Experience Romania's extremes, from the unchanged folk traditions of the Maramures area in the north to the thriving bars of fashionable university city Cluj-Napoca. Stroll the narrow streets of baroque Brasov and discover the eclectic capital of Bucharest. Come back to go hiking in Transylvania’s mountains and sunbathing on the Black Sea coast.
Seek out Dracula’s spirit, which haunts the medieval castles that stud the central Transylvania region. See how Romanian peasants still live off the land in the northern Maramures region, just as generations have done before them. Follow communism’s course in southern Bucharest from the sprawling Palace of Parliament to Revolution Square, where it all ended in 1989. Head west for the cultured city of Timisoara, where the splendour-loving Habsburg Empire left its mark, and go east for the Black Sea's sandy coastline and resorts.
Walk along the wide, tree-lined boulevards past the communist palaces and classical mansions of Bucharest, Romania’s energetic capital. Wander through the small, cobbled alleyways of the ancient city of Brasov, where red-roofed houses give way to Romania’s largest Gothic church. Explore the UNESCO-listed, fortified city of Sighisoara, built around its citadel. And take in Cluj-Napoca, Romania’s biggest university city, where life revolves around its buzzing, cafe-lined squares.
Explore northern Maramures, where horse-drawn carriages rumble past the wooden churches that dot the area’s rolling green hills. In the historic region of nearby Bukovina, you’ll find meticulously painted frescos in 15th-century monasteries. The Carpathian mountains traverse Transylvania and are home to deep forests and medieval castles. Take your binoculars to the Danube Delta Reserve to spot hundreds of birds from grey herons to great white pelicans. Or relax on sandy beaches along Romania’s sunny Black Sea coast.
