Guide to Romania: the most interesting places and famous sights of the country. The main entertainment in Romania, how to spend time. Ice hotel Bylja Lak

If you think that Romania is about vampires hiding in dark castles and waiting for tourists, then this is not at all the case. And while Transylvanian vampires are indeed menacing in legend, Romania is much more than just Dracula and his palace, Brukenthal. There are many medieval castles and magnificent alpine scenery where you can ski in the winter and hike in the summer. Romania has quaint villages and vibrant churches that are painted in a unique style. Millions of birds nest in the Danube Delta, among which there are very rare species. I present to your attention an overview of the main attractions of Romania.

Churches of Maramures

When the foreign rulers of Maramuresh refused to build durable stone churches, they decided to build them from wood. Over a 200 year period, approximately 300 wooden churches, about 100 of which have survived to this day. These Gothic structures are predominantly Orthodox, but there are a few Greek Catholic shrines. Churches with tall thin bell towers reflect high craftsmanship and knowledge of carpentry. These are both simple and elegant sights of Romania. Hand-painted murals adorn the inside of the many wooden churches of Maramures.

Vaser Valley

In Romania you will have unique chance go on an excursion through the forests of the Carpathians on a steam locomotive. Stretching along the valley of the river Vaser Railway The local forestry has been operating since 1932, when it was used to deliver wood from sawmills. Today it is used to transport tourists who love the charm of the old narrow gauge trains along the pretty forest scenery. The train stops in Patina, where you will have two hours to walk through the forest and have a picnic in the natural surroundings.

Danube Delta

If you are a nature lover, then definitely visit the Danube Delta. It is the largest protected river delta in Europe, most of which falls within the territory of Romania. Be sure to bring your binoculars as this is a bird watcher's paradise. Here you can observe many rare species of birds that gather for the winter. The canals overgrown with reeds provide an ideal environment for 300 species of birds. Is here and big variety animals, including wild cats, wolves and even wild boars. The Danube Delta is one of the most outstanding natural attractions in Romania.

Poiana Brasov

When you get tired of looking for vampires, look to Poiana Brasov and visit this popular ski resort in Romania. This place attracts skiers from all over Europe. The ski resort in the Carpathians has seven slopes with a total length of 25 km for athletes with varying degrees preparation. Competitions are constantly held here skiing, figure skating and snowboarding. After active day on the slopes, treat yourself to a traditional spiced wine or try a local drink with spiced peppers.

Corvin Castle

The Corvin Castle is a medieval gothic structure considered to be the greatest medieval castle Romania. It is also known as Hunyad Castle in honor of the high-ranking ruler who built it. Corvin is fairytale castle to which it leads wooden bridge with a statue of St. John of Nepomuk, patron saint of bridges. The symbol of the 15th century castle is a raven wearing a golden ring. While visiting this Romanian landmark, look out for the bear pit and dungeon where people were brutally tortured. This is one of the perfectly preserved European castles that is definitely worth a visit.

Monastery Sucevitsa

Sučevica Monastery has a unique architectural style. One way or another, Gothic and Byzantine elements are mixed here, plus the Moldavian style of painting churches. All this is reflected in a single impressive building, as one of the most recognizable sights of Romania. The front of the monastery is cylindrical and topped with a conical roof, while the back is rectangular with a small tower. Inside, you'll find painted frescoes from the early 1600s and tombs embroidered with silver thread. The monastery is located in northeastern Romania and is considered one of the most important painted churches in the country.

Romania is one of the most mysterious countries in the world. Permeated with gloomy legends, filled with secrets, this country attracts those tourists who dream of opening the door to other worlds, and at least out of the corner of their eye to see unusual and mystical manifestations of otherworldly forces. Indeed, there are a lot of places that are notorious in Romania. But does it scare someone who wants to see everything attractions in romania and witness some miracle?

witch lake

Not far from the capital of Romania, in the depths of the Boldu-Creteasca forest, there is a small reservoir. At first glance, he is unremarkable. Quite small, only 1.5 meters deep, which, however, remains unchanged in the summer heat and during the seasonal rains.

