Throughout Romania there is a new wave of rediscovering and returning to the traditional values and artisan crafts. In recent years, UNESCO has listed quite a few of our unique contributions to the European heritage. Some of them are regions, sites or buildings, others are skills, dances or songs.
The fascinating eco-system that is the Danube Delta is unique in Europe for its diverse biosphere and is home to a record number of bird, plant and fish species. It is part of the territory of an old Neolithic culture called Hamangia, where later on the Persians, Greeks, and the Genovese built settlements and diversified their trade. It is a stunningly wild and fascinating region from where Romanians used to export caviar to cities like Budapest and Vienna. Perhaps less glamorous but still important, the smoked Black Sea fish Pontic shad, or Scrumbia de Dunăre Afumată, has gained PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status.
The Carpathia mountains dominate the landscape in Romania, with more than half of their surface being in our country. Their beech forests are considered to be primeval and untouched by human intervention. They have UNESCO status for being part of just a few similar forests in Europe, populated with brown bears, wolves, chamois and lynx. The Haţeg National Park is listed too for its fossils of a dwarf species of dinosaur that used to live in this part of Europe.
The Ibăneşti Cheese is the first Romanian cheese to have received protected designation of origin for its high levels of calcium and magnesium content, and for being preserved in a salt spring water unique to this Carpathian region.
Sites such as the ancient capital of our Dacian ancestors Sarmisegetuza, and the Saxon towns of Transylvania are also listed by UNESCO. The Saxon communities have a long history in Transylvania, being sent there by the Austrian and Magyar kings to form a bulwark against the infidel, to build fortified villages and churches, and to organise the area economically. They have created a network of beautiful towns such as Braşov, Sibiu, Sighişoara, and more than 250 villages. One of our most loved charcuterie products originating from this region is Salam de Sibiu.
Two types of Romanian churches are on the UNESCO list – the wooden churches of Maramureş and the painted monasteries in Bucovina. The former are recognised by their slim clock towers and double roofs, representing an intriguing cross between the religious Orthodox architectural style and the gothic style. The latter are famous across the world for their richly-coloured frescoes of Suceviţa and Voroneţ. They made writer Sir Sacheverell Sitwell fall completely in love with them when he visited in 1938.
Last but not least, traditional styles of music, pottery and embroidery have been granted UNESCO status. Doina is a style of song about the feeling of loss and longing for love, family home or happiness. The Horezu pottery or the rugs of Oltenia are still made today following techniques and patterns used hundreds of years ago. Henri Matisse painted La blouse roumaine, featuring our traditional blouse made of cotton and embroidered by hand in intricate patterns. The work became an icon for traditional eastern European art throughout the world.