Places to visit in Romania

As I said before, I'm living in the UK and my colleagues and friends from here are asking me how is Romania, is it worth to visit it, what you can visit?

If you'll ask people around Europe if they know something about Romania, 70% will probably say Dracula. But there are a lot of nice things to do or places to visit in Romania starting with mountains where you can ski or sea (the Black Sea) where you can have a great and relaxing time.

If you are in Romania, probably you landed in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Is not actually the first place on my list of recommendations but you can give it a go, it has some interesting historical places. The Old Town, Calea Victoriei, Cismigiu Gardens, Cotroceni, and the famous Palace of the Parliament are places that I recommend to any tourist visiting Bucharest, in addition to dozens of bars and cafes bohemians perfect places to rest and relax.

From Bucharest, you can go to visit Transilvania on The Transfagarasan Road. More than 150 kilometers in length the Transfagarasan Highway is Romania’s most spectacular and best-known road and, thanks to an appearance on BBC Top Gear in 2009, now one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. Fully open only from June to October, the road’s highest point is at 2042 meters: the tunnel which links the northern and southern sides at Lake Balea (Balea Lac).

[source: socatour.ro]
Once arrived in the center of Romania, the most popular city here is Brașov. It is the largest city in a mountain resorts area. The old city is very well preserved and is best seen by taking the cable-car to the top of Tâmpa Mountain.

From here, you can go to Dracula's castle. Now, I feel sorry to say it but Bran Castle has absolutely nothing to do with the prince Vlad Ţepeş or with the character Dracula, invented by writer Bram Stocker. This thing is just supported by historians, who have not even found a proof of the ruler's passing to the Bran Castle, joining the Dracula vampire only for touristic purposes.
This doesn't mean that you can't visit the Bran Castle which is a national monument and landmark in Romania and learn more about its history or just find amazing views near Brașov.

[source: www.castelulbran.ro]
Not too far of Bran Castle is Peleș Castle, a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains.
A personal property of the Royal Family from the beginning, Peleș Castle was nationalized after King Michael abdicated and left the country following an agreement with the government dominated by communists. In 1997 the castle was returned to the Royal Family after a long judicial case that has been finalized in 2007. However, the former king expressed his desire that the castle should continue to shelter the Peleș National Museum, as well as being occasionally used for public ceremonies organized by the Royal Family. [wikipedia]

[source: www.orangesmile.com]
If we're still in this area, let's not forget about Sibiu which was European cultural capital in 2007 so you have to see it.

Maramureș and Bucovina
Besides of great landscapes that you can see here, you can visit Moldovita, Sucevita and Voroneţ painted monasteries, also Putna which is remembered as an important historical monument, being built by Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) to serve as a tomb. Vatra Dornei and Rodna Mountains Waterfall are also worth visiting.
In Maramureș the main objective is Cimitirul Vesel (the Merry Cemetery).
It is famous for its colorful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the people who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction.[wikipedia]

[source: www.travelguideromania.com]
The Danube Delta
Few rivers chose to shed in seas or oceans, forming deltas, so the Romanians are lucky to have such a thing in the country. It is a very appreciated place for many, whom I think anyone should see.
It is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania (Tulcea County), while its northern part, on the left bank of the Chilia arm, is situated in Ukraine (Odessa Oblast).[wikipedia]

[source: about-eastern-europe.com]

Cazanele Dunarii - Danube Boilers Many beautiful areas have created the Danube, so I would include my Cazanele Dunarii (Danube Boilers) on this list. It is impressive how the river dug its drum through tall and rocky mountains, and the most beautiful sightseeing experience is by boat, in the middle of the Danube. [surce: www.ghiduri-turistice.info]

I hope you'll enjoy my short tour around Romania.