The most interesting thing is that locals Romania has never seen animals come here to drink. And in the lake itself, neither fish nor other aquatic inhabitants are found.
Animals are scared away by a poisonous substance in the lake or sources of gases at the bottom. But other mystical events take place near the reservoir.

Sometimes, at night, strange people appear on the shore, burning various objects above the surface of the water and performing other equally strange actions. There is a belief that the lake is a source of magical powers, and all its unusual night visitors are sorcerers and witches who come here to perform rituals. It is said that even some tourists, being on the shore, feel an unusual energy emanating from the water depths.

Merry Cemetery of Romania

This is probably the most unusual cemetery in the whole world. And it's not about legends about ghosts and lost souls. Sinister occult rituals are not performed here either. Why is this place so attractive to tourists?

It's all about the design of the "last refuge" of the dead. There are no majestic crosses and mournful statues that eternally mourn the dead. Quite the opposite. Each tombstone shines with bright colors, and instead of posthumous epitaphs, satirical verses are written on them. Sometimes even on the graves there are pictures illustrating events from the life of the "inhabitants".

And even if souls wander here who cannot find peace, the cheerful atmosphere surrounding them should please them. After all, she is so liked by living people who come to look at the most original cemetery in the world.

Bran Castle

Even the most distant person from any mystical manifestations knows that Romania is considered the birthplace of the progenitor of the legendary vampires - Count Vlad Tepes, more known to people like Dracula. This dark legend was born in the depths of Bran Castle, which is most often called Dracula's castle.
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If you turn to historical facts, then it is believed that it was in the dungeons of the castle that the captive Vlad Tepes, captured by Matthias Corvin, was kept. Nowadays, tourists come here to look at the place where, albeit for a short time, the legendary Dracula still lived. Or maybe they hope someday to meet him in the dark castle dungeons?

Secrets of the forest Hoya Bachu

In the age of the development of science, it would be strange if a person trying to find unusual and mystical manifestations in life limited himself in his research to ancient legends and stories that have come down to us from the depths of the Middle Ages.

Since humanity was able to break away from the earth and turned its gaze into space, a theory has begun to form that there are other living beings in the Universe that can far exceed earthly civilization in development. And, of course, after a while, eyewitnesses appeared who said that they had seen unknown flying objects and even the aliens themselves. There were even places where such contacts occurred quite often. One of them is mysterious hoya forest Bachu. Many tourists come here hoping to see guests from distant space.

But the strangeness of this place does not end there. Other strange phenomena also occur here: people disappear, lose their memory or fall ill with incomprehensible diseases. No one can explain all these events. But it is precisely because of such cases that the forest got its second name - “ Bermuda Triangle Romania". All these oddities, however, do not prevent crowds of travelers from flocking here in search of unexplored wonders.

Museum of Living Stones

Stones are not usually any notable objects for travelers. The exception is stone sculptures and structures.
But in Romania, even these mundane objects have strange and even mystical properties. They can grow, move, and even reproduce!

And if the first property can be attributed to an unusual composition, which includes mineral salts that absorb moisture and expand under its influence, then reproduction is a property inherent only in living organisms. Is it possible that there is another, inorganic form of life on our planet? So far, scientists have remained silent. But on the other hand, every tourist can come to Romania and admire the tromantes (the so-called "living" stones), which are located in the museum of the village of Costesti.

Shrouded in mystery, Romania never ceases to attract tourists. And even if you suddenly fail to see something mystical with your own eyes, it will forever remain in your memory as one of the most magnificent countries in the world.

That's all we have. We are very glad that you have looked at our site and spent some time enriching yourself with new knowledge.

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Romania - wonderful country with its own amazing and magical world, with beautiful and picturesque places, with a range of must-see attractions that are very popular with tourists from all over the world. Any modern man will find a lot of interesting things for yourself: great views Black sea Carpathian mountains, clean air, beautiful mountain springs, the famous Danube River of indescribable beauty, historical architectural structures. This article has one single goal: to give a brief description of the main attractions of the country of Romania, unique in its originality.

