Today we would like to challenge you to a discussion that will seem… ideological at first. Today we would like to talk about paradoxes, or Botosani; here is why.
Think fast and be honest: what is Botosani County best known for? Don’t stop to think too long! The logical and spontaneous answer will be, poverty. Botosani is one of the “Cinderellas” among the Romanian regions. Investments here have been scarce and most youths decide to move to other areas in the country and abroad.
Nevertheless, Botosani has an immense tourist potential. If Stratford upon Avon, a picturesque little village in England, is a true “Mecca” for all the fans of the immortal Will Shakespeare, why isn’t Botosani the equivalent for those who admire the work of Mihai Eminescu, the Romanian national poet? Ipotesti, the village where the poet spent his childhood, is nearby, as well as the Memorial House Mihai Eminescu, the Uspenia Cathedral (where the poet was baptised) and the famous water lily lake.
Apart from Eminescu, personalities like George Enescu, Nicolae Iorga and the painter Stefan Luchian have also seen the light of day for the first time in Botosani. This is little known.
Have you ever heard of the Cucuteni ceramics? You probably have, but few are those who know that most of the vestiges of the Cucuteni culture have been excavated here, in Botosani.
From the ecclesiastical point of view, just as the highly promoted Bucovina, Botosani boasts with a great number of monasteries in Bals, Cosula, Popauţi and Voronei. The Voronet Blue is already counted as a Romanian brand, but the A goes to whoever has heard of the Cosula Yellow.
If you rent a car in Botosani, you can cross an ample tourist itinerary and visit the Botosani County Museum, the History and Archeology Museum, the Arts Gallery “Stefan Luchian”, the Philharmonics and the “Mihai Eminescu” Theatre in Botosani, the Library and the Poppets Theatre (very popular among the little ones), as well as countless churches and monasteries.