Things to do in Transylvania

Transylvania is the high heart of Romania, wrapped in the curve of the Carpathian mountains. On its southern edge stand two of the country's best-known castles: Bran, the hilltop fortress linked in legend to Dracula, and Peleș, the ornate royal palace in the forests above Sinaia. Close by, Brașov's old town spreads around a broad square beneath the wooded Tâmpa hill.

Further west, Retezat National Park protects some of the wildest mountains in the Carpathians, with granite ridges and dozens of glacial lakes. Most visitors reach the region on day trips from Bucharest or from Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania's largest city.