Romania trivia: 46 questions and answers

Bucharest. Bucharest is the capital and by far the largest city, on the Dâmbovița river in the south-east.

The Romanian leu. The Romanian leu (plural lei) is the currency. Romania is in the EU but has not adopted the euro.

True. True. Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007, together with Bulgaria.

Moldoveanu Peak. Moldoveanu Peak, about 2,544 m, rises in the Făgăraș Mountains of the Southern Carpathians.

Trajan. Trajan defeated the Dacian king Decebalus in 106 and made much of Dacia a Roman province.

Timișoara. The protests began in Timișoara and spread across the country within days.

Michael the Brave. Michael the Brave, prince of Wallachia, was the first ruler to hold all three lands, if only for a few months.

Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected in both principalities in 1859, the start of the modern Romanian state.

True. True. Independence was proclaimed on 10 May 1877 and won in the Russo-Turkish War that followed.

False. False. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.

True. True. It marks the union of Transylvania with Romania, declared at Alba Iulia on 1 December 1918.

Cabbage leaves rolled around minced meat and rice. Sarmale are cabbage leaves rolled around minced meat and rice and simmered for hours, often called the national dish.

Maize (corn) flour. Mămăligă is made from maize (corn) flour, much like Italian polenta, and is eaten instead of bread.

Little ones. Both words mean "little ones", a good name for these small grilled rolls of minced meat.

Plums. Țuică is a strong spirit made only from plums. Spirits from other fruit have other names.

Fresh cheese. Papanași are made from fresh cheese, eggs and flour and served with sour cream and jam.

True. True. Ciorbă soups are soured with borș, vinegar, lemon or sauerkraut juice.

False. False. Cozonac is a sweet yeast bread, often rolled around walnuts or poppy seeds, baked for Christmas and Easter.

Sibiu. Sibiu, the old Saxon town of Hermannstadt, was European Capital of Culture in 2007.

Iași. Iași was the capital of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859. Before that, the capital was Suceava.

True. True. Cluj-Napoca, the unofficial capital of Transylvania, came second after Bucharest.

Bran Castle. Bran Castle is sold as Dracula's Castle, although there is no evidence that Bram Stoker knew about it.

Nicolae Ceaușescu. The communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu ordered it. It was built from 1984 to 1997.

Voroneț Monastery. Voroneț Monastery, built by Stephen the Great in 1488, is known for its blue frescoes and is called the Sistine Chapel of the East.

The Danube Delta. The Danube Delta, Europe's second-largest river delta, lies mostly in Romania and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

True. True. It was built between 1873 and 1914 above Sinaia for King Carol I.

False. False. It is a popular attraction but not on UNESCO's list. As of September 2026, Romania's 11 World Heritage Sites include Sighișoara and the Danube Delta.

1976. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, 14-year-old Nadia Comăneci was the first gymnast awarded a perfect 10.0 at the Games.

Lion. Leu means lion. The plural is lei.

March. The mărțișor is given on 1 March to welcome spring. The custom is on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

11. As of September 2026 Romania has 11 World Heritage Sites, including the Churches of Moldavia and the Danube Delta.

False. False. Stoker never visited Eastern Europe. He built his Transylvania from books and notes.

True. True. In 1884 Timișoara became one of the first cities in Europe with electric street lighting.

Brightly painted crosses with funny verses. Brightly painted crosses with funny verses: the wooden crosses of the Merry Cemetery carry pictures and humorous poems about the people buried there.

Cheese. Brânză means cheese. Salty sheep cheese is often eaten with mămăligă.

Water. Apă means water. Still water is apă plată, sparkling is apă minerală.

False. False. Stânga means left. Right is dreapta.

Poftă bună. Poftă bună means enjoy your meal and is said before eating.

Mulțumesc. Mulțumesc (mool-tsoo-MESK) means thank you. 'Mersi' is also widely used.

Noroc!. Noroc! means cheers, and also good luck.

Romanian lei. Pay in Romanian lei, the local currency. Paying in euros usually means a poor rate or a refusal.

112. Call 112 for police, ambulance or fire anywhere in Romania.

A road toll sticker for national roads. A rovinietă is a road toll sticker for national roads. You can buy it online, at borders and at most petrol stations.

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Romania follows Schengen rules: up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting time in other Schengen countries.

False. False. It is usually closed by snow from late October until late June.

True. True. A tip of 5 to 10% is normal in restaurants and cafés.