What is Romania like and what can you see in this huge country in 7 days. During this time, you can drive through high-mountain serpentines, see lakes and bears on them, visit a narrow mountain gorge, Dracula’s castles and the residences of Romanian kings, walk around ancient Sighisoara and Brasov. And if you wish, you can visit the capital – Bucharest and even, if you plan more days – relax on the beaches of Romania.
Choose a convenient and interesting option for you and go on an interesting trip to Romania!
7 most beautiful places to see in Romania in 7 days
There are several options for interesting and very scenic routes. Depending on which border crossing you enter Romania through, you can see various sights in three full days.
Sinaia and Peles Castle
Be sure to include Sinaia in your itinerary – a famous ski resort, and also a former royal residence. This small town is famous for the royal castles of Peles and Pelesor.
Peles Hunting Castle – very beautifully decorated with carved wood. Simply a masterpiece of Romanian wooden architecture. Two steps away from it is Pelesor, which often remains unnoticed by tourists. And for good reason – inside are hidden wonderful interiors in the Art Nouveau style and an incredible golden room. And outside, the magnificent castles are surrounded by beech forests, which are covered with crimson leaves in autumn.
Hotels and apartments in Sinai:
- Ioana Boutique Hotel≫ – Great location with private parking. The hotel is located quite high on the hill, and if you choose a room with a city view – you will definitely enjoy the evening on the balcony.
- Vila Felix≫ – The guesthouse is located on a hill above the main street of Sinaia, so it offers beautiful views of the mountains. The Telecabina Sinaia is just a few minutes’ walk away.
- Pensiunea Alex≫ – This is a wonderful hotel in a quiet place with clean forest air, 5 minutes from the park (the way back will take longer, because you have to go uphill). There is no parking as such, but everyone leaves their cars along the road and there are always free spaces near the hotel. There is a restaurant on the ground floor, and a wonderful view opens from the second floor and the restaurant terrace.
2. Brasov
Brasov, privately called the “Romanian Salzburg”. This small cozy town is located in the very center of Transylvania, and Brasov is considered its capital, which has preserved its medieval charm. In Brasov there is one of the narrowest streets in Europe, which competes in width with the Narrow Street in Prague. It is called Strada Sforii or Veryovka Street, a little more than one meter wide.
The whole town can be walked around in a few hours. But be sure to include a climb to the surrounding hills in your program. On one of them is a large Hollywood sign BRASOV, which is illuminated at night. At the top is an observation deck, which you can climb on foot or by funicular. From here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the entire medieval city and the tiled roofs of Brasov. A funicular goes up the mountain, which operates all year round.
Hotels and apartments in Brasov:
- SIAN Sanctuary Villa≫ – Cozy, clean, comfortable. Convenient location: near the Old Town, funicular, fortress – everything around. You can leave your car on the street where the hotel is located.
- Vila Alba Brasov≫ – Good location near the old town – nice view of Brasov from the terrace. Very clean. Parking. Friendly staff. Nice view of the city and the fortress from the terrace. Convenient shared kitchen.
- Albert Residence with Parking≫ -A good hotel for those who don’t like crowds and live in the historical district of the city. Who likes to walk around the city before breakfast or in the evening. You can leave your car nearby.
3. Bran Castle
Bran is known as Count Dracula’s castle, which pointed its spires of pointed conical roofs into the Transylvanian sky. This castle has seen a lot in its lifetime – it is said that Vlad the Impaler himself visited it several times during one of his military campaigns.
Despite the fact that Bran is all tied up in the story of Dracula, the castle looks decent and almost coincides with the descriptions of the vampire’s refuge in Bram Stoker’s book. The castle is built on the edge of a large cliff, surrounded by gloomy impregnable walls, and narrow and steep stone stairs lead inside. But historical facts are inexorable – this is just a beautiful wrapper, filled with tourist tinsel and a huge number of people.
Hotels near Bran Castle:
- Casa Dracula by Pro Lex≫ – Good location, quiet and cozy – the room has a wonderful view of Bran Castle and the mountains. The apartments are clean, nice and interesting design. For children in the yard there is a nice playground with a trampoline, hammocks and a swing. On the ground floor there is a kitchen with everything you need. Free parking on the hotel premises.
- Villa NOVA≫ – A luxurious new stylish cottage, everything is thought out to the smallest detail, the view from the windows and balcony is incredible!
- Casa Armonia≫ – The apartments are in a great location – in a quiet forest, just a 14 minute walk from the castle. The beautiful garden, which looked like a fairy tale day and night. There was everything a person needs – a well-equipped kitchen, clean and pleasant.
4. Sighisoara
Tourist demand creates supply, so if people want to see Dracula’s hideout in every second castle, then why not? All over Romania there are castles that, according to legend, once belonged to Vlad Tepes III – the prototype of the vampire, whose real name was Dracula – the dragon, and he existed in reality. This is an ancient Wallachian prince, who was once distinguished by his bloodthirstiness in the massacre of enemies, whom he mercilessly impaled.
The city Sighisoara is the supposed birthplace of Vlad Tepes, everything is real: the castle, the old walls and the staircases of the galleries are associated with the Wallachian prince. By the way, the International Congress of Dracula Researchers was even held here, so there should be no doubts about its authenticity.
