5 Best Books about Romania You MUST Read [2024 Update]

If you want to move to Romania or just plan to visit the country, but you don’t know a lot about it, you should check out one of my recommended books about Romania below.

The number of books about Romania overall is pretty low and they might be lacking here and there in terms of up to date information a person moving to Romania might need.

They are still pretty solid though when it comes to helping you learn more about the Romanian culture, and evergreen things about the country. Let’s start!

(Note: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this article)

The Rough Guide to Romania

rough guide to Romania

Updated for 2024 (after the previous published edition was from 2019), it’s probably the best written travel guide to the country you can find online.

It helps you discover Romania and it is packed with practical information and honest recommendations by independent experts.

Whether you plan to go bear and wolf tracking in the Romanian wilderness, visit the opulent Peles Castle in Sinaia or go kayaking on the Black Sea, The Rough Guide to Romania will help you discover the best places to explore, eat, drink, shop and sleep along the way.

This comprehensive guide reviews all the top hotel and restaurant options for every taste and budget, and includes informed background on Romania’s history, wildlife, literature, music, and, of course, Dracula so it’s perfect for those looking to travel here.

Click here to check it out.

City Compass Romania: Bucharest & Beyond

This is a really complex book about the life in Romania and things to do in the country.

It used to be updated yearly, but the latest version I could found was this 2020 one. Still good overall.

It focuses mostly on Bucharest, but has a lot of useful information about the rest of the country as well.

Featuring everything from finding a place to live, navigating the nightlife, discovering the cuisine and peasant markets, or living green to Romanian art and more, this is a professionally written book by the folks behind Romania-based website Romania Insider.

Definitely check it out here.

Romania Explained to My Friends Abroad

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A Romanian’s approach to describing Romania for people abroad, interested in either moving here or visiting.

See Romania from a Romanian’s point of view: the author has been working with National Geographic Romania for over a decade, so he’s somebody who’s seen a lot of our country and has some great stories to share.

As described by the author, “Romania explained to my friends abroad is not an exhaustive, academic paper on Romania; nor is it a travel guide.

I’m a simple journalist and this is just my own private Romania – a subjective puzzle of all the things I know from experience to be interesting for foreign tourists.”

This book was published in 2016, so it isn’t the most up to date one you can find, but due to the unique approach, the book is still fun to read and still accurate.

You can check it out here.

Insight Guides Romania

One of the more recent additions to the series of books about Romania, this one definitely offers a lot of eye candy thanks to the beautiful photos of the country that its authors have included.

But it’s not just eye candy! You also get important information about places to see in Romania, including in-depth, color maps, historical and cultural insights, key tips about visiting the country and much, much more.

While this isn’t extremely useful for those looking to relocate to Romania, for those interested in traveling here, it will be pure gold!

You can check it out here.

Taste of Romania

books about romania 05

You can’t know everything about a country unless you know a lot about the country’s cuisine, and this book features 150 mouth watering Romanian recipes that you will surely fall in love with.

The advantage with this book is that you don’t really have to come all the way here to test the delicious food it shares with its readers!

Check it out here.

Bonus: Michelin Romania Map

And a bonus title for you, the Michelin Romanian Map. A must have if you plan a trip to Romania, as this updated map gives travelers an overall picture of their route, with practical road and travel information; and city maps containing extensive street indexes orient them quickly so they can find their way to their destination.

In a world where Google Maps is on everybody’s phones (or an alternative to it, that is), old school physical maps seem to be pointless… until you run out of battery in a country whose language you don’t speak, with no idea where you actually are.

Better be safe than sorry, that’s what I always say!

Conclusion

These would be the best books available right now to teach you more about Romania and help you uncover its secrets, as well as well known facts or things to see/do in the country.

I’ve been planning to write my own guide to Romania for several years now, but never got past the listing of the chapter titles.

So until I finally manage to get my own book ready for you, the ones above will definitely work great!

And if you’re looking to go for a more do-it-yourself approach, don’t forget that this blog probably has everything you need to know, from the best things to do in Bucharest to Romanian traditions, a short history of Bucharest and everything in between.

Calin
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1 thought on “5 Best Books about Romania You MUST Read [2024 Update]”

  1. Loved Romania Explained! Much more than a ‘mere’ travel guide. And therefore not important that it is a little older. Things don’t change that quickly, not even in Romania.

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