Romania Holidays Guide
Europe
Romania is an absolutely exhilarating mixture of the past and future. The Romanian people are sophisticated, clever and welcoming, and will fall over themselves to try out their English and help tourists – everywhere has internet access, everyone has (or wants) the latest mobile phone. Yet you'll stay in amazing medieval cities, and find ancient fortified churches in villages where peasants labour in the fields using scythes. Your train will pass gigantic Communist-era factories, abandoned legacies of a megalomaniac. If you want to get away from it all, you can hike in pristine mountains or hire a guide to help you find wolves. Romania also has a growing ski industry in the Carpathians, and beaches along the Black Sea Coast – both can easily be booked as package tours.
Map of Romania
Romania
Romania Holidays Planner
Romania is a big country and has several tourist regions. Brasov is the main base for skiing, but it just a fantastic city in itself; it is overlooked by mountains and has a pretty, Germanic town centre that holds regular festivals in the summer – legend has it that the children of Hamlyn settled here after they were led through the mountains by the Pied Piper, in which case they were extremely lucky! Sighisoara is the birthplace of Dracula, and one of the most remarkable medieval towns in Europe, build by guilds to guard one of a mountain pass. Constanta is the main beach resort, and has a long peninsula that's lined with bars and clubs.
Brasov-Town Square
Places to Visit
Bucharest is the capital but Brasov got the looks and charm – however, Bucharest does the Palace of the Parliament, the largest government building in the world after the Pentagon, built by Ceaucescu at an enormous cost and eventually where he very publically and dramatically lost control of the country during a televised speech. If you're at all interested in Ceaucescu and communism, then the Museum of the Revolution in Timisoara is a must see – Timisoara is a lively and fascinating place in itself, too. The train system in Romania is very comfortable, and you're bound to get talking to other travellers in the compartments! Romanians are generally very friendly, and outside Bucharest it's a very safe country. However, sometimes things don't quite work in the way you'd expect – just relax and go with the flow.
Travel Facts
Transylvania-Bran Castle (Dracula)
