Tourist Attractions & Monuments Romania

It is located in the heart of a district made up of elegant, quiet, tree-lined streets and beautiful homes. Founded by Dominicans in 1475, the monastery was abandoned a century later with the arrival of Protestantism. In the 18th century, Ursuline sisters settled there and transformed the place into a Catholic church and a school for girls. The complex has been restored, combining the Gothic architecture of the 15th century with the Baroque of the 18th century. Nationalized under communism, the church today hosts masses of the Greek-Catholic community.

It's the little jewel of the historic centre. Built in 1724, in the Brâncovenesc style, it is a superb example among the many buildings that appeared during the century of the Phanariotes, the governors imposed by the Turks. The façade is richly decorated with carved columns, medallions and multiple plant motifs. The interior is also remarkable, covered with frescoes and endowed with a beautiful carved wooden iconostasis. The modest size of the building, the darkness that reigns there, the play of lights on the icons give it a very special atmosphere.

This summer residence of King Carol I and his wife Elisabeth has become one of the most visited places in Romania. It was built between 1873 and 1914, according to the rather crazy plans of Doderer and Schultz. Its first inauguration took place in 1883, after which it was enlarged under the direction of the Czech architect Karel Liman. At the cutting edge of modernity in its time, Peleș was the first castle in Europe to have electricity and central heating. Carol I died there in 1914. Under communism, the confiscated royal residence was used as a holiday resort by party cadres. Distinguished guests, such as foreign heads of state, were often welcomed. The effect of this tall building, perched in its green setting, is immediate on the visitor, astonishing the eye with its towers, spires and half-timbered houses. In the German neo-Renaissance style, it is also influenced by Italian, Oriental, French and Gothic styles. The 160 rooms in the building are characterized by rich wooden ornaments, which are also found on the facades. The abundance and diversity of statues, pottery, precious vases, weapons, stained-glass windows, tapestries and porcelain is impressive. Among the most beautiful rooms, you will visit the Hall of Honour, characterized by its beautiful carved walnut decorations, or the library, all in wood panelling, absolutely magnificent. In the reception room, wooden models of sixteen castles belonging to the Hohenzollern family (Carol I's family) are on display. The armoury displays collections of European and Oriental weapons from the 15th century onwards. The stained glass windows of the music room, the Florentine room with its gilded wood and marble decorations, the Moorish room with its marble-encrusted furniture, and the theatre where the country's first film projection took place in 1906, will also delight you. The estate of Peleș includes several other beautiful buildings, also built by Carol I: in addition to the castle of Pelișor or the many outbuildings converted into hotels or restaurants, there is the castle of Foișor, a hunting lodge used in its time by Ceaușescu. Today it is a ceremonial residence of the Romanian state, which is not open to the public. The park at Peleș can be visited for free. The Italian Renaissance style gardens, laid out on terraces, enhance the castle, which seems to have come straight out of a fairy tale, particularly well.

This fortress-church, one of the most beautiful in Transylvania, was built between the 13th and 16th centuries by the Teutonic Knights and the Saxons. The main enclosure is circular, with walls 3 to 4 m thick! It comprises more than 270 cells, each of which belonged to a family from the village. Spread over 4 levels and connected by wooden stairs, they were used to store food. A parapet walk, 12 m high, allows you to walk around the structure. The Gothic church in the centre of the fortress dates from 1250.

