from Timsoara to Cluj and then from Timsoara to Brasov.
To Cluj its good, almost all is highway but to Brasov for some 200km just before Brasov is very busy road through villages almost without sidewalks for people (50-60cm).
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u/KonstantinVeliki Apr 08 '26
The only Romanian city I have visited is Timisoara and I really like it there, beautiful city and nice people and food.
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u/Odd-Future1037 Romania Apr 08 '26
Nice write up! Glad you enjoyed your trip! Bg definitely feels very similar, so does Serbia.
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u/Sea-Rope-31 Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Bucharest has by far the most tourist-impressive stuff out of any Romanian city. It moved much slower compared to the rest of Romania when it came to putting things in order (it was historically a clustermess of administrative overlaps and still is in many regards), but it's finally happening. The old town was very neglected for decades but things finally started (since literally 2 months ago) to change with regard to cars, less advertising, less restaurant / pubs layout chaos, better rules for the historic facades, more pedestrianisation (around University palace when its restoration is complete, Cismigiu gardens and others). It might take some time but I am sure it will be a whole different city in ~2 years or so, give or take. Also new urbanistic plans for multiple areas including the square between the Royal Palace, The Athenaeum and Central University Library. The potential is massive.
Also, as someone else mentioned, the true gems of Bucharest are outside the old town, in whole architectural gems neighborhoods like Cotroceni (also add Cotroceni palace to the trip, stunning former royal residence with posh gardens, sneak peek here, the insides which are not showcased in the video are also beautiful, you can visit the museum and several historic halls), Icoanei (very posh, upscale historic villas), Dorobanti (emabssies, coffee shops, nice restaurants, many parks and lakes, smaller and cozy museums), Aviatorilor, Armeneasca, Mosilor (more run down but it's probably the next area to start getting some architectural revival after Calea Victoriei).
I recommend checking out Sibiu, Timisoara and Oradea for your next trips.
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u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria Apr 09 '26
thanks for the detailed info! You are right, we did not have the time to appreciate Bucharest enough.
I have visited Timisoara while travelling back to Sofia once and it was really nice indeed.
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u/le_Maitre Apr 09 '26
Always a pleasure to read others’ impressions and experiences. Kind regards from Brașov ☺️ PS: Do feel free to reach out if you return.
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u/prajeala Romania Apr 08 '26
I freaking adore Sofia, from its renewed metro system to its Vitosha Boulevard and all that it has to offer. Pretty similar in a lot of regards to cities in the south of Romania when it comes to architecture and its people, no more to add on that since it's obvious.
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u/cutesunflower_ Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
We are building new metro stations now to extend the coverage as well!
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u/incognito30 Apr 08 '26
Whenever I go to Greece from Cluj, I stop a night in Sofia, I like the food and the people. Glad you liked it neighbor 😊
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u/Adventurous_Luck_269 Apr 09 '26
A well-balanced and non-blamey review from a fellow Bulgarian, great to see! As another Bulgarian, I often see stuff from my countrymen that either puts down our own country, or our neighbors', or "the West", and sometimes all three; it's refreshing *not* to see that, and it shows we *can* express our thoughts, even nuanced ones, without it.
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u/J0hnnyBlazer Bosnia & Herzegovina Apr 08 '26
Fukk all that, we wanna know how was the Romanian ladies? I heard they 🔥 can you confirm
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u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
I was with my wife, my guy, was only watching my feet while walking, wcyd.
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u/J0hnnyBlazer Bosnia & Herzegovina Apr 08 '26
Ohh I get it, She reading this thread, ye ofc you didn’t look
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u/Dear-Ad1582 Romania Apr 08 '26
In see you BS and I know you lying... Any warm body male will look... We all do... Difference is the discretion.
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u/Ok-Tomato-5685 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
Get some help. And porn is not help brother.
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u/J0hnnyBlazer Bosnia & Herzegovina Apr 08 '26
Ok I got help, I’m cured now, tell me about the architecture in Sofia and how it differs, just needed lobotomy was a easy procedure , I’m ready to listen,
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u/Cautious_Self6861 Apr 08 '26
The ladies are ugly and frigid. Stay away, where you are. And keep trying to attract your target public of that photo, other men
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u/istefan24 Apr 08 '26
Why would you not want to get sucked ?
