Vama Veche is the place for passengers. People who think that the world is too big and the life is too short for not seeing the most part of it. For all the passengers, the travelers I definetely recommend it. Cause it’s an amazing place, that you should see it. It’s a village, like millions of other villages. It’s the see, just like others. It’s unique, just like everywhere else.

BUT you will be surprised of the diversity. The smell of the air, the colors, the spirit, the liberty all over it. We live in just a point of the world …. 0,000000001% of this big big world. If you like to travel, to see, to get to know, to live, then come here! Cause you’ll love it! You will more than love it! This place is also 0,0000000000001% of the world, but it’s amazing and it makes more than thousands of other places cause of the diversity.

Within sightlines of the Bulgarian border this Romanian beach resort was kept looking good to make a good impression and became an enclave for counterculture intellectuals under communism. Now suffering from gentrification due to popularity, culture vultures have risen up and legislation has been passed to protect the famous nude beach and its surrounds. You’re not supposed to camp – accommodation consists of renting a room at a B&B or with locals, but most people still pitch their tents just off the beach. Sand, sea, sex and philosophy – if you don’t like the chat head along the coast to more commercial Eforie Nord.

Vama Veche (historical names: Ilanlâk, Ilanlâc, ) is a village in Romania on the Black Sea coast, near the border with Bulgaria, at 28.3 E longitude, 43.5 N latitude. It is part of the commune of Limanu and in 2002, it had a population of 178.

It was founded in 1811 by a few Gagauz families, originally being named “Ilanlîk”. Its current name literally means “Old customs point”, named so after the Cadrilater had been included in Romania in 1913. In 1940, however, that region was ceded to Bulgaria, and the village lay once again near the border.

Even in Communist Romania, Vama Veche had the reputation of a non-mainstream tourist destination, which has only grown since the Romanian Revolution of 1989. During the communist era, concern for border patrol sight lines spared Vama Veche the development that occurred in other Romanian Black Sea resorts. It became a hangout for intellectuals; for reasons that are not exactly clear, the generally repressive regime of Nicolae Ceausescu chose to tolerate this countercultural oasis, as long as people had their identity papers with them. Accommodations consisted of tents or rooms rented from peasants or fishermen. While camping is theoretically not permitted, to this day, many visitors or semi-permanent residents still stay in tents on the beach.

Famous for its nude beach, since the late 1990s Vama Veche has experienced development and gentrification, which has led to a “Save Vama Veche” campaign that is lobbying for the area’s environmental conservation and a halt to development and mass tourism. A major part of the Save Vama Veche campaign is the 2003 founding of the Stufstock music festival, which was initiated by the satirical weekly Academia Catavencu and other organizations. The August 2003 festival drew a crowd of about 10,000. The 2005 Stufstock drew a record 40,000-large crowd, formed by rockers, bohemians,punkers and goths. Many argue that it has become too popular. In 2004, allegedly as a result of the campaign, legislation was enacted, limiting construction of new housing and roads or paving of existing roads. As of 2006, this seems to be enforced, with no visible new permanent structures being built within the preceding year.

source : http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Vama_Veche

But why hours? Why pick a fancy restaurant instead of going to the beach and dance and swim? It’s definitely more fun. Who needs the perfect dress when all you need is to be together and feel free in the nicest place in Romania?

We talk about liberty, now we are going to feel liberty on our own. So, me, my fellow students and our friend teachers frends from the Philosophy Faculty are going to Vama Veche in June! Can’t wait!

I will post these days some of my friends’ impressions of how  they spent their time at the Black Sea.

meanwhile, you can watch this video form Vama Veche the band with the same name as our funky dorf. the song is an invitation to dream under the sea , oh well one day the band left bucharest with some fans and went to Vama Veche to make this video..

