Romania, a land of natural and cultural treasures, lies in Eastern Europe where alpine, continental, Pannonic-Pontic, and steppe regions meet: the bio-geographic regions with the highest level of biodiversity in Europe. From the world-famous Danube Delta with its precious habitats and remarkable bird diversity to the majestic Carpathians with their old-growth, natural forests and healthy populations of large carnivores, Romania is a country of unspoilt natural beauty, but also of contrasts, where the latest trends meet old traditions.
Romania's rich biological diversity is complemented by its high cultural diversity. This can be seen most clearly in Transylvania with its Romanian traditions, Saxon landscapes and Hungarian heritage, in the monasteries of Moldova and in the unique 'wood culture' of Maramures. Here, as in the rest of Europe, nature and people have moulded each other over millennia with an outstanding effect.
However, just like everywhere else in Europe, new challenges are facing nature conservation in Romania. People with high professional skills and dedication are needed to maintain these unique natural values and high standards need to be set where protected area management is concerned. Thus Romania is a very suitable location for EUROPARC 2008 - the EUROPARC Federations annual conference, from 24th - 28th September, which this year focuses on the them