Dracula's castle is one of the most popular places for pilgrimage tourists and is calling card Romania. Its original name sounded like Bran Castle (by analogy with the name of the nearest town). This architectural structure was built at the end of the fourteenth century on the collected cash local residents, for which they received exemption from tax obligations at the expense of the state treasury for several centuries. In the seventeenth century, two more towers were added to this castle to protect against enemy attacks.

A lot of legends associated with this area have survived to our time. On the territory of the castle there is a small courtyard in which a well was dug a long time ago, which allegedly leads to the underground premises of the castle itself. This Bran Castle has experienced many different owners in its lifetime.

The very first one is Mircea the Old. It is believed that at that time very famous voevoda Vlad Tselesh (nicknamed Dracula), who loved to hunt in these places and who was allegedly tortured by the Turks in the cellars of this castle, spent the night in this castle. Probably, it was this fact that influenced the fact that this castle began to be called Dracula's castle, because he never was its owner. Detailed information I recommend reading about this attraction in the article Count Dracula's Castle. Fantasy Reality.

There is another legend why this castle was called Dracula's castle. Tourists who came here to find the grave of the famous vampire found in these gloomy and mysterious places Bran Castle, and the famous Dracula was named its owner. In 1992, during the filming of the film Dracula, this castle was subject to restoration. It has as many as seventeen rooms and is recognized as the most expensive real estate in Romania. Estimated value figure is $140 million and is very valuable historical monument past Romanian aristocracy.

Now the town of Bran is widely known:

• excellent cheeses, the method of preparation of which was not disclosed
• extraordinarily beautiful knitted products made of pure wool
• souvenirs with the symbolism of the image of Dracula

Peles - royal palace

The date of construction is 1883. Of all European palaces, Peles is considered the best preserved, and also in Romania - this is one of the most interesting museums. It is located in a small resort town Sinai. In architectural terms, the palace combines a combination of several styles. IN Lately Peles Palace became one of the ten most beautiful European castles.

This castle is an amazing historical architectural monument of medieval Gothic style. It was built in the fifteenth century and stands in the unique beauty of the Cerna Valley. Castle in your own way appearance corresponds to the romantic idea of ​​how it should look medieval castle: watch towers, small turrets, holes in the wall for loopholes, carved balconies of indescribable beauty, a roof painted in different colors with a sharp top.

Parliament Palace (Bucharest)

The Parliament Palace is a large administrative building covering 365,000 square meters, with a very peculiar architecture and beautiful interior decoration.

Monastery Voronets, Moldovitsa, Sucevitsa

All these monasteries are part of the world culture of all mankind, are protected by UNESCO and are considered one of the most mysterious structures Europe. The time of construction is attributed to the sixteenth century. Their peculiarity is that each monastery, from the very foundation of its foundation to the roof, is decorated with images of the most beautiful frescoes. In total, there are eight such monasteries on the territory of Southern Bukovina.

Brasov

Brasov is the front gate of Saxon Transylvania, which originates exactly here: where impregnable mountains, impenetrable forests, churches, mysterious castles located in the most inaccessible places.

old central part Brasov is located in an amazing location - surrounded by mountains in a beautiful green valley. In these places, the inhabitants have managed to preserve all the originality and charm of the attributes of the Middle Ages: houses covered with tiles, narrow streets, the features of the architecture of the Middle Ages have been preserved.

The building of the former City Hall is located on the central city square, which now houses a tourism center and a museum of the history of the region. The Black Church is the largest and most beautiful building in the country. Here, vacationers can listen to the game of the local organ and have a delicious meal in the dining room.

Bastion of the Weavers. The time of construction dates back to the fifteenth century. In the sixteenth century it was slightly rebuilt. This building is very large, with well-preserved observation towers, which at that time were built along the city wall. Currently, the bastion houses a museum with very interesting and constantly updated expositions.

Church of St. Nicholas built in 1392, and in 1495 was rebuilt. Currently, this church is considered a masterpiece of architecture in Romania, which successfully combined the Baroque, Byzantine style and Gothic. Like all churches medieval period it is securely protected by a wall and wooden gates.

