The most notable being that the Romanian language hails from Latin, and so they write using the same alphabet that we do, while Bulgarians are Slavic and use the Cyrillic alphabet.

But the two nations both came under the thumb of Communism in the 20th century and, today, are flourishing cities of brutalist architecture that hides a bustling art scene, a wonderful food scene, and a fascinating history.

It’s easy to get from Sofia to Bucharest, and there are a few different ways to do it.

Let’s look at how to get from Sofia to Bucharest by bus, by train, and by plane: where to buy tickets, how long it takes, and how much it costs.

Sofia to Bucharest by bus

This is the cheapest way to get from Sofia to Bucharest, though it also takes the longest time.

While Bucharest is conveniently located to the south of Romania, fairly close to the border of Bulgaria, Sofia is located inconveniently further away, to the west of Bulgaria.

This means that getting from Sofia to Bucharest by bus can take quite a while.

Because of the sheer length of the journey, buses from Sofia to Bucharest typically only run through the night.

A popular company to travel with is Flixbus, whose buses leave Sofia’s bus station at around 10pm most nights, and will get passengers into Bucharest in the early hours of the morning.

Schedules predict that the journey takes a total of nine hours, but experience says that this can actually be as little as seven hours, which is actually less convenient.

Arriving early in the morning means being trapped.

The bus station you arrive at is far to the west of the city, and Bucharest is a very spread-out Romanian city.

You will then need a taxi to get you from the bus station and into the city centre.

While this is certainly inconvenient, it still makes for a relatively simple journey, as long as you’re prepared to call an Uber or a taxi upon arrival, and you may be doing so before the sun even rises.

Getting the night bus can be tough on your body; sleep doesn’t come easy and you may find yourself truly exhausted by the end.

However, getting on the bus is simple.

You can buy your ticket online via the Flixbus website, wander over to the bus station in Sofia after a day of exploring and relaxing, hop on the bus, try to sleep, and arrive in Bucharest by sunrise.

Tickets also cost around €12 per person, which is incredibly cheap for a 9-hour bus ride between two countries.

Sofia to Bucharest by train

Travelling from Sofia to Bucharest by train is, honestly, not a great option.

The train is not any faster than the bus, with the quickest route from Sofia to Bucharest by train still taking nine hours.

And, as mentioned, the bus is often quicker if the traffic is good and the roads are clear.

The other massive downside is that the train is far more expensive than the bus.

Bus tickets cost around €12 while train tickets cost around €70, which is a colossal difference for no good reason.

All of that said, there are a few perks to travelling from Sofia to Bucharest by train.

One is that you have more freedom when it comes to time.

If you can only travel at a certain time of day, or you would prefer to avoid travelling through the night, then you can hop on a train in the morning and get to Bucharest by nightfall.

This avoids the very frustrating and unfortunate danger of being exhausted and unable to sleep on the night bus.

The other perk to the train is that it’s safer, though this is minor.

Bus travel in Bulgaria and Romania is perfectly safe, but statistics are definitely on the side of trains in general when it comes to safety.

This is true everywhere, though, and not a good enough reason to take a train over a bus since buses are still perfectly safe.

Booking a ticket for the train can also be done online, and Rail Europe is a great option for finding the perfect ticket for you.

The train station in Bucharest is also far more central than the bus station, and you can take the metro from there to the city centre.

Sofia to Bucharest by flight

Travelling from Sofia to Bucharest by flight is absolutely the quickest way to do this journey, with the only downside being how unpredictable the price of flights tends to be.

In order to have the best chance of scoring a good deal, you’ll need to book your flight as far in advance as possible.

If you book your flight within the same month you plan on flying, expect to pay around $100.

Booking further in advance (or sometimes last minute, though that’s a big risk) can get you a flight for $30, which is very reasonable and cheaper than taking the train.

The flight itself from Sofia to Bucharest takes only one hour, which is delightfully short.

The only extra time is spent getting through security, being at the airport two hours ahead of time, and then passing through immigration and baggage claim.

Getting to and from the airport in Sofia and Bucharest will require getting a taxi or an Uber on either end, but that’s easily done since airport taxis are always around, 24 hours a day.

Going from Sofia to Bucharest by flight is the best option, provided you can get a cheap enough flight.

It is much faster than taking a bus or a train; you are up and back down before you’ve barely had chance to open a book.

This is a good option if you have a shorter itinerary and time spent in Romania.

Airport transport is quick and easy in both Bulgaria and Romania. And flights can be very cheap.

If you’re prepared to make your flight a few hours longer, though still often shorter than taking the bus or train, you can get a flight with a single stop (often in Budapest) that might extend the flight to five or six hours.

This will guarantee a cheaper ticket option, with these flights costing around $50 even if you book a week in advance.

But the best and most convenient way to fly is still to book far in advance, get the cheapest possible deal, and enjoy a one-hour flight from Sofia to Bucharest.

If you would rather have the freedom of travel and stopovers, then you could rent a car and take a Romanian road trip instead!

But warning, if you’re travelling in winter, just be careful as there can be heavy snowfall.

This will give you the ultimate flexibility for your trip and maybe you can tick off some bucket list things to do in Romania on the way, such as visiting the fine dining restaurant of La Hambar.

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What this means for budding travellers hoping to explore the country at their leisure is that the country bends itself to your time schedule.

Only have a week in Romania?

That’s time enough to explore all of Transylvania.

You’ve got two weeks in Romania?

Then you can see Bucharest as well, and even head to Timisoara.

Romania is huge, with a varying landscape of mountains and valleys that divide and separate its towns and cities, which means that you can see as much or as little of the country as you have time to.

However long you have, here is how to spend 7 days in Romania, 10 days in Romania, and 14 days in Romania.

7 Days in Romania Itinerary 

One week is the perfect amount of time for you to see all the best parts of the Transylvania province of Romania.

The country is divided into three provinces: Wallachia to the south, Transylvania in the centre and north, and Moldovia in the east.

Moldovia is mostly made up of small provincial towns, and Wallachia is home to the country’s capital of Bucharest.

Transylvania, however, is where you’ll find most of the country’s medieval history, as well as its most dynamic and beautiful towns.

With 7 days in Romania, you can see it all!

Brasov

You’ll want to make Brasov your hub during this week. You can afford a reasonably sized hotel here for a few days.

Brasov is a two-day city; everything can be seen, photographed, explored, and eaten in two days.

During your stay, make sure to visit the world-famous Black Church and the scorched painting of the Virgin Mary inside.

Also enjoy the local foods at the best restaurant in town: La Ceaun.

There, you can enjoy sarmale, mici, and papanasi. The Romanian hat trick.

Bran Castle

The most famous castle in all of Romania is a day trip from Brasov.

It takes an hour to get there by car, and there is enough to do to fill hours of exploring, learning, and photographing the castle.

Built in the 14th century, Bran Castle was the inspiration for Dracula’s castle in Bram Stoker’s novel.