“Tavi’s coursin Mihnea took us on a whirlwind weekend to Vama Veche after several hours of adventurous driving through small villages in the middle of nowhere, swerving around stray dogs and horse carts in the dark. Vama Veche used to be a sleepy and rugged fishermen’s village on the Black Sea close to the Bulgarian border only 10 years ago, but now it has transformed itself into yet another resort which was hosting an indie music festival when we went. Still, back in the day, it was known as a bohemian and artist retreat and the kinds of people which we saw were not radically different from that. The place reminded us quite a bit of Mojacar in Spain, complete with beach bars, hippies partying on the beach until the wee hours, teenagers stuck in the 80s heavy metal phase and corny made-in-China hippy fashion and accessories. We had fun here, though we were somewhat baffled by Mihnea’s amazing stamina which enabled him and his girlfriend to party till 5am, while we had to make a shameful retreat around 2:30am on both nights. The beach itself was a nice place to sleep away the fatigue from the previous night though. “

Source: Tavini on TravelPod

I will propose you now he most convenient way for arriving here. By plane. yes, you read right. Plane is the most convenient way of travelling, Buy how come? It used to be the most expensieve one…

Germanwings!!! You know them… the german national low-cost airlines. They have a more than great offer for everywhere around Germany to Bucharest. Especially Berlin. It costs only 20 EUR. Really! If you book in advance it is really cheap. I am not kidding. You should check their website. I went with them last autumn. And I am keep on recieving spam messages with special offers and Berlin – Bucharest is allways one of them

Hey, it is really worth it! Like buying 6 Donner! hihi. You can say that comming to Romania is like eating 6 donner. And surprise, you won’t get a stomach pain after it

And then, after arriving in Bucharest you have to repeat the process. Vama Veche is 300 km away. And you can get here by plane, train, bus, car, bike. Walking is also an option

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “freedom”? Some will answer “nature”. Others will think about music and concerts. There are some to which true freedom means facing their fears. No matter the way each of us understands this concept, there are a few places in Romania that bring us all together. One of them is Vama Veche.

Vama Veche – Back to the Basics

This old village is situated on the coast of the Black Sea, very close to the Romanian border with Bulgaria. This is the reason why it is called Vama Veche, which in Romanian means “old customs point”. If you are hocked on luxury destinations and hotels, then maybe you should think twice before choosing Vama Veche. Its strong points do not consist of 5 stars hotels and trendy restaurants. But it has so many other things to offer that you will soon forget you ever craved for a Jacuzzi in your life.

It is true: you do not have 5 stars resorts within the reach of your hand. But you do have nature everywhere around you, along with simple, but disarmingly hospitable people. The local inhabitants, mostly peasants and fishermen, will be more than happy to provide you with a decent place to accommodate you. Being around these people, who were somewhat spared by the changes brought by the city life, will take you back to the basics and remind you of what is really important in life.

Another thing that makes Vama Veche special from other seaside resorts is its unique atmosphere. You feel absolutely no pressure to be anything other than what you really are. You do not have to dress up here, you do not have to pretend, you do not have to do anything! There are no masks, no anxieties, no constraints. If you got tired of your hectic everyday life, then this is the place to be. Romanians realized the importance of keeping this place just as it is, peaceful and intact. This concept stood at the basis of a campaign named “Save Vama Veche”. It was designed to emphasize the importance of conserving the local environment and to limit the excessive commercial development.

It is clear that the village is meant to provide an escape mainly for spiritual people who aim to follow their passions in life. And one of the passions uniting everyone here is music. Not any music, but songs with a message meant to alleviate the stress of a common life and make you feel somewhat dreamy and determined at the same time. You will have no problem fitting in here if you are a fan of rock and of good music in general. In this case, you will be thrilled to know that an annual music festival is held here. “Stufstock” reunites some of the greatest Romanian and international artists, in a 3 – 4 days show that totally fits with the essence of the place. The event had so much success since its launch in 2003 that there are some that are beginning to feel discontent that the place is starting to become “too popular”. It is totally worth joining this colorful crowd, even if you are not necessarily a fan of the featured artists. It is guaranteed that you will have a great time in this unpretentious, laid back atmosphere.

Good music on the beach

If you want to enjoy some good music over a glass of beer on a night out with your friends, there are several places in the area where you can do just that. The “La Epava” (which translates into “At the Wreck”) terrace is the land of the metal fans. Rock addicts also have the “La pirati” (“At the pirates”) terrace as an alternative to spend their time. If you want to also have a little taste of reggae you can try visiting “Expirat” (“Expired”). “Stuf (reed) Vama Veche” and the “Shire” are also popular places in the area where you can go wild on the beats of some excellent music.