Sinai

Sinaia is a city located in the Southern Carpathians in the beautiful valley of the Prakhova River, which is very popular among tourists due to the presence of a world-famous ski resort and a number of historical architectural monuments. Height ski resort- 2000 meters. This place ski slopes and places for sledding.

Several medieval castles. The world-famous Peles Palace, distinguished by both external beauty and luxury interior design. The palace houses a collection with products made of Venetian glass, an armory. A special charm is the magnificent park, which is a monument of landscape art with beautiful rivers and unique waterfalls.

Sinai Orthodox Monastery (built in 1690). Churches (late seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries) - well preserved to this day. Pelisor Castle - famous tourist complex. It is also sometimes called "little Peles". The building was erected in 1899-1903 and was decorated in the Art Nouveau style. It has seventy rooms and a hall for ceremonial receptions decorated with many beautiful stained-glass windows.

Arad

Arad is called the western gate of Romania. Tourists special attention enjoys the city center, which has preserved the historical spirit of the Middle Ages to our time. All buildings located in its center are built in the Venetian style.

The most famous sights of Arad:

• Church Red
• town hall old
• Church of Saint John
• city ​​theater
• Chehal Palace
• Avraham Iancu town square

Merry Cemetery

Merry Cemetery of Sepyntsa - unique place in a world where everything related to death is presented in a comedic way: crosses are painted, monuments of an original look with cheerful epitaphs. On each tombstone is an image of the deceased, scenes related to the life or death of this person.

The date of his birth is considered to be 1837, and it was formed due to showers and sliding rocks, which blocked the river and formed as a result of this a kind of dam, which has a shape resembling the letter G and is up to 10.5 meters deep. A beautiful legend is connected with this lake, telling about the local beautiful girl and her sad fate.

Ice hotel Bylja Lak

It is located at an altitude of almost 2000 meters and was built exclusively with ice bricks. The spectacle is truly mesmerizing and worth seeing at least once in your life.

Medieval city center of Sibiu

Sibiu (12th century) is one of the most interesting centers of culture and religion of the country, which was founded by knights belonging to the Teutonic Order and is an unspoken European cultural capital. One of its main attractions can be called the Brukenthal Palace.

Fortress of Alba Iulia

Alba Iulia Fortress (years of construction 1714-1738) - occupies seventy hectares, the length is twelve kilometers and, thanks to history and architecture, is considered a candidate for UNESCO.

Radovan's Forest, located in Dolj County, is crossed by a road where accidents often occur, although the road section is straight.

According to local residents, there is only one explanation: the “bride of Radovan”, the ghost of a young woman dressed in a wedding dress, appears in front of the drivers, terrorizing those who walk in the forest at night.

This legend has several variants. Some say it is the ghost of a girl who came from Moldova to earn money for her family, but hanged herself in Radovan's forest, believing she was pregnant, which was a disgrace at the time.

As a suicide, she was not buried according to Christian custom, and her poor relatives could not take care of the grave, so her soul did not find peace.

Other locals say that the ghost of a girl appears in the forest of Radovan, whose fiancé died right before the wedding. She was waiting for him dressed in a wedding dress, and the news of his death made her jump into the well, but even after death she did not stop looking for her beloved. That is why the bride appears only in front of the cars of unmarried guys.

National Road 7: Tragedies Instigated by a Dead Bride

Another bride looking for her fiancé and car accidents are the center of the legend associated with the national road 7. Here, near Gaesht in Dymbovica County, several decades ago, a girl died on her wedding day. The fault was an accident in which her fiancé also died. Since then, many accidents have occurred in this area, especially near the cross erected by the family in memory of the young bride.

Within just two years, 12 unmarried men died near this cross, which makes the locals think about the curse of the bride, who, for some unknown reason, could not leave this world and leave with the groom.

