Romania for travelers

The region of Crișana is situated in the West of Romania, where German, Serbian and Hungarian influences have been engraved within the architecture and traditions of the people.

While in Crișana you can visit the underrated cities of Oradea and Arad, which have rich multicultural history and elegant and well-preserved Art Nouveau buildings. If you are looking for some relaxation and perhaps some natural treatment, outside of Oradea is located one of the most famous thermal baths in Romania, Felix Thermal Baths (Băile Felix).

But for the ones that crave some adventure and a trip to the ancient past, you will be happy to hear that in Crișana you can find one of the most interesting and eerie caves, the Bears’ Cave (Peștera Urșilor). In this cave, filled with thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, you can see the fossils of a prehistoric species of bear that became extinct 24,000 years ago.

Banat

The western region of Romania, Banat, is one of the most heavily influenced by its neighbor, Hungary. The biggest city within the region, Timișoara is justly called the “Little Vienna” for its progressive stance and many cultural attractions such as the Philharmonic and the Museum of Region of Banat. For this, Timișoara has been chosen to be the European Capital of Culture in 2023. It is not to be missed!

The southern part of the region marks the entering of the Danube River on Romanian soil. The Iron Gates Nature Park is the second-largest natural park in Romania and natural wonder, where several protected species of flora and fauna live. Moreover, only accessible by boat on the river, you will be able to see the colossal Rock Sculpture of Decebalus, the biggest sculpture on the continent counting almost 55 meters in height. 

Oltenia

Oltenia is the southwestern region of Romania, renowned for its several natural spas and one-of-a-kind cultural heritages.

The natural spas of Căciulata, Călimănești, Olănești, and Govora are the excellent places where people go to receive qualitative treatment from the special springs and have a holiday of relaxation in the mountains.

The city of Târgu Jiu, also named “The city of Brâncuși” is home to an open-air sculptural museum. The Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuși was a homage of the artist to the Romanian heroes that sacrificed their lives in the First World War. It incorporates three central pieces, all connected by an axis directed from the sunset to dawn: The Table of Silence, the Gate of Kiss, and the Endless Column.

In the region of Oltenia, you can also find one of the longest caves in Europe, Polovragi Cave, which counts over 10km in length. 

Transylvania

Transylvania, the central region of Romania, is best renowned for its well-preserved medieval towns such as Brașov, Sibiu, and Sighișoara, each having its charm, but also for the numerous and impressive gothic style castles. 

The most famous castles are no doubt, Bran Castle and Corvinilor Castle.

Bran Castle, located very close to the city of Brașov, is commonly associated with the ruler Vlad Țepeș, the inspiration for Bran Stoker’s Dracula.

Corvin Castle, on the other hand, located in the city of Hunedoara, is probably the medieval architectural jewel of Romania. During its beginnings in the mid-14th century, it served as a fortress until Iancu of Hunedoara transformed it into a castle.

Bucovina

Going further North of Romania we discover Bucovina, a smaller region of the country filled with many Byzantine-style churches and monasteries, lively villages, and natural breath-taking landscapes.

In the region of Bucovina, you can find another UNESCO World Heritage site, the “Painted Monasteries”. Distinguished by their colorful painted exteriors, the images illustrated on the monasteries depict different religious scenes from Christianity.

Voroneț Monastery, also known as “The Sistine Chapel of the East”, is the most famous out of all due to its unique type of paint. Illustrating “The Last Judgement”, the blue paint that was used has never faded even with the harsh weather conditions that brushed over it throughout the years. Nowadays, the pigment used is known around the world as “Voroneț blue”.

Moldova

The region is located in the northeastern part of Romania and is perhaps one of the richest in folklore and traditions. Moldova is a region with numerous orthodox churches, that date back hundreds of years ago.

The capital of the region, Iași, is home to about 100 churches itself, the most exquisite out of all being the Church of the Three Hierarchs. In the city, you can also find the beautiful Palace of Culture that houses the Ethnographic Museum, the Art Museum, and the History museum.

Dobrogea

In the southwestern region of Romania, Dobrogea is the one that links the rest of the country and the Danube Delta to the Black Sea.

Of course, a lot of Romanians go to spend their holidays at the numerous tourist cities by the coast but the region is wide, and brimming with museums, historical monuments, ruins, and ancient citadels that date back centuries B.C, during Greek and Roman times, even with strong influences left by the Ottoman Empire. 

The city port of Constanța (known in ancient times as Tomis) is the core of the Romanian Black Sea tourism, the most famous Art Nouveau architectural building being the Casino Constanța by the seafront.

And we cannot forget about Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. A natural reserve that we pride ourselves on, protected by UNESCO, where you can find numerous species of wildlife, such as birds, fishes, and unique plants, but also traditional fishing villages with restaurants where you can taste fresh products from the local cuisine.

Muntenia

Muntenia, also known as Walachia since ancient times, is the most southern region of Romania where the capital of Bucharest is located.

Apart from the rich and diverse cultural influences and places of interest that you can find in Bucharest at almost every street corner, there are a lot of other tourist cities along Prahova valley that deserve attention. Predeal, Bușteni, and Sinaia are the biggest and most visited cities for the people that look for relaxation, amateur hiking trails, chillier weather, striking mountain sceneries, and ski and snowboard facilities during the wintertime for enthusiasts.

If you have the chance to visit the city of Sinaia, pay a visit to Peleș Castle, one of the most beautiful in the area build with German new-Renaissance architecture that was even featured in “A Christmas Prince” movies.

Lastly, located in the Bucegi Mountains at an altitude of 2,216 meters you can find an icon of Romania, some unique stone formations called the Sphinx and Babele.