Things to see and do Transylvania & Carpathian Mountains

Characterized by buildings with vaulted galleries that once housed craftsmen's workshops, the "Petite Place" is more intimate than its larger neighbor. Irregular in shape, it resembles a village square. It is divided into two parts by Rue Ocnei, which descends to the lower town, passing under the Pont des Mensonges. Among the buildings of note is the Maison des Arts(casa Artelor) at no. 21, once home to the butchers' guild. On the roofs of some buildings, you can see the famous "Sibiu eyes".

The salt mine leisure center (still in operation) plunges you to a depth of 120 meters. The temperature is a constant 15°C. Here, curists (respiratory patients) spend whole days watching films, playing sports or having a drink at the bar, all the while breathing the beneficial air. There's even a chapel carved out of the salt. There are plenty of games for children, and even a restaurant where wine tastings are held. Next to the mine is a modern saltwater swimming pool.

In the heart of the former ^12th-century citadel, this pretty cobbled square is dominated by the Evangelical Cathedral, in front of which stands the statue of Bishop Teutsch (1899). Opposite is the Brukenthal secondary school. In another corner, the Tour des Escaliers is the only remaining element of the old fortifications. This Romanesque gateway dates back to the ^13th century and is the oldest building in the town. Next door, the CasaCalfelor, an inn for traveling craftsmen, intrigues with its bric-a-brac of tools.

With a pleasant park at its center, the main square, piața Regele Ferdinand I, is surrounded by beautiful houses. Some are in the local Renaissance style, such as Casa Schuller (no. 25). Built in 1588, it hosted meetings of the Transylvanian Diet. Baroque Casa Schuster (no. 14) was the birthplace and childhood home of Saxon writer Gustav Schuster-Dutz. This square was once the site of major public events: executions, military parades, annual fairs... It still hosts important events today.

It's the world's largest brown bear sanctuary: the Libearty sanctuary is home to around a hundred of them, in 69 hectares of forest. Opened in 2005, the sanctuary takes in abused bears from zoos, circuses and private owners. Until the mid-2000s, it was not uncommon to see plantigrades chained up or locked in cages in front of restaurants or hotels, to lure tourists. Since then, the situation has improved considerably, and almost all of them have been rescued from the clutches of their owners. Unable for the most part to return to the wild, these animals find here a place of freedom, as well as the food and care they need. Those who are fit are released back into the wild. The sanctuary was created by Cristina Lapis, president of Millions of Friends, one of the country's oldest animal protection associations.

The visit is highly supervised: it can only be undertaken in the company of a guide, in groups of no more than 50 people. The guide will lead you past various enclosures and tell you the story of several bears, the conditions in which they lived, the care they receive here and the traumas they still suffer. It's an instructive experience that respects the animals and lets you see them up close. Although this is not a zoo. Visits take place in the morning only, in Romanian or English. During the vacations, it's strongly recommended to buy your ticket online in advance.

This "cheese factory" alone is worth the trip to Cund. Here, István produces an excellent aged farmhouse cheese, inspired by Swiss cheeses and available in a variety of flavors (walnut, red wine, etc.). The young farmer, who raises some forty cows fed on fresh grass and home-grown hay, is keen to explain his working methods. You'll have the chance to take part in a workshop where you'll learn how to produce caș (typical fresh cheese) before finishing with a brunch tasting.

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Accessible from the main square via a small covered passageway, the fortified Evangelical church of Sainte-Marguerite was built in the ^15th century. It is Gothic in style. Of its six original towers, only four remain. Known as the "Tour des Trompettes", its impressive sloping bell tower, almost 70 m high, was used to observe and warn of danger. Inside, you'll be impressed by the church's ^{14th-15th-century} murals, organ and oriental carpets on the walls, as well as the altar (1485), a magnificent example of Saxon medieval art.

The Bridge of Lies(podul Minciunilor) is one of Sibiu's main attractions. Built in 1859, this elegant wrought-iron pedestrian bridge, decorated with neo-Gothic plant and geometric motifs, is the first of its kind in Romania. It replaced an earlier wooden bridge. It was here that passing Austrian soldiers would try to win over the town's young ladies with promises of marriage, which they were never able to keep. Since then, legend has it that if you tell a lie on the bridge, it collapses!

