UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Protection of World Heritage in 1972 and Romania joined it in 1990, currently contributing to the list of not less than 31 sites. Of these 31 sites, the Danube Delta is the only natural object while the others are targets of cultural importance. On the list are included: Churches of Moldavia, Monastery of Horezu, Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania, Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains, Wooden Churches of Maramures and The Historic Centre of Sighisoara.
The Danube Delta is the second largest delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, but one of the reasons that included her on the list is the fact that is the best preserved on the continent.Due to its positioning in the center of the migration routes and to adequate conditions for nesting and hatching, the Danube Delta is a magnet for birds; there are over 320 species of birds found in the delta during summer and Over one million individuals (swans, wild ducks, bald coots, etc.) winter here.
The Churches of Moldavia are Byzantine churches with painted exterior walls which resist since 15-16th century. There are seven Churches included in this category of which five are presented on “Bucovina’s Painted Monasteries” :the Arbore Church, the Monastery of Humor, the Monastery of Moldovita, the Patrauti Church, the Monastery of Probota, the Voronet Monastery and the Sucevita Monastery .
The Monastery of Horezu founded in 1690, is considered a masterpiece of the Brancovan style ( which had many influences around Europe) because of it’s exterior design, paintings and other rich decorations.
The transylvanian villages are important because of the Fortified Churches they have. They are very old, most of them built around 13th century. You can find such a Church in Biertan, Câlnic, Dârjiu, Prejmer, Saschiz, Valea Viilor or Viscri village.
The Dacian Fortresses were built along 1st centuries BC in order to serve in the military or religious purposes. What is interesting about them (or what it’s left of them) is the organizational form and the architectural techniques they have. They have the power to show us a piece of what the world was like back then. Six locations are part of this site:- Sarmizegetusa Regia, Costesti-Cetatuie , Costesti-Blidaru, Luncani-Piatra Rosie, Bãnita and Cãpâlna.
The Wooden Churches of Maramures consists in a selection of eight churches with different architectural designs from different periods and areas. They all have the same tall characteristics, huge towers and interesting history and legends behind it’s all. All of them were built on the place of older churches that no longer exist, during the 17th and 18th centuries. They have been listed as a World Heritage Site for their religious architecture and timber construction traditions. These are: the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple in Bârsana, the Church of Saint Nicholas in Budeşti, the Church of the Holy Paraskeva in Deseşti, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Ieud Deal. , the Church of the Holy Archangels in Plopiş, the Church of the Holy Parasceve in Poienile Izei, the Church of the Holy Archangels in Rogoz and the Church of the Holy Archangels in Şurdeşti.
The last but not least, is the Historic Centre of Sighisoara which has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city. The city was an important strategic and commercial center for many centuries and has been considered back then the most important city in Transylvania. It has an impresive arhitecture that stands up for centuries and worths seeing it.
It this moment there is a list of another 15 monuments and places waiting to be included on UNESCO Heritage Sites.
