Cemeteries to visit Romania

A strange name for a cemetery, but a fitting one indeed: a masterpiece of naive, colorful and poetic art, the joyful cemetery(cimitirul vesel) of Săpânța attracts thousands of tourists every year. Its originality lies in its 800 or so bright-blue painted crosses, embellished with many other colors and motifs, personalized for each of the village's deceased: they are most often sculpted and decorated to illustrate their trade (woodcutter, weaver, ploughman...) or some other emblematic activity in their lives (drinking, praying...). Some represent the circumstances of a tragic death: by drowning, in a car or subway accident. The crosses are accompanied by short biographies written in the first person, recounting the major episodes in the life of the deceased, his or her joys and sorrows, qualities and faults... texts filled with humor and tenderness. To get the most out of them, we advise you to be accompanied by a Romanian-speaking guide or friend, even if the drawings are quite explicit. These folk art jewels are the work of a certain Stan Ioan Pătraş. Born in 1908, this local craftsman began carving and painting crosses in 1935. He died in 1977 and is buried here, his tomb topped by a cross decorated... by himself. Since his death, his disciples have carried on the tradition. You can also visit his house, which has been converted into a memorial, where you can also see some of his furniture. It is located in a street behind the cemetery.

This vast cemetery is the equivalent of Père Lachaise in Paris. It was created in 1858, on land made available by Baron Barbu Bellu. It's a quiet place, immersed in greenery, really pleasant. You feel as if you're wandering through a wood where a few graves have been laid out. Here you'll find the graves of personalities such as Mihai Eminescu, the national poet, and playwright Ion Luca Caragiale. They lie alongside members of wealthy local families, who competed to build the most beautiful tombs, such as the imposing Cantacuzènes mausoleum.

There are still three Jewish cemeteries in Bucharest. One, Sephardic, is near the Bellu cemetery, on the other side of Piața Eroii Revoluției. Another Sephardic cemetery is located further south, in the Giurgiului district (șoseaua Giurgiului, 62). With around 40,000 graves, it's the largest. A monument has been erected here for the victims of the 1941 pogrom perpetrated in the capital. Finally, the Filantropia cemetery (bulevardul Mihalache, 91) is reserved for Ashkenazi Jews. Founded in 1865, it contains some 30,000 graves. It also houses an oratory.

This cemetery is home to Nicolae Ceauşescu's grave, located on the left-hand side. His wife Elena is buried nearby. Not far away is also their son Nicu, who died of cirrhosis in 1996 after a life of debauchery. Their three graves are permanently decorated with flowers and lit with candles by those nostalgic for that period. The cemetery also has a military section, where fallen soldiers are laid to rest. Across the street is the Turkish cemetery, originally an Ottoman military cemetery.