BEST 10 PLACES TO SEE IN ROMANIA
Did you know that Romania is the most bio-geographically diverse country in Europe? Or that Romanian is the only Romance language from this part of the continent?
1. Bran Castle
Bram Stoker’s character, Dracula, is a Transylvanian Count with a castle located high above a valley perched on a rock with a flowing river below in the Principality of Transylvania.
This character is often confused with Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), sometimes known as Vlad Dracul, who was a Walachian Prince with a castle, now in ruins, located in the Principality of Wallachia. Because Bran Castle is the only castle in all of Transylvania that actually fits Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle, it is known throughout the world as Dracula’s Castle.
2. Painted Monasteries of Bucovina
In the northeast of Romania, close to the border with Ukraine, lies Bucovina, where the eight UNESCO-listed painted churches and monasteries from the 15-16th centuries are.
From the outside, the churches look like forts, surrounded by heavy defence walls and towers. However, the interior and exterior walls of the churches are covered in mural paintings, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments.​
3. Corvin Castle
Located on the edges of Transylvania, you will find one of Romania’s most beautiful castles.
The history of this castle dates back as far as the 14th century, and visiting this place will almost feel like you are stepping into a fairy tale.
To access this castle, you will have to walk across a beautiful wooden bridge through the ports of the castle until you reach the courtyard.
From here, you can visit various sections, such as the knights’ hall, the towers, and plenty of rooms that have been filled with original and replica furniture to give you a better idea of what Corvin Castle truly looked like back in the day.
4. Turda Mines
Turda Salt Mine is one of the most extraordinary things to see in Romania!
Enter the mine, walking through increasingly chilly rooms, and you’ll certainly see mines with the old excavating equipment.
But the big surprise comes when you descend to the Rudolf Mine – and discover that here, hundreds of meters below ground level, is a fully functioning theme park and recreation area!
Take your pick of activities under the stalactites hanging from the cavern’s roof – there’s ping pong, a basketball court, a concerts hall, ten pin bowling and your standard boating lake (saltwater, of course), and a Ferris wheel.
5. Transfagarasan Road
If you’re heading to Romania, make sure you add the Transfagarasan Road to your itinerary. This is the road made famous by the car show Top Gear in 2009 – and thousands visit every year to experience it for themselves.
The road winds through the Carpathian mountains and rises to 2042 meters at its highest point- making it the second-highest paved road in Romania.
The entire road is about 90 km long and takes a couple of hours to drive – unless you choose to stop for photos!
There aren’t many facilities along the way, so be sure to bring some food and drinks with you – a picnic is perfect and a great excuse to enjoy the incredible views.
6. Sarmisegetusa Regia
Seeing photos of this intriguing place, you’ll probably think you’re looking at ancient ruins in South or Central America, but no – this surprising spot is one of the top sights in Romania!
Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital of the ancient Dacian Empire, and the elaborate archaeological works that took place here revealed three areas – the fortifications, the sacred zone, and the residential zone.
Just one glance at them explains why this place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and why you must visit this Romanian hidden gem.
7. Fortress of Suceava
The castle was built during the late 14th century during the reign of Petru Mușat. It was subsequently more fortified in the time of Alexander I and Stephen III.
During the Late Middle Ages, it was part of a system of medieval strongholds built by the Moldavian monarchs in order to withstand the expansionist threat of the Ottoman Empire. For the time during which the town of Suceava served as the capital of Moldavia, namely between 1388 and 1565, the castle also served as princely residence.
8. Rock Sculpture of Decebalus
The rock sculpture of Decebalus is a colossal carving of the face of Decebalus (r. AD 87–106), the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian and Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponds to present-day Romania.
The sculpture is located near the city of Orșova, in Mehedinți County. It was made between 1994 and 2004, on a rocky outcrop on the river Danube, at the Iron Gates, which form the border between Romania and Serbia. The Dacian king's sculpture is the tallest rock relief in Europe, at 55 m (180 ft) in height and 25 m (82 ft) in width.
9. Neamt Citadel
NeamÈ› Citadel (Romanian: Cetatea NeamÈ› or Cetatea NeamÈ›ului, is a medieval fortress located in north-eastern part of Romania, near Târgu NeamÈ›, NeamÈ› County.
It was built in 14th century Moldavia during Petru I of Moldavia's reign and expanded in the 15th century. The citadel played a key role in Stephen III of Moldavia's defence system, along with Suceava, Hotin, Soroca, Orhei, Tighina,
Chilia and Cetatea Albă.
10. Danube Delta
The mighty Danube River flows 1,788 miles from its springs in Germany's Black Forest to the Black Sea. Just before reaching the sea it forms the second largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas: 2,200 square miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and reed islands. The Danube Delta is a wildlife enthusiast's (especially a bird watcher's) paradise.
The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve has the third largest biodiversity in the world (over 5,500 flora and fauna species), exceeded only by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador.
» The Danube Delta is home to over 60% of the world's population of pygmy cormorants (phalacrocorax pygmeus), 50% of red-breasted geese (branta ruficollis) and the largest number of white pelicans (pelecanus onocrotalus) and Dalmatian pelicans (pelecanus crispus) in Europe.