It is also filled with gorgeous antiques collected by Romania’s most beloved monarch: Queen Marie.

Rasnov Fortress

This is another day trip from Brasov.

Also built in the 13th century, Rasnov Fortress is a monstrous hilltop citadel that has been almost untouched by time.

It’s an incredible stone ruin that overlooks the valley below, stretching the horizon all the way back to Brasov and beyond, to the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Sighisoara

Leave Brasov behind and head north to Romania’s second-largest city: Cluj-Napoca.

On your way, stop for a single night in Sighisoara.

This is Romania’s most perfectly maintained medieval town.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site for good reason.

Sighisoara is where the real Dracula was born, and you can still visit his home, which is now a lovely local restaurant.

Cluj-Napoca

The two days you have left are the perfect amount of time to explore the art and food scene of Cluj-napoca.

This is a city filled with good art and theatre.

The local restaurants are all high-end and so much of the town’s historic streets and buildings remain intact.

The people are kind and charming, and this is the perfect place to finish off your 7 days in Romania.

10 Days in Romania Itinerary

If you have an extra few days spare, taking your week in Romania up to 10 days in Romania, this gives you just enough time to follow the exact same Romania itinerary as above, but now you can also add Bucharest to the agenda.

The best way to do this is to begin in Bucharest and spend three nights there, before moving up to Brasov, where the 7 days in Romania itinerary begins.

Three days is the perfect amount of time to fully explore Bucharest and everything it has to offer.

Bucharest is an enormous city, and heavily congested with pretty intense traffic, but there is a cheap and reliable metro system and, if you base yourself within walking distance of the city centre, you can see and do everything on foot.

This is because the best parts of Bucharest can be found in the old town district which comprises the city centre.

In Bucharest old town, you’ll find Carturesti Carusel, one of the most splendid and beautiful bookstores in Europe.

On this bookstore’s top floor is a lovely bistro that serves excellent coffee.

On the same street is a slew of local restaurants and bars to relax at.

And on the other side of the old town is the world’s heaviest building: Romania’s Palace of Parliament.

An enormous structure that must be seen to be believed.

14 Days in Romania Itinerary

If you have 14 days in Romania, you can follow this exact same ten day itinerary, but with the luxury of being able to take your time with it.

The best way to spend this time is to rent a car.

The seven and ten day Romania itineraries can both be easily completed by using trains and buses to get across Transylvania, but 14 days in Romania makes for a perfect road trip.

If you rent a car make sure you have travel insurance. I highly recommend SafetyWing.

Begin by spending three days in Bucharest, then taking a train to Sinaia, a small town to the north.

There, you can rent a car and begin your journey north to Brasov and the rest of Transylvania.

With extra time to play with, you can visit the numerous saxon villages found a short drive from both Brasov and Cluj-Napoca.

Once you have finished your time in Cluj-Napoca, you will have enough time to drive south-west to Romania’s third-largest city:

Timișoara. This city has enough to see and explore in two days, before at last driving your rental car east and back to Bucharest, thus completing a perfect 2 weeks in Romania on an epic cross-country road trip.

Other articles you will love:

• Visiting Romania for the First Time
• Romania in the winter: is it worth it?
• 11 Incredible Things to Do in Timisoara, Romania

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You’ll want to think about exactly how expensive travelling around Romania is, how safe the country is, the top places to visit in Romania, and even more besides.

Here’s everything you need to know before visiting Romania for the first time.

How to get to Romania

There is a surprising number of options to choose from when it comes to how to get to Romania.

The most obvious is to take a flight from wherever you are.

There are several airports in Romania, with the biggest and busiest being Henri Coanda International Airport, which is located in Otopeni, just on the northern edge of Bucharest.

If you fly into this Bucharest airport, you’ll then need to take a taxi, Uber, or bus into the city centre.

Uber is very affordable in Romania, and definitely your most quick and convenient option.

If you don’t want to fly into Bucharest, the cities of Cluj-napoca and Timisoara also have their own international airports, and they are the second and third largest cities of Romania, respectively.

They’re also pretty far from one another, giving you three separate options for getting into Romania at different starting points.

If you’d rather not fly, you can also get into Romania easily by train or by bus, given that Romania is bordered by five countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine.

A great option is to fly into Bulgaria and spend a little time exploring the capital of Sofia before getting a night bus to Bucharest.

From one capital to the other, the journey takes around seven hours straight through the night.

If you’re looking to do a road trip across Europe, driving through Hungary and into Romania is a good option, and you can get to both Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara pretty quickly from the Hungarian border, depending on the direction you come from.

There are also trains which take you all the way from Budapest to Bucharest, but the journey is more than a day long.

Is Romania safe?

The short answer is: yes.

Admittedly, there is a lot of outdated information about the state of Bucharest and the safety of Romania overall.

A few years ago, the capital had a serious issue with pickpockets, and travel guides would often warn travellers about protecting their pockets and keeping their purses close, but pickpocketing is not an issue in Bucharest anymore.

It’s a very mellow and friendly city.

And the rest of the country is even more so.

The only danger in Romania – and it is a big one – is the driving.

But even that is mostly relegated to Bucharest.

You’ll find more info about driving in Romania below, but suffice to say that driving in Bucharest can be dangerous.

Drivers in the capital are hot-headed, overzealous, and aggressive.

Even being in the back of an Uber can be very intense at times.

Outside the capital, however, driving isn’t just safe: it’s an absolute pleasure.

As for other safety concerns like natural disasters, you needn’t worry there either.

Romania experiences a major earthquake once every few decades, and the snowfall can be very intense in the dead of winter, but there are no real concerns for your average traveller.

There is no extreme violence, gun crime, knife crime, or terrorism to worry about in Romania.

It is, overall, a very safe and kind place to travel.

The history of Romania

Romania is a country whose history many of us learn little about, but it is nonetheless a deeply fascinating one.

Across centuries and dynasties, Romania has been at the centre of wars, invasions, and dynatic tugs of war for power.

The Romans, Ottomans, Persians, and Hungarians have all passed through Romania and left their mark on the nation’s language, architecture, art, fashion, and cuisine.

The most famous person in Romania’s history is, undoubtedly, Vlad Tepes, the man who inspired the myth of Count Dracula.

Vlad’s father was Vlad Dracul of the Order of the Dragon, and Dracula simply means ‘son of the dragon’.

Tepes himself was the ruler of Wallachia for a portion of Romania’s medieval period, and the reason for his ties to the vampire myth is tied to his love for impaling people on spikes as a form of torture and execution.

The people of Transylvania took his bloodlust and turned it into propaganda, claiming he drank the blood of his enemies.

And so the vampire myth was born.

Romania’s modern history is defined by its decades under one of the worst communist dictatorships of the 20th century.

Nicolae Ceaușescu held Romania in his grasp for the second half of the 20th century, and only in recent years has the nation been able to restore its democracy and its economy, with the help of it gaining membership into the EU.

