In my travels, I find large and small wonders almost everywhere. But, um, Romania isn’t doing it for me, although I guess it should. The capital, Bucharest, is full of beautiful historic buildings. Its Old Town is gorgeous and lively, with a lot of young people hanging out at cafes and bars. And the Romanian countryside is spectacular, with forests and mountains and charming villages. But….
…after being here more than a week, something feels off. I don’t see a lot of smiling. I don’t get a sense of pride or traditions or community.
I wonder whether Romania’s recent history explains some of this. To begin with, everyone here over the age of 40 probably lives with memories of brutality and poverty. Between 1965 and 1989, Romania was lead by a brutal dictator, Nickolae Ceausescu. After a popular uprising in 1989, Ceausescu was unseated and then publicly executed with his wife (on Christmas Day in a Catholic country, oy). Thousands died during the revolution and the economy worsened during the political transition to a more democratic system.
Since then, most Romanians haven’t seen much improvement in their financial circumstances. The standard of living is low and income inequality appears to be shifting national politics to the far right. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/20/romania-far-right-calin-georgescu-barred-presidential-election Maybe it makes sense that the culture here feels a little serious.
I recognize that my attitude might also explain some of it. Maybe my perspective is off. Maybe I’m not smiling enough. (In fact, I’m getting a tired of traveling alone). So I went out looking for little pockets of sunshine and, of course, I found some. In Romania’s National Museum of Art, where most of the paintings are stern and dark, a few are yellow and red.
In Bucharest’s grey and austere streets, there are a few playful murals.
I heard a gorgeous mass with Gregorian chants at this little monastery near my hotel.
And my accommodation is fun! The Moxy Hotel’s lobby has loud music, funky furniture, and goofy art. The young people at the desk are always cheerful. Maybe everybody needs a little more Moxy.
Create like a god, command like a king, work like a slave.
— Constantin Brancusi (Romania’s famous sculptor)
Camino Milagro 
We loved Romania, but not Bucharest. I hope you get out to see more of the country, the people in the towns and villages are wonderful. Maggie
Ah so it’s not just me! I did get to Brasov, which I really enjoyed. The train ride was lovely.
My travels in Europe over the years left me feeling that the further East I traveled, the more gray and grim things (like buildings) and people (older than 30) appeared to me. Others with whom I travelled felt the same way. There were exceptions from this generalization, but overall that’s been the “sense of place and people” I’ve retained.
I think this may be a legacy of the USSR’s lengthy time of totalitarianism over its dominions, but that’s just a guess. Do “brutalism” in architecture and brutalism in governance go hand in hand?
Or maybe it’s the lasting legacy of the destruction and death that occurred in the places and among the peoples in Eastern Europe during the Second World War? Maybe, but one doesn’t get that sense in other places in Western Europe that experienced massive devastation and deaths, so I dunno’.
Regardless, that “gray and grim” feeling was palpable.
I also love the Modigliani-like painting you shared. I’m a big fan of his work.
OMG I’m sure it was worse when you were there. I saw a little Brutalist architecture, (including that weird statue with the potato), but a lot of the center is still the old “French New Classicism” style and some art deco.
It’s not you. I’ve been there. My sister lived there. When all is said and done it may take the older generations that experienced the bad times and difficult transitions dieing off before the younger generations can carry on happy, hopefull and optimistic futures without their grandparents etc and parents discouraging them at every turn. We heard many others say the above, too.
Have you been to Hungary? Their communist leaders weren’t as bad as in Romania. Also, Hungary made the transitions well. Budapest is fascinating. The younger people seemed entrepreneurial, optimistic and more friendly to tourists than older people. Wish we had explored more towns in Hungary.
Sad that Romania has not yet recovered from its 20th century trauma. I’ve been to Hungary and I felt the same thing you describe. It’s much more upbeat. Hungary has also done a good job of trying to reconcile with its past by creating memorials and museums. I traveled through the “cowboy country” in Hungary and absolutely loved it. Lots of traditions and horses.
Oh good, your past Hungary experience sounds like it was incredible. Look forward to your next blog update.
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Kim, I love when you share your spontaneous unease when visiting a place. I’ve discovered that brutality has a way of infusing the surviving physical structures of the time.
I’m glad you mentioned my unease. I re-wrote this so many times so I didn’t sound like I was just complaining! I think you are right — our past is always with us
No need for concern, Kim 🙂 Your readers know that you’re not someone who loves to complain. Few visitors to foreign places, promoting tourism, are able to perceive/sense the negative vibes of the local population.
Kim, thanks for this share and for being honest about traveling alone. I love doing it but there are some nights when dining alone that I just want to be sitting across from a friend comparing notes on what we’ve experienced. The 3 Romanian men I’ve known in my life still bear the scars of growing up there. One is my dear neighbor here in Hawaii who was detained for 4 years in a UN refugee camp after being arrested and finally released to a sponsor church on the mainland. He made a life for himself with a wife and 2 well adjusted kids. But now in his mid 60’s, he’s a total workaholic which is quite rare for here in the poorest part of Hawaii where we like to play and recreate. Keep the posts coming!
Fascinating about your friend. I hope he has been able to find joy and peace. And a friend from San Miguel will be joining me in Greece next week! So happy.
Wow, everything looks wonderful, and you captured everything with your words and photos so well! 😊
Stunning!!! There’s so much to discover!!!
Yes, always surprises everywhere I go!
Kim, Sorry to hear about the disappointment Romania has been. After so many wonderful discoveries you’ve shared, I believe you’re returning to ‘normal’ living with ups and downs…
C
I’m sure Romania has its magic — sometimes there just isn’t a match in the moment!
A friend was the Chilean Ambassador to Romania, and she spoke highly of if. I also had a Romanian neighbour, and she recounted its beauty… In Spanish, there’s a saying, Cada cabeza es un mundo, meaning something like each head sees/thinks differently… Not everything is for everybody…
C
I love that saying! And yes, all my tiktok traveler “friends” love Romania.