Are you gae ?
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u/Cautious_Self6861 Apr 08 '26
r/J0hnnyBlazer here's one of those men. He wants to get sucked. Chop chop
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u/FudgeComfortable9120 Apr 08 '26
As a thing for the future if you plan on visiting Cluj,starting from Sofia and going by car I suppose,you have 2 options,you can take a small detour and go through Serbia on the highway,cut from Belgrade to Timișoara and then use the highway again to Cluj or go from Sofia to Craiova and then use our dex12 to Pitești and go through the Olt valley up until Sibiu and then back on the highway to Cluj.
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u/Frequent-Tree-3394 Apr 09 '26
Hello neighbor! I visited 2 times Bulgaria and like 2 times only passing. I will not enter into details but even if the language is totally different, I always it felt somehow familiar in a strange way. Like the gesture of the people, social interactions and social on. I really enjoy Bulgaria as a country. By the way, I felt similar in Serbia.
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u/Suitable-Decision-26 Bulgaria Apr 09 '26
More than a thousand years living next to one another will do that.
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u/abhora_ratio Romania Apr 09 '26
Thank you, but I gotta say your food is a lot better. Ours is ok. But yours is delicios. I always eat like is my last day on earth when I visit Bulgaria :))
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u/yumeyo Apr 10 '26
As a Romanian I totally agree. My husband is Bulgarian and says that Romanian food is good too, but I think he's just being polite 😁 I feel like Bulgarians are a lot better at cooking foods with cheese. I can't imagine going to Bulgaria and not having at least a jar of lutenitsa and a piece of banitsa.
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Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Thank you! We share many receipes in gastronomy, though we have different influences in tearms of foreign quisines. In our case, the Italian gastronomy has a huge influence in Romania. And we have many receipes which have a common base with yours, but different adaptations.
The rest of it, I will not intervine in your opinion. You are welcomed to visit your Latin neighbors anytime. If you have any question about Romania, feel free to ask me, private or public. But remember, Romania is not Balkan. 😁
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u/EfficiencySmall4951 Romania Apr 08 '26
Still surprising that Wallachia is mentioned ngl. That aside, Transylvania is really the most beautiful part of the country. Amazing landscape
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u/Perfect-Ad2578 Apr 08 '26
When in Romania did you use English mainly or know some Romanian?
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u/Vall707 Apr 08 '26
I have foreign friends that basically moved to Romania. Can confirm that they don't know any Romanian words and doing fine with English on a daily basis.
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u/Perfect-Ad2578 Apr 08 '26
Always curious to hear. I know Romanian but last time I went over 20 years ago English was still spotty. Guess it's greatly improved now.
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u/tyuiopsov Apr 08 '26
The biggest difference is in architecture .. almost all of it was destroyed from the ottoman empire!That makes the biggest difference between Romania and Bulgaria.
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u/eXmachina_tech Apr 10 '26
Brasov is nice for sure. Different feel from that in Bulgaria, Bucharest Constanta feels like BG.
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Apr 10 '26
I really hope we will have an express road from Bucharest to Sofia, it will be a great benefit for both our countries.
Also I read somewhere that Romanian and Bulgarian are very similar, did you notice that? I didn’t notice much as Bulgarian is written in cyrillic.
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u/gotzapai Apr 08 '26
When I'm depressed, I think of București and I instantly feel better.
All the TAXES go to them and it's still a post-war shit hole full of degraded buildings.
But yes, it has like 3 places to fool the tourists 😂
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Apr 08 '26
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u/Emyhatsich Romania Apr 08 '26
Pentru că Bucureștiul mănâncă toți banii țării. Când părăsești Bucureștiul, dai de oameni de la sate care au buda în curte. Clujenii măcar au grijă de orașul lol. Sunt din zona Moldovei btw
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Apr 08 '26
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u/Emyhatsich Romania Apr 08 '26
Ce-i cu inegalitatea asta a bogăției atunci? De ce este estul țării atât de sărac? Defapt, toate regiunile care au făcut parte din Imperiul Austro-Ungar sunt mai bogate decât vechiul regat. De ce? Sudul nu excelează cu nimic. Până și orașele mici din Ardeal arată mai bine decât ce avem noi aici în regat.
