Transylvania
Some castles perch on mountains, others skulk in mist-shrouded hills, but Hunedoara’s juts out from an industrial jungle. Despite being surrounded by…
Must-see attractions in Transylvania
Sinaia
Over 40 years, dozens of builders, artists and wood-carvers brought Peleş Castle into existence. The neo-Renaissance masterpiece was commissioned by…
Transylvania
Alba Carolina Citadel is the crowning attraction of Alba Iulia. Within this star-shaped citadel are museums, churches and the Unification Hall that sealed…
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Transylvania
One of the high points of any vampire-themed trip to Transylvania is kitsch Hotel Castel Dracula. Its blood-curdling decorations, and location on a…
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Transylvania
Encircled by a moat fringed with willow trees, Făgăraş Citadel is an impressively intact fortification from medieval Transylvania. The oldest part of this…
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Sibiu
Sibiu's Gothic centrepiece rises more than 73m over the old town. Inside, marvel at ghoulish stone skeletons, 17th-century tombs and the largest organ in…
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Zosim Oancea Glass Icons Museum
Transylvania
This museum of painted icons, named after the priest who collected them, is a true hidden gem. Unlike the sombre wooden icons you’ll see elsewhere in…
Cluj-Napoca
More of a living, breathing creative space than a gallery, Fabrica de Pensule teems with just-made artwork by local and foreign creators who use this…
Cluj-Napoca
The showpiece of Piaţa Unirii is 14th- and 15th-century St Michael’s, the second-biggest Gothic church in Romania (after Braşov’s Black Church). Its neo…
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Transylvania
The Sarmizegetusa Regia archaeological site is Romania’s Stonehenge. Only stones remain, enclosed by pretty woodlands, but they reveal compelling clues…
Transylvania
Rising above the town on a rocky promontory, Bran Castle holds visitors in thrall. An entire industry has sprouted around describing it as ‘Dracula’s…
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Sighişoara
Sighişoara's delightful medieval buildings are enclosed within its citadel, a Unesco-listed complex of protective walls and watchtowers. Walking in the…
Transylvania
Five kilometres from central Sibiu, this is Europe's largest open-air ethnographic museum, where churches, mills and traditional homes number among 400…
Sibiu
Brukenthal Palace is worth visiting as much for its resplendent period furnishings as for the European art within. Duck beneath the Music Room’s…
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Transylvania
Not enough time to join a bear hide excursion to see these impressive carnivores lumbering through their natural habitat? Libearty Sanctuary is the next…
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Transylvania
Commonly paired with Bran Castle on day trips from Braşov, Râşnov Fortress might just be the more enchanting of the two. The medieval citadel, built by…
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Transylvania
Biertan’s late-Gothic church, ringed by concentric walls and flanked by towers, is among the largest and most impressive in Transylvania. The triple-naved…
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Braşov
Romania’s largest Gothic church rises triumphantly over Braşov’s old town. Built between 1385 and 1477, this German Lutheran church was named for its…
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Transylvania
Wondrously decorated with carved columns, apocalyptic frescoes and gardens with barely a petal out of place, Brâncoveanu Monastery is as pristine as its…
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Transylvania
The meadowlands and chalky hills surrounding Turda have a secret underworld: a salt mine so impressive, it could be a supervillain’s lair. Walking along…
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Transylvania
The whitewashed and tile-roofed fortified church in Viscri is a splendidly restored feat of medieval engineering. Its outbuildings display decorated…
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Sibiu
This impressive museum begins with re-enactments of cave dwellers squatting in the gloom and dioramas of Dacian life. Out of these shadowy corridors, the…
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Parcul Etnografic Romulus Vuia
Cluj-Napoca
Traditional architecture from around Romania has been faithfully reassembled at this open-air museum, 5km northwest of central Cluj. Most impressive is…
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Sinaia
It’s hard to believe that Carol I’s nephew Ferdinand (1865–1927) could have been unsatisfied with lavish Peleş Castle; nonetheless, Pelişor Palace was…
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Transylvania
Resembling a gnome village, the Castelul de Lut complex has been created from clay, sand and pure whimsy. The self-styled 'clay castle of pixie valley'…
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Braşov
With forested hills rising behind its prickly Gothic spires, St Nicholas’ Cathedral is one of Braşov's most spectacular views. First built in wood in 1392…
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Transylvania
Completed in 1291, this is Romania's most venerable Roman Catholic cathedral as well as the country's longest, at slightly over 89m. Royal tombs,…
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Transylvania
In September 2016 the ribbon was cut on fresh restoration works in Alma Vii, and this charismatic village and centrepiece fortified church have never…
Braşov
Rising 940m high and visible around Braşov, Mt Tâmpa is adorned with its very own Hollywood-style sign. Hard as it is to imagine, it was the site of a…
Braşov
This wide square, lined with cafes, was once the heart of medieval Braşov. In the centre stands the 1420 Council House (Casa Sfatului), topped by the…
Sighişoara
Vlad Ţepeş (aka Dracula) was reputedly born in this house in 1431 and lived here until the age of four. It's now a decent restaurant, but for a small…
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Transylvania
The manicured gardens and orchards of this 17th-century fortress once gave it the nickname ‘Transylvania’s Versailles’. The aristocratic Bánffy family…
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Transylvania
Deva's crumbling citadel looms from a rocky hilltop 300m above town. A steep climb leads up behind Parcul Cetăţii at the west end of B-dul 1 Decembrie…
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Transylvania
From the outside, Hărman’s fortified church resembles a bright white layer cake. Enclosed by its mighty walls is a triple-naved basilica, the Church of St…
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Braşov
Old Braşov was once enclosed by mighty fortified walls, 12m high and more than 3km-long. Built in stages between 1400 and 1650, these walls and defence…
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Sibiu
Thirty-nine towers, each protected by different guilds, watched over medieval Sibiu. See the remaining handful by walking north up Str Cetăţii past the…
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Transylvania
Precipitous Turda Gorge (Cheile Turzii) lies 8km west of town (as the crow flies), and it makes a stunning, if leg-stiffening, half-day hike. The canyon…
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Sighişoara
The multicoloured-tiled roof of Sighişoara’s Clock Tower glitters like the scales of a dragon. The tower was built in the 14th century and expanded 200…
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Sighişoara
Don't miss hiking up the covered stairway to 'School Hill' (418m) to admire this evocative late-Gothic, triple-naved church. Originally a 13th-century…
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Braşov
If you've ever wondered how hemp and goat hair were transformed into Transylvania's traditional scarlet and white village-wear, this exhibition space…
