And speaking of being shepherd for a day, you should learn that Romania is part of a giant world (and specifically East European) Transhumance network: for centuries, herders moved their flocks along vast seasonal corridors between mountains and plains. In Romania, an intricate web of “sheep roads” radiated from the Carpathians to Wallachia, Dobrogea, and Moldavia. Some paths even reached across the Danube into Bulgaria and further to Macedonia.

Beyond Romania, long-haul migrations connected Poland and Slovakia’s Carpathians with Transylvania, while in Bulgaria shepherds crossed from the Stara Planina to the Strandzha hills by the Black Sea. In Greece, routes stretched between the Chalkidiki plains and the alpine pastures of Mt. Kaimaktsalan. Together, these corridors formed a north–south and east–west network that bound together the pastoral economies of Eastern Europe. Though much reduced today, elements survive as both living tradition and cultural heritage.

Even today, echoes of these journeys remain visible. Shepherd families still walk shorter sections of the old roads, and seasonal fairs in mountain villages mark the departure and return of flocks. What was once a purely economic necessity has become a cultural ritual, celebrated with music, food, and processions that remind communities of their deep connection to land, animals, and the turning of the seasons.