Find places in Romania

Must-Haves

• Palace of the Parliament (Sector 5)
  A colossal Ceausescu era building whose guided tour explains the communist years like nothing else.
• Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum (Kiseleff)
  Hundreds of real farmhouses, churches and windmills from every region gathered in a lakeside park.
• Stavropoleos Monastery (Old Town)
  A tiny, exquisitely carved church and courtyard hidden among the bars of the Old Town.
• Romanian Athenaeum (Calea Victoriei)
  The city's grand domed concert hall, best experienced at an evening concert.

Fun for Everyone

• National Museum of Art of Romania (Revolution Square)
  Romanian and European art in the former royal palace, including medieval icons.

Must-Haves

• Carturesti Carusel (Old Town)
  A restored white bookshop with spiral balconies, one of the city's loveliest interiors.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Obor Market (Obor)
  The city's biggest food market, with farm produce, cheeses and famous mici stalls.

Off the Beaten Path

• Piata Amzei (Amzei)
  A small central market for fresh produce, flowers and local cheeses.

Must-Haves

• Caru' cu Bere (Old Town)
  A historic beer hall with stained glass and carved wood, serving classic Romanian dishes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hanu' lui Manuc (Old Town)
  An old caravanserai courtyard inn serving traditional food under wooden galleries.

Great for Date Night

• Casa Doina (Kiseleff)
  Romanian cuisine in an elegant historic villa with a garden terrace.

Must-Haves

• Origo Coffee Shop (Lipscani)
  One of the pioneers of the city's speciality coffee scene.

Fun for Everyone

• King Michael I Park (Herastrau)
  A huge lakeside park for boating, cycling and long summer walks.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Cismigiu Gardens (Centre)
  The oldest public park in the centre, with a lake, rowing boats and chess players.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mogosoaia Palace (Mogosoaia)
  A Brancovenesc style palace by a lake, an easy escape from the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Therme Bucuresti (Balotesti)
  A huge thermal spa and indoor water park with tropical gardens, open all year.

Must-Haves

• George Enescu Festival (Romanian Athenaeum)
  A major classical music festival held every two years in late summer.

Must-Haves

• Athenee Palace Hilton (Revolution Square)
  A grand historic hotel next to the Athenaeum with a storied past.

Great for Date Night

• Grand Hotel Continental (Calea Victoriei)
  An elegant nineteenth century hotel in the heart of old Bucharest.

Must-Haves

• Black Church (Old Town)
  The largest Gothic church in the region, with a famous collection of Anatolian carpets.

Off the Beaten Path

• Prejmer Fortified Church (Prejmer)
  A UNESCO listed fortified church with storage rooms built into its massive walls.

Low Cost and Authentic

• First Romanian School (Schei)
  The historic school and church of the old Romanian quarter.

Must-Haves

• Council Square (Old Town)
  The pastel heart of Brasov, framed by mountains and lined with cafés.
• Bran Castle (Bran)
  The fairytale castle sold as Dracula's home, with rooms from Queen Marie's time.
• Peles Castle (Sinaia)
  The lavish neo Renaissance summer palace of Romania's kings.

Fun for Everyone

• Rasnov Fortress (Rasnov)
  A hilltop peasant citadel with sweeping views of the Barsa land.

Off the Beaten Path

• Viscri Fortified Church (Viscri)
  A whitewashed Saxon village and church that feels frozen in time.

Must-Haves

• Tampa Mountain (Old Town)
  Hike or ride the cable car to the classic view over the rooftops.
• Bucegi Mountains (Sinaia)
  Cable cars and trails to the Babele rock formations and the Sphinx.

Fun for Everyone

• Libearty Bear Sanctuary (Zarnesti)
  The ethical way to see rescued brown bears in large forest enclosures.

Off the Beaten Path

• Piatra Craiului National Park (Zarnesti)
  A dramatic limestone ridge with gorges and serious hiking trails.

Must-Haves

• Sergiana (Old Town)
  Hearty Transylvanian cooking in a cellar dining room, a local favourite.

Fun for Everyone

• Brasov Christmas Market (Council Square)
  A festive December market with mulled wine and a big tree.

Must-Haves

• Aro Palace (Centre)
  A classic central hotel close to the old town and the park.

Must-Haves

• Large Square (Old Town)
  Sibiu's grand central square, ringed by baroque palaces and pastel houses.
• Bridge of Lies (Small Square)
  An iron bridge said to creak whenever someone standing on it tells a lie.
• Transfagarasan Road (Fagaras Mountains)
  One of Europe's great mountain roads, climbing to Balea Lake in summer.

