Dracula's Guide to Romania

The wake of Ceausescu

 People gather at his grave every year on the 25th of December to be reminded of how good times were back then. The majority of people view him as a dictator who committed human rights abuses and brought the country to economic ruin, but some individuals still hold nostalgic views of Ceausescu and gather at his gravesite on the anniversary of his death.

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The relics of a saint

Currently, the remains of Father Ilie Lăcătușu are located in the crypt at the “Adormirea Maicii Domnului” cemetery in the Bucharest neighborhood of Giulești, where he had been buried. His incorruptible body was placed in a new glass coffin so that it can be viewed by anyone. So if you have never seen the full body relics of a saint this is your opportunity. What will you see? A mummified body (relics) that is said to bring miracles for those that get to see them. 

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Go to a strip club

I am going to admit, Dracula is not very fond of strip clubs because Dracula is well known for his beautiful smile, but it is a city with more affordable prices than other countries. But as some friends that recently went said: You have certain expectations and you end up disappointed in the end. 

Manele Clubs

Maria si Ion is actually one of my favorite places to eat, but it gets more interesting after restaurant hours when you can party. Located in the student area of town, it is a place where during the day you use the table for eating and at night you use the table for dancing on it. There are other manele clubs in Bucharest but we recommend you start here as it is the most tourist-friendly atmosphere. 

What to expect: people dancing on the tables, money being thrown towards the musicians, upbeat party mood and a much better experience than the one at a strip club.

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Going to Bellu Cemetery 

Death is never associated as something that is enjoyed, but Romania is a fascinating place, at funerals you are served one of the coolest desserts called “coliva” and there are a lot of rituals involved.

You can read more about it here:

What is Coliva? Why does Romania have a funeral cake?

But why you should really go to Bellu cemetery is to see funeral places that sometimes are more expensive than your house. This is the place where some of the most important Romanians are buried and the fascinating stories behind them (look up Alexandru Macedonski, Dimitrie Gusti).

My favorite part to be honest is the French area where WW1 French soldiers are buried, some of the soldiers died after the war ended in 1920 because there were still troops that didn’t want to give up fighting in Dobrogea.

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