Romania is a picturesque and fascinating country with something for everyone, whether you’re looking for fantastic food, exhilarating hiking, cultural diversity, or turbulent history. It was no small task, but we’ve done you the favor of picking out 10 of the most beautiful Romanian cities and towns so that you can plan your trip with ease. Once you start traveling through Romania, you just might not want to go anywhere else.
Sibiu
Located near the center of Romania in the Transylvania region, Sibiu is as idyllic as they come. Already settled by German settlers as early as 1191, Sibiu historically had a mixture of Germans, Hungarians, and Romanians living within its borders, making it a very important city on the trade route in the area. While World War II changed the city’s ethnic makeup, there is still a small minority of ethnic Germans left in the area – including the current president of Romania, Klaus Johannis. Wander around the gorgeous old town, and then take a bus out to the ethnographic museum to see how Romanians in the different regions have lived for centuries.
Timisoara
Timisoara, as the historical capital of the richly diverse Banat region, also has a fascinating ethnic history. It has been in existence for about 800 years, and during that time it has been part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, and finally Romania. The current population is mostly Romanian, but there are still a fair number of Hungarians, Germans, and Serbs living there as well. The diverse history shows itself in the architecture of the city, so when you’re walking around, you can see influences coming from all of the different groups who had their time ruling Timisoara.
Brasov
You’ll probably come to Brasov to see Bran Castle, the castle that inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula, but you’ll stay for the city itself. Another important Transylvanian city, Brasov has been inhabited continuously since the Neolithic period, but was built up to its current state by German settlers in the first half of the last millennium. There are several beautiful churches to check out, in addition to the Peles and Bran Castles, which are both a short drive away. Between the uniformly red roofs, the mountains, and their thick cover of trees, there are few places that seamlessly blend into the landscape so well.
Cluj Napoca
At over 300,000 people, Cluj Napoca, or Cluj as people often call it, still retains the feel of a small town in its historical center which distracts from the communist buildings on the outskirts. Cluj was originally founded by the Romans around the year 100, but then in the third century, it was vacated and left empty until the Hungarians conquered Transylvania in the early part of the last millennium. The architectural influence you’ll notice the most, however, is from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. For a very cool experience, head a little bit out of the city to Salina Turda, an old salt mine that has been turned into an underground amusement park of sorts – complete with a haunting underground lake.
Sighisoara
Don’t be afraid – but Sighisoara is where the real life ruler Vlad the Impaler, whose life inspired the Dracula story, was born, and you can visit the actual place where it all happened at the House of Vlad. Otherwise, Sighisoara has an extremely well preserved medieval fortified center, with the surrounding walls still remaining – all of which has earned Sighisoara a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. While you’re wandering around such a bright and charming town, it’s difficult to remember that its most famous son was brutal enough to inspire one of the most memorable evil characters in literature.