Longgang Hill: Ghost Soldiers

Located between the villages of Sarka and Longgan in Yasi County, Longgang Hill is famous for its mysterious phantoms that appear to travelers. Locals tell stories about this area, not always pleasant legends about ghosts that haunted them for several kilometers, hovering next to them above the road.

It seems that in this zone were buried in mass grave soldiers who died during the First World War. Since they died without communion and a candle and were buried without a religious rite, their souls did not find peace, so travelers are required to do for them what is supposed to be, that is, order a memorial service.

Hoya-Bachu Forest - Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania

The forest near the city of Cluj-Napoca has long been known for the mysterious events that take place here, and is even considered a gateway to another dimension. Called the "Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania", the forest is one of the world's most active regions in terms of paranormal activity.

Legends arose after a shepherd disappeared into the forest along with his flock, and no one was able to find either him or even part of the sheep. It was only the first mysterious disappearance in the Bachu forest. Now both locals and tourists avoid this area, which only attracts thrill-seekers.

located in Eastern Europe and one of the countries once behind the Iron Curtain, Romania is not as interesting for tourists as many other EU countries. However, in last years their number is steadily growing, and the number of people wishing to visit this country is a total of 9.3 million tourists from all over the world per year. Given its geography and geopolitical past, the country has much to offer, both in terms of cultural heritage and the diversity of its natural landscapes.

It is a mixture of East and West, and their mixing can be found in everything from architectural style to national cuisine and local customs. Transylvania, the land of the mythical Dracula, is also part of Romania, so you are sure to have a lot of experiences. Here are 10 tourist attractions in Romania you won't want to miss.

10. Bucharest and the Palace of Parliament

If you are visiting Romania as a tourist, chances are your first stop will be the country's capital, Bucharest. As the sixth largest city in the EU with 555 years of history, Bucharest has a lot to offer to its guests. However, the capital of Romania is not exactly suitable for tourists. It's not that the city is dangerous, or for any other reason, it's all about public transport and accessibility tourist information the city needs some improvement in this regard. However, Bucharest's inconvenience is made up for by the treasures hidden here, waiting to be discovered.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Romania developed its own architectural style, known as the Brancovenesc style, which was further refined in the late 19th century. Buildings in this style can be found throughout the city center, but most of all in some areas, such as Cotroceni or Dorobanti. Concerning nightlife, That Old city is one of the liveliest areas in the entire EU.

One impressive feature that is immediately noticed by anyone visiting Bucharest for the first time is the Palace of the Parliament. This communist-era building commissioned by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu dominates the urban landscape for miles around. In the 1980s, more than a fifth of historic city was demolished to make way for large boulevards and Soviet-style residential buildings. An entire district was also razed to the ground in order to build the Palace of the Parliament, which is the largest administrative building in the world, and the heaviest structure ever built. With over 1,100 rooms, the Palace is a fine example of megalomania that you can visit.

9. Peles Castle

Founded in 1873 by order of King Charles I of Romania and completed ten years later, the Peles Castle is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. Built in the style of German New Renaissance architecture, Peles is located at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains, in picturesque city Sinai (Sinaia), which is also a popular tourist and ski resort. The castle acted like summer residence for the royal family from its construction until 1947. The interior of its 160 rooms is as mesmerizing as the exterior of the palace, with each room using its own décor and theme. The armory contains more than 4,000 weapons from Europe and Asia, and the castle's cinema is considered the first place where films were shown for the first time in Romania.

On the same territory, a second castle was built for Charles's successor, King Ferdinand. Known as Pelisor, this smaller version of the castle is just as striking as its larger counterpart, especially in its interior decoration. For example, in the Golden Room, the walls and furniture are covered with precious metal. After the end of the Second World War and the coming to power of the communists, both castles were confiscated and the royal family was expelled from the country. Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu sought to turn Peles into a residence of protocol, but thanks to the caretakers, this never happened. They are said to have told him that the castle had a mold problem that could pose a serious health hazard to those living inside. In any case, Peles was closed to the public from 1975 to 1990, after which it was opened as a museum.