It is housed in a Franciscan monastery, built in the 15th century in Gothic style and rebuilt in Baroque style three centuries later. The section dedicated to ethnography presents valuable Hungarian, Saxon and Romanian agricultural and viticultural tools, ceramics and folk costumes. In the history section you will see prehistoric tools and pottery, objects from the Dacian period and medieval documents. The natural sciences section includes an extensive butterfly collection and a herbarium.

The center is located below the old town (note that some maps still show the old address). Here you'll find brochures, maps and information on tourist attractions. You'll also find information on accommodation, transport and the various events taking place in the town, such as the medieval festival, which takes place every year on the last weekend in July. On the menu: music, dance, theater, etc.

Museum Petöfi Sándor and his obelisk in the memory of the poet disappeared in the Battle of Albeşti (31 July 1849).

10 km northeast of Bistrița, in the village of Livezile, this beautiful, bright-blue, typically Saxon house(casa săsească) has been converted into a museum, dedicated to this once important minority in the region. Inside, with blue walls too, three rooms have been reconstructed: a living room, a kitchen and a bedroom. They are filled with superb antique furniture and objects, typical of Saxon interiors: painted wooden furniture, embroidered textiles, earthenware stoves... Outside, under the shed, a variety of vintage farming tools and machinery are on display.

They were built in several stages. The first lines date back to 1224, but little remains of them. At the end of the ^13th century, a second line was built, the main vestige of which is the Council Tower. The fortifications visible today date from 1410 and are best preserved in the strada Cetății. The two towers (Olarilor and Dulgherilor) and the wooden and brick parapet walk are superb. Other towers, often named after craft guilds, were added later, such as the Soldisch bastion (1627).

The center of the town since the ^16th century, the "Grande Place" is protected from traffic and retains an almost intimate character, despite its size and prestige. It is surrounded by colorful buildings, including several historic monuments. These include the Brukenthal palace, as well as former noble homes: the pretty casa Haller (at no. 10), built in 1470 in Gothic style, was later remodeled in the Renaissance. At no. 13, the dapper casa Lutsch dates back to the ^16th century. The Piața Mare hosts numerous events, including the Christmas market.

The town has its own nature park, administered by a special body.

Oradea is the capital of the Bihor județ. The city is prosperous, with a population of around 183,105 in 2021. Oradea is located at an altitude of 142 meters, in the Alföld, to the east of the Great Plain of Pannonia, close to the Hungarian border. It is crossed by the Crișul Repede and Peța rivers. The city is built on the alluvial terraces of the river and backs onto the first hills of the Apuseni Mountains in the southern Carpathians. Oradea is also surrounded by neighboring communes such as Borș, Biharia, Paleu, Sântandrei, Oșorhei, Sânmartin and Nojorid. The city enjoys a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Oradea is an attractive tourist destination with its historic architecture, museums and parks.

Built in 1140, then rebuilt in the ^14th century, this superb church is surrounded by massive fortifications, added in the ^15th century to protect the town from Turkish assaults. The church is large, with three naves, towers of varying heights and an imposing bell tower. It's a compact structure that seems to magnetize the houses in the village, which it dominates. After the erection of a third wall, this work of sacred and defensive architecture became impregnable. You can climb to the top of the tower to contemplate the surroundings.

In Moigrad, 8 km northeast of Zalău, the Roman fortress of Porolissum was built on the site of a Dacian fortress and became the capital of the province of Dacia Porolissensis. Thanks to extensive reconstruction and restoration work, the ruins include moats, surrounding walls, baths, temples and an amphitheatre. From 106 AD, the fortress marked the northern frontier of Roman Dacia. It is thought to have had a population of 20,000, and many soldiers were housed in the city's two large stone forts.

Your admission ticket includes two exhibitions. One dedicated to the History of Sighișoara, the other to the birth of the Dracula myth. The latter, created by four young brothers born in the town, allows visitors to learn more about the famous Vlad Țepeș. With bits of string and a lot of inventiveness, it plunges you into the life of Vlad the Impaler: the geopolitical context of the time, his childhood as an Ottoman hostage, his feats of arms, his acts of cruelty... An instructive experience that requires a good level of English.

