Things to Do in Transylvania

Opened in 1817 as Romania’s first museum, the award-winning Brukenthal National Museum (Brukenthal Palace is a Sibiu landmark, celebrating the cultural heritage of both Romania and wider Europe. Home to the European Art Gallery and Brukenthal Library, the ornate palace displays works by masters such as Titian, Rubens, and Grigorescu.

Influenced by Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya, this Byzantine-style basilica—built between 1902 and 1906—is among Romania’s largest Orthodox churches. The striped red and yellow-brick exterior hides a lavish interior where decoration, be it colorful frescoes, mosaics, or gold, covers almost every inch of wall and ceiling space.

White Tower, built in the late 15th century by the Saxons as a part of defensive fortifications against invading Turks and Tartars is a 5-story, semicircular tower sitting atop a steep hill. The tower overlooks the city of Brasov. Climb 200 steep stone steps to the White Tower for panoramic views over the city.

Located in the Romanian Carpathians, Transylvania’s premier ski resort boasts pistes that descend from altitudes of more than 5,577 feet (1,700 meters). Officially a suburb of Brașov, the resort town is home to a range of luxury hotels and restaurants, and serves as a convenient launchpad for exploring the Carpathian mountain range.

Finished in the 14th century, Sibiu’s Lutheran Cathedral (St. Mary's Evangelical Church is one of the city’s most must-see landmarks. Its soaring steeple, pointed turrets, and Gothic facade dominate the city vista, while ancient tombs, sweeping arches, and southeastern Europe’s largest organ furnish the interior.

Located on the grounds of St. Nicholas Church in the Schei district of Brasov, the First Romanian School (Prima Scoala Romaneasca) was the first school in the country to teach in Romanian. Today it is a museum that houses a treasure trove of old books, historic documents, and exhibits showcasing the history and culture of the region.

Set in Brasov’s historic Schei district, St. Nicholas Church is an architectural masterpiece featuring a mixture of Gothic, baroque, and Byzantine styles. First built in the late 14th century, St. Nicholas is the oldest Romanian Orthodox Church in the country and remains a bastion of the Romanian Orthodox community today.

Also known as the Citadel of the Guard (Cetățuia de pe Strajă), Brașov’s small hilltop citadel dates back to the 16th century. Used by the Saxons to defend the settlement against invasion, the citadel has since served as a prison, quarantine, and barracks, though today the site is mostly used as a viewpoint for city panoramas.

The art nouveau-style Pelisor Castle was built at the turn of the 20th century to serve as a summer residence for King Carol I’s nephew and heir, Ferdinand I. Though more modest than Peles Castle, Pelisor does feature touches of opulence such as the gilded thistle-leaf walls of the Golden Room, a nod to Queen Marie’s Scottish heritage.

Set nearly 400 feet (120 meters) below ground, the Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda) was excavated for centuries before opening to the public in 1992. The subterranean, salt-encrusted chambers now host a Ferris wheel, mini golf, table tennis, an amphitheater, and a boating lake.

Built between 1873 and 1883, the neo-Renaissance Peles Castle (Castelul Peleș) was a summer getaway for Romanian royals. With 170 lavishly decorated rooms, the castle was equipped with the most modern conveniences of the time—electricity, elevators, and central heating.

Sitting high on top of a 200-foot (61-meter) cliff in the middle of Transylvania, Bran Castle is surrounded by an aura of mystery tied to both the myth of Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula and the infamous Vlad Tepes—also known as Vlad the Impaler—who is said to have made Bran Castle his home. One of the world’s most famous castles, Bran Castle today is a museum dedicated to Queen Marie of Romania.

Peaceful and uncrowded, this small active monastery is the antithesis of neighboring Peles Castle, which is usually thronged with visitors. Monks have been living here since the 17th century and the site features two churches—one dating back to 1695 and the other to 1846—with frescos and floral carvings, as well as a small museum.

Prejmer Church (Cetatea Prejmer) is the largest fortified church in southeastern Europe and among the oldest recorded in Transylvania. Begun by Teutonic Knights in 1211, the settlement withstood 500 years of attack, and, thanks to its strong defences, secret passages, and progressive weaponry, it only fell once in all that time.