Almost half of Romanians live in rural areas, so it’s no wonder that these areas play such an important role in Romania tourism. It is here that you can discover the local origins and traditions, and only by visiting these places can you understand why so many Romanians are in love with their countryside.

Still, despite the romantic and spiritual presence, these rural areas are among the poorest regions of the European Union. That’s why that through tourism, these places can find new ways to develop and ensure their own survival in a world which becomes smaller and smaller every day and when so many places are becoming the same, no matter where you travel.

Incoming Romania Association welcomes the initiative of the French Embassy in Bucharest and the Delegation of Wallonie (Belgium) for helping the Association of Cultural Villages of Romania to promote cultural events in rural areas throughout the country. Since 2014, any village in Romania which organizes at least five cultural events in the same year can become a candidate for the title of “Cultural Village of Romania.”

Last week on February 26th, the village of Dragus, in Brasov county, was designated the winner of this competition. Dragus is the village which attracted the first Romanian specialists in sociology, and in 1929 Dimitrie Gusti, a renowned professor, made the world’s first sociological movie. It is here where “Cine Iubeste si Lasa”, a famous traditional song, originated. In 2016 the village will organize 10 cultural events, a good reason to give it the title of a cultural hub of rural Romania. It’s also an excellent reason to visit this unique place, to meet the locals, to understand their traditions, and to taste their delicious cuisine.