Things to do in  Romania

Romania is best known for Transyvlvania, a mist-shrouded region of cliff top castles and Gothic churches associated with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It’s also famous for natural highlights such as the Danube Delta and the Carpathian Mountains, and UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Sighisoara Citadel and the Churches of Moldavia.

Bran Castle and Peles Castle in Transylvania both top the list of Romania’s most visited attractions, closely followed by the sprawling Palace of Parliament in the capital city of Bucharest and by the Merry Cemetery in the small village of Săpânța, where tombstones are hand-carved and painted in bright colors.

Romania boasts a whopping nine UNESCO World Heritage sites—two are natural wonders and seven are cultural. Some of the most famous include the Sighisoara Citadel and Saxon village of Biertan in Transylvania; the Danube Delta, the second largest and best preserved river delta in Europe; and the 17th-century Horezu Monastery.

Allow five to seven days to experience the spectrum of Romania’s culture, nature, and history. You can delve into the communist history and grand architecture of Bucharest, explore the cliff top castles of Transylvania, go hiking in the Carpathian Mountains, and venture underground to the Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda).

Romanian cuisine is simple and hearty, and it provides the ideal fuel for hiking in the mountains. Local specialities include tripe soup (ciorba de burta), cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat (sarmale), and pretzels rolled in salt and sesame seeds. Gogosi are a popular sweet treat similar to sugar-dusted doughnuts.

Bram Stoker’s groundbreaking Gothic novel, Dracula, is the reason Transylvania has such strong associations with vampires. A portion of the novel is set in the Romanian region, which is depicted as the titular vampire’s place of residence. Because of this, Transylvania’s Bran Castle is often called “Dracula’s Castle.”