While Bran Castle was returned to the descendants of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie in 2009, the Romanian state retained the furniture and objects (10,000 items!). A museum has been set up to display some of them, in a building not far from the castle. Take a look at the rich collection of furniture, carpets, icons, silverware, ceramics, etc. Different rooms have been reconstructed, according to function and style: the yellow salon, the neo-rococo salon, the boudoir, the king's bedroom and the queen's bedroom, and so on. Panels in English.

Strategically located to dominate the city and the northern plains, the citadel(cetatea) was part of Braşov's fortification plan, after that of Mount Tâmpa had been abandoned. Modified and remodeled many times over the centuries, the citadel lost its defensive role in the ^19th century, serving in turn as a prison, a military barracks and a repository for state archives under Communism. It was extensively restored in the 1980s. You can't visit the interior, but the view over the city is sumptuous.

In the ^19th century, Romanian Orthodox were not allowed to build overly visible religious edifices within the city walls. That's why the Church of the Assumption, built in 1896, is located in a courtyard behind the parish house: to reach it, you have to cross a long porch, which passes under the house. A faithful copy of the Greek church in Vienna, its frescoes and decorations are impressive. Major renovation work was carried out in 1972.

Before 1781, the Orthodox were not allowed to build places of worship within the city walls. At the end of the ^18th century, however, they were allowed to erect a discreet church without a steeple. Occupying two former Saxon houses, the Church of the Holy Trinity(Sfânta Treime), invisible from the street, is characterized by its rich ornamentation, beautiful icons and precious collection of religious objects. It was used by the Greek community.

This baroque church was built between 1776 and 1782 with the support of Empress Maria Theresa. It was built on the site of a 14th century church erected by the Dominicans, which was abandoned after the Lutheran Reformation. Inside, the walls are richly decorated with stucco. The stained-glass windows were made at the end of the 19th century in the workshop of the master József Palka in Budapest. It is the only building in the city that is entirely Baroque in style.

20 km east of Avrig, not far from the banks of the Olt river, the monastery of Cârța was built in the early ^13th century by Cistercian monks. Ravaged in 1241 by the Tatars, it was rebuilt, then abandoned in the ^15th century on the orders of King Mathias Corvin, in the face of the Ottoman threat. Only the choir of the abbey church (transformed in the ^18th century), the entrance tower and the ruins of the monastery itself remain of the complex, which is Gothic in style with Romanesque remains. Today, the abbey church is used by the Saxon Lutheran community.

This lively and colorful park, located in the old town center, is a popular place to cool off in summer. Children flock to play in an area devoted entirely to them, while chess players compete in frenzied games. While following these scenes of life, you can contemplate the buildings that surround the park, such as the post office and the town hall. You can also visit a number of nearby monuments, such as the citadel.

Subjected to numerous enemy attacks and incursions, the town's inhabitants decided to build truly effective fortifications. From the ^14th to the ^17th century, stone walls were gradually erected all around Brașov (3 km long, 12 m high), along with watchtowers and gates, making it one of the most fortified cities in Transylvania. The best way to appreciate this defensive system is to visit the best-preserved of these bastions, the Weavers' Bastion(Țesătorilor), built in 1436. In its wood-panelled galleries, you can visit a museum, where a huge 1896 model depicts the Brașov of the 1600s. Among the other visible remains, Poarta Ecaterinei, from 1559, once the town's main entrance, is the only gate that has survived the tests of time. Poarta Schei, at the end of the street of the same name, was built much later, in 1827. To the west of the old town, along Strada După Ziduri (the "Street Outside the Walls"), at the foot of Warthe Hill, the Black Tower(Turnul negru) and the White Tower(Turnul alb) served as observation posts. Not far away is the Graft bastion, which served as a bridge over the stream and can also be visited. The construction of the fortifications was financed by the Saxon trade guilds, and the bastions were named after one of them:Postăvarilor,Fierarilor orFunarilor, from which the cable car to Tâmpa departs.

