Welcome to Romania!, A Philatelic Retrospective on the Most Valuable Elements of the National Cultural Heritage
Bogdan-Vasile Cioruța *
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North University Centre of Baia Mare, Office of Informatics, 62A Victor Babeș street, 430083, Baia Mare, Romania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
One of the most beautiful countries in Europe, Romania, offers many travel experiences that are just waiting to be discovered. The words that best describe the essence of Romania are authentic, natural, and cultural, being a country rich in history, art, and natural beauty. As a part of Europe, Romania has often earned its reputation as a country with special cultural and spiritual values. Most often, however, it has been noted in terms of people who have sanctified the places, in terms of places and monuments that delight our eyes, but especially in terms of biodiversity in protected areas recognized nationally and internationally. The purpose of this study is to present the implications of philately in promoting Romania abroad. In this sense, an attempt was made to expose a series of different philatelic effects. The pieces in question (postage stamps, First Day Covers - FDCs, maximum postcards, special envelopes and covers, etc.) that appeared on the occasion of various philatelic issues, come to warmly greet the visitor and entice him to visit these places. Moreover, through these philatelic materials (collected, indexed, and analyzed based on specialized catalogs and platforms with philatelic content), it was wanted to show that our country (Romania) is not just a Carpathian garden, but a European treasure, which transcends over the centuries through beauty and spirituality. No less than four reference philatelic issues have been discovered for the period 2009-2020, which support the idea of visiting the country, as well as the possibility to practice special cultural tourism.
Keywords: Romanian philately, outstanding personalities, protected areas, welcome theme