Plastic bottles that have obvioussly been refilled, contain either Țuică or Pálinka. Both are fruit brandys that usually have a high percentage of alcohol. Țuică is the Romanian variant and Pálinka is the Hungarian term. Everybody has an explanation what the differences between them are… and every explanation is different.

Manele is a type of Romanian folk-pop music that nobody admits listening to. However, once people had enough to drink, everybody knows the lyrics to every single song. Quite similar to German techno band Scooter, actually. In public, everybody looks down on them, yet somehow they are among the most commercially successful German acts.

Many foreigners associate Transylvania with Bram Stoker's “Dracula” and vampires in general. While Dracula existed (pictured), the locals are often annoyed when their rich cultural heritage gets reduced to pop culture references. It is worth noting, though, that Romania's national anthem begins with “Awaken, Romanian, from your death-like sleep …”

Mici, also known as mititei (both meaning “little ones”), are basically the Romanian version of cevapcici, usually served with fries and mustard. They are tasty. They are also highly poisonous … why else would there be persistent rumours that the EU will ban them, soon? Allegedly, sodium bicarbonate is the problem …

Bran Castle, which is located on the southern border of Transylvania in the Carpathian Mountains, is marketed as the castle of Dracula. However, the historical inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel “Dracula”, Vlad III. Dräculea (affectionately remembered as Vlad the Impaler), had no connection to the castle and was probably never there.

Many (especially elderly) citizens of Romania believe that air currents can be extremely harmful to your health. Therefore, there can never be two windows open in a room at the same time. Unfortunately, this also applies to busses and trains in the middle of summer. Try opening more than one window to cope with the heat and you'll get some nasty stares.