This small, densely forested mountain dominates the old town at an altitude of 960 metres. A cable car at the foot of the ramparts climbs to the top every 15 minutes. You can also climb to the top via a footpath from the same point (approx. 1h walk). The view from the top is exceptional: the city is at your feet and you can see the different stages of its construction (medieval city, Șchei, modern city), with the majestic Carpathian Mountains as a backdrop. Until the ^15th century, the hilltop was home to the citadel.

Bounded on one side by the Franciscan church and on the other by the National Museum of Transylvanian History, from which it takes its name, "Museum Square" is the city's oldest square. Particularly pleasant on sunny days, when the cafés spread their terraces around the small Caroline obelisk, it's an ideal starting point for strolling through the narrow streets of the historic center, but also the perfect place to take a break, as the "Petite Place" (its former name) seems protected from the hustle and bustle of the city. A place full of history and life.

This innovative museum traces the complex history of Cluj's Jewish community, which accounted for almost 15% of the city's population before 1940. For what is more a real experience than a simple visit, you choose at the entrance to follow the lives of Julia, David or Paul, all three members of a family that actually existed. Once you've got your headphones on, you'll literally be plunged into history, thanks to virtual reality goggles, models and reconstructed settings. Instructive, fascinating and moving.

This superb building, designed by renowned architect Károly Kós in 1911, houses the most remarkable historical and ethnographic collections of the Sicilian region. A must-see for anyone wishing to understand the specifics of this culture: history, customs, crafts, language, costumes... There are also rare items on display, such as Neolithic ceramics and remains of Dacian cities. In the garden, you can visit a traditional house dating back to 1767. The museum was refurbished and reopened to the public in 2023.

Located in the Ciomatu massif, at an altitude of 950 meters, Lake Sfânta Ana was formed in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is the only lake of its kind in Romania. Circular in shape, its waters are crystal-clear. It is not fed by springs, but only by rainwater. The surrounding area is particularly pleasant, with abundant flora and distinctive rock formations. Pilgrimages in honor of Saint Anne, on July 26, and spa treatments attract many tourists to the shores of the lake.

It traces the history of medieval guilds of craftsmen: potters, shoemakers, tailors, carpenters, butchers and blacksmiths. You'll see reconstructed tools, products and workshops. Firefighting equipment from the ^19th and ^20th centuries is also on display. The museum's other attraction is its large collection of miniature traditional Hungarian costumes, worn by dolls. Almost every part of Transylvania is represented.

What is steampunk? It's a literary and artistic movement that emerged at the end of the ^20th century, blending the aesthetics and technology of the Industrial Revolution, drawing inspiration from the works of Jules Verne and Georges Méliès. Passing through the doors of this fun, interactive museum means plunging into a fantastic "retro-futuristic" world, where you can operate amazing machines yourself, or take a seat in a time machine. This highly original museum should appeal to adults and children alike.

These forest-covered mountains are home to a rich fauna, including a large bear population. The region is criss-crossed by enchanting hiking trails, starting at Piatra Fântânele. It's best to have a good map before venturing out. The highest point in the Bârgău mountains is Heniul Mare (1,610 m). If you're traveling to Moldavia from Bistrița, you'll find a number of routes (by car, bus or train) that cross the massif and offer superb scenery. This is particularly true of the road to Vatra Dornei, which crosses the Tihuța pass.

Odorheiu Secuiesc doesn't boast any exceptional buildings, but it's a pleasant town where you feel at home. Signs in Hungarian can make you forget you're in Romania. Piața Primăriei (Town Hall Square, Városháza tér in Hungarian) forms, along with Piața Márton Áron, the heart of the town. They are surrounded by colorful streets and beautiful buildings, such as the Secession-style Tamási Áron High School (strada Baróti Szabó Dávid). The streets are also very pleasant, almost village-like, around the ruins of the ^16th-century citadel (strada Cetății).

