Dreaming of Romania

Romania seemed like a far away land where people seemed to exit more than they entered. But after a long stay in Northern Croatia and a short period in Belgrade, mystic Romania was nearer than ever. My companion and I took a gloomy old train from...

I visited Sighisoara, Romania in 2011. This city is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Founded by Transylvanian Saxons in the 12th Century, Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. The...

Sighisoara, Romania is a well preserved medieval city founded by the Transylvanian Saxons. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its citadel, clock tower and town square. While climbing the old clock tower, I was able to capture...

A few years ago I was lucky enough to make a trip into Romania, away from Bucharest with a Romanian friend. We decided to do a bit of Dracula hunting, so ended up in the town of Bran, which is close to the castle. The castle does have links with...

My husband and I were hunting old fortified churches not on the general touristic maps south of Sibiu on the way to Hunedoara. We went through an area that our guidebook referred to having been "taken over by gypsies" or Roma people. Most places I...

The Black Church (Biserica Neagră) got its name after being blackened by smoke from the 1689 fire that almost destroyed the entire city. It measures 65 meters from the floor level to the highest point which is the bell tower. History suggested...

Timisoara is known in Romania as the City of Parks. The Botanical Park which is near Piata Unirii is the most beautiful park in Timisoara. Then there is the Rose Park which is near Piata Victoriei, the Central Park which is just behind the...

Bucharest is like an elderly woman who refuses to age, but is loosing the battle. Every turn of a corner reveals architectural wonder. The Buildings have as much detail as they do dirt, and the cobble-stone streets as much charm as litter. Nothing...

Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle built for King Carol I of Romania between 1873 and 1914. The Castle was used as a location for the film The Brothers Bloom. The exterior of the castle is breathtaking and married flawlessly to the...

Set amidst the hilly forests of northeastern Romania, the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina are some of the most spectacular works of art and architecture in the world. (This is not hyperbole). The exterior walls are covered with vibrant Byzantine...

Bram Stoker based his novel Dracula on the this castle in Bran, Transylvania, Romania. Not actually Vlad Tepes home (you can find that in Sigishoara), generations of Romanian monarchs lived in this castle overlooking the Translyvanian countryside....

If you go to Romania, and you should, go to Transylvania. If you go to Transylvania, and you should, go to Sighisoara Citadel. Drive your little rental car up the pebbly road into the enclosed village on top of the hill. In this ancient, ancient,...

When you go to Romania, which you should, make sure to stop by Rasnov Fortress. It is an ancient enclosure on a hill near Bran overlooking the Transylvanian countryside. We ran into countless pack of dogs (a problem in Romania), very few tourists,...