The Village Museum (Muzeul satului), founded in 1936, offers a plunge into the countryside, right in the heart of the capital. Just like the Romanian Peasant Museum (the two are really complementary), it allows you to discover the richness of the peasant world, but this time in the open air. Typical houses from different parts of the country are gathered in a 14-hectare park, which stretches along the shores of the lake Herăstrău. Apuseni thatched roofs, Transylvanian and Maramureș wooden portals, carved columns from the Târgu Jiu region, Lipovene house covered with reeds, shepherds' huts... it's all there. You will also see mills, wells, presses and wooden churches. All these constructions (no less than 380!) were transported from their respective regions. The oldest date back to the 17th century, the most recent to the beginning of the 20th century. The place is a bit frozen, but it is pleasant to stroll in this beautiful park and very interesting to be able to penetrate in these old houses (we wish you to know this same pleasure in the countryside, the real one). Fairs, traditional celebrations, folk dances and music performances take place there very frequently. You may even have the opportunity to watch clips being shot by specialist TV channels such as Etno TV or Favorit. Good to know: the beautiful souvenir shop at the entrance offers a paying audio guide. There is also a mobile application to download.

From Şimon and Moieciu de Sus, you can win Poiana Guţanu, a refuge from which many paths go to the Smo, Babele or, further afield, Sinaia, across the Bucegi mountains.

The village of Fundata is one of the most beautiful in this valley and one of the highest in Romania. The site is superb, the architecture of some rich houses. In July there is a folk festival very popular (dances, costumes, etc.).

This is one of the best museums in Bucharest. Designed by the painter and photographer Horia Bernea after the revolution, it was consecrated "European Museum of the Year" in 1996. Housed in an imposing neo-Romanian-style building, it previously housed the museum of the Romanian Communist Party during the forty years of its regime. A room, containing paintings and sculptures typical of this period, recalls this former function. But the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant (Muzeul național al țaranului român) has above all the vocation to reveal all the richness of the village world of yesterday and today. Crafts, folklore and architecture of the different regions are presented there. We discover the daily life of the peasants, the classroom, the costumes, the religious icons, the tools, the painted eggs, the carpets... A visit is essential, especially if your stay in Romania is limited to a few days in the capital. Unfortunately, the permanent exhibition has been closed for works since 2016 and its reopening date is not known. However, the temporary exhibitions, which are often very interesting, as well as the shop and the good restaurant with traditional specialities, remain accessible.

Beautiful craft markets are held several times a year, at Easter and Christmas in particular. In addition, the museum shop is one of the best-stocked in the city. There are some remarkable CDs of folk music.

Its imposing silhouette stands on a rocky outcrop, at the bend of a valley winding between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains. Bran Castle, steeped in history and legend, is one of Romania's top tourist attractions. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to discover Dracula's supposed castle, or at least that of Vlad Țepeș, the ^15th-century Wallachian prince on whom writer Bram Stoker is said to have based his vampire character. While it resembles the count's home described in Stoker's novel, the castle has no proven connection with Vlad Țepeș. In fact, it has much more to do with Queen Marie, adored by the Romanians, who left her mark on the place between the wars.

Built between 1377 and 1382 by the inhabitants of Brașov, by order of the King of Hungary, Bran Castle occupied a strategic position. Its function was to defend Transylvania against Ottoman attacks. It also acted as a customs post between Transylvania and Wallachia until 1836. The town of Brașov, which owned the site, donated it to Queen Marie in 1920, in gratitude for her commitment to the country in the First World War. On her death in 1938, the castle was bequeathed to her daughter Ileana. Confiscated by the Communists, it was finally returned to Ileana's heirs, the Habsburg family, in 2006.
The medieval castle, built in Gothic style, has undergone several changes over the centuries, as evidenced by its convoluted architecture. From a single tower, it now boasts four. The extensive restoration work undertaken in the 1920s by Queen Marie, in collaboration with Czech architect Karel Liman, significantly altered the premises, giving them a romantic feel.
Elegant reception rooms and comfortable bedrooms were created. All nooks and alcoves, the rooms are spread over four levels, accessed by staircases that form a maze, conducive to exploration. A secret passageway has even been uncovered in the former council chamber. From the loopholes transformed into windows, the view of the surrounding countryside is spectacular.
Queen Marie also laid out a beautiful park at the foot of the château. You can enjoy a meal in the queen's former tea house, now a pleasant restaurant. The elevator built in 1937 to link the castle and the park was restored in 2017. You have to pay extra to borrow it and enjoy an interactive multimedia exhibition: in our opinion, you can skip it. A visit to the torture chamber, which also costs extra (€4), isn't essential either.
Tourists who have come for Dracula won't leave empty-handed: a number of rooms are devoted to the vampire myth and the story of his inspiration Vlad Țepeș. You'll also learn more about strigoi, the undead of Romanian folklore.

