Banat – where people work and play hard

“Banat is leading the country” is a famous Romanian saying coined to show that this region is always with a step ahead in terms of development if compared with the rest of Romanian regions. Guess what? Whoever coined it, he or she was right! The locals work hard and play hard and whoever sees them working or playing will have only superlatives for them.

There are only two counties in Banat, Timis and Caras-Severin, but they have a rich history. They have been controlled in the past by the Serbs, Turks, Austrians and Hungarians. Nowadays, the majority of population is Romanian, but there are still villages with ethnics from the before mentioned nationalities.

Banat relief is diverse with mountains in Caras-Severin and flat plains in Timis. If you go there do not miss its biggest cities, Timisoara (about 300 thousand inhabitants) , Lugoj, Resita and Caransebes (less than 30 thousand people) , the Orsova streams where the Danube enters in Romania or the 2000 years famous Baile Herculane, which we can translate into Hercules Baths, the legendary spot where Hercules was given the bath that made him strong.

Attractions

Timisoara
Orsova streams
Orthodox Cathedral in Timisoara
Catholic Cathedral in Timisoara
Old downtown in Lugoj
The Church of Jimbolia
Baile Herculane (Hercules Baths)

Food

The food of Banat is the one with the most Mediterranean influences in Romania. That’s because the region is warmer than the rest of Romania in winter and there are fresh vegetables for longer periods in the year. Go for soups and salads and meat dishes there and you will find that the above mentioned historical rulers of Banat left their mark on this cuisine.

Beer

To become a savvy for beer brands in Romania you are obliged to try Timisoreana, the oldest beer of Romania.

Wines

There are local wineries appreciated not only in Romania but also abroad. If you go there try the reds and whites because they're both good. .