Traveling is a fun thing but when it comes to buying souvenirs… that’s when we become serious, as this is a pretty important aspect for a traveler: to choose the most representative souvenir from each place they visit.
Do not forget that the best souvenir you can take from Romania is the one you will ever carry in your heart, the memory of the places you have visited.
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Well, we don’t know what to say about Paris or Rome, or any other European capital city, but we do know for sure where and most importantly, what to buy as a souvenir from Bucharest, Romania.
Souvenirs from Romania
1. A Romanian traditional mug
Handmade pottery is a very old tradition in Romania and each region has its own type in terms of design, color, shape, and drawings. There is a wide range of traditional mugs you can buy from Bucharest as you will find plenty of them from the souvenir shops or book shops. The most appreciated and popular ones are those from Horezu with many floral motifs together with the image of the rooster and Corund with red and most of all blue features. These kinds of mugs are not very expensive. You can find some nice ones starting from 15 Lei (around 3.5 Euros) to 30 Lei (7 Euros).
Where can you buy a Romanian traditional mug?
- At the souvenir shop from the Village Museum (28-30 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, From Monday to Sunday; 09:00 – 17:00);
- At a souvenir shop from Bucharest Old Town;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest);
- Mihai Eminescu book shop (16 Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, from Monday to Friday; 09:00 – 20:00, Saturday; 10:00 am – 16:00).
2. A Romanian traditional blouse “ie”
The Romanian traditional blouse is definitely the most inspired souvenir you can take from our country. It is a delicate souvenir not only for women but for men, as well. Having ancestral origins, the Romanian blouse is embroidered with dedication and creativity by the Romanian women each sign representing a certain feature or wish of these women. Little by little, this blouse has become a source of inspiration for many international fashion designers like Yves Saint- Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Oscar de la Renta, or Tom Ford. Why so? Because it is very old, it is perfect, with beautiful proportions, it has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and is very feminine with a unique design that wraps and reveals at the same time. Being so special, usually, these blouses are a little bit more expensive, starting from 200 Lei (45 Euros) to even 600 Lei (135 Euros). What is great about them is that they are very practical. Tourists can wear them and not only put them in a souvenir box once they get back home.
Where can you buy a Romanian traditional blouse?
- At the souvenir shop from the Village Museum (28-30 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, From Monday to Sunday; 09:00 – 17:00);
- At a souvenir shop from Bucharest Old Town;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest).
3. A bottle of Romanian wine
The Romanian wines are very appreciated not only in our country but abroad, as well. In our country, our ancestors, the Dacians, were producing wine more than 2000 years ago. Thus, winemaking has become an ancestral tradition and represents nowadays a real competitive business in Romania. There are many national brands awarded at different International Festivals or Competitions. In Old Town, you will find many wine shops where you can taste and eventually buy as many bottles as you want. The red wine is the most popular wine, most of all the red dry wine and Feteasca Neagra represents the trademark of the Romanian dry wine. You can look for the following wine cellars: Halewood, Dealu Mare, Valea Calugareasca, Jidvei, Rottenberg, Oprisor, Ceptura, Tohani. The white wine is also very popular most of all the one from Cotnari, Murfatlar, or Tohani wine cellars.
Where can you buy Romanian wines?
- Vinexpert shop: 24 Octavian Goga Boulevard, District 3, Bucharest, Tel: 0742 066 029, www.vinexpert.ro; Monday – Friday: 09.30 – 21.00; Saturday: 10.00 – 21.00; Sunday: 10.00 – 19.00;
- Ethic Wine: 55 Banu Antonache Street, District 1, Bucharest, Tel: 0762 207 311,www.ethicwine.ro, Monday: 13:00 – 21:00; Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 – 21:00; Sunday: 10:00 – 14:00.
4. The carved wooden spoon
Even though this is a decorative souvenir with not many practical functions, the carved wooden spoons represent an old craft in our culture. We believe that each spoon, thanks to the carved motifs, is saying a story to the person that receives or uses it. The Romanian people are besides very religious, also very superstitious. That is why there is a wide range of motifs carved on the spoons that are bringing richness, health, good luck, love, well being to all those they are offered to. If in the past there were used during cooking or even eating, this art evolved and the spoons became more and more beautiful being kept in the houses as decorative objects, but with “special powers”. For example, a hoopoe or a rooster carved on the spoon tail symbolizes hope, the carved stork brings good luck, the snake is believed to be the protective spirit of the house, and so on. We can say that it is a Romanian way of wishing someone all the best. You can find out here more about this tradition from Mark Tudose, a popular Romanian spoonman from Transylvania, and here you can discover the stories of his spoons.
These spoons can be found in the souvenir shops from the Old Town but most of all at the traditional fairs that are taking place in Bucharest at the Village Museum and at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.
Where can you buy Romanian traditional spoons?
- At the souvenir shop from the Village Museum (28-30 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, From Monday to Sunday; 09:00 – 17:00);
- At a souvenir shop from Bucharest Old Town;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest);
- Mihai Eminescu book shop (16 Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, from Monday to Friday; 09:00 – 20:00, Saturday; 10:00 am – 16:00).
