Surrounded by a blanket of emerald-green forest and the Bicegi Mountains, Cantacuzino Castle (Castelul Cantacuzino) boasts lavish rooms, an art gallery, and lush gardens filled with sculptures, grottoes, and fountains. Enjoy family-friendly fun on an adventure course with archery, ziplines, and a tree-climbing course.
Built between the 14th and 16th centuries, this austere Gothic church—as its name indicates—enjoys a lofty position atop the 1,378-foot (420-meter summit of School Hill. Accessible via a covered stairway, the church features remnants of 15th-century frescoes and a crypt, and promises panoramas of Sighişoara’s pretty medieval citadel.
White Tower, built in the late 15th century by the Saxons as a part of defensive fortifications against invading Turks and Tartars is a 5-story, semicircular tower sitting atop a steep hill. The tower overlooks the city of Brasov. Climb 200 steep stone steps to the White Tower for panoramic views over the city.
Sheer limestone cliffs featuring caves and rock towers rise up on either side of this 1.8-mile (3-kilometer canyon, which forms a split in what was once a single mountain. The dramatic karst formations, carved over millennia by a rushing river, are now part of a protected nature reserve popular with hikers and climbers.
An iconic Sibiu attraction, the Bridge of Lies (Podul Minciunilor dates back several hundred years, though today’s structure was built in 1859 as one of Romania’s first cast-iron bridges. Since then, legends have passed down over generations regarding its mysterious name, while its picture-perfect location makes a city must-see.
Influenced by Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya, this Byzantine-style basilica—built between 1902 and 1906—is among Romania’s largest Orthodox churches. The striped red and yellow-brick exterior hides a lavish interior where decoration, be it colorful frescoes, mosaics, or gold, covers almost every inch of wall and ceiling space.
Opened in 1817 as Romania’s first museum, the award-winning Brukenthal National Museum (Brukenthal Palace is a Sibiu landmark, celebrating the cultural heritage of both Romania and wider Europe. Home to the European Art Gallery and Brukenthal Library, the ornate palace displays works by masters such as Titian, Rubens, and Grigorescu.
Finished in the 14th century, Sibiu’s Lutheran Cathedral (St. Mary's Evangelical Church is one of the city’s most must-see landmarks. Its soaring steeple, pointed turrets, and Gothic facade dominate the city vista, while ancient tombs, sweeping arches, and southeastern Europe’s largest organ furnish the interior.
The art nouveau-style Pelisor Castle was built at the turn of the 20th century to serve as a summer residence for King Carol I’s nephew and heir, Ferdinand I. Though more modest than Peles Castle, Pelisor does feature touches of opulence such as the gilded thistle-leaf walls of the Golden Room, a nod to Queen Marie’s Scottish heritage.
Located on the grounds of St. Nicholas Church in the Schei district of Brasov, the First Romanian School (Prima Scoala Romaneasca) was the first school in the country to teach in Romanian. Today it is a museum that houses a treasure trove of old books, historic documents, and exhibits showcasing the history and culture of the region.
Set in Brasov’s historic Schei district, St. Nicholas Church is an architectural masterpiece featuring a mixture of Gothic, baroque, and Byzantine styles. First built in the late 14th century, St. Nicholas is the oldest Romanian Orthodox Church in the country and remains a bastion of the Romanian Orthodox community today.
Located in the Romanian Carpathians, Transylvania’s premier ski resort boasts pistes that descend from altitudes of more than 5,577 feet (1,700 meters). Officially a suburb of Brașov, the resort town is home to a range of luxury hotels and restaurants, and serves as a convenient launchpad for exploring the Carpathian mountain range.
With its montane meadows and subterranean caverns, Apuseni Natural Park (Parcul Natural Apuseni is a hiker’s and caver’s paradise. Highlights such as the Scarisoara Glacier (Pestera Scarisoara, Bears’ Cave (Pestera Ursilor, and Ponor Fortress (Cetățile Ponorului make this limestone landscape a must-see for any first-timer in Romania.
Also known as the Citadel of the Guard (Cetățuia de pe Strajă), Brașov’s small hilltop citadel dates back to the 16th century. Used by the Saxons to defend the settlement against invasion, the citadel has since served as a prison, quarantine, and barracks, though today the site is mostly used as a viewpoint for city panoramas.
Dramatic views, dense forests, and underground caves make Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park a popular spot for outdoors enthusiast. From secluded hamlets and romantic lookouts to towering peaks and native animals, there’s much to see across the park’s 150 acres—plus opportunities for hiking, climbing, camping, and more.
The Howling Waterfall (Cascada Urlatoarea) is one of Romania’s most popular natural landmarks, drawing hikers, nature lovers, and history buffs with its 16.4-yard (15-meter) cascade, wooded setting, and myths. Though it sits high in the Bucegi Mountains, the fall can be reached on a straightforward trek from Bușteni or Poiana Tapului.
Sturdy 15th-century walls designed to withstand Ottoman sieges encircle this 13th-century church. Inside the fortifications, a 184-foot (56-meter bell tower looms over the main church, where a Baroque-style altar and centuries-old benches—the backless ones in the middle for women and those at the outer edges for men—can be seen.
Thanks to its distinctive brick-and-cream facade and Gothic bell tower, the Evangelical Church (Biserica Evanghelica Bistrita) is one of the city’s architectural symbols. At 246 feet (75 meters), the church boasts the highest medieval tower in Romania, and its history dates back to 1319.