Romanian food

Romanian food will undoubtedly become one of the highlights of your trip, provided you dive right into it.

Romania is a nation that has been massively influenced by the cuisines to its west and east, from Greek and Hungarian meats to Persian spices.

This results in a culinary explosion of innovative and delicious foods.

Romanian food is also very reasonably priced and, given how good it all is, there is no reason to pick the more expensive foreign foods over the local cuisine.

The best example of this is scovergi, a very cheap pastry that makes for an ideal lunch item.

Scovergi are sold by hole-in-the-wall street vendors, and they’re a large wrap of fresh, soft, warm pastry bound around cheese, garlic, sour cream, and other little details like olives and dill.

They cost around $1 and fill you up for hours.

Three must-try Romanian food items are sarmale (the national dish), mici, and papanasi.

Sarmale are lumps of cabbage bound around pork meat and cooked with mouth-watering spices.

Mici are skinless sausages traditionally eaten with liberal amounts of mustard.

Papanasi are extravagant desserts made of doughnut batter, sour cream, and blueberry jam.

They are the most guilty of desserts, and perfect vacation food.

When to visit Romania

Romania has something to offer visitors all year round.

The best time to visit, however, is certainly the summer. Romania never gets unbearably hot, and it’s in summer when the flowers are in bloom, the roads are open and clear, and the skies are blue.

That said, if you can’t visit Romania in the summer, every season has something to offer, from the blossoming flowers of spring to the vibrant colours of autumn.

Winter is perhaps the worst time to be visiting Romania, mostly due to the fact that the skies are permanently grey, the snow leads to a lot of road closures and cancelled road trips, and the nights are long.

That said, visiting Bran Castle in the snow, or enjoying the Christmas markets and New Year celebrations in Brasov, is its own kind of special beauty.

Romania is also known for its fantastic ski resorts, which are of course only populated during the winter.

So, there are reasons to visit Romania during every season.

However, the countryside and the landscape are at their most beautiful and awe-inspiring during the summer months.

This is also the time when the roads are dry and clear, and so a road trip can easily be taken wherever you wish to go.

Summer in Romania offers the best opportunities for exploration and enjoying the great outdoors.

But, if you do visit Romania in the winter, especially around Christmas and New Year, you’ll still find cool things to see and do.

Prices in Romania

As mentioned when talking about food and taxis, prices in Romania are delightfully low.

Even though it is an EU nation, Romania is still one of the cheapest countries in Europe to visit and travel in.

In fact, houses in the quiet villages in Romania can be bought for as little as $10,000.

Romania is certainly an affordable vacation.

Uber and taxi prices are half of what you’d typically pay in the US or UK.

Hotels and hostels are very reasonably priced, and whatever kind of hotel you would typically be able to afford in your home country could be upgraded in Romania.

If you usually get hostels in the US, for example, you could have a private room for the same price in Romania.

Food, as previously mentioned, is very affordable in Romania, provided you mostly eat local food in local restaurants.

Things like Starbucks and pizza are still UK and US prices, but the local fare is fantastic and affordable.

Driving in Romania

As already mentioned, driving in Romania can be divided neatly into two areas: inside Bucharest and outside Bucharest.

The capital is renowned for being the most congested city in Europe.

As such, driving in Bucharest is not fun.

Traffic is a nightmare, especially in the early mornings during rush hour.

The result of this congestion is something even worse: aggression.

Drivers in Bucharest are intensely aggressive, impatient, and intimidating. It is not a fun, nor even a safe, city to drive in.

Getting an Uber or a taxi is the safer option because the drivers are experienced in Bucharest, but even then you may experience some moments of terror as it feels like your driver is taking your life into his hands.

There are some scary statistics when it comes to the sheer number of road traffic-related deaths in Romania, but the only really dangerous place to drive is Bucharest itself.

When you’re in Romania’s capital, rely on your own two legs, the public metro, and the occasional Uber to get you from A to B.

Outside the capital, it is a whole other world. Driving in Transylvania is an absolute pleasure.

While Bucharest is congested and aggressive, the open and quiet country roads of Transylvania are a dream to drive around.

The people are calm and polite drivers, the roads are wide open, and the scenery is blissful.

Driving outside of Bucharest isn’t only safe, it’s an absolute joy.

Fuel is reasonably priced, renting a car is cheap and easy, and the country is big enough for you to just drive and drive for days.

There’s nothing quite like a Romania road trip.

Top places to visit in Romania

When you visit Romania, there are a few places that you absolutely must visit.

While the country has so much to see and do, so many hidden gems, and so much beauty to discover on a long road trip, these are the top five places to visit in Romania.

Bucharest Old Town

Bucharest is Romania’s capital and largest city, so chances are high that you’ll be visiting and even basing yourself there.

But it’s the old town in Bucharest’s centre that you absolutely must explore.

This district is where you’ll find the crazy blend of architecture that makes Romania so unique.

On one street you’ll find a Parisian style building; turn the corner and you’ll find a traditional Russian cathedral.

The other exciting aspect to Bucharest’s old town district is its selection of restaurants and culinary experiences.

As already mentioned, Romania’s food is simply divine, and it’s in Bucharest old town that you’ll find the best variety of local dishes to try, as well as the best restaurants in the city, and therefore the country.

Brasov

Brasov is a historic town in the very heart of Romania, surrounded on all sides by snow-capped mountains.

It is the culinary heart of Transylvania, and from this fantastic little city you can easily get to both Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress in under an hour.

This city is full of kind, helpful people, some lovely shopping opportunities, history buildings, and some really great food.

Bran Castle

This is the castle that Bram Stoker describes in Dracula (even though it has little connection to Vlad Tepes himself).

Bran Castle is situated on a rock and overlooks the border between Wallachia and Transylvania.

Inside and out, this is a gothic masterpiece full of gorgeous antiques and surrounded by rocky landscape and a sweet little village.

Sighisoara

Birthplace of Vlad Tepes, Sighisoara is the most beautiful little town in Romania.

It’s a hilltop fortress town of cobbled streets, an old belltower, some excellent cafes and restaurants, and the house where Dracula himself was born.

As picturesque towns go, this is the very best one in all of Romania.

Rasnov Fortress

A dramatic hilltop fortress that dates all the way back to the 14th century.

Rasnov Fortress is only a short drive from Brasov, and has been left almost entirely untouched since it was built.

Views from the fortress span the entire valley where it sits, as well as the endless miles of mountain ranges and dense forest on either side.

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It’s a deceptively massive country with all of its villages, towns, and cities separated far apart from one another.

No two cities are anywhere near each other in Romania, and so the country is sending every visitor an open invitation to hop in a rental car and explore the landscape.

Speaking of the landscape, it’s a varied and rocky ocean of tall snow-capped mountain peaks, deep and flat valleys, and rolling green hills.

