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EuropeCastlesHistoryNature

Romania

Europe's most underrated country — medieval castles, painted monasteries and wild Carpathian forests.

Eastern Europe
🏰 Transylvanian Castles🌲 Carpathian Bears💃 Bucharest Nightlife🎨 Painted Monasteries

Backpacking Romania

Romania is simultaneously the most overlooked and most rewarding country in Europe. Transylvania contains actual medieval Saxon towns that look exactly like the backdrop to a fairy tale (Sighișoara, Sibiu, Brașov). The Carpathian Mountains have the largest population of brown bears in Europe outside Russia. Bucharest has one of Europe's best nightlife scenes. And it costs about half of Western Europe.

£25–£45/day avg daily budget
Key Info
Romanian Leu (RON)Romanian (English in cities)Type FDrive Right
10% at restaurants
Weather
Best: May–Sep
Summer (Jun–Aug) — Transylvania at its most beautiful, festivals in July
May–September is the best window. The painted monasteries of Bucovina are stunning in autumn colours.
Health
Tap water technically safe in cities — most locals use filtered water
No vaccines required
Transport
CFR trainFlixbusBolt app
✈️ OTP Bucharest Henri Coandă / SBZ Sibiu / CLJ Cluj-Napoca
CFR trains between cities are slow but scenic and very cheap. Flixbus for faster inter-city.
Emergency
👮 Police112
🚑 Ambulance112
🔥 Fire112
The Highlights

8 Things to Do in Romania

01
Bran Castle ('Dracula's Castle') near Brașov — the Gothic fortress in the Transylvanian mountains
02
Sighișoara — the medieval citadel town where Vlad the Impaler (the real Dracula) was born
03
Painted monasteries of Bucovina — 15th-century exterior frescoes in extraordinary colour
04
Bear watching near Brașov — responsible tours to observe brown bears at feeding stations
05
Bucharest's Palace of Parliament — the world's second-largest building after the Pentagon
06
Transfăgărășan Highway drive — the most dramatic mountain road in Europe
07
Sibiu medieval old town — the Saxon city that was European Capital of Culture 2007
08
Turda Salt Mine — the extraordinary converted underground theme park in a salt cavern
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Insider Knowledge

What Most Guides Don't Tell You About Romania