Romania: Unique and Undiscovered

Equi-distant between the European capitals of Hungary and Romania, the one-third of northwest Romania called Transylvania is more familiar as fiction than it is as fact. Until I visited the region myself, Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel starring Count Dracula kept running interference in my mind. In real life I discovered that Stoker’s unattractive model for Dracula, Prince Vlad the Impaler, ruled briefly in another part of medieval Romania, and that picturesque Bran Castle guarding ...

The “No 1” place that the travelers want to see in Romania, when they arrive for the first time, is the province of Bucovina in the north-east of the country. Bucovina is famous for its painted churches – painted, that is, on the outside rather than just on the inside which would be more usual for Orthodox churches. This feature is unique in the Byzantine world and these churches have kept their vivid colors on the outside walls despite the vicissitudes of 500 years of rough we...

The financial crisis triggers a decline in the Romanian travel and tourism industry. After strong economic growth of 7% in 2008, 2009 brought a decline of 7% in GDP; this further triggered a 6% decrease in average net incomes and the doubling of the unemployment rate, thus reaching 8%. Because more Romanians were concerned with their standard of living, they began to plan cheaper and shorter holidays. They chose the closest locations as their destinations, which they could reach using their o...

As everybody can imagine Transylvania is all about stunning scenery and terrific places. Everyone knows and fears Dracula; still everyone wants to travel to Transylvania. Start packing without any worries. Add turtlenecks, garlic and scarves to the top of the packing list, muster some courage, and summon your sense of adventure. The ultimate adventure awaits in a distant land where a 15th-century ruler terrified all who dared to challenge his ways. Transylvanian lovers, culture and history f...