Transilvania region
A major mountain resort area, Transylvania is the most romantic region in Romania. Surrounded by the Carpathians which cross Romania, there are legendary castles, ski resorts and health spas, hiking trails, the Retezat National Park, fascinating medieval towns, art museums.
Main cities and attractions:
Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara are some of Europe's best preserved medieval towns. Unique architectural treasures, small ancient tiny houses that line narrow streets and covered stone steps.
Brasov - 104 miles from Bucharest. A charming medieval city situated nearby the Postavaru Mountain with old Saxon architecture. It is the most tourist-friendly city in Romania and has some exquisite 18th and 19th century Baroque buildings in the center-city plaza.
Poiana Brasov - 9 miles from Brasov. A well known international ski and snwoboard resort, referred in all SKI catalogs. Traditional Romanian restaurants 'Coliba Haiducilor', 'Sura Dacilor', 'Vanatorul' are permanent attractions for tourists.
Bran Castle - 20 miles from Brasov. The home of Prince Vlad Tepes who inspired Dracula's legend.
Sighisoara - 70 miles from Brasov, it is the most beautiful town in the heart of Transylvania. Vlad Tepes (Dracula) was born here in 1431. Originally a Roman town, Sighisoara is one of the greatest medieval cities left in the world. Its Clock Tower was built in the 14th Century.
Sovata Spa- popular with women, especially effective for gynaecological disorders. Sovata has a most extraordinary heliothermal lake called Ursu. Instead of becoming colder, the water is warmer and more salty deeper down than it is at the surface.
St. Ana's Lake - a wonderful touristic spot, it is the only intact preserved lake in Central Europe situated into a volcanic crater. It's a rarity of nature, declared natural reservation.
Baile Tusnad Spa - famous for its tonic mountain climate, rich in ozone, aerosols and negative ions, good for physical and psychical revitalizing.
Retezat National Park - created in 1935, it is the first park in Romania set up to preserve the beauty of the mountains and to protect rare and endemic plants. It has some of the finest landscape in Central and Eastern Europe, where you can find beautiful glacial lakes (more than 80!), mountain streams, ravines and gorges. Rich flora and fauna, more than 1190 plant species and more than 50 mammal species including bears, wolves, lynx, chamois. The park has hiking/walking, wildlife, camping and climbing for people who love to get out and about in the wide-open spaces.
Bistrita - the mountains host a rich fauna protected by law as: Carpathian bear, Carpathian stag, hazel hen, birch tree, cock, white and black stork, black eagle, which are natural monuments.
Rodna Mountains includes some caves of a great speleologic value: the Fairy Cave, the Izvorul Tausoarelor Cave (the deepest one in Romania), the Jgheabul lui Zailan Cave. In the limestone areas of the Rodna Mountains the edelweiss grows.
Lacul Rosu - the biggest natural dam from Romania
Lacul Iezer - the lake situated at the highest altitude (1750 m) in Romania
A special point of tourist interest is the Clearing of Narcissuses with
a surface of 300 ha and a density of 180-200 flowers per square meter. The
narcissus blossoms late in May and early in June, creating a fairy landscape
arround the town of Vlahita.
