The Romania Photo of the Day created in partnership with stock photo provider Dreamstime aims to highlight the best of Romania. From stunning landscapes and popular tourist destinations and landmarks to people, traditions and food, this series helps you discover Romania one photo at a time. As we are in the peak holiday season, we start this series with the most popular seaside destinations in Romania.

Vama Veche is a small village in the south of the Romanian seaside, close to the border with Bulgaria. The name Vama Veche translates as “the old customs”. The village has had the reputation of a non-mainstream summer destination in Communist Romania when it used to be a hangout for writers and intellectuals, and its popularity only grew after 1990 when it became famous for its nude beach and non-conformist atmosphere. (Photo source - click on the number to get to the original file: 221296112 © Adina Munteanu | Dreamstime.com)

Nowadays, Vama Veche is still a very popular destination for young people and those looking for a different vibe than those found in traditional seaside resorts. The amenities are still more basic than those in other resorts and camping on the beach is still tolerated.

However, Vama Veche has also transformed a lot in the last 30 years, with new restaurants, beach bars and accommodation units being built. Some are hip and blend nicely into the environment, but many are large and inesthetic, which is why some of Vama Veche's old fans, known as “vamaioti”, believe the place has lost much of its charm.

editor@romania-insider.com