Romania

Romania is one of the coldest European countries and features plenty of amazing cathedrals, forts and churches with intriguing history behind their past. Romania also houses the infamous Dracula palace which attracts a lot of fiction lovers worldwide. Take time out to explore the dreamy and fairy-like castles and admire the renaissance art and architecture.

Lying on the Balkan Peninsula, in southeastern Europe, Romania flaunts a warm and spontaneous Latin character. The country is packed with charming mountain resorts, rustic old towns, ancient cobblestoned quarters, majestic fortified churches, and Gothic buildings. Romania is also known for its rich thriving folk culture, isolated hamlets, and self-sufficient villages. Flaunting a diverse landscape, packed with thick forests, majestic mountains, rugged hills, and beautiful plains, Romania casts a magical sight of beauty. Green meadows, rocky outcrops, deciduous and pine forests, and sprawling marshes define aptly the natural beauty of the country. Cobbled walkways, chic cafes, jazzy restaurants, add to the modern beauty of Romania.

Romania is packed with a myriad of very famous attractions, starting from painted monasteries to majestic castles. Some of the beautiful heritage sites of the country include Bran Castle, Peles Castle, Poenari Castle, and the Palace of Culture. Other prime places of interest in Romania that have been attracting a heavy influx of tourists since time immemorial including the Danube Delta, the Sphinx and Babele, Cluj-Napoca, The Red Ravine, Sarmizegetusa Regia, Sighisoara, and Brukenthal Art Museum.

Romania allows tourists to indulge in a plethora of fun and exciting activities. While you are in this country, you can take a heritage tour through Corvin Castle, the Council Tower of Sibiu, Curtea Veche, Merry Cemetery, Putna Monastery, and Mogosoaia Palace. You can also walk through history at the various museums of the country, including the Museum of Banat, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, The National Museum of Art of Romania and the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum. You can also spot the brown bears in their natural habitat, sunbathe on the beaches by the Black Sea, and go on an authentic Romanian food tour.

Romania enjoys a temperate-continental climate with long cold winters and hot summers. The country experiences its best weather in the month of April when wildflowers blossom and the people prepare for Easter celebrations. Marking the onset of autumn, September also sees nice weather with long warm days. January and February is also a good time to experience Romania shrouded in scenic white wilderness, offering excellent snow sports.

Which are the must visit attractions in Romania?

1. Mamaia Beach - This famous beach of Black Sea is a bustling tourist destination and attracts a lot of locals especially during summers. With long stretches of white sands, scenic turquoise waters in view and opulent cosy restaurants, spending a day basking under the sun is a must.

It has amusing and fun activities for all age groups like wind surfing lessons, parasailing, banana boat ride and more. If visitors fancy staying here they can opt for a luxuriant beach facing resort and enjoy an enthralling experience.

2. Wooden Churches of Maramures - Built by foreign rulers in Maramures, these exquisite wooden churches were built over a period of 200 years. Dating back to ancient times, there were about three hundred of these excellent architectural creations, however only a 100 are in use today. These churches are all Greek orthodox.

These churches are located in the western stretch of Transylvania and have beautiful styles of long wooden heads and spacious bodies. An evening prayer at these enticing attractions is a must.

3. Poiana Brasov - Craving for a ski ride through the snowy stretches? Poiana Brasov has been voted as Europe’s most beautiful and affordable ski resort with long stretches of snow capped mountains rendering a myriad of recreational activities.

Situated on the Carpathian Mountains, Poiana Brasov Has a 25 mile slope and provides beginner to advanced levels of ski lessons. After a tired day of skiing, enjoy an enthralling evening sipping scrumptious wines and cocktails exotic to Romania.

4. Corvin Castle - Located in Hunedoara, Corvin castle has a very beautiful and intricate gothic renaissance architecture worth exploring. There are several halls in Corvin castle like knights, halls, king size bedrooms, circular and dreamy staircase and balconies.

This fairy-tale-styled castle is believed to be the location where Dracula was imprisoned. Challenge your gang for a thrilling expedition to these castles and find out blood-curling and chilling relics and remnants of the past.

5. Piata Mare - A popular tourist hub in the state of Transylvania, Piata mare also commonly known as the big square. This bustling square has fascinating and dramatic castles, towers, an age -old house and historic monuments with tales and anecdotes worth knowing about. If one wants to experience the actual Romanian ambiance and relish in European cuisines and lifestyles, Piata Mare is a must-visit.

Take an evening stroll and explore Sibiu’s town hall, Turnul Sfatului, statue of Gheorghe Lazar, catholic churches dating back to 1733, brukenthal palace featuring the ethereal museums and more.

6. Peles Castle: Located on the Carpathian hillside, Peles castle is a European castle admired for its splendid beauty. King Carol I constructed this Neo-Renaissance castle while on vacation here in the 1860s. You can admire the fairytale-like look of this one of the most beautiful castles of Europe.

The king's collection of 4,000 weapons shows his military inclinations, and the queen's frescoed movie theatre reflects her taste in art. Furthermore, the first movie that was ever shown in Romania aired here. 

