Transylvania

A historic region in central Romania ringed by the Carpathians, with Bran Castle, Saxon towns and fortified churches.

Transylvania is a historic region in central Romania encircled by the Carpathian Mountains. It long belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary and the Habsburg Empire, and blends Romanian, Hungarian and German Saxon cultures. Today it is divided among more than ten counties and is not a single administrative region. Highlights: Brașov's Old Town and the Black Church; Bran Castle, known as 'Dracula's Castle'; Peleș Castle (in Sinaia, which strictly speaking lies on the south side of the pass); the World Heritage medieval citadel town of Sighișoara (birthplace of Vlad III); Sibiu, the city of 'houses with eyes'; Saxon fortified-church villages such as Biertan and Viscri; the Turda Salt Mine; Cluj-Napoca; and the Transfăgărășan road (DN7C), which crosses the Făgăraș Mountains and is considered one of the world's most beautiful roads. A classic plan: set out from Bucharest via Sinaia to Brașov (2 nights), visit Bran Castle and Râșnov, then continue via Sighișoara and Viscri to Sibiu (2 nights), drive the Transfăgărășan in summer, and finish in Cluj, for 6–8 days by car. On transport: trains link the main cities, but villages and high mountain roads require a car. Note that horse-drawn carts are common on country roads, mountain roads close in winter, and bears live in the mountains, so do not feed them.

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