The country has a lot to offer to its visitors — breathtaking landscapes, gorgeous castles, picturesque cities and towns, coastal resorts, as well as some of the best ski resorts in Central and Eastern Europe. Being a very religious and superstitious country, with dark mythology, Romania has also been an inspiration for so many books and movies.
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital of Romania and the country’s commercial center. Called by many “Paris of the East”, it’s one of the best places to visit in Romania. What we love the most about Bucharest is its diverse architecture — a mix of neo-classical, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, art deco, communist-era, and modern buildings.
Bucharest has a growing cultural scene, in fields including the visual arts, performing arts, and nightlife.
Unlike other parts of Romania, such as the Black Sea coast or Transylvania, Bucharest’s cultural scene has no defined style, and instead incorporates elements of Romanian and international culture.
The most iconic landmark in Romania is the massive, communist-era building Palace of Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului), which has 1100 rooms and a floor area of 365 000 m2. It’s the second-largest administrative building in the whole world.
The Painted Monasteries of Bukovina
Romania has an incredible amount of history, and the Painted Monasteries are one of the greatest examples of Romania’s cultural heritage.
Painted Monasteries are world-famous painted monasteries from the Byzantine times. Built-in the 15th and 16th centuries, the monasteries are covered in colorful frescoes inside and out. These frescoes are very realistic portrayals of human figures.
The monasteries are a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.
Sighisoara
Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city. It has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year, a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July.
The houses inside Sighisoara Citadel show the main features of a craftsmen’s town. However, there are some houses that belonged to the former patriciate, like the Venetian House and the House with Antlers.
Bran Castle
Bran Castle, commonly known outside Romania as Dracula’s castle, is a national monument and landmark, and one of the best places to visit in Romania.
However, it’s not a real home of Vlad III Dracula. Stoker’s Dracula (a popular Gothic horror novel, inspired by Vlad III Dracula), is linked to Transylvania, but the real, historic Dracula can be linked to the region of Wallachia. But anyway, the castle is a great place to visit!
The castle is a museum dedicated to displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie of Romania. At the bottom of the hill is a small open-air museum exhibiting traditional cottages, barns, water-driven machinery, etc.
Transfagarasan Highway
Be transfixed by this seemingly impossible highway which was gouged out in the steep mountains through the sheer folly of Nicolae Ceausescu. You might also know it as the Transfagarasan made famous by Top Gear in Romania!
Fully open only from June to October, the road’s highest point is at 2042 metres: the tunnel which links the northern and southern sides at Lake Balea (Balea Lac).
Danube Delta
The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe’s deltas. The Danube Delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes. The Danube Delta, included on Unesco’s World Heritage list, is one of Romania’s leading attractions.
The delta is a haven for wildlife lovers, birdwatchers, fishers and anyone wanting to get away from it all for a few days. There are beautiful, secluded beaches at both Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe, and the fish and seafood, particularly the fish soup, are the best in Romania.