8. Danube Delta

On the southeastern edge of Romania, where the Danube River meets the Black Sea, lies the second largest marshland in Europe, known as the Danube Delta. Yielding in area only to the Volga Delta in Russia, this area has a total area in 1994 square kilometers. It remains one of the most unspoiled places on the continent and an important pit stop for many migratory birds from Africa and Europe. The Danube Delta is also home to the world's largest pelican colony, as well as 300 other bird species and 45 freshwater fish species.

Accessible today only by boat, about 5,000 years ago the delta swamps and many of the lagoons did not yet exist. Then this area was nothing more than a bay of the Black Sea. But over the centuries, silt has steadily accumulated at the mouth of the Danube, slowly expanding the delta to its current shape. Even to this day, the swamp area is increasing by about 40 meters every year. But, despite the constantly changing landscape, people have lived here for many centuries. Still relying on what the delta has to offer, the locals have not changed their way of life. They still build reed houses and you can still see them on small wooden boats with a fishing rod in their hands.

7. Old Wine Route

Considering geographical position Romania has a very long history of wine production. Both archaeological and historical evidence suggests that vineyards have been growing in the region for at least 2,700 years. Some historians even say that greek god Vina, Dionysus and his Roman counterpart, Bacchus, were the prototypes of the Thracian and Dacian god Sabazios. To this day, Romania is the 13th largest wine producer in the world and the sixth in the EU.

Only a relatively small region in the center of the country due to its high altitude not suitable for wine production. However, there are over 250 wine cellars throughout the country that can be visited all year round. However, the best time for this is from April to October. The Old Wine Route runs along the southern and southeastern side of the Carpathian Mountains past numerous vineyards, estates, monasteries, wine museums and other historical sites. But this is by no means the only place where you can drain a large glass of wine, as wine tasting is a must for every tourist (who can enjoy the advantage of their age) when visiting Romania.

6. Mountain Dacian fortresses

To get acquainted with the ancient past of Romania, it is best to climb high into the mountains. Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital of the Dacians who inhabited the area during Roman times. Built around the 1st century BC, this fortress, along with five others in the area, acted as the seat of the Dacian Kingdom, as well as a unique defensive system that was used in the wars against the Romans. Main fortress is also the largest and consists of three parts: itself fortification, civil quarters and the sanctuary. This sacred place It was built on two terraces and was dedicated to local deities. The Grand Sanctuary is a circular structure, somewhat reminiscent of Stonehenge, and served as both a place for performing rituals and an astronomical calendar.

Today, despite the fact that all six fortresses have become nothing more than ruins, each of them is unique in its own way, either by its purpose or by its hard-to-reach location. The legend also says that somewhere in these mountains the last Dacian king buried a huge treasure. Before the arrival of the Romans, he temporarily diverted the river from its usual course and hid the treasure at the bottom. But before you decide to find the treasure, know that the legend also speaks of a curse. Anyone who goes in search of the hidden treasure will be bitten by a poisonous snake and die.

5. City of Sighisoara

Sighisoara is located in the heart of Transylvania. Although a settlement has existed in the area since Roman times, the city as we know it today was founded by the Transylvanian Saxons in the 13th century. The economic strength of Sighișoara, which increased during the 14th and 15th centuries, ensured the city's survival for centuries as one of the "seven strongholds of the Saxons". And although Sighisoara was neither the richest nor the largest of the seven, in recent times it has become the most popular. Today the city is famous for its colorful architecture, cobbled alleys, steep stairs, numerous defensive towers and turrets, medieval churches and the most important citadel.

Only nine of the fourteen towers originally built have survived the test of time. Each of them was built and maintained by one of the craftsmen's guilds located in the city. Another interesting fact about this is that this is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the infamous ruler of Wallachia and the prototype of Count Dracula from the work of Bram Stoker. The house where he lived until he was six or seven still exists and can be visited.

4. Danube Gorges

Nowhere in its 2,864 km length is the Danube more impressive and mesmerizing than where it passes through the Carpathians. Forming natural border between Romania and Serbia, the gorges, also known as the Danube boilers, sometimes give the impression that the water is boiling here. But even if this is not the case, the narrowing of the mighty river in this place from time to time creates certain problems for navigation. However, it is the largest and oldest river canyon in Europe.

