Romania, a country in the Balkans region, southeastern Europe, is an amazingly fascinating place. With enthralling culture, outstanding nature, and rich history, Romania has so much to see, explore and learn about. Being the twelfth largest country in Europe, there will never be enough time to journey through it and see everything worth visiting.
When we decided to visit Romania and started researching what places to visit, I was so excited to finally get there and experience the beauty and magic of this country. And I was shocked by what an exceptional place this is!
So let’s dive into the 9 places that you shouldn’t miss while exploring Romania.
Bucharest
Bucharest, the capital and largest city of Romania is one of the most beautiful cities to visit. Being the center of culture, finances, education, and health care and playing a huge role in the economic development of the country, the city is a remarkable place to explore and learn about its history and admire the growth that the city has seen in the newly cultivated infrastructure, roads, and public transportation. Bucharest, interestingly, is one of the most populated cities in the European Union and the most populated capital in Southeastern Europe.
We spent three days in Bucharest and found the metro system very easy to use and enjoyed exploring the city sights. There is so much to see and the places that are worth visiting are so unique and stunning. Some places that we enjoyed visiting the most were the charming old town, the popular Carturesti Carusel Bookstore, Cismigiu Gardens, Romanian Athenaeum, and Arcul de Triumf.
Berca Mud Volcanoes
Berca Mud Volcanoes were the highlight of our trip in Romania as it is one of the most exciting and astounding places to visit there. The Berca Mud Volcanoes, located in Buzau County, are volcanoes caused by the eruption of natural gas from more than 3000 meters deep, pushing water and mud to the surface, resulting in the muddy texture that is on the site and the gas that forms into small bubbles and that is actively emerging from the volcanoes.
Reaching the mud volcanoes can be a bit challenging because of how bumpy the road gets as you get to the site, especially when the weather gets bad and rainy, driving there can be a little hard. The entrance cost 4 Lei for one person and I would recommend taking cash with you beforehand. There is a huge parking lot where for a small cost you can leave your vehicle while exploring the volcanoes. Overall to see the mud volcanoes it took us about half an hour since the volcanoes aren’t that far from the site’s entrance. I would also recommend taking good walking shoes and not going too close to the spots where the gas is erupting since the mud can be sinking.
If you are wondering whether to go or not, I highly recommend visiting this place. The landscape makes you feel like you are on a different planet, the specific flora and fauna that forms only there is fascinating to experience and the mud volcanoes itself is something that isn’t that common in a lot of places.
Bran Castle or Dracula’s Castle
Bran Castle, originating from the 14th century and located in the small town of Bran, is one of the most visited sites in the Transylvania region. The castle is believed to be where the Irish author Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula was living. In reality, the author didn’t visit Romania and there are only speculations if the Bran Castle actually is meant to be the one where Dracula was living but from the description in the novel it seems to be very similar.
The fortress is quite impressive and is located high on the top of a rock formation, it is impossible to explore the town of Bran without seeing the castle itself. Nowadays the castle holds a museum from the time of Queen Marie, the last queen of Romania, displaying different furniture and artworks. The entrance fee in the low season (from September 1 till June 30) is 55 Lei and in the high season (from July till the end of August) – 60 Lei.
If you are wondering if the castle is worth the visit, it is definitely worth it if you are interested in the history of Queen Marie’s life and are a fan of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Otherwise, it is hugely a tourist place, where you can buy different kinds of souvenirs related to Count Dracula and where you will meet a lot of other tourists and tourist groups.
Brasov
Brasov, located in the central part of Romania and the Transylvania region, is a very picturesque city. The mountain ranges of Southern Carpathians that are surrounding the city, create a magical look to the place and make the exploring even more exciting.
To get around the city using public transport, for easy ticket purchases, you will need the “24pay” App that allows you to purchase the tickets using Visa or Mastercard credit cards. We found the app the easiest way to purchase the tickets since we couldn’t find any other place to buy them. The App is available also in other cities such as Bucharest, Baia Mare, Timișoara, and others.
Some places to not miss while visiting Brasov are the old town and Council Square, taking a cable car up Mount Tampa by the city’s sign where to enjoy panoramic views of the old town below, and visiting the Black Church and the Rope Street, which is considered as one of the narrowest streets in Europe.