The gorges of the Galbena (Cheile Galbenei) offer a breathtaking spectacle: deep gorges, secret corners, forgotten clearings, innumerable waterfalls... It is an ideal place for hiking, even if some paths are sometimes dizzying and uneven. Climbing or canyoning are also options, for the more adventurous. One of the trails starts from Cabana Padiș (9-10h, yellow dot marking). You will pass through the cave of the Feu vif glacier (Ghețarul Focul viu), which takes on an astonishing reddish hue at certain times of the day.

The city's emblem, this imposing palace was built between 1908 and 1913 in the Transylvanian Secession style, according to the plans of Budapest-born architects Marcell Komor and Jakab Dezső. This duo also designed the nearby town hall. On the outside, its massive form is softened by its coloured tiles, mosaics, stained glass windows, bas-reliefs and statues. A visit to the interiors of this amazing building is a must: created by members of the Art School of Gödöllő, they are a true demonstration of Hungarian decorative and applied arts. The paintings and stained-glass windows, with original colours and patterns, create a very special atmosphere. The hall is a masterpiece in itself, where green, blue and gold dominate, as well as floral motifs. In the staircase, the stained glass windows depict portraits of historical figures, signed by Miksa Róth, a great master of Hungarian Art Nouveau stained glass. On the first floor, the Hall of Mirrors (Sala oglinzilor) has two Venetian mirrors and twelve valuable stained glass windows, evoking scenes from everyday life in Transylvania or Sicilian legends.

The large concert hall, which today houses the local philharmonic orchestra, is decorated with plant and animal motifs, purple and gold, inspired by Transylvanian folk art. It also has a gigantic organ with more than 4,000 pipes.

The building also houses the Museum of Art, which exhibits works by Romanian and Hungarian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

This city (not to be confused with the Dacian capital Sarmizegetusa Regia) was the main settlement in Roman Dacia, and was home to many institutions. Founded by Emperor Trajan shortly after the conquest of Dacia in 106 as Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa, it had a population of 20,000 to 30,000. Today, only the foundations of the citadel remain, allowing us to imagine its past grandeur and remarkable organization. You'll recognize the Augustan palace (whose courtyard hosted meetings of the Dacian High Council), the 5,000-seat amphitheater, the forum with its tall marble columns, villas and temples. The entire city has yet to be uncovered, and excavations are continuing. As is often the case, until the early ^19th century, the stones were used as building materials by local villagers.

Not far from the archaeological site, in the village of Sarmizegetusa, the museum is a useful complement to a visit to the remains. Here you'll find objects found during excavations and reconstructions: amphorae, farming tools, games, a model of the amphitheatre (with its special effects machine!), fragments of bronze statues, school tablets, sundials, lead pipes for distributing water..

Sarmizegetusa is 16 km from Hațeg, on the road to Caransebeș. The (rare) buses between Hațeg and Reșița or Deva and Zeicani stop here.

Nestled in the forest at an altitude of 1,105 metres, it contains an enormous block of ice some 4,000 years old, set in a 48-metre-deep cave. It is one of the only caves of its kind in Europe. It was first explored in the ^19th century, then by Emil Racoviță in the early ^20th century. You'll see magnificent natural ice sculptures, which change with the seasons. Access to the cave is via stairs, some of them very steep and vertiginous. Be sure to bundle up: even in summer, the thermometer barely rises above zero.

The citadels of Ponor(Cetățile Ponorului) are a fascinating natural site, popular with speleologists. It's one of Europe's most grandiose karstic landscapes, with waterfalls and astonishing formations, along an underground river that runs through a 4 km tunnel. It's reached by a beautiful hike, very rugged in places, starting from Cabana Padiș (12 km, 6h, blue dot marking). Boulders over 70 m high mark the entrance to the cave. To explore it, it's best to be accompanied by experienced cavers.

The town center is built around the long Place des Roses, with its central pedestrian walkway. It's a great place to start exploring. The square is lined with pleasant terraces and beautiful buildings. Not-to-be-missed buildings include the eclectic Bányai House (no. 12) and the Baroque Toldalagi Palace (no. 11). At its southern end, piața Victoriei is home to the Town Hall, typical of neo-Romanian architecture, and the emblematic Palace of Culture, a jewel of Art Nouveau. At the other end of piața Trandafirilor stands a large neo-Byzantine Orthodox cathedral built in 1938. Its interior decoration is superb and its dimensions are deliberately imposing, to make the neighboring Baroque Catholic church (1728) jealous. Just in front, you'll see the statue of Avram Iancu, hero of the 1848 Transylvanian revolution. Not far away, at the end of a long mineral square, stands the City Theatre, a perfect example of Communist architecture. To the northeast of the square, slightly set back and elevated, stands the medieval citadel.

