Discover Romania beyond Dracula
„Discover Romania beyond Dracula” is a project implemented by AIESEC Romania with the main aim to promote the real traditions and values of Romania beyond stereotypes at national and international level. This will be done with the help of ten international students from different countries like Egypt, Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Pakistan, etc who will get to explore Romania for 6 weeks. They will have weekly trips in cities and villages around the city of the Local Committee, in order to get in touch with the Romanian culture and traditions, such as the Apuseni Mountains, Alba-Iulia, Rosia Montana, Maramures and so on. Also, weekly events will put them in contact with the local community (such as attending cultural events, gatherings with different groups of people, visits at the museum). This way they will be put in contact with the reality of Romania and its multicultural and picturesque timeline while practicing their skills in photography, writing and blogging.
We do all of these with the purpose of transmitting the reality of the country and eliminate negative stereotypes.
Dates: 17 July- 31 August
Location: mainly Cluj-Napoca but also other cultural treasures, like the Apuseni Mountains, and the Maramures region
The Cluj Spirit
The hot summer air blows my hair, making it flutter freely. I put on my favorite shades since the sun shines very bright in Cluj-Napoca. I am now having the greatest day of my life, strolling down the city with my international friends, looking at the beautiful old buildings which I will never find in my hometown back in Indonesia, taking pictures of old people that sells flowers near the Piata Unirii and discovering places in Cluj-Napoca, a lovely city in the heart of Transylvania.
Cluj might be not a metropolitan city as Bucharest, it might not have the famous Dracula castle as Brasov and it might not have the most amazing mountainous view as Maramures. But who cares about that when Cluj is now the European Youth Capital of 2015? A city full of young people and its spirit, a city that feels so alive and dynamic.
What I love about Cluj is they have beautiful parks, such as the Iulius Park or the Central Park. I can always do and find something at the park, either just lay on the grass or chill at the hammocks, which is my favorite thing.
Cluj always surprises me with the huge amount of events or festival. One day I was at the park, I heard electronic music was being played and saw lots of teenagers play skateboard and make graffiti at a festival called CooltUrban. It was so awesome and I got along with a lot of people at that festival. Right now, making friends with strangers is my new skill I’ve gotten since the day I arrived in Cluj.
Before this, at the end of July, there was Untold Festival 2015 which is like the Romanian version of Tomorrowland, some say that Untold Festival is the biggest music festival in Romania and being a part of this festival will always be one of my greatest experiences in my life.
Other than the spirit of young people, the parks and the festivals, I also found out that Cluj has a lot of cool cafes, bars or pubs to hang out with friends. I’ve been to several cafes in Cluj and my favorite is Yolka. It is located across from the church in Piata Unirii. All cafes and bars in Cluj have their own signature style and different interior design which never fails to amaze me. All of these beautiful things I found in Cluj will always stay in my heart and my mind forever.
Photos and article by: Adhisty Kiara (Indonesia)