Romania offers some of the best views in all of Europe, and the best way to see them is from the window of your own rental car.

Getting around Romania by car is freeing and exhilarating.

Here is everything you need to know before driving around Romania, as well as a complete road trip itinerary for getting around Romania.

Driving in Romania

What is it actually like to drive around Romania for people who have never visited the country before?

Well, there are a few key things to know before planning your Transylvania road trip.

In Romania, they drive on the left side of the car and the right side of the road.

The traffic laws are similar to those in other EU nations.

Roads are often closed or inaccessible during the snowy winter months so it’s best to plan your road trip itinerary for the summer months, when the grass is greenest and the roads are clear.

The biggest obstacle to driving in Romania can be found in the capital of Bucharest.

Driving in most of the country is liberating and exciting, but driving in Bucharest is something of a nightmare.

The roads are hellish and congested; the local people drive with terrifying speed and aggression; it is not a fun place to drive at all.

Make sure you have travel insurance when you do hire a car! I highly recommend SafetyWing.

Driving outside Bucharest is a whole different story.

In other cities, and across the landscape between those cities, the roads are clear, quiet, wide, and open.

People drive with a lot more patience and consideration.

You won’t find any problems driving outside the capital.

The only other surprise you’ll find when driving around Romania is that, in the provincial towns and villages, travel by horse and cart is very common.

So, when driving your rental car through the more isolated areas of the country, be wary of the slower pace and the fact that you may have to overtake or wait patiently for a horse and cart to move out of your way.

If you are considering getting around Romania without a car, it is absolutely possible and quite cheap.

The trains between major cities, and buses out to smaller historic towns are reliable and quick.

Driving, however, is definitely the most fun and freeing way of getting around Romania.

Renting a car is also very cheap and affordable in Romania, more so than in most other European nations.

Romania Road Trip Itinerary

The best place to begin your Romania road trip is, of course, Bucharest.

It’s where you’ll fly into and it’s where most people will spend a few days before heading out to explore the rest of the city.

As already mentioned, however, Bucharest is not an ideal place to drive.

So, to avoid this, head to Gara de Nord train station in Bucharest and hop on a train to the nearby town of Sinaia.

The journey will take you no more than thirty minutes and, once there, you’ll be far enough out of Bucharest for driving to be fun.

In Sinaia, you can rent a car from any car rental chain, such as Sixt, and then head out on your journey around Romania.

In order to see everything that Romania has to offer, this is the best route to take from Bucharest and Sinaia:

• North to Brasov
• Stay for two nights in Brasov
• Day trips to Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress
• North to Sighisoara
• Stay the night in Sighisoara
• North to Cluj-Napoca
• Stay for two nights in Cluj-Napoca
• West to Timisoara
• Stay in Timisoara for two nights
• Return to Bucharest

The majority of this is a Transylvania road trip, and Transylvania is where you’ll find the most spellbinding and magical views.

The Transylvania landscape is hypnotic in its beauty and splendour.

As you drive further and further north – to Brasov, Sighisoara, and Cluj-Napoca – the landscape only becomes more dramatic and more sublime as you go.

The drive from Sinaia to Brasov will take around two hours.

Once there, stay for two nights and explore the city at your leisure.

With a car, you can easily take day trips to the nearby historic sites of Bran Castle (the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula) and Rasnov Fortress (an untouched hilltop citadel from the 14th century).

From Brasov, the drive north to Sighisoara will take approximately 90 minutes.

The drive is winding and takes you over a few mountains, but the roads are strong and you’re not likely to meet any danger along the way.

Sighisoara is small, but worth spending a night in so that you can fully enjoy the cafe and restaurant scene there, as well as visit sights such as the bell tower, the church on the hill, and the house where Vlad Dracula himself was born.

Onward to Cluj-Napoca, which should take another two hours of driving northwest.

Cluj-napoca is the second-largest city in Romania, after Bucharest, and is also home to some of the nations best museums, galleries, and art scene.

Cluj-Napoca has great food, a great music scene, and some of the friendliest people in the country.

There is enough to do for two days in Cluj-Napoca.

Your penultimate drive is a big one, south and west to Timisoara, Romania’s third-largest city.

This drive will take four hours, with some incredible scenery along the way.

But Timisoara is a bustling city of great restaurants and shopping opportunities that should not be missed.

The final leg of your journey is the longest: a six-hour drive east, back to where you began in the capital of Bucharest.

This road trip will take you through all of the best locations in Romania, and across the very best scenery imaginable.

The road trip of a lifetime.

Other articles you will love:

• 11 Incredible Things to Do in Timisoara, Romania
• Romania in the winter: is it worth it?
• How to get from Brasov to Bran Castle

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But Timisoara is an incredible, colourful, and vibrant city that should not be overlooked.

The city of Timisoara lies on the western edge of Romania, in the region of Transylvania, and it is such a perfectly sized city for all that you would want to see and do.

While Bucharest can seem a little too vast and spread out for a lot of visitors to see all of its attractions, try all of its best food, and explore everywhere on foot, Timisoara is a perfectly sized city, large enough to be impressive but small enough to be manageable and easy to explore at your own pace.

Here are the best Timisoars attractions, as well as what to do in Timisoara and where to stay in Timisoara.

What to Do in Timisoara

Like every other city in Romania, Timisoara is packed full of historic and religious monuments and buildings that will take your breath away.

What sets it apart as a city, however, is how colourful and vibrant everything is.

These are eleven things to do for visitors wondering what to do in Timisoara.

Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral

Surrounded on all sides by a park dedicated entirely to itself, the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral is easily at the top of the must-visit religious historic buildings of Timisoara.

Built in a neo-Byzantine architectural style (one of the coolest things about Timisoara is its massive mix of different architectural styles), this cathedral’s most jaw-dropping detail is its series of boldly colourful towers that bring so much majesty to the area.

Union Square

Medieval Romanian towns are famous for their open squares, which were once used for everything from markets to public executions, with Brasov’s square being one of the most famous.

But Timisoara’s Union Square is easily the most beautiful, thanks to its colourful selection of gorgeous buildings that frame it on every side, as well as its Victorian style street lamps and the two cathedrals sitting on opposite sides of the square, each built in a different architectural style.

Roses Park

As already mentioned, Timisoara is a vibrant and colourful city.

In fact, it is known as the City of Flowers, and Roses Park is a key reason for that.

Events and festivals are hosted here all year round, but seeing it in the summer is when the park is at the height of its beauty.

St George’s Cathedral

St George might be the patron saint of England, but he is also beloved across Europe, especially in Romania.

Every catholic in Timisoara visits this cathedral often, since it is the anchor of the catholic community.

The cathedral’s bold yellow facade is topped only by the interior decor and the artefacts found inside.

Photo by Ray on Unsplash

Victory Square

While Union Square is the more famous of the two, Victory Square offers even more to do.

Victory Square is more a promenade than a square, with a long bed of flowers running down its middle and some of the city’s best cafes and restaurants lining it on either side.

