Holiday in Transylvania

What makes Transylvania special as a destination?

Transylvania — just the name conjures images of misty mountains, Gothic castles, and forests where imagination knows no bounds. But Romania's central highlands are much more than the home of Dracula's legend: it is one of the last great wilderness areas in Europe, a living open-air museum of medieval villages, and a cultural landscape like no other. The Carpathians form the dramatic backdrop: dense beech forests, home to Europe's largest population of brown bears, wolves, and lynxes, alternate with flower-strewn alpine meadows and rugged peaks. The Transfăgărășan road, described by Jeremy Clarkson as the "most beautiful road in the world," winds in breathtaking serpentine curves over the mountains, offering panoramas that leave even seasoned Alpine drivers in awe. The Saxon fortified churches are Transylvania's hidden treasure: built by German settlers in the 12th century, over 150 fortified churches stand in the villages — seven of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Viscri, the favorite village of King Charles III, consists of colorful houses along a single street, dominated by a mighty white fortified church. Here, farmers still work their fields with horse-drawn carts — a scene from a bygone era. Sibiu (already captured separately), Brașov, and Sighișoara form the urban triangle of Transylvania: Brașov enchants with its Gothic Black Church and the cable car to Tâmpa Mountain, while Sighișoara — the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș, the historical Dracula — is one of the best-preserved medieval citadels in Europe. The atmosphere of these cities combines Habsburg elegance with Romanian warmth and a surprisingly vibrant nightlife.