7. Narcissus Valley: Located in the outskirts of Khust, thousands of tourists visit this valley annually to delight in the fragrance of the blooming flowers.At 200 metres above sea level, Narcissus Valley is a deserted area of Ukraine. It is the only site in the world where you can witness the flowers like Crocus Heuffelianus and Spring Snowflake and get indulged in the beauty.

The unique site holds ecological and aesthetic importance as it is the only place in Central Europe that contains the largest population of narrow leafed Narcissus. The plant is listed as a vulnerable species in the national red list.


8. Bran Castle: Bran Castle is a National monument in Transylvania and also regarded as Dracula’s landmark. The castle, a famous sight in Romania, peeks up from a hillside covered with trees not far from Brasov. This 13th-century castle now serves as a museum to display the art and furnishings that Queen Maria gathered throughout the course of her reign.

You can also discover an outdoor museum with pleasant structures and artefacts from all around Romania located here. The castle exhibits Vlad the Impaler, Bram Stoker, and Romanian vampire mythology.

Which are the famous things to do in Romania?

1. Visit Dracula’s Castle - Located at a distance of 25 kilometres from Brasov, Bran castle is known to be the residence of one of the most feared fictional characters which is Dracula. This ethereal dreamy fortress was built in the year 1226 as a defence against foreign Invaders in Transylvania. Bran castle has about 57 rooms spread across 4 floors, and distinguished towers all open to public access.

During World War 2, this fort was also used to treat the injured.The residents of the castle were the royal family of Romania, the Saxons and Knights. This fortress is also commonly known as Dracula's castle and thus attracts a lot of adventure and thrill seekers eager to get a glimpse of this vampire-studded residence.

2. Explore Peles Castle - Situated near Siania, this exquisite ethereal castle is the residence of Romania’s royal family with German descent. Peles castle lies in Transylvania, and has over 160 rooms spread over 2 floors and open to public houses.

This is one of the most beautiful palaces of Romania with intricate medieval and renaissance architecture, modern interior inside bedrooms and hallways and impressive engineering. Apart from the peles castle’s gothic revival architecture is for art freaks to admire and relish. Get an insight into the royal family’s lavish lifestyle by exploring this exquisite piece of attraction.

3. Stop By Brasov’s Black Church - Romania has a myriad of sights of interests displaying architectural marvels for art lovers to admire from. Lying on the way up-to the Bran Castle, this amusing Black church is a popular tourist attraction which was built in the year 1600. The specialty of this church is the iconic German Saxon architecture, medieval Roman artefacts, seating areas, musical instruments and lavish interiors.

This church went under three decades of restoration to give away the structure we see now. Apart from this, the black church also has over 100 prayer rugs for visitors. Admire the majestic structure of Honterus standing in the middle of black church which is about 100 years old.

4. Go Hiking on the Carpathian Mountains - These 1500 kilometres long stretches of mountains from Czech Republic to Romania are popular expeditions for hiking and mountain climbing. These groups of mountains house a plethora of vibrant flora and fauna of Europe like medicinal plants, bears, aviary creatures, mountain lions and more.

However, in the past years these mountains have suffered due to modernisation and industrialisation. These Carpathian Mountains attract a lot of thrill seekers annually for hiking renditions. These Rocky peaks render a very tranquil and peaceful environment for wildlife watching, camping and stargazing activities.

5. Go Bird Watching at Danube Delta - Visit the second-largest river delta in Europe and admire the wide range of flora and fauna that adorn this region. At the Danube delta one can witness reed islands, marshes, river canals and more. Major part of the Danube Delta covers the countries of Austria, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine. The distinct aviary creatures found here are red geese, egrets, storks and pelicans. Stroll and admire the amazing birds at these scenic tourist attractions and click amazing pictures.

6. Go on a Steam Train Ride - Take a ride through the verdant and emerald Romanian climbs at Monacita Steam train. These team trains have an average speed of 35 kms and pass through many valleys of Romania. Admire the enticing and marvellous views of Romania from your window seat and order sumptuous European delicacies while you relish in a chill and laid back atmosphere. These locomotives are exclusively designed for photo and video tours of the panoramic backdrop that is covered, giving the tourist a small tour of Romania's most picturesque locations.

7. Bathe at Bigar Waterfalls - The bigger waterfalls are located in the western stretch of Romania and are a popular nature reserve in the humongous Anina Mountains. This unique waterfall’s major highlight is the slump of crystal clear water from the rocky peaks of the mountains into a pitch of verdant moss and ferns. Romania's unique landscape is extremely popular for photography and bathing purposes. Pack your swimwear and dive into the spine-chilling waters at Bigar Waterfalls.

8. Explore Mogosoia Palace - Situated at about a distance of 10 kilometers from Bucharest, this incredible palace’s establishment dates back to the 16th century. Built by Constantine, this amazing palace has renaissance style interior and architectural marvels for art lovers to admire.

Apart from this, the palace has been recently turned into a museum cum exhibition with display of royal artefacts attracting a myriad of customers annually. Visit this royal palace and relish in the lavish lifestyle of Romania’s exquisite rulers.