5 Highlights in Romania You Shouldn’t Miss Out

BY ESTHER SCHIRRMACHER ABOUT HER 5 HIGHLIGHTS IN ROMANIA

550 kilometers lay between us and our final stop: the capital Bucharest. On our route, we took rest in two very special places and enjoyed the Romanian nature on our way. We, unfortunately, had to miss out on many other interesting places because our time was limited. But I already know that we will be back in Romania one day!

These are my 5 highlights in Romania:

#1 Timisoara

The student city Timisoara is located in the west of Romania and is served by Ryanair, to get there, we paid only 15 euro. Especially the flair of the historic city center and the many small restaurants and bars make this city special. However, in Timisoara, we quickly realize that Romania is far from being as cheap as we had imagined. Looking for a dinner we came out at the end with German prices.

#2 Sibiu

On our way to the east, we stopped in Sibiu, where Germans had already settled down in the 12th century. Sibiu was a real surprise and remains my personal highlight of the trip. During a few sunny midday hours, we sat down in a café and watched the city in peace. Again, especially the small streets and quaint restaurants are very charming.

#3 Bran

Towards the middle of the week, we arrived in Bran, a small town that would certainly have remained unknown if there was not a special castle there. Dracula is said to have lived here and the charm of this story attracts many tourists to Bran. There is not much to see here, but the castle is worth a visit and a must for any Dracula fan anyway. As for accommodation, I can recommend the beautiful hotel „Casa Din Bran“!

#4 Bucharest

We had reached our easternmost destination: Bucharest. Here we returned our rental car  and left Romania in the direction of Poland. But before that, we had plenty of time to explore the capital. It wasn’t our favorite place in Romania, but of course, we already felt the flair of a metropolis compared to the small towns we had seen so far. What we liked about Bucharest were the many restaurants, bars and shops that brought the city to life. And guess who I met on the Free Walking Tour through Bucharest? Barbara from Barbaralicious! So it happens that you can now read this guest post.

#5 The Carpathians and Wallachia

Nature was another highlight in Romania for us. Especially the Carpathians, a 1,300-kilometer long mountain range, and the famous „Wallachia“ are ideal for long road trips, hiking trips, and skiing. Many travelers we met in Romania came here mainly because of nature.

The Thing With the Traffic

Since the roads in Romania were much better than we had expected from what we read in the guide or in blog posts, we were able to spontaneously turn anywhere and explore the area. Romania is definitely one of the countries you can easily travel by rental car. The highways, at least the ones we have traveled, were well developed and many places are very easy to reach.

However, we have been warned from different sides explicitly to drive in the dark car and pay attention to hooligans in traffic. All in all, driving a car through Romania was a great experience.

Food in Romania

The food in Romania is very savory, but we always liked it. Many stews of Romanian cuisine consist of beans, cabbage, and meat. Corn is also a staple and is processed into corn semolina or corn flour. The traditional vegetable soup „Ciorba“ includes pork and lamb, carrots, beans, sauerkraut, and onions.

Another national dish is called „Mici“. These are grilled minced meat rolls reminiscent of Greek cevapcici. For many meals, pickled vegetables are served in Romania. A classic specialty in spirits is plum brandy.

What did you like best about Romania?

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