A few steps west of piața Trandafirilor (strada Aurel Filimon, 21), don't miss the city's magnificent synagogue. This apricot-colored eclectic building was built in 1899-1900 for the Neologue community, who wanted a place of worship separate from Orthodox Jews. Particularly well preserved, the building is simply stunning. Its rich ornamentation is sumptuous.

It's organized around piața Republicii, the long central square lined with colorful Austro-Hungarian houses. Most of the interesting buildings are located around it, including the Municipal Theater, one of the city's most beautiful monuments, built between 1901 and 1904. Located at the northern end of the square (no. 52), it also houses the municipal library. At the far end (strada 1 Decembrie 1918, no. 28), the neo-Renaissance Town Hall dates from 1884-1886. From piața Republicii, a porch leads to the dynamic market.

Located on the site of the former bishop's palace, from which it incorporates elements, the Palace of the Princes of Transylvania was built in stages from the ^mid-14th century onwards. It was the home of Michael the Brave during his eleven-month rule of Transylvania between 1599 and 1600. After many years of restoration, a museum has opened within its walls. It traces the history of the building and the illustrious figures who have occupied it.

Located in the northern part of the citadel, it was founded in the late ^18th century by Bishop Ignác Batthyány. Housed in a former Baroque church, it is home to some 70,000 volumes, including 1,230 manuscripts and rare books. The most precious of these is the Codex aureus, written in gold ink on ^8th-century parchment and richly illustrated. The superb Great Hall blends neoclassical and rococo styles. It was also here, in 1792, that the country's first astronomical observatory was established, destroyed during the revolution of 1848.

It is located in the former princely palace, built in the 16th century and retaining elements of Gothic style from the end of the 15th century. It served as a customs house for the salt mines, but also as a temporary residence for the Princes of Transylvania during their visits. The museum exhibits many archaeological remains found in the area: Neolithic ceramics, medieval tools, weapons and coins. Objects from the Roman period make up the bulk of the collection. The museum also has art and ethnography sections.

It is organized around piața Libertății. This small, long pedestrian square is bordered by the large Elisabeta Park. Nearby are a number of interesting buildings, such as the Hungarian National Theatre, in a corner of the square, or the arcaded house(Casa cu arcade, 1821), located strada Libertății. Just behind it lies the Sfântul Gheorghe Orthodox Cathedral, built in 1802. To the north of the city, in strada Cetății, you can visit the ^14th-century fortified Reformed church, surrounded by ramparts flanked by a massive bell tower.

From room to room, the history museum will take you through the ages, from the Paleolithic to the Communist period. In particular, you'll see precious artifacts from the Dacian-Roman city of Porolissum. A visit to the museum, before or after touring the ruins, will help you understand the history of this city. The art gallery (strada Gheorghe Doja, 6), featuring works bequeathed by local painter Ioan Sima (1898-1985), is closed to the public for an indefinite period.

At the very end of the long Rue Lungă (hence the name!), heading towards Bran and Râșnov, you'll see the evangelical church of St. Bartholomew(biserica evanghelică Sfântul Bartolomeu). Built in 1223 by Saxon settlers, this Romanesque church is the town's oldest. Its Gothic elements are later additions. Today, it is used by a small community of Saxon parishioners. In July, organ concerts are held here.

It occupies two prestigious neighboring buildings in the city center: the Babylon building, erected in 1851, and the Union Hall, built in 1900. It was here that the Grand National Assembly proclaimed the union of Transylvania with Romania on December¹, 1918. The various sections cover prehistory, the Middle Ages, battles against the Turks, the revolution of 1848, the unification of the Danubian principalities in 1859 and, of course, the joining of Transylvania.