Located in southeastern Europe, Romania is mostly known for its massive Carpathian Mountains and the region of Transylvania. Visitors are currently discovering that Romania has much more to offer – Roman cities that are over 2,000 years old such as Alba Iulia, villages where time has stopped like Maramures, ancient forts, beautiful old cities full of baroque architecture like Oradea, posh seaside resorts like Constanta, hundreds of churches, monasteries, and synagogues as well as some of the most beautiful parks in Europe.
Bucharest
Bucharest, Romania’s capital and commercial and cultural center, is located in southern Romania. The old city is reinventing itself again after surviving earthquakes, two wars, and communism. The city center is dominated by the massive Palatul Parlamentului government building, a monument to Nicolae Ceausescu’s megalomania. The historic Lipscani district is now known for its lively nightlife scene thriving around the precious yet tiny Eastern Orthodox Stavropoleos Church and the 15th-century Curtea Veche Palace. Catch a concert of the Romanian George Enescu Philharmonic at the Romanian Athenaeum.
Stroll through the lovely Calea Victoriei street to see elegant belle époque monuments and buildings. Shady walnut tree-lined Soseaua Kiseleff will surprise you with Bucharest's version of Paris's Arc de Triomphe. Enjoy fresh air and green spaces of the Herastrau Park and learn about Romanian history at the open-air Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum.
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia was a capital in the Roman Empire more than 2,000 years ago as well as a medieval capital of Transylvania and the place where the modern state of Romania was born. Located on the Transylvanian plateau on the River Mures near the Apuseni Mountains, it is the oldest and probably the most beautiful city in Romania.
Stroll along the tree-lined wide streets of the massive star-shaped 18th-century Habsburg citadel, visit ornate the Roman Catholic cathedral, the oldest in Transylvania, the Batthyaneum Library with 60,000 rare documents, and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Reunification, where the first king of the unified Romania was crowned.
Learn about the rich history of Alba Iulia at the National Museum of Unification at the beautiful 18th-century Union Hall. Just outside the city are two large national parks –the Apuseni and Retezat.
Apuseni National Park
Apuseni National Park is located in western Romania in the Apuseni Mountains, but also includes parts of the Bihor and Vladeasa Mountains. The park was created to protect unique Romanian cave fauna and is famous for its caves, which have revealed traces of prehistoric man and ice-age animals as well as populations of rare bats. The park is richly forested, with spruce at higher altitudes and beech lower down, and the interesting landforms present in the park are due to the limestone rocks that underlie most of it.
There are fascinating sculptured ridges, vanishing underground rivers, and beautiful caves with delicate natural decorations. Apuseni National Park is a heaven for hikers and cavers, but be prepared for some serious work; there are no nice trails or and signposts.
Bran
The fairytale Bran fortress, perched high on the rocky bluff, has fired the imagination for centuries and is believed by the thousands of tourists who visit it today to be the bloody lair of Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for the infamous Count Dracula. History portrays Vlad more as the protector of Vallachia, but that does not prevent souvenir sellers from taking advantage of gullible tourists. The Bran castle is ominously shadowed by the Bucegi Mountains and the Piatra Craiului massif. There is a nice museum with historic artifacts inside the castle and there are numerous guided tours. The castle was originally built by the Teutonic Order in the 13th century, destroyed by Moguls in 1242, rebuilt in stone in 1377 and completely restored by Queen Marie in 1922. There are five picturesque villages in the surrounding hills as well as lovely hiking and climbing trails for those not afraid of bumping into some Vlad’s vampire relatives.
