Overview to Romania: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
Romania is - rather unfortunately - best known as the home of the fictional vampire Count Dracula. The character was inspired by the bloodthirsty antics of the counrtry's 15th century Prince, Vlad ‘The Impaler,’ but that’s really where the association ends...
But whilst its historical (and mythical) past remains a major focus of the tourist industry, Romania is also fast emerging as a diverse and cheap alternative to better known destinations, offering mountains, beaches and fantastically preserved medieval architecture.
Its charm-laden capital, Bucharest, is obviously the most visited part of the country. Here, historical tradition and cosmopolitan modernity combine without ever appearing entirely at ease with one another, creating a varied, dusty and intriguing city-soul to explore.
Whilst Bucharest by day may be something to peruse, ponder and pontificate, Bucharest by night is an entirely different matter. The restaurant, bar and club scene is extensive and thumping, with the locals seemingly eager to prove that they can party with the best of them.
From Bucharest, the breathtaking scenery of Transylvania’s Carpathian Mountains is just a couple of hours’ train journey away. In addition to an inevitable spot of vampire hunting, the area offers great cheap skiing in winter and wonderful summer trekking.
Transylvania is also studded with countless picturesque towns like Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara. Ancient towns surrounded by the most dramatic of landscapes, they typify the beguiling beauty of this utterly unique part of the world.