Places to Visit in Romania

Bucharest is not necessarily one of Europe’s most charismatic cities at first sight, but it is worth spending a few days here to really get under its skin. It’s a city that’s developing at full speed, so return a couple of years later and it may look quite different. The city’s commendable National Art Museum, housed within the Royal Palace has excellent art collections from Rembrandt, El Greco and modern Romanian sculptor Brâncuşi. The city also has a well-established party scene, that will see you dancing through to the early hours. More things to do in Bucharest

The largest brown bear and wolf populations in the whole of Europe can be found in areas of Romania. Take a guided walking tour within the Carpathian Mountains and see these wild animals for yourself, along with the possibility of spotting wild boar, lynx and various birds of prey. And during your rail trip don’t forget to include some beach-time along Romania’s gorgeous Black Sea coastline. Make a beeline for Mamaia, which has one of the most beautiful beaches along the stretch and laze away some days on the fine white sand.

Discover a wealth of water sports along Romania’s short-but-stunning coastline, including scuba diving (with excellent wreck dives for experienced divers), windsurfing and water skiing. Find dive centres in Constanţa on the south of the coast. Romania is perfect for those wanting to do some outdoor activities in picturesque surroundings. During winter make a beeline for Făgăraş Mountains for quality ski runs and once the warmer weather has melted the snow away, enjoy mountain biking and hiking around this lush Romanian wonderland.

Buried deep within Transylvania is the tiny citadel of Sighişoara, which as well as having some splendid architecture also has a rather intriguing history. It was here that Vlad Ţepeş aka ‘Vlad the Impaler’ was born and it is believed that he inspired Bram Stoker’s character, Count Dracula in the 1897 novel, Dracula. Much more recent history can be savoured near the Serbian border in the humming student town of Timişoara. It was here that the first protests against the Ceauşescu communist regime began, acting as a catalyst for the 1989 revolution.