10 Best Romanian Souvenirs
10 Best Romanian Souvenirs
Authentic gifts to take home
Which are the Best Romanian Souvenirs to bring home? This is a common question we get from our travelers.
Buying souvenirs is an exciting part of any travel experience. Of course, getting a magnet is always possible in an emergency, but we all know we can do better.
With this in mind, we put together some ideas for 10 authentic gifts to take home if you travel to Romania.
In addition, we’ll also tell you where you can buy the 10 Best Romanian Souvenirs.
1. Traditional Romanian Pottery
Whenever people hear about pottery, they are concerned about transporting it without a crack. But, with the proper packing technique, there is no problem in having a beautiful and unique piece of Romanian pottery as a souvenir. You’ll find many traditional pottery workshops throughout the country, such as Marginea Black Ceramics, Corund Ceramics, Cucuteni Pottery, or Horezu Pottery. Thanks to its unique colors and decorative motifs, the latter is also part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. However, we kindly warn you to pay special attention to where you buy these pieces, as you may end up with some fakes.
What is nice about Romanian Pottery is that there are convenient and practical objects. You can use them during your daily routine. Thus, you can buy a traditional Romanian mug for your morning coffee or evening mulled wine, a butter holder, a soup ball, or a salt and pepper holder.
Where to buy Romanian Traditional Pottery?
During our tours of Romania, we always visit the small pottery centers, and our tourists can even learn that pottery is made and decorated by artisans. Therefore, the Romanian Countryside Tour is best for peaceful and unspoiled destinations.
However, if you have yet to buy them directly from the pottery centers, you can easily purchase them from various souvenir shops in Bucharest. To be sure you get the authentic ones, we recommend the following places: The Village Museum Souvenir Shop, The Folk Gallery at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, My Romanian Store, or Carusel Book Shop.
Many traditional fairs are organized in the city whenever a major holiday is approaching. These are perfect occasions to get some tremendous Romanian pottery straight from the source.
2. Romanian Traditional Blouse "IE"
The Romanian blouse is our country's most fashionable traditional item and one of the Best Romanian Souvenirs.
Romanians are proud of their traditional blouse called “ie.” It is made of natural materials and richly decorated with handmade embroidery.
The Romanian blouse has a long and exciting history. From the dusty streets of Romanian villages to famous fashion shows, the Romanian blouse steadily increased in popularity thanks to its feminine and unique features.
This is a piece of clothing turned into pure art. Famous artists wear it; it is seen on the streets, on the covers of international magazines, and in shops. Romanian queens also highly appreciated the fineness of the materials, the chromatic harmony, and the unique cut.
For more into depth knowledge about the Romanian blouse, we recommend the article here.
The Romanian blouse became so popular that today women wear it not only on special occasions but also when working or going on a night out.
Where to buy Romanian Blouse “IE”?
We recommend checking the handmade embroidery before buying to ensure you get the right stuff.
The Village Museum Souvenir Shop, The Folk Gallery at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and My Romanian Store are some places in Bucharest where you can buy Romanian blouses.
3. Sweet Romanian Souvenirs: honey
It is pretty known that Romania produces one of the best honey in the world and ranks among the world's top 10 great producers. Honeymaking has a long tradition in our country. That is why a small jar of honey is an excellent option as a sweet souvenir. The benefits for health are plenty.
Where to buy Romanian honey?
There are plenty of places where you can buy Romanian honey. Of course, the most convenient place is the supermarket.
However, visiting the farmers’ market is indeed the best option. Not only can you buy the honey directly from the local producers, but you also get to support local farmers and small, sustainable businesses. During our Authentic Bucharest Tour, we visit one of the largest farmers’ markets in Eastern Europe, Obor Market. A visit here is a travel experience itself, as this is the right spot to observe where the locals come to buy their fresh products. In addition, you can interact with the local farmers and taste some of the fruits, vegetables, and honey.
4. Romanian fruit jams
Romanians are nuts about homemade fruit jams. It is common to put some jam on a warm buttered slice of bread or just have it on a cracker. Also, the jam makes the rice pudding tastier and the doughnuts sweeter. Women used to offer their guests homemade jams on a small plate with a glass of water. We can make original jams: from sweet fruits like plums, pears, apricots, and peaches to sour fruits like sour cherries or forest berries. You will also find onion jam, chili pepper jam, and our favorite, the unique walnut jam. No matter the taste, fruit jams are definitely one of the Best Romanian Souvenirs.
Where to buy Romanian fruit jams?
In the countryside, women still make their fruit jams, but in the cities, it is more convenient to buy from the supermarkets or, even better, from the farmers’ markets.
The most popular brands are Topoloveni and Raureni. You can also purchase them online. But the best ones are probably made by the local farmers who sell them in the markets.
So, once again, the farmers’ markets are the best places to purchase the best Romanian Fruits Jams.
5. Romanian Souvenirs: books and postcards
Today, you can purchase books from all over the world, hardcover or digital. However, nothing can replace that typical visit to a lovely bookshop, the smell of books, and browsing the pages of your favorite authors. Postcards are also an old-fashioned but lovely option. Whichever you will choose, it will be a tremendous Romanian Souvenir wrapped in a story.