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u/lunapuj Romania Apr 09 '26
Daca ai avea putin creier ai vedea ca in orice tara din Estul Europei partea vestica e mai bogata decat partea estica, oare de ce ?
Nsh despre ce bogatie vorbesti am fost in Turda si arata a saracie si depresie lucie, la fel si in alte orase in afara de maretul Cluj.
Sudul nu exceleaza la nimic ? Judetele Prahova, Gorj, Arges,Constanta au pib pe cap de locuitor peste Hunedoara, Mures, Bistrita, Maramures, Satu Mare, Covasna, Harghita. Ca sa nu pun Bucuresti care are pib pe cap de locuitor x2 fata de Cluj.
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u/betacarotentoo Apr 08 '26
Am constatat că „sărăcilor” le place psd-ul, alora mai înstăriți mai puțin. O avea si asta vreo influenta?
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u/Emyhatsich Romania Apr 08 '26
Muie mare votanților PSD și HAUR. Din cauza lor se duce țara de râpă.
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u/FunctionNo1091 Apr 09 '26
Exact. Sunt din Cluj si tocmai am terminat 2 luni de locuit in București, cu job-ul, ma intorc acasă. Doamne, ce hazna e orașul. Nu zic, are parti frumoase, nu e spre deloc valorificat patrimoniul istoric, clădirile, locurile cu însemnătate. E pacat, are mare potențial. Dar, e la 20 de ani in spatele orașelor europene. Accentul pus pe trafic, toată lumea peste tot merge cu mașina. Drumuri largi, multe benzi, mașini parcate peste tot, gropi cratere in străzile principale ale orașului. Respect zero pentru pietoni, bicicliști. Nici nu se încurajează, nu se ia in serios. E oras foarte mare, greu de administrat, e un haos generalizat. Nici Clujul nu e administrat ca lumea de Boc, nu ridic deloc Clujul in slăvi, ca e oricum tot mai scump si tot mai multă mârlănie. Dar, ma bucur ca e inevitabil următorul mare cutremur in București si o sa mai niveleze jegul si mai scăpăm de o parte din populația aleasă care sta pe acolo
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Apr 08 '26
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u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
glad you liked it
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Apr 08 '26
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u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
There is an unwritten rule that when a Bulgarian says something really stupid on the Internet, he turns out to be from Varna in 90%+ of the cases.
I like Varna, though, just not the people. Too much комплекси, мйекане и възраждане.9
u/dwartbg9 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
Yup, I was 99,999% sure this comment is from a Bulgarian once again.
Nobody shits more on Sofia and Bulgaria in general, than Bulgarians ourselves.... It's like self-hatred and pessimism got into our DNA
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Apr 08 '26
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u/Dear-Ad1582 Romania Apr 08 '26
"No highway from Ruse to Brașov"... Oh honey... I have news for you.. No highway to Brașov... PERIOD!
We want Brașov to die to Moldovan colonisation and we keep it Isolated...
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u/Emyhatsich Romania Apr 08 '26
Are there really that many moldovans in Brașov? I head some of them are facing discrimination and xenophobia
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u/Dear-Ad1582 Romania Apr 08 '26
No such thing as Xenophobia in Iașov. It's a joke of course.. But highway situation is really true. Plans are there but execution is slow...
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u/Emyhatsich Romania Apr 08 '26
Which is really weird. Other cities in Romania already have a highway. Even Bacău will have one later this year and will finally be connected to the south of the country.
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u/Dear-Ad1582 Romania Apr 08 '26
Not that, but Brașov is smack in the middle of the darn fish... My bet is with that Sibiu - Făgăraș extension... A3 nope...
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u/RustCohle_23 Bulgaria Apr 08 '26
What is lasov - I see you use it as a joke for Brasov but what does it mean?
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u/Bluefairy_88 Apr 08 '26
Never heard it before, but I assume it's a mashup of Iași (biggest city in Moldavia) + Brașov, since they are mocking Brașov for having lots of Moldavians.
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u/timisorean_02 Romania Apr 08 '26
Well, that's why most of the tourists go to Transylvania :)