In addition to a boat cruise on the Danube, you can climb the surrounding mountains and enjoy the breathtaking views from them. You can also explore the many caves found here, which in ancient times were used either as safe havens or as moorings for boats going up and down the river. And as proof that this place is steeped in history, there is an ancient plaque on the Serbian shore commissioned by the Roman Emperor Trajan to commemorate the construction of the bridge used by the Roman legions to invade Dacia. And on the Romanian coast, a stone face 55 meters high is carved right into the rock, depicting the last Dacian king. It is the largest statue of its kind in Europe.

3. Monasteries of Bukovina

The northeastern region of Romania is proud of its numerous monasteries. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, these medieval churches are unique in Europe and famous for their exterior frescoes. These monasteries, built in a combination of Gothic and Byzantine architectural styles, which also include their own unique elements, are an immortal cultural world heritage. Each of the 40 monasteries and churches are said to have been built by order of the sovereign Stefan the Great (Stefan cel Mare) and his successor Petru Rares after various victories in battles against Tatar invaders from the east.

Most of them also acted as fortifications against marauders, protecting both people and ancient manuscripts. Eight of the monasteries are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Apart from their architecture, these monasteries also stand out for their unique paints used for wall paintings. Since then, the original recipes have been lost and cannot be recreated even using modern technologies. However, according to chemical analysis, traces of traditional Romanian plum cognac were found both in the plaster and in the paints themselves.

2. Turda Gorge and Salt Mine

Back in the time of the dinosaurs, much of present-day Romania was part of the ancient seabed. Because of this, some regions are rich in salt deposits, such as Central Transylvania. Here is the Turda Gorge and salt mine. From the outer gorges there is a breathtaking view of the narrow vertical rocks, waterfalls, caves, dense forests, sunny meadows and picturesque villages. More than 1,000 species of plants and animals live here, many of which are endangered. This area is a favorite place for hiking with more than 250 climbing trails of varying difficulty.

The dungeon strikes no less than the terrestrial landscape. Since the time of the Romans, salt deposits have been constantly exploited. Today they are open to the public and offer their visitors a chance to descend to incredible depths. The billowing galleries, somewhat fitting descriptions found in Tolkien's books, are now illuminated, making them mesmerizing. Inside, various activities await you with which you can indulge yourself, such as mini golf, tennis, bowling, football or swimming pool. Also there is big wheel a view that takes visitors close to the top of the mine to see the many stalactites up close. One of the many galleries also has a huge underground lake where you can take a relaxing boat trip.

1. Dracula's Castle

Bran Castle owes its fame largely to the myth created around Bram Stoker's Dracula. Perched on a 60m high cliff, this castle was built by the Transylvanian Saxons in the 15th century on the site of a former Teutonic Order fortress from the 1100s. And although Stoker never visited Transylvania, he imagined Dracula's castle based on descriptions of this particular fortress. And, since this place is associated with blood-sucking vampires, it should be visited. Curiously, there is also a connection between the castle and the infamous Vlad the Impaler, ruler of Wallachia.

Bran Castle is located right at the entrance to Mountain pass, which connects historical regions Transylvania and Wallachia. Even in the Middle Ages, it played the role of customs, imposing high duties on Romanians who wanted to do business with the then Saxon city of Brasov. This caused relations between Vlad the Impaler and the Lords of Bran to become tense to say the least. Whether the Wallachian ruler ever captured the castle is not known, but here he was imprisoned for two months after he was taken prisoner by the Hungarian king in 1462.

Those who visit this mythical castle should think about visiting others medieval cities and fortresses of the region, including the city of Brasov. The pass, which is located at the base of Bran Castle, should not be ignored either. There are several caves here that were regularly used by both outlaws and prehistoric animals such as the extinct cave bear. From the nearby village of Pestera (cave) one truly opens amazing view both to the majestic Carpathian Mountains, and to the life of people in those days when "vampires" still roamed this land.