Skatebording in Vama Veche

And if you are the “adrenalin rush” type, you will be surprised to find that near the “Shire” terrace there is an ideal place for skateboarders. Maybe you will even be lucky to visit the resort during a Skateboarding & Urban Arts Festival. You will have the opportunity to show the crowd what you are made of: you can impress them with your skateboarding tricks or enroll your work in one of the stencil, photo or graffiti exhibitions. Or you can just come and take a look around. Either way, you are sure to have a memorable time.

If you are still skeptic about the place and would still rather go for a day at the spa, you should consider this: you will never feel more relaxed and liberated than after taking this time to truly embrace nature. And believe me, forgetting all about material possessions for a few days comes like a breath of fresh air. Vama Veche air, that is.

Source: Adriana Niculescu on Unseenromania

Vama Veche: dreamland, an oasis of pure freedom… you name it! A small village on the Black Sea coast where everything is possible. At least is what it makes you feel. You can be whoever you like, you can do the things you always dreamt to do but you were too afraid to be judged. No one will! Everyone is looking for freedom as much as you do! The sky is the limit, the sea is your best friend.

Close your eyes and smell a sweet breeze of Woodstock ’69! Bars on the beach bringing you the sweet sound of freedom, more or less naked bodies, hippie stores, happiness, the place where sanity has left the building. Feel free to dance, scream, cry, rip you clothes off, make love in the sea, fall deeply in love for three minutes and then start all over again, drink as much as you body can handle, paint, play your guitar, lay on the sand and do nothing, run, embrace strangers… embrace life, embrace yourself. A place to chill and meet your inner self… a place where you can find and loose yourself more than once a day

ACCOMODATION

Vama Veche is the perfect place to escape from reality, a place where ignorance is bliss. You like to sleep on the beach? No one will stop you! You’d like to see the sun rise slowly in the rhythm of Ravel’s Bolero? You’ll find it all here… on this small little village on the Black Sea’s coast. Freedom will guide you, the sea will adopt you.

For accommodation you can rent a room or camp in the local’s gardens, or if you like, on the beach. You won’t miss a thing, from good food to entertaining rock and folk live shows on the beach. There is even a Punk-Rock Hotel out there for all the punk-rock life style lovers.

RESTAURANTS, BARS, CONCERTS

You can always find something that pleases you. If you want to read a book on the sandy beach, and you forgot yours at home, you can go at the Humanitas bookstore, right on the beach. There you can find also your favorite papers. If you are in the mood for stand-up comedy, Club A and Papa la Soni offers you almost every day this kind of shows. You can also combine your lunch with watching a show, at Papa la Soni’s. You’ll eat there the best food in the village. I strongly recommend you try it. If you are in the mood for pizza, you should try La Frontiera. It won’t let you down.

I didn’t find the best coffee in the village, but i must say that the perfect cure for hangover is to grab some coffee and drink it laid down on the beach, near the shore, feeling the morning breeze touching every inch of your body. The music embraces you from everywhere, strong variations of rock music. My favorite place is La Epava, but i must say that if you are not a heavy metal, hard rock lover, you will not agree with me. But don’t be discouraged, there’s a place for everyone… The Shire provides you alternative music, Papa la Soni will take care of the folk music and live outdoor concerts, B52 has music for all the tastes, Stuff Vama Veche is the biggest and the most vivid place in Vama Veche. No matter the time of the day you pass by, you will find some party people out there.

Take a deep breath and think of what you just read… Now open your eyes and tell me this isn’t a perfect spot to release your stress, anger, frustrations, all the thing that make you rot inside. If i come to think about it, this place may be taken as an anger management program.

Whoever you are, whoever you want to be – rocker, punker, bohemian, gothic – there’s always place for you here… Come once and you’ll want to come again, as often as possible. It’s not only the beauty of this place that will keep you coming, but the way it will make you feel.

You haven’t packed yet?

Source: Irina Neacsu on UnSeenRomania