When researching where to stay in Timisoara, basing yourself at or close to Victory Square is more than ideal.

Timisoara Art Museum

A celebration of Romanian artists from across history, all found inside an enormous and inspiringly beautiful baroque building.

Many of the paintings found here come from the Banat region of Romania, celebrating the local art of Timisoara.

Museum of the Communist Consumer

The most unique museum in the city is a time capsule that takes visitors back to how the average person in the communist era of Romania lived.

It resembles an apartment filled with original artefacts from that incredibly dark period of Romanian history.

It’s also free!

Image by Jenny Friedrichs from Pixabay 

Romanian Opera House

Almost 150 years old, and found on Victory Square, the Romanian Opera House is a daunting and massive building which plays host to some of the country’s best opera, ballet, and musical performances weekly.

Tickets are incredibly affordable.

Museum of the 1989 Revolution

In 1989 the Communist oligarchy of Romania was overthrown, with its leader Ceausescu executed by firing squad on Christmas day.

To learn all about this incredible year of public revolution in Romania, this museum will leave you in awe.

Banat Village Museum

This open air museum has stood for more than a hundred years and is a beautiful example of how people in the medieval Saxon villages of Romania used to live.

To visit this village museum is to take a trip back in time to a fascinating and enlightening period of Romanian history.

Romulus & Remus Column

While the original sculpture can be found in Rome and commemorates the legend of the founding of the city of Rome, Timisoara has its own replica, found in Victory Square.

It serves as a commemoration of Romania’s links to ancient Rome.

Image by stachelvieh from Pixabay 

How to Get to Timisoara

While it’s quick and easy to get a train from Bucharest north to Brasov, then a bus further north to the second city of Cluj-Napoca, it’s less simple to get to Timisoara.

If you’re travelling by land, you have two choices: get a train from Bucharest which takes you directly to Timisoara and is very affordable.

It leaves daily but it does take ten hours.

Getting a train from most other cities still involved getting a train to Bucharest first and then carrying on to Timisoara.

Your second land choice is by car.

You can rent a car anywhere in Romania and then enjoy the country’s quiet open roads at your leisure.

Renting a car in Bucharest, however, is not recommended.

The city is congested and driving is obscenely aggressive.

So head out to a smaller nearby town and rent a car from there.

Your other option is to fly.

Timisoara has its own airport, as to Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest, so you can easily fly between these three large cities.

Flights take minutes and are very cheap.

So, if you’re happy to get through the airport preamble, a flight is the quickest and simplest way to get to Timisoara.

Other articles you will love:

• Romania in the winter: is it worth it?
• A Handy Guide to Rasnov Fortress, Romania
• What to Do in Brasov, Romania

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Situated yourself in the centre of Transylvania and you’ll find yourself on a perfectly flat valley plain that spreads out for miles, but on every side of you on the horizon is a jagged and harsh mountain range.

Romania is like a fantasy world of dramatic and sublime rocky terrain, dense forests, and rolling green hills.

All of this changes dramatically in the winter months.

It gets freezing cold, snow falls heavy, and all the green hills are coated with a white blanket of snow.

The fir trees turn white and the mountains grow even fiercer.

Is it worth seeing Romania like this?

Is it worth exploring Romania in winter?

The short answer is: yes.

Thanks to how they celebrate Christmas in Romania, as well as the wealth of winter sports in Romania.

And that’s even before we get to how exploring Romania’s landscape in the winter is a wholly different experience to seeing the country in the summer.

So, let’s explore what to do in Romania in the winter, and how to celebrate Christmas in Romania.

Photo by Florinel Gorgan on Unsplash

Christmas in Romania

Romania today is a very traditional Christian nation, with a population of 80% orthodox Christians.

This means that Romania really goes all out in its celebration of Christmas, and experiencing Christmas in Romania is very much worth doing.

In the capital city of Bucharest, there is a huge Christmas market that can be found in the square in front of the Palace of Parliament in the city centre.

The Palace of Parliament is still a place of contention for most Romanians, since it was built by the former Communist government and is still occupied by the current government, even though more than a third of its rooms are unused.

All of that aside, its enormous stature does make for an incredible and impressive backdrop to the Bucharest Christmas market.

Best accommodation in bucharest

At the market itself, you’ll find mostly food stalls and mulled wine vendors.

Mulled wine is delightfully cheap in Romania compared to Germany or the UK, so make the most of it.

At the food vendors you’ll find a lot of Hungarian, Greek, and, of course, local Romanian foods with a real emphasis on meat and bread.

Hungarian, Greek, and Turkish cuisines have had an enormous impact on the culinary landscape of Romania and during Christmas in Romania you can really explore these cuisines to your heart’s content.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

The only negative to spending Christmas in Bucharest is that the city is already the most congested capital in Europe and, during the winter months, that congestion does lead to some days of heavy pollution.

That, mixed with the permanently dark days and overcast skies means the weather is not on your side.

However, the best way to tackle this is to head out of Bucharest and spend the majority of your Christmas in Transylvania once you’ve visited the Bucharest Christmas market.

Transylvania is the best place to spend Christmas in Romania.

The seemingly endless landscape of snow-capped mountains is majestic, and the towns of Romania celebrate Christmas perfectly.

The best place to stay in Romania over the Christmas period is Brasov in central Transylvania.

There, you’ll find a small Christmas market in the town’s Council Square.

The square is famous for its beautiful Council House, which now serves as a museum and has a tall clock tower.

At Christmas, the Council Square boasts an enormous Christmas tree that almost matches the height of the clock tower.

Surrounding the Christmas tree are miniature wooden cabins that make up the Christmas market, each one selling traditional Romanian food and mulled wine.

While it’s worth visiting a lot of the nearby landmarks of Romania, like the world famous Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress, in the summer when the hills are green and the sky is blue, there is also a wholly unique experience in seeing these gothic and medieval structures coated in snow.

Bran Castle dusted with fresh snow is one of the most beautiful and calming sights, and a great reason to spend Christmas and New Years in Romania.

New Years in Romania is a relatively typical affair, with parties and an awful lot of restaurants being booked out for families.

This is especially true in Bucharest, where you can find some great pubs and clubs to reign in the New Year.

If you’re looking for a more quiet and simple New Year in Romania, with a good meal and a quiet night, spending New Years in Brasov is a great option.

The restaurants don’t get booked out in the same way as in Bucharest.

In both cities, there are fireworks displays and because Brasov is smaller, you get a much better view of the fireworks.

Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash

Winter Sports in Romania

Ice skating is very popular in Bucharest, and you’ll find an outdoor ice skating rink in almost every single park in Bucharest.

If you’re looking for something more extreme, however, like skiing or snowboarding, you’ll need to head to Sibiu. Close to this Romanian city is the country’s oldest ski resort: Paltinis.