Bucegi Natural Park
Located in the Bucegi Mountains in south-central Romania, the 125-square-mile Bucegi Natural Park protects a mountainous landscape of canyons, caves, sinkholes, waterfalls, valleys, meadows, and forests. In the heart of the park is Prahova Valley, a popular weekend destination for the residents of Bucharest. There are a number of ski resorts as well as an excellent network of 39 hiking trails. Lalomita Cave, located at 5,020 feet, has a small 16th-century monastery at its entrance. The park is home to a diverse plant and animal world, with the protected edelweiss and white ivy. Hikers can often spot ravens, capercaillie, and Alpine newt as well as the endangered wolf and yellow-bellied toad. Map
Cluj-Napoca
Located in western Romania in the province of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca is one of the country’s most vibrant cultural, economic, and educational centers. With six universities and a number of private schools, Cluj is also a lively college town with a long history. It was originally established by the Dacians in the 2nd century A.D. before being taken over by the Romans in 124 A.D., when it became one of the most important urban centers of the Roman Empire. The city’s main square is surrounded by lovely examples of 18th and 19th-century architecture, posh shops, and popular restaurants, and is dominated by the magnificent 15th-century Gothic St. Michael's Church. Nearby is the 18th-century baroque Banffy Palace, home to the Art Museum. You can learn about the area’s history at the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, with an interesting open-air display of local folk architecture. If you can, catch a concert at the Cluj Philharmonic. Outside the city are seven massive walled citadels built by the Saxons of Transylvania. Map
Iasi
Iasi is located in northeastern Romania on the banks of the Bahlui River and is a lively university city close the border with Moldova. The biggest city in the province of Moldavia, Iasi is sometimes called “the city of the hundred churches.” The presence of a large number of students gives the city a cultured, intellectual vibe – modern bars and cafes are bursting with chatter and life. The city center is dominated by the huge St. Paraschiva Metropolitan Cathedral, a large 19th-century Renaissance Orthodox church. Nearby is the Three Hierarchs Monastery, decorated with delicate Moorish stone carvings. Behind it are the beautifully landscaped Palas Park’s gardens, with the Palace of Culture located in the well-preserved neo-Gothic building. Map
Maramures
Visiting the Maramures region in northwestern Romanian is like entering a live fairytale, the Romania of folk stories, medieval, colorful, and ancient. The rolling green pastures in the Mara and Iza Valleys are surrounded by rich, old forests and dotted with quaint villages dominated by old wooden churches with shingled roofs and tall spires. Villagers are wearing the same traditional costumes their Dacian ancestors once wore centuries ago. There is living art everywhere – in the elaborately carved gates, windows, and eaves, in the colorful woven carpets, and in the richly embroidered dresses. Traditional motifs of twisted rope and the sun appear in all the carvings and are symbols of continuity and life. Of all the well-preserved villages, the most fascinating are Sesesti and Poienile Izei, where the massive carved gates and wall paintings are the most outstanding. Eight of Maramures’ churches are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Map
Targu Mures
Targu Mures is an ancient market town in central Romania that has traces of a human presence since prehistoric times. It has been regional cultural center since the 16th century and its first school was opened in 1492. In 1786 the first printing shop started working and in 1802 Count Teleki Samuel, then chancellor of Transylvania, founded the documentary library, which still exists under his name. Today the city center is dominated by the huge Piata Trandafirilor (Roses Square), surrounded by modern sidewalk cafes, restaurants, old churches, and important monuments. At the south side of the square is the 20th-century Culture Palace known for its beautiful stained glass and home some to several major museums. One of the city landmarks is the 19th-century baroque Apollo Palace, now home to the Targu Mures Art School. The former prefecture seat was built in 1711 and now has artists’ workshops. The beautiful 17th-century baroque Palffy House is now home to the Music School of the University of Theatrical Arts. Map
Vatra Dornei
Vatra Dornei is a city in northeastern Romania in the historic Bukovina region, located in a valley in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains. The presence of rich mineral springs was known to the locals since mid-18th century, but the city was developed as a spa resort in the 19th century. The town is surrounded by beautiful forested hills, which become great ski slopes in the winter and are pleasant hiking destination in the warmer months. The resort is surrounded by a large park. It also has a popular casino and two museums: The Museum of Natural Sciences and Wildlife and the Ethnographic Museum, both located in the town hall. Map