The town is very cozy and ancient, there is a lot to see in it. Be sure to climb the tower, from which you can see the hills surrounding the Tyrnava Mare river valley, walk through the medieval castle and its galleries, look into the stone eyes of the Dracula monument and try to feel whether he was so bloodthirsty by medieval standards.
Hotels and apartments in Sighisoara:
- Casa Marian≫ – Large apartment, well-equipped kitchen, beautiful garden, close to the center of Sighisoara.
- Pension Phönix≫ – Beautiful guesthouse with snow-white bedding and comfortable beds. The accommodation is located near the old town and has parking space.
- Hotel Claudiu≫ – Good location about 200 meters from the start of the climb to the Old Town. Very clean (like new), comfortable bed, helpful super friendly staff.
5. Bikaz Gorge
Before you get to Sighisoara, you will have to drive through the fantastically beautiful Bicas Gorge, located in the northeast of Romania in the Eastern Carpathians, in the Neamt and Harghita counties.
The gorge begins from the Izvorul Montenul reservoir, which stretches for tens of kilometers, resting on the colossal dam of the same name – Bicas. The unique gorge appeared thanks to the multi-million-dollar work of the river, which cut a deep gorge in the rocks.
Later, a road was built here, which is considered one of the most picturesque in Romania. The rocks literally hang over a narrow strip of asphalt that winds along the bottom of the gorge, and then rises sharply up the mountainside in a steep serpentine. The narrowest place in the gorge is called the “Gate of Hell” – it is so narrow that the rocks had to be sawn down so that not only cars but also tourist buses could pass through.
6. Transfagarasan – Transylvanian natural wonder
And yet, the main Romanian beauties are in the mountains. The Transylvanian Alps, a separate appendix nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, are mysterious and unknown, beautiful and yet quite accessible mountains. In the Romanian Carpathians, wonderful roads have been built, which make it easy to reach the peaks, over 2000 m, high-altitude lakes and reservoirs, passing through passes and crazy serpentines.
The Transfagarasan, which crosses the 2,034-meter high mountain pass connecting Wallachia and Transylvania, is as steep and beautiful as Norway’s Trollstigen. This winding road is only accessible from July to September, when it is open to traffic. The road surface is of exceptional quality, but safe driving is only possible when the road has completely dried out after the snow melts.
And here, as if by chance, the Dracula theme reappears on one of the peaks – Poenari Castle, located on the top of a mountain in the colorful Arges Valley. It is reached by a steep climb and 1480 steps, which you have to climb up and then go down. An excellent warm-up before mountain trekking from the high-altitude Balea Lake – 2030 m above sea level, through the Caprei Pass to Lake Capra.
Read about this incredibly beautiful road here: Transfagarasan is the most beautiful road in Romania
7. Underground salt kingdoms – Salina Pride and Salina Turda
The Romanian mountains hold many secrets. One of them is the salt caves hidden deep underground. Salt was mined in Romania during the Roman Empire. Salt mines appeared in the 19th century during the industrialization. Later, salt mining stopped, the mines were empty for a long time, until 20 years ago they were turned into tourist attractions. Moreover, there are several such mines in Romania, but the most famous are Salina Turda and Salina Pride.
Salina Turda
Salina Turda is the most famous salt mine in Romania, located near the city of Cluj-Napoca. Salina Turda is a real entertainment center, located deep underground. The height of the mine vaults reaches 112 meters, it has its own underground lake, up to 8 meters deep, which you can ride boats in.
There is a playground and a Ferris wheel, an amphitheater and even a church altar, also carved from salt. In Salina Turda you can play mini-golf, bowling, tennis, just walk and look at the walls, on which giant salt stalactites shine.
Salina Pride
The Salina Pride salt mine is located 10 km from the resort town of Sovata. In this small town are springs with mineral salt water still flow, along which elegant sanatoriums are located. The former salt mine of Salina Pride is one of the largest in Europe. It once discovered by the inhabitants of the Roman Empire.
Now the huge underground mines and voids have been turned into an underground amusement park. Despite the fact that the mines are quite old, their granite vaults are very strong and reliable.
It is impossible to get inside Salina Pride on foot. To get inside the mine, you need to buy a ticket and take a bus that runs to the mine and back every 15 minutes. Then you have to walk down the stairs into the depths of the mountain. In the huge stone halls there is a lot of entertainment for the whole family: rope parks, trampolines, swings, tennis tables, picnic tables, cafes and bars, souvenir shops and even your own church underground.
What do people do here? You can spend a whole day here. Many people take children’s bicycles and scooters, badminton, table tennis rackets, balls. And some just go down to run through the underground halls. Or saturating their lungs with salty air that is good for health.
Useful articles and links:
- Six districts of Bucharest where it is best for tourists to stay
- Black Sea beaches in Romania
- TOP-10 sea beaches in Poland for summer vacation
Travel Medical Insurance – online on the EKTA
Booking of hotels and apartments – Booking.com
Car Rental – Affordable options are always available on the aggregator Rentalcars.com
