Photo credit: Historic old town center of Brasov MIR
There’s More to Romania Than You’d Expect
From Bucovina to Bucharest, Romania Gets Better as You Go
Romania tends to surprise. Travelers who come for the castles and mountain scenery often find themselves equally taken by what else is here. Romania sits at a crossroads that has been contested, settled, and resettled for millennia, and the evidence is everywhere. Roman provincial cities. Fortified Saxon churches. Byzantine frescoes painted across the exterior walls of entire monasteries. From Bucovina and Transylvania to Bucharest, each region reflects a different part of the country’s history and identity. Villages in Maramures where oak-built churches are still in use, and locals still follow old seasonal rituals. A Danube Delta where Europe’s largest wetland stretches out in channels and reed beds, and the fishermen working them look much as they did a generation ago.
The monasteries of Bucovina, including Voronet, Moldovita, and Sucevita, were painted with exterior biblical scenes to teach scripture to rural communities. They still draw worshippers. The masked winter festivals of southern Romania, where figures in towering headdresses and heavy bells move through villages at the turning of the year, point to ancient customs shared across the Balkans that go back well before any modern border was drawn.
Then there’s Bucharest. The capital’s architecture alone spans several eras, and the contrast between the ornate and the monumental tells you a lot about what the 20th century meant for this part of Europe.
If Romania is on your radar, here are a few ways to go:
1. Bulgaria & Romania: Frescoes & Fortresses
Travel across two countries where Thracian tombs, cave monasteries, and painted churches stand within easy reach of one another. Visit six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, walk through the Valley of the Roses, and spend time in a Transylvanian village that hasn’t changed much in centuries.
2. Castles of Transylvania aboard the Danube Express
Begin in Istanbul, travel north through Bulgaria and Romania, and continue on to Budapest aboard a deluxe private train. Watch the Carpathian Mountains unfold beyond your cabin window while exploring fortified towns, royal residences, and three UNESCO-listed sites along the way.
3. Essential Romania
Explore Bucharest’s Belle Epoque architecture, visit the painted monasteries of Bucovina, and walk through medieval towns at your own pace, with time to get to know the traditions of the Romanian people along the way.
4. Design Your Own Romania Journey
Interested in winter festivals in Maramures or autumn harvest traditions in rural Transylvania? Perhaps birdwatching in the Danube Delta or tracing Roman ruins along the ancient frontier? We can build a private journey around what interests you most.