The slopes here are perfect for every kind of skier, from beginner to pro, and it is a treasured place to enjoy winter sports in Romania.

Gentle slopes dotted with trees make for some incredible skiing experiences, and even though the resort is old, it has been completely modernised with snow canons and all the amenities you’d expect, including a complete range of rental options.

Paltinis is found in the Cindrel Mountains (sometimes referred to as the Szeben Alps).

This is a dizzyingly long and varied mountain range that reaches heights of 400 metres, and is the perfect place for a ski resort, given its range of slopes and how welcoming they are to both beginners and more experienced skiers.

If you’re looking to enjoy some winter sports in Romania, Paltinis is the ideal resort for you to spend a few days at.

Other articles you will love:

• A Handy Guide to Rasnov Fortress, Romania
• What to Do in Bucharest, Romania
• 15 Remarkable Things to do in Transylvania, Romania

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Built-in the 13th century as a fortress to protect the border between Wallachia and Transylvania, the castle towers over this border, perched almost precariously atop a slender and tall outcrop of rock.

Looking almost as though it grew out of the stone itself, Bran Castle is one of the most delightfully and beautifully gothic buildings in all of Eastern Europe.

Long associated with the Dracula legend, it is often the first place people want to go when they’re ready to take a day trip from Brasov.

While the infamous Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), who inspired the Dracula myth, is thought to have never set foot in the castle, this particular structure best matches the description Bram Stoker gives of Dracula’s castle in the novel meaning you will find no end to the fun Dracula souvenirs and themed events there.

Inside the castle, you can enjoy stunning views over Bran and see some of Queen Marie’s most prized furniture, all in a traditional folk style.

The town of Bran itself is lovely with quaint houses, shops, and plenty of places to find some traditional Romania food and drink.

Exploring Transylvania is one of the best things to do in Romania and Bran Castle is a perfect starting point!

Luckily it is very easy to get Brasov to Bran Castle by public transport or even by car if you’d rather drive. Find out how

Brasov to Bran Castle by Bus

Getting from Brasov to Bran Castle by public transport is simple, in fact, the hardest part is getting to the bus station since it’s a little outside the city centre.

You can walk it in about forty minutes but the easiest way to get there is by taking an Uber (or the number five bus) from the city centre. Once you get to Auto Gara 2, you will need to buy a ticket.

To avoid confusion, the bus station is also the Brasov train station but has a separate name.

There are kiosks just in front of the train station entrance, next to where the buses wait and you can buy a ticket from one of the kiosks (they have English signs).

Alternatively, you can wait for the bus to Bran to show up and buy your ticket from the driver; just make sure you have cash for either method.

Buses come twice an hour, on the hour and half past the hour but, of course, they are sometimes late.

Luckily, we didn’t encounter this and found all of the buses in Romania to be punctual!

The tickets cost about 8 lei each way (under two euros).

Once you hop off the bus, you will be able to see the imposing castle looming ahead so you won’t get lost.

Getting from Brasov to Bran Castle by bus couldn’t be easier.

There isn’t a train available so public transport wise, the bus is your best and cheapest option.

Brasov to Bran Castle by Car

Hiring a car in Romania is really easy but the traffic can be quite bad so it is best to set out early if you want to avoid the traffic.

Driving in Transylvania is a lot more relaxed than in and around Bucharest so it’s much more suited to people who are less confident on the road but I would still say be wary of sudden lane-changers and people trying to overtake you.

Driving gets quite passionate in Romania.

Make sure you have travel insurance, I highly recommend SafetyWing!

However, it is a gorgeous drive through mountains and fields and there are plenty of villages around Bran Castle if you’d like to make use of the car.

I3I’d definitely recommend renting if you are able.

As it is only a 30km drive, you will be there in under an hour making this a quick and easy day trip from Brasov.

You essentially follow highway 73 the entire way and it is very easy to pull off to visit the stunning Rasnov Fortress on the way there or back.

You will be pulling off the highway onto road E68 for the final leg.

There are gas stations and services along the way if you need anything.

Once you get there, there is free parking on the streets around the castle but there are also paid carparks within five minutes’ walk of the castle.

These cost less than a euro per hour and you shouldn’t have trouble getting a space.

Tip: If you don’t want to drive in Romania, you can also consider taking a taxi which will work out more cost-effective than a tour if you are travelling as a group.

This will also give you a degree of flexibility.

It costs about 20€ each way and you can use Uber, the Bratax Taxi App or ask your accommodation to book one for you.

Useful Information About Bran Castle

Bran Castle is open between 9:00 – 18:00 every day but they close two hours early during the colder months (October to February) so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time.

You will need a couple of hours to explore the castle properly.

A ticket costs 8.60 euro, and they hold plenty of extra events and festivals throughout the year (particularly at Halloween), so make sure you check their website.

They have a restaurant at the base of the castle which serves wonderful soups and coffee at standard prices if you want somewhere to sit down, otherwise, there are plenty of delicious street food kiosks surrounding the castle.

You can even take a picnic since the ground are free to walk and sit in.

The walk up and down from the castle is quite steep and a bit slippery in Winter so make sure you wear decent shoes!

Top tip: If you have time, walk over to the resting place of Queen Marie’s heart at Inima Regina Maria.

You can carefully climb the hill leading from the tomb and get an amazing view over Bran Castle.

Other articles you will love:

• What to Do in Brasov, Romania
• 7 Castles in Transylvania That Will Blow your Mind
• Best Tips to Prepare for a Balkan Road Trip

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While Transylvania is not home to Romania’s capital city, it is instead a wide and expansive landscape of flat valleys and rising mountains.

And all of this expansive landscape is peppered with medieval Saxon towns, gothic castles, and untouched hilltop fortresses.

One such hilltop fortress is Rasnov Fortress (sometimes known as Rasnov Castle or Rasnov Citadel).

Rasnov Fortress has sat overlooking the wide open valley below it for hundreds of years, and remains almost entirely untouched by human hands since it was first built (though not completely untouched, and that’s a funny story we’ll get to shortly).

Rasnov Fortress is a beautiful building that any visitor to Transylvania should explore.

So here’s everything you need to know about, as well as how to get to Rasnov Fortress.

A Handy Guide to Rasnov Fortress, Romania

History of Rasnov Fortress

Rasnov Fortress, much like its neighbour Bran Castle (which is only a short drive away) has stood on an imposing and powerful hill overlooking the town of Rasnov since the 13th century, with the citadel having been finished by around 1225.

Since then, that same stonework has remained intact and what you see when you visit is almost exactly what was seen and touched by the medieval Romanians of the 13th century.

Transylvania might be a mountainous region, but the central area where the city of Brasov can be found is a wide open flat valley where you can see for miles and miles.

Areas like this were once prime targets for attack and invasion, and so any hilltop that provided views and protection needed a fortress.

Rasnov Fortress was one of these. It provided a lookout to spot invading outsiders, as well as fortified and defensive hilltop retreat where locals from the area could go to be protected.