5. Easter Painted eggs
Painting eggs is also a very old tradition in Romania very well represented in the North of Romania, in the historical region of Bucovina. There is a long way to go from Bucharest to Bucovina for the painted eggs, but you can find them also in Bucharest. Do not worry as the eggs are emptied before being painted. According to the tradition, each egg is saying a story depending on the motifs that are painted on the shell. There can be religious symbols, the cross being the most common one, symbols from the natural environment like the wheatear, the bee, the snake, the lamb, fir tree leaf, the sun, the moon, or symbols representing household and field tools such as the rake, shovel or plow. Painting them requires a lot of patience besides talent and a good technique. Probably that is why the women mostly are making them.
On Easter holidays, the painted eggs are a typical gift to offer to loved ones. You can also take some with you as souvenirs back home as they are very beautiful, small and lightweight. But also consider greater care while packing as they are fragile.
Where can you buy Romanian painted eggs?
- At the souvenir shop from the Village Museum (28-30 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, From Monday to Sunday; 09:00 – 17:00);
- At a souvenir shop from Bucharest Old Town;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest);
- Mihai Eminescu book shop (16 Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, from Monday to Friday; 09:00 – 20:00, Saturday; 10:00 am – 16:00).
6. Handmade traditional Jewelry
Well, in this chapter there are so many options. There is a certain fashion wave that we can see in the shops right now. The Romanian tradition is reinvented and brought to modern times by local artists. There are many unique handmade bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings that are made of surprising materials, and “wear” the sign of the Romanian tradition.
Where can you buy Romanian handmade jewelry?
- At the souvenir shop from the Village Museum (28-30 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, From Monday to Sunday; 09:00 – 17:00);
- At a souvenir shop from Bucharest Old Town;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest);
- Mihai Eminescu book shop (16 Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, from Monday to Friday; 09:00 – 20:00, Saturday; 10:00 am – 16:00).
7. Romanian Traditional veils
As the cold season is approaching, the best and most practical souvenir you can take from Bucharest, Romania is probably a veil. The traditional veils were used by Romanian women in the past to cover their head and show a certain social status. The colors and the symbols embroidered on the veils are very beautiful and, like the rest of other handmade objects, they are saying the story of the woman who wears it. Nowadays, the veils are moreover used to cover the neck during the cold season. There are many talented artists that are reinventing this piece and the ladies cannot resist the temptation of having in their wardrobe as many veils as possible.
Where can you buy Romanian traditional veils?
- At the souvenir shop from the Village Museum (28-30 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, From Monday to Sunday; 09:00 – 17:00);
- At a souvenir shop from Bucharest Old Town;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasants that are taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest).
8. Homemade Honey
Honey making is a very old practice in our country. Our ancestors, the Dacians were very famous for beekeeping and honey making more than 2000 years ago and they succeeded to bring this activity to perfection. Nowadays, Romania is one of the most important honey producers worldwide and most of the production is exported. There are many types of honey that one can buy, each type having its own beneficial effects on the human body. There are acacia honey, linden honey, colza, or polyfloral honey. These are the traditional and natural flavors that the Romanian producers are making. A honey jar is not very expensive as it costs around 4-5 Euros or even more, depending on the size of the jar and the type of honey.
Where can you buy Romanian honey?
- Apicola shop (Research and Development Institute for Beekeeping) – 42 Ficusului Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest, Monday – Friday; 09:00 – 18:00;
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest).
9. Romanian fruit jam
Fruit jams are very popular in Romania. Besides the fact that whenever we are thinking about our childhood, we instantly think about the fruit jams that our mothers or grandmothers used to make. This used to be a way for the Romanian families of preserving the fruits. It is an activity traditionally related to grannies and household women. In the past, the fruit jam used to represent the most affordable sweet or dessert for a family. Even nowadays, do not be surprised if you will visit a Romanian family and you will be served with fruit jam and cold water, probably some simple homemade cookies, as well. The walnut jam and the plum jam are by far the most popular and delicious jams that you have to taste. If you can take some jars with you, even better. Your breakfast will never be the same, anymore. Raureni is the most famous fruit jam national brand, internationally accredited. So, if you can, you should definitely try the Raureni fruit jams.
Where can you buy Romanian fruit jam?
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest);
- In the small grocery stores and the supermarkets like Carrefour, Mega Image, Auchan.
10. Romanian traditional tuica/palinca (homemade plum brandy)
The homemade plum brandy is a very strong drink that the Romanians are consuming before lunch or dinner. Usually is made of plums, but it can have different flavors, as well: peaches, grapes, sour cherries, apples, or pears. Even nowadays, the Romanians are making their own plum brandy in the countryside. Very few of them are buying it from the stores. You can find small bottles of palinka that you can buy from the souvenir shops or supermarkets but the authentic drink can be found at the local markets where the Romanians are coming to sell this “miraculous” drink.
Where can you buy Romanian tuica/palinca?
- At the traditional markets from the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant that is taking place from Friday evening to Sunday evening only (3 Pavel Dimitrievici Kiseleff Boulevard, District 1, Bucharest);
- In the small grocery stores and the supermarkets like Carrefour, Mega Image, Auchan;
- Vinexpert shop: 24 Octavian Goga Boulevard, District 3, Bucharest, Tel: 0742 066 029, www.vinexpert.ro; Monday – Friday: 09.30 – 21.00; Saturday: 10.00 – 21.00; Sunday: 10.00 – 19.00.
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