In the past years, the bookshops in Bucharest included a fair number of books about Romania in English. There are history, travel, and art books written by Romanian and foreign authors. Here are some titles you will enjoy reading:
- “Along the enchanted way - A Story of Love and Life in Romania” by William Blacker
- “In Europe’s Shadow - Two Cold Wars and a Thirty-Year Journey Through Romania and Beyond” by Robert D. Kaplan
- “Athene Palace” by Rose Waldeck
- “Journey to Romania” by Sir Sacheverell Sitwell
- “Bottled Goods” by Sophie Van Llewyn
- “Blue River, Black Sea” by Andrew Eames
- “Romania: Borderland of Europe” by Lucian Boia
Where to buy books about Romania?
The best bookshops in Bucharest are Carturesti Carusel, conveniently located in Bucharest's old town, Carturesti Verona, Carturesti&Friends, Humanitas Cismigiu, Mihai Eminescu and Humanitas Kretzulescu.
6. Romanian wine
So far, we mentioned some sweet gifts you can take back home from our country. Now, it is time to tell you about another taste you can take with you, a noble taste, one of the Best Romanian Souvenirs: Romanian wine.
After the communist regime, many investments were made in winemaking and building new wine cellars nationwide. Given the geographic position and soil quality, the wine industry had all the data to flourish. And it did so. Romanian wines are awarded not only at the national competitions but also abroad. During our tours, we stop at small wine cellars run by young families and learn about the local wines and the winemaking process. In the villages, men boast about homemade wine and sell it locally or in the farmers’ market.
The most famous Romanian wines are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In addition, Pinot Noir wines, produced with great difficulty, flourish in Romania. We also mention Feteasca Neagra, Busuioaca de Bohotin, Tamaioasa Romanesca, and Grasa de Cotnari.
Where to buy Romanian wines?
You can find wine in all grocery stores and many supermarkets. You will also find a great selection in the dedicated wine shops/bars and restaurants.
As for visiting wine cellars, we mention some with their Romanian wines worth seeking out (there are many, many more):
- Macin wine cellar
- Conacul Vinalia
- Crama Lacerta
- Dagon Winery
- Vitis Metamorfis
- Domeniul Dragasani
- Villa Vinea
- Crama Oprisor
- Cramele Recas
- Cotnari wine cellar
Here you can read more about the Romanian wines.
7. Romanian plum brandy
One of the Best Romanian Souvenirs is the plum brandy called “țuică” or “pălincă.” It is considered Romania’s national drink, and we can say that it is more popular even than wine. It is a strong drink obtained from fruits, mainly plums, apricots, or apples. You can have it at any traditional restaurant in Romania and take some bottles as gifts. Either way, we recommend caution on how much you drink so that you'll have a nice memory from Romania and not a hangover.
Where to buy Romanian plum brandy?
You can buy țuica from most supermarkets. One of the most-known brands is Zetea. It is also possible to find it at local traditional fairs or harvest festivals in big or small cities and souvenir shops.
Here you can read more about the Romanian plum brandy.
8. Easter Painted Eggs
Another beautiful Romanian Souvenir, and quite unique, is the Easter Egg. In the Northern part of Romania, in Bucovina, people paint eggs for Easter. The artisans draw intricate models and use bright colors. Each drawing has a specific message according to the symbols used. If you are afraid the eggs will crack in your luggage, consider buying a wooden egg.
Where to buy Easter Painted Eggs?
The Village Museum Souvenir Shop, The Folk Gallery at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and My Romanian Store are some places in Bucharest where you can buy Easter Painted Eggs.
9. Traditional Romanian masks
Traditional Romanian masks can make a great souvenir. Of course, they occupy a bit more space in the luggage, but if you wish to scare bad luck away, these masks are just what you need.
Traditional Romanian masks represent real or fantastic animals, characters from the everyday or imaginary world. The mask is used in customs, rituals, or dances, depending on the time of year and the popular calendar. Among the most famous folk masks are those specific to winter traditions
According to local beliefs, men used to wear them on New Year’s Eve and perform a ritualic dance to scare the bad luck away and enjoy a prosperous New Year.
Where to buy Traditional Romanian masks?
You can find the Traditional Romanian masks in Bucharest at The Village Museum Souvenir Shop or the Folk Gallery of the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.
10. Unique Romanian souvenirs: traditional spoons
Wood carving is a traditional craft in Romania. Men used to carve different objects for the house (small tables, chairs, spoons, bowls), and then they turned this activity into art.
The most famous wood carvings are the wooden spoons. They have intricate models and symbolize different aspects of life, human relations, faith, and love.
Where to buy Traditional wooden spoons?
The best place to see how these spoons are made is in Sighisoara's old citadel, next to The Clock Tower at the Spoonman’s Shop. If you are lucky, you can find Mark, the craftsman, to explain how he makes these spoons and the motifs he uses. So whether you are a local or a foreigner touring the country, you’ll have an authentic souvenir from Romania wrapped in a story. You can read more about the Spoonman here.
But, if you cannot reach Sighisoara, you can always find these beautiful wooden spoons in Bucharest at The Village Museum Souvenir Shop or The Folk Gallery at the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.
These are our recommendations for the 10 Best Romanian Souvenirs we think you'd like to take. Each one represents a small part of our country and a way of supporting local communities.
*Covinnus Travel takes no vendor commissions and always protects its clients' interests. In addition, we promote authentic traditional art and local artists.
Best selling tours:
Treasures of Romania Tour
Treasures of Romania & Bulgaria Tour
Valentina Marinescu
Travel is my first name. If my passion for traveling involves a bike, it's even better. And if the day ends with a good book and a dry red glass of wine, then I live in a paradise.
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