Amazing places you have to see as an English teacher in Romania
So, you want to be an English teacher in Romania? You’re about to experience one of Europe’s more mysterious and untrodden regions. This is a land of Gothic castles and misty mountain ranges, where the cities are covered in cobbled lanes and churches and the backcountry is carved up by peaks and valleys. Here are five awesome locations to get you started on your adventure…
Fagaras Mountains
The Fagaras range scores through the very heart of Romania. It represents the highest point in the Southern Carpathians, topping out with the shark-fin peak of Moldoveanu (that’s 2,544 meters up, no less). You can see the summits from the towns of Brasov and Sibiu, often mantled in gleaming white snow. Delve in deeper and you will discover oodles of hiking trails where hardly another rambler goes, weaving through pine woods where waterfalls cut gorgeous into the slopes. A few rustic refuges can help you put together multi-day hikes here.
Danube Delta
Welcome to the largest wetland habitat in Europe. Sprawling out where the great Danube reaches the Black Sea, the whole thing occupies a whopping 4,100 square kilometers in the far east of the country. It’s a veritable must-see for any nature-loving English teacher in Romania, because the region counts upwards of 20 separate ecosystems, including vast swamps, lily-spotted marshes, wide riverways, and riparian forests. Birdwatching is probably activity numero uno. Head in to see if you can spot the pelicans and herons and mallard ducks. You can become a Bird Watching Pro with the right tools and knowledge.
Bucovina’s Painted Monasteries
There’s not one, not even two, but eight separate monasteries in the region of Bucovina. Together they make up an immersive UNESCO World Heritage Site. Look for them spreading over the sylvan hills in the very north of the country, deep in the misty woodlands of the Eastern Carpathians. One of the most magnificent is surely the Sucevița Monastery, with its Byzantine frescos inside and wall murals outside that date from the early 1600s. Then there’s the even-older monastery in Voronet. It’s hailed as the Sistine Chapel of the East for its glorious artworks and vibrant color palettes.
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj, as it’s known for short among its youthful inhabitants, has risen and risen in recent years to become a hub for digital nomads. Cheap living costs, combined with speedy internet and an upswell in co-working spaces and uber-cool roastery cafes, has now produced a little bit of Chiang Mai at the end of the Carpathian Mountains. These days, you can hardly move for Apple Macs and smartphones, but the edginess of it all is balanced out by the haunting Gothic spires of St Michael’s Church and the proximity of the moody Transylvanian hills. Overall, we’d say this is the best place to be an online English teacher in Romania.
Peles Castle
Peles Castle marks itself out from the hills above the old town of Sinaia with a duo of stark Gothic spires and gilded frontispieces. Some say it’s the single most handsome castle in the whole of Europe, let alone just Romania. Those are big words, but then you will encounter exquisite onion domes, carved statues in the gardens, and great halls fronted by marble fireplaces. These days, the castle itself clutches the western edge of the Bucegi Natural Park. Once you’re done gawping at the incredible architecture, delve in there to find wild mountain lakes and some of the best hiking in the country.
We’ve listed just five things that we think every English teacher in Romania should see while they’re in the country. From haunting castles to soaring mountain peaks, there’s loads more, so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments below. Alternatively, check out our courses page for info on getting qualified to teach in this incredible corner of Europe.