Fun for Everyone

• Council Tower (Old Town)
  Climb up for views over the rooftops and their watching eyes.

Off the Beaten Path

• Passage of Stairs (Lower Town)
  An atmospheric stairway linking the upper and lower towns.

Must-Haves

• Brukenthal National Museum (Large Square)
  One of the oldest museums in the region, with fine European paintings.
• Astra National Museum Complex (Dumbrava)
  A huge open air museum of houses, mills and churches around a lake.

Fun for Everyone

• Evangelical Cathedral (Huet Square)
  A Gothic church with a tall tower to climb and a great organ.

Off the Beaten Path

• Balea Lake (Fagaras Mountains)
  A glacial lake high in the mountains, reached by road or cable car.

Fun for Everyone

• Paltinis (Paltinis)
  A small mountain resort for forest walks and winter skiing.

Must-Haves

• Sibiu International Theatre Festival (Old Town)
  A huge June festival with free street performances across the squares.

Fun for Everyone

• Sibiu Christmas Market (Large Square)
  One of Romania's best Christmas markets, with a Ferris wheel.

Must-Haves

• Crama Sibiul Vechi (Old Town)
  Traditional food in a vaulted brick cellar with folk décor.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Piata Cibin (Cibin)
  The main produce market, full of mountain cheeses in season.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Continental Forum (Unirii Square)
  A large central hotel a short walk from the old town.

Must-Haves

• St Michael's Church (Unirii Square)
  A towering Gothic church at the heart of the city.
• National Theatre Lucian Blaga (Avram Iancu Square)
  A grand theatre and opera house for an evening performance.

Fun for Everyone

• Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania (Centre)
  Costumes, crafts and an open air village section in the forest.

Must-Haves

• Salina Turda (Turda)
  A vast salt mine turned underground park, with a Ferris wheel and boating lake.

Fun for Everyone

• Turda Gorge (Turda)
  A dramatic limestone gorge with an easy, beautiful hiking trail.

Must-Haves

• Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden (Centre)
  A large garden with glasshouses and a Japanese garden.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Cetatuia Hill (Centre)
  A short climb for the best sunset view over the city.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hoia Baciu Forest (Hoia)
  A forest of strangely twisted trees with many local legends.

Must-Haves

• Untold Festival (Central Park)
  One of Europe's largest electronic music festivals, held in early August.

Fun for Everyone

• Electric Castle (Bontida)
  A summer music and arts festival in the grounds of a restored castle.

Off the Beaten Path

• Transilvania International Film Festival (Centre)
  A June film festival screening across cinemas and open air venues.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Roata (Centre)
  Classic Transylvanian dishes in a cosy, rustic garden restaurant.

Must-Haves

• Danube Delta Eco Tourism Centre (Tulcea)
  An aquarium and exhibits that explain the delta before you head out.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sulina Lighthouse (Sulina)
  The old lighthouse of the Danube Commission at the end of the river.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mila 23 Village (Mila 23)
  A fishing village of reed roofed houses deep in the delta.

Must-Haves

• Sulina Beach (Sulina)
  A wide wild beach where the Danube meets the Black Sea.
• Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Tulcea)
  One of Europe's largest wetlands and a UNESCO site.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sfantu Gheorghe Beach (Sfantu Gheorghe)
  A remote beach on the southern arm of the river.

Fun for Everyone

• Letea Forest (Letea)
  An oak forest on sand dunes, home to wild horses.

Must-Haves

• Sighisoara Citadel (Old Town)
  The best preserved inhabited medieval citadel in the region.

Fun for Everyone

• Covered Staircase (Citadel)
  A wooden covered stairway leading up to the Church on the Hill.

Must-Haves

• Clock Tower (Citadel)
  The symbol of the town, with a museum and views from the top.

Off the Beaten Path

• Church on the Hill (Citadel)
  A Gothic church with old frescoes beside the Saxon cemetery.

Fun for Everyone

• Vlad Dracul House (Citadel)
  The house where Vlad the Impaler is said to have been born.

Fun for Everyone

• Sighisoara Medieval Festival (Citadel)
  A summer festival of costumes, music and street performers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Casa cu Cerb (Citadel)
  A restaurant in a historic house on the citadel square.

Great for Date Night

• Casa Wagner (Citadel)
  A historic hotel in a sixteenth century house on the square.