Seeing Rasnov Fortress from both the ground and from inside gives a real dynamic idea of how the people of the 13th and 14th centuries lived in this area.

It’s especially clear because of how well preserved Rasnov Citadel is.

The citadel is not entirely preserved, however, which brings us to our funny story.

The tale goes that, more than a hundred years ago, an Italian man purchased the fortress and, since they were ruins and no tourists visited at the time, he decided to fix it up himself and turn it into a hilltop hotel.

And so he managed to use red brick to rebuild several of the smaller houses within the fortress before the government realised what he was doing, stopped him, and shut down his plans.

When you visit Rasnov Fortress, you’ll find today a few houses that have been partly renovated in red brick, which might spoil the aesthetic a little bit but adds a delightful story to the citadel’s history.

What to See at Rasnov Fortress

Since it was built as a place to protect the people of the area, Rasnov fortress is mostly made up of two things: the surrounding fortified walls and the buildings inside that served as homes for the people who lived there.

The first thing to do upon entering Rasnov Citadel is to climb up onto the very walls you just entered under, and get a stunning view of the surrounding mountains and flat plains.

The wall itself has a wooden tower which you can climb to get an even higher view if you want to.

It’s perfectly safe and secure, so don’t worry about that.

Within the heart of Rasnov Fortress are homes that are now used by locals as little shops to sell souvenirs.

Most of them aren’t tacky, either, but rather hand-made local crafts.

You’ll find a lot of hand-woven clothing and blankets for sale, as well as soaps and perfumes.

All of it is locally made and reasonably priced, so actually worth browsing and considering.

Rasnov Castle naturally encourages visitors to delve deeper as you go, and when you get to the furthest point from the entrance, you’ll find yourself stood on a heap of ruined stone overlooking the rest of the fortress and the landscape beyond.

This is an incredible photo opportunity, and one of the best for miles and miles around.

The citadel is situated atop a fairly prominent hill, and the best way up and down is via a large trailer pulled by a tractor, though you can walk if you want.

But whether you walk or ride with the tractor, you can also choose to stop halfway up for a unique surprise.

Recently, a dinosaur park has opened in the thick forestry halfway up the hill.

It’s a small area, perfect for children to explore, which is populated by enormous, lifelike recreations of dinosaurs of all kinds.

It’s not a museum but it is a lovely place for children to walk around, especially if they find the fortress itself a little underwhelming.

So, if you’re a family, make sure to stop by the Dino Park.

How to get to Rasnov

The best and simplest way to get to Rasnov Fortress is by car.

Renting a car in Romania is a very popular activity since Transylvania is such a wide-open place with little towns and villages separated by mountains and endless miles of hills and open roads.

It is worth mentioning that renting a car in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, can be a little intimidating.

The average driver in Bucharest can be aggressive, and for tourists, it isn’t a fun experience.

But Rasnov Fortress is nowhere near Bucharest.

It’s in Transylvania and in Transylvania, people drive calmly and safely.

It’s a pleasure to drive around Transylvania, which is why when you’re looking at how to get to Rasnov Fortress, renting a car is your best and most entertaining choice.

You can rent your car from the nearby city of Brasov after getting a train from Bucharest to Brasov, then enjoy a nice and easy drive to Rasnov, which is only a half-hour drive from Brasov.

From there you can also easily drive to Bran Castle.

Make sure you have travel insurance just in case something does go wrong on the road. 

I highly recommend SafetyWing (which starts at $47 per month).

Other articles you will love:

• What to Do in Brasov, Romania
• What to Do in Bucharest, Romania
• Traditional Romanian Food: 14 Must-try Dishes!

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While Bucharest might be Romania’s capital, Brasov is its city of history; one that’s full of fascinating attractions and has been injected with a vibrant nightlife and coffee scene.

There are a lot of fantastic things to do in Brasov, even if you choose to visit Brasov in winter.

There isn’t another city in Romania like it, and the city wins over visitors every year with its kind and happy locals, its hipster bars and cafes, its fantastic food scene, and all of its gorgeous religious architecture.

Here is what to see in Brasov when you visit Transylvania.

Brasov is separated into two different things to do: seeing the historic sights and architecture and enjoying the more modern culture scene of bars, clubs, and great restaurants.

Both are fantastic and full of a variety of sights and experiences that you must see when you visit Brasov.

1. Visit the Black Church

Brasov’s Black Church has a fascinating and dark history.

In the 17th century, there was a great fire in Brasov, which spread across the town and even engulfed the church’s insides, permanently charring the stone black and forever officially changing its name.

The Black Church is an impressive and darkly gothic building that deserves to be explored completely.

On the outside, you can admire so much dramatic and rugged detail in its architecture, while inside you’ll find a legendary painting known as the Black Madonna.

This painting depicts the Virgin Mary and has been hanging in the church since before the great fire.

Legend says that the dress she is wearing in the painting turned black after the fire because she was mourning the victims of the fire.

Be aware that you can’t take photos inside the church, so you won’t be able to get a photo of the Black Madonna, but it is still very much worth seeing regardless.

2. Climb to the Brasov Sign

Brasov is a unique city in a few surprising ways, and one of which is the Brasov sign, which is unashamedly inspired by the Hollywood sign.

It does have a practical reason for being there, which can be traced back to Romania’s communist-era but, regardless, what we have now is a fantastic and unique sight that’s one of the best attractions in Brasov.

The Brasov sign sits on a hill within the old town limits, and can be seen from almost anywhere in Brasov old town.

It can also be reached very easily, either by hiking or by taking a short and cheap cable car ride.

If you’re visiting Brasov in winter, you’re definitely better off getting the cable car for safety reasons and then walking along the top of the hill until you get to the sign.

The Brasov sign also trumps the Hollywood sign because it is lit up at night and the lights that illuminate it change shape and colour, making for a very captivating and photogenic sign indeed.

3. Walk down Rope Street

Rope Street is the narrowest street in southeast Europe and one of the narrowest streets in all of Europe.

At its narrowest point, two people can’t stand side by side.

Fun fact: the street was installed as an emergency point of access for firemen only a few centuries ago, and the requirements for its width were that it had to be wide enough for one fireman carrying two buckets of water.

Walking down it is one of the stranger things to do in Brasov, and you can also get a cool view of the Brasov sign from it.

4. Explore the Bars and Cafes

Brasov, beyond the old architecture and medieval history, is a city with a vibrant and youthful scene consisting of fantastic bars, cafes, and restaurants.

One of the best things to do in Brasov is try some of the local food, and a great restaurant for that is La Ceaun, a local restaurant which serves the best Romanian meals: mici, sarmale, and papanasi are all must-try Romanian dishes.

If you’re looking for good coffee, Kafe Pub is a rustic and atmospheric cafe that has a decor of vintage objects and bookshelves.