Sighișoara
Sighișoara, located in central Romania, is one of the most beautiful destinations in the country. The magical Sighisoara Citadel, which worked as a defense mechanism against Tatars and other attackers, is a well-preserved medieval town that is also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sighișoara is a perfect destination for historical exploration as well as for a beautiful walk around the town, enjoying the views.
While exploring this marvelous place, make sure to pay a visit to the Clock Tower, Citadel Square, and Covered Scholar’s Stairs that lead to the Church on the Hill and which allow you to see spectacular views of the city below.
Geamana flooded village
The story of the Geamana village is a very heartbreaking one. In 1977 Romanian government decided to extract copper from the nearby mountain which resulted just one year later in a massive village people evacuation and the place became where the toxic waste from the copper mines was led to. The mine is the second largest copper mine in Europe but unfortunately, because of that, many people’s lives were completely changed, and not necessarily for the better.
Nowadays, only the top of a church is still visible but since the muddy fluids are still being drained there, the lake only continues to rise therefore it’s not too long until no evidence of the lost village will be visible anymore.
It’s not in reality a tourist destination, but rather a reminder of what greed can do to not only people but the environment as well and is a sad symbol of what people are capable of.
If you decide to visit the lake, the road is quite muddy and can be hard to drive through, especially during rainy weather. We drove there with a motorhome and made it through the road but I would recommend being very careful and expect the drive to be challenging.
Scarisoara Ice Cave
Scarisoara Ice Cave is a truly remarkable place. The cave is considered one of the biggest ice caves in Romania and the second-largest ice cave in southeastern Europe. Inside it, you will see stalactites, stalagmites, and many different ice forms that are impressive and unique. Inside the cave, the temperature during summer is around zero degrees Celsius while in winter it can go down to minus 7 degrees Celsius. Areas that are open for tourists are called the Great Hall and the Church. Other paths in the cave are closed to any visitors but are open for scientific research.
The cave is located in the Apuseni Natural Park and the location is accessible by car with additionally a 10-minute walk to the ticket booth. The tickets cost 15 Lei and only cash was accepted.
To access the cave, you need to climb down metal stairs that are installed by the mountain. It can be a bit challenging if the weather is too warm since there are no elevators available.
The daunting Hoia Forest
The haunted Hoia Forest is a different kind of travel experience – it is known to be the most haunted forest in the world. There are tales and legends of many strange paranormal activities, one of the most popular being of a shepherd who went missing with two hundred sheep in a place in the forest where there is a circle where nothing but grass grows. Not only are the tales strange but many trees in the forest can be in unusual shapes, crooked and twisted.
The forest is located and easily accessible from the nearest town Cluj-Napoca. In the forest, there are hiking trails and the area is convenient for biking as well.
After we visited the forest, I can admit that it has a strange atmosphere but it can also be impacted by the stories about ghosts and other strange activities. I would recommend visiting the forest if you are skeptical of such stories otherwise it can be quite stressful.
Merry Cemetery
Merry Cemetery is an unusual tourist destination but also a truly unique one. The cemetery is located in the village of Sapanta, just by the Ukraine border. Merry Cemetery is famous for its splendidly colored tombstones with special paintings and humorous stories about the people. It is a completely different way of saying goodbye to the people that passed away, showing that death isn’t only a sorrowful occasion. The church that is in the middle of the cemetery is also worth the notice by being similarly colorful to the tombstones and having spectacular paintings inside.
The entrance fee to the cemetery is 5 Lei and an ATM is located near by the entrance gates. Parking by the cemetery is also possible but it depends on how many vehicles are parked there since there isn’t a lot of space.
One thing to add is that I would recommend going together with someone local or someone who speaks Romanian since Google Translate can’t do a great job of translating the stories on the tombstones.
Romania is one of those countries that leaves you with a feeling of wanting more – exploring more of nature, learning more about the history, culture and how people are living there, hence I can’t wait for when I will get a chance to visit it again and mark off the other places in my wishlist.
But the journey through Romania never would have been so wonderful if not for the people who were so kind and helpful and always happy to say hello or wave at us. The people there truly made our trip so much more joyful and it made me crave to explore more of the country even stronger.
Read about the 12 things to know before traveling to Romania here!
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2 responses to “9 Places to visit in Romania”
[…] once in their lives, and if you are up to even larger adventures, check out my blog post about the 9 places to visit in Romania and enjoy your time there to the […]
[…] still so much that we didn’t manage to see and explore. If that doesn’t sound intriguing, read here about the places that we visited in Romania more […]