ROMANIA : BEST PLACES TO SEE

our car at the beginning of the transfagarasan road



Driving through Romania is the best way to move around and explore every corner of the country. You will be able to organize more freely where and when to stop, as you will quickly realize how easy is to find accommodation almost everywhere. In this article, you’ll find the best places to visit in Romania.

We suggest to visit the country from spring to autumn but it’s definitely possible in winter.

You can easily rent a car in Romania, it’s cheap and you just need an international driving license if you’re not from Europe.
As you already know if you have followed our journey around Europe, we arrived from Bulgaria with an Italian car plate, and we were so excited!

This is our ultimate itinerary in Romania !

CONSTANTA

Known for its white beaches, it’s one of the favorite destination where to spend summer in Romania. Check out Mamaia beach.
You can walk along the seafront and photograph the iconic abandoned casino of Constanta.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to visit inside

old casino


HUNEDOARA

Also known as Corvin castle, it’s unique for its Gothic-Renaissance style.
It’s one of the largest castle in Europe and figures in a list of the Seven Wonders of Romania.

Regular ticket price: 30Lei (6.50€). You can check opening times here.

hunedoara castle



BRAN CASTLE

It’s the most famous landmark of Transylvania and Romania.
Even if you have never heard the word “Bran” before, you know it as Dracula’s castle.
Why?
Well, there is only an unconfirmed information that he was imprisoned in a dungeon of the castle, but that’s all!

We were so excited when we first arrive at this destination but it was so overcrowded. The castle itself has nothing better if compared with the others in this list.

Regular ticket price: 40Lei (8.50€) . You can find the opening times here.

SIGHISOARA

Sighisoara is a small city in the Transylvania region of Romania, with a history dating back to the 1100s.

As most towns in Romania, Sighisoara is astounding colorful, and you can easily explore the whole place by foot in one afternoon without any trouble.

The city is worth a visit to the Clock Tower which has also a little museum inside.
The historic center of Sighisoara is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We enjoyed the time spent in the town so much that we decided to stop and relax until Valerie’s birthday to celebrate here her 22 yo!

colorful town of sighisoara



PELES CASTLE

Peles castle was built between 1873 and 1914 near Sinaia.
The main style of this castle is German Renaissance but you can also see elements belonging to the Italian Renaissance, Gothic, German Baroque and French Rococo style. Peles has 170 rooms, many with dedicated themes from different cultures. It also has 30 bathrooms.

From the parking lot you will have to walk 10 minutes to reach the castle, but the parking is not free. However, there are many free parking on the main road near the fire station, you’ll just have to walk about 20 minutes more.

Opening time:
May – September: Monday, closed / Tuesday, 11am – 5pm / Wednesday – Sunday 9am – 5pm.

September – May: Monday and Tuesday, closed / Wednesday, 11am – 5pm / Thursday – Sunday, 9am – 5pm

Regular ticket price: 20Lei (4,20€)
This ticket only covers the ground floor.
Tickets covering the 1st and 2nd floor: 50Lei (10,60€)

Note: you can’t take photos inside the castle unless you buy a ‘photo pass’ which costs 32Lei (6,80€).

peles castle


FAGARAS CITADEL

The citadel was built in the 16th century, on the ruins of a castle destroyed by fire. It’s an impressively intact medieval fortification from medieval Transylvania and is completely surrounded by water.

What we enjoyed most was walking around the citadel and relax after hours of driving on poor road conditions.
The town was peaceful and we spent some time looking at graceful swans floating on the water.

Opening time:
June to September: Monday, 12 – 4pm / Tuesday – Friday, 8am – 8pm / Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 6pm.

October – May: Monday, 12 – 4pm / Tuesday – Friday, 8am – 5pm / Saturday and Sunday, 9am – 5am

You can also visit the fortification inside.
Regular ticket price: 15Lei (3,20€).
Students, seniors, children: 7Lei (1,50€)

fagaras citadel with swans



TRANSFAGARSAN ROAD

If you are in Romania, you don’t really want to miss the most scenic road the country has to offer.

The Transfăgărășan (in Romanian) gained its popularity after appearing on the BBC TV Show Top Gear in 2009, which labeled Transfagarasan as “The Best Road in the World”.

The Transfagarasan Highway is a 90 kilometers road that connects Transylvania with Muntenia; it can be easily enjoyed in an easy 3-hours drive, but we choose to spend one full day exploring the area.

Driving along the winding Transfagaran’s roads was the highlight of our road trip in Romania, at least until we realized that we had engine problem with our old car.

lookout of the transfagarasan road


BIGAR WATERFALL

Bigar Waterfall is located in the Aninei Mountains and is part of Cheile Nerei-Beusnita National Park.

The waterfall got its popularity in 2013, when it was listed as first choice in “8 Unique Waterfalls Around the World” by The World Geography magazine.

When we arrived in front of the waterfall we were a bit disappointed; the waterfall looks much more impressive on pictures than in real.

Free of charge.

bigar waterfall



OCHIUL BEIULUI

Also located in the Cheile Nerei-Beusnita National Park, the clear blue transparent water of this lake will reward the 2 hours drive from Bigar waterfall.

From the parking lot to the lake, you will need to walk an hour. Once in Ochiul Beiului you can walk forward, and see Cascada Beusnita, only 20 minutes at slow pace. Unfortunately, we’ve been there at the end of the summer so the waterfall was completely dry.

It’s an easy and relaxing walk where you can enjoy the nature and see wildlife such as lizards, butterflies and snakes.

Parking and access are free of charge.

ochuil beiului



RASNOV CITADEL

Situated near Brașov, atop a rocky hill, the Rasnov Fortress is one of the most visited medieval attractions in Romania. The fortress is surrounded by a magnificent landscape, providing breathtaking views all around.

At the parking lot we bought a Kürtőskalács, a typical Hungarian cake, but also known in some Romanian region.
There are many different tastes and it’s perfect for a fast meal.

To reach the citadel you can walk 15 minutes or take a tourist train.
Funny fact: here the locomotive was replaced with a tractor.

Opening time:
April to October: 9am – 7pm everyday
November to March: 9am – 5pm everyday

Ticket price: 10Lei (2€)
Children, students: 5Lei (1€)

Parking: free

eating Kürtőskalács, a typical hungarian cake



Enjoy your travel, be adventurous and create memories!


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