Romanian traditional ceramics
Handmade pottery is a very old tradition in Romania and each region has its own type in terms of design, color, shape and drawings. There is a wide range of traditional mugs you can buy from Bucharest as you will find plenty of them from the souvenir shops or book shops. The most appreciated and popular ones are those from Horezu with many floral motifs together with the image of the rooster and Corund with red and most of all blue features. Tourists normally buy ceramics mugs.
Romanian traditional blouse “ie”
The Romanian traditional blouse is definitely the most inspired souvenir you can take from our country. It is a delicate souvenir not only for women but for men, as well. Having ancestral origins, the Romanian blouse is embroidered with dedication and creativity by the Romanian women each sign representing a certain feature or wish of these women. Little by little, this blouse has become a source of inspiration for many international fashion designers like Yves Saint- Laurent , Jean-Paul Gaultier, Oscar de la Renta or Tom Ford. Why so? Because it is very old, it is perfect, with beautiful proportions, it has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and is very feminine with a unique design that wraps and reveals at the same time.
Romanian carved wooden spoon
Even though this is a decorative souvenir with not many practical functions, the carved wooden spoons represent an old craft in our culture. We believe that each spoon, thanks to the carved motifs, is saying a story to the person that receives or uses it. The Romanian people are besides very religious, also very superstitious. That is why there is a wide range of motifs carved on the spoons that are bringing richness, health, good luck, love, well being to all those they are offered to.
Easter Painted eggs
Painting eggs is also a very old tradition in Romania very well represented in the North of Romania, in the historical region of Bucovina. There is a long way to go from Bucharest to Bucovina for the painted eggs, but you can find them also in Bucharest. Do not worry as the eggs are emptied before being painted. According to the tradition, each egg is saying a story depending on the motifs that are painted on the shell. There can be religious symbols, the cross being the most common one, symbols from the natural environment like the wheat ear, the bee, the snake, the lamb, fir tree leaf, the sun, the moon, or symbols representing household and field tools such as the rake, shovel or plow. Painting them requires a lot of patience besides talent and a good technique. Probably that is why the women mostly are making them.
Homemade Honey
Honey making is a very old practice in our country. Our ancestors, the Dacians were very famous for beekeeping and honey making more than 2000 years ago and they succeeded to bring this activity to perfection. Nowadays, Romania is one of the most important honey producers worldwide and most of the production is exported. There are many types of honey that one can buy, each type having its own beneficial effects on the human body.
Romanian traditional tuica/palinca (homemade plum brandy)
The homemade plum brandy is a very strong drink that the Romanians are consuming before lunch or dinner. Usually is made of plums, but it can have different flavours, as well: peaches, grapes, sour cherries, apples or pears. Even nowadays, the Romanians are making their own plum brandy at the countryside. Very few of them are buying it from the stores. You can find small bottles of palinca that you can buy from the souvenir shops or supermarkets but the authentic drink can be found at the local markets where the Romanians are coming to sell this “miraculous” drink.
Glass painted icons
Romania is the land of many beautifully painted churches, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Take home a sample of the refined craftsmanship of Romanian artists with a glass painted icon featuring striking colours and elegant forms.
Cosmetics
Romania is home to the first geriatric institute in the world, set up by pioneer Romanian biologist and physician Ana Aslan, who in the 1920s discovered the anti-aging properties of procaine. Two cosmetics ranges based on her discoveries, Gerovital and Aslavital, are still on sale today, and are wildly popular in Romania and abroad. Moreover, here you can buy cosmetics containing active substances from the Berca mud volcanoes.
Folk-inspired accessories
Romanian traditional motifs are making their way into high-end fashion creations by designers at home and abroad. Iutta, an accessories brand based in Bucharest, is reviving Romanian folk motifs and sewing them on bags, shoes and other leather accessories.
Dracula souvenirs
Saying that Romania is the best place to buy Dracula souvenirs is a no-brainer. Love him or hate him, Count Dracula is here to stay and if you want to take him home, he’ll surely find a comfortable spot on a shelf, wall or on your fridge. If you love the prospect of looking at his grinning face and bloody fangs on a daily basis, you can pick up statues, paintings, posters, fridge magnets and even wine bottles fashioned in his image.