Or there’s the Pharmacy Cafe, also known as Dr Jekelius, which is a vaguely alchemy-themed cafe that serves great coffee and a decent selection of dinner options.

How to get to Brasov

Brasov appears, at first, to be a relatively isolated city in Transylvania.

And while that is true, to an extent, it is very easy to get to Brasov from not only the bigger cities of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, but also the smaller medieval towns like Sighisoara.

So, here’s how to get to Brasov by train or bus.

If you’re coming from Bucharest to Brasov, the easiest way is by train.

From Gara de Nord train station in Bucharest, you can hop on a train which takes less than two hours to get to Brasov and leaves multiple times a day. You can also take a bus but the trains are far quicker and don’t cost much more (travel in Romania is incredibly cheap, including taxis and Uber!)

If you’re coming to Brasov from a smaller town in Transylvania, like Sighisoara, your only public transport option is the bus.

There is a bus which begins in Cluj-Napoca and passes through Sighisoara, finishing at Brasov.

But from Cluj-Napoca you can also take a train. The bus is very cheap and easy, but certainly slower than the train.

If you’re looking to rent a car and you’re wondering how to get to Brasov, the best strategy is to rent a car outside of Bucharest.

This is simply because drivers in the capital are frighteningly manic and quite intimidating. be sure to have travel insurance when hiring a car in Romania. 

I highly recommend SafetyWing (starts at $37 per month)!

If you head out of the city on a bus or a train, then rent a car in another town (Sinaia is a great choice), you’ll find that the rest of the country is much more pleasant to drive around.

Driving to and around Brasov is completely stress-free.

Other articles you will love:

• What to Do in Bucharest, Romania
• Traditional Romanian Food: 14 Must-try Dishes!
• How to Get from Bucharest to Transylvania + the best stops!

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Part of that is because Western Europe has been so fully explored that, now, we’re all turning to Eastern Europe to see what magic can be found there.

Another reason is that, quite simply, Romania – and its capital city of Bucharest – is a place of deep history and natural beauty that’s been largely ignored by tourists until now.

So, is Bucharest worth visiting?

Yes, and here are a few things to do in Bucharest to help explain why!

One Day in Bucharest

If you only have one day, there are few things to do in Bucharest that you shouldn’t avoid.

Things that are truly memorable and special.

And all of them can be seen and done in the central area of Bucharest Old Town.

Photo by Christina Kirschnerova on Unsplash

Visit the Palace of Parliament

Romania’s most famous building (aside from Bran Castle of Dracula fame) is definitely the Palace of Parliament.

If you only have one day in Bucharest it’s vital that you see this building in all its glory.

Fortunately, it’s very hard to miss thanks to its enormous size.

Fun fact the Palace of Parliament is the heaviest building on the planet!

Heavier than even the tallest skyscrapers like Burj Khalifa and The Shard.

This is thanks to it being made almost entirely out of marble by Romania’s 20th Century Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu.

While it might have been a waste of money at the time, it is nevertheless an amazing sight to behold, and visiting it is one of the best things to do in Bucharest.

Explore Stavropoleos Monastery

Bucharest has a lot of historic buildings, especially in its Old Town area, but none are quite as fascinating and captivating as Stavropoleos Monastery.

This building is one of the few that are actually built in the surprisingly rare neo-Romanian style of architecture, rather than a style influenced by the Ottomans, Hungarians, or French.

It’s also an untouched medieval building found in the heart of Bucharest.

Head inside this building and you’ll find as much beauty in its untouched medieval frescoes as there is on the outside.

And the building’s rear courtyard is full of the remains of churches that were demolished by the Communists.

What you see when you visit was saved by courageous locals trying hard to preserve their history.

The fact that this monastery survived is important, which makes paying it a visit a must.

Photo by Sherise . on Unsplash

Wander Around The National History Museum

The National History Museum of Bucharest is one of the most epic scale buildings in the city, and it sits on Victory Avenue – a historic street that was once a favourite hang-out for the city’s gentry decades ago.

What drew people to the building until recently was a hilariously ugly statue on its stairs.

The statue was of a Roman emperor standing completely naked, holding a dog (though the sculptor insists it was a wolf), and the dog has a strange tentacle extending out of its back.

The whole statue has some very awkward symbolism that makes for one of the funniest and most ugly statues in the world.

Accommodation in bucharest

Sadly, it’s currently gone, supposedly for maintenance.

If it never returns, however, visiting the museum itself is one of the best things to do in Bucharest.

Inside you’ll find exciting historic artefacts from as far back as when Romania wasn’t yet Romania – before the Romans, the Ottomans, the Hungarians.

When the country was populated by a Thracian tribe known as the Dacia (whom the car is named for).

Photo by Ioana Cristiana on Unsplash

3 Days in Bucharest

If you’re lucky enough to have more than one day in Bucharest and you can stretch to three, there are some more exciting things for you to see when you visit that take a little more walking and transport, but are certainly worth it.

Visit the Ceausescu Mansion

Ceausescu was the Communist leader of Romania during the late 20th Century.

He is not fondly remembered (in fact, he was executed on Christmas Day after an uprising).

But his house remains untouched today and is incredible!

From the outside, it resembles a romantic Spanish villa, and on the inside you can see detailed and elaborate French decor, including original paintings, rugs, chandeliers, and wooden furniture.

It’s the most remarkable place, and while it has a dark story it really is a beautiful building to explore.

It’s to the north of the city and can be accessed by subway.

Take a Day Trip to Sinaia

Sinaia is a beautiful town a little ways north of Bucharest.

You can take a train there from Gara de Nord station and it takes less than an hour.

Once there, you’ll find a medieval town that’s got enough going on to fill a day.

The most unmissable sight is Peles Castle, a German-style castle which now exists as a museum and can be fully explored in an afternoon.

If you happen to be in Romania during the snowy winter season, Sinaia is also a popular ski resort!

The Best Clubs in Bucharest

If you’re in Bucharest for a few days, it’s worth spending a night or two diving into the nightlife, and there are some great clubs to go dancing and drinking in.

Here are the best clubs in Bucharest.

1. Bamboo Club

The most expensive club in Bucharest is also, unsurprisingly, the most beautiful.

The elaborate and fancy decor makes for an unforgettable night and a great place to drink and dance after a day of exploring the city and trying the local food.

2. Player Club

A popular and very reasonably priced club in Bucharest that sells a good range of drinks and plays all the most popular music.

It’s a really great place to dance that’s spacious enough to have a good time and nothing is overpriced.

Bring friends and have a great time.

3. Club Guesthouse

For locals, this might be the most popular club in Bucharest.

What makes it stand out is its modern decor and the fact that it has a more chill and slow vibe.

If you love the club atmosphere but also enjoy relaxing with a drink, the music and tone here is what you’re looking for.

Other articles you will love:

• Traditional Romanian Food: 14 Must-try Dishes!
• 26 Unique Things to do in Romania
• How to Get from Bucharest to Transylvania + the best stops!

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