Bran Castle may be a little irritatingly draculomaniac, but it's nonetheless an exceptional monument, full of soul. However, avoid peak periods in summer and on Sundays, or aim for the early or late hours of the day: the crowds can make the visit a real pain. Signs are in English and Romanian, but a French audioguide is available for a small extra charge.

The defensive system built by the craftsmen's guilds consisted of a wall almost 1 km long, fourteen defensive towers and five artillery bastions. Today, nine towers, two bastions and part of the surrounding wall remain.

Clock Tower(turnul cu Ceas). The town's landmark, it stands 64 meters high. Built in the ^14th century, many of its features have been altered or added to, such as its Baroque roof dating from 1677. The clock, the tower's most original feature, dates from 1648 and appears on both of its main facades. On the new town side, you'll recognize the executioner and the drummer, surmounted by seven wooden statuettes representing the days of the week. On the city side, you'll see the tambourine player on the right, in charge of the quarter hours; on the lower left, Peace, holding an olive branch and a trumpet; the female statues, holding a sword and scales, symbolize Reason and Justice; finally, two figurines represent day and night. Please note that the clock mechanisms are not in operation while the tower roof is being refurbished (reopening scheduled for 2025).

Tour des Bouchers(turnul Măcelarilor): from the Tour des Cordiers, the city wall descends northeast to the Tour des Bouchers. It dates from the ^16th century. The section of ramparts between the two towers remains intact.

Tour des Cordiers(turnul Franghierilor): probably dating from the ^13th century, this tower was also part of the original fortification of the hilltop. Note that it is still inhabited!

Shoemaker's Tower(turnul Cizmarilor): destroyed in 1676 and rebuilt in 1681, this hexagonal tower is the most impressive in the town.

Tower of the Tinners(turnul Cositorarilor): 25 meters high, square at the base, then octagonal. The roof is hexagonal.

Blacksmiths' Tower(turnul Fierarilor): built in 1631, this tower is set against the surrounding wall. Its role was to protect the church and monastery in the event of a siege.

Shoemakers' Tower(turnul Cojocarilor): a few meters from the Butchers' Tower, this small, simple structure dates from the ^15th century.

Tailors' Tower(turnul Croitorilor): this tower is impressive for its simplicity and solidity. It was probably built in the ^14th century. Like the Clock Tower, it protects an entrance formed by two vaulted corridors.

Tour des Tanneurs(turnul Tăbăcarilor): square in structure, with a simple roof, this is one of the town's oldest towers.

Archaeological studies seem to show that the first foundations of the German settlers were one-storey wooden houses supported by massive oak beams. The stone and brick houses were built in stages between the 15th and 18th centuries, especially after the great fire of 1676. The citadel (cetate) is not very big and you will not get lost in it. It is surrounded by old fortifications from the 14th century, of which mainly the towers added in the 15th century remain. The pretty Piaţa Cetăţii is the centre of the city.

From the first glance, this large paved and grassy square, surrounded by colourful buildings, seduces by its elegance. Entirely pedestrian, it is a popular meeting place: people come here to chat, play football, meet around the small circular fountain in the centre or have a drink at one of its many terraces. Union Square has been the scene of many important events for Banat. For example, it was here that the region's attachment to Romania was celebrated, hence its name. In the center stands the statue of the Holy Trinity (1740), which recalls the plague epidemic that devastated Timişoara. Created in Vienna, in the purest Baroque style, the statue was transported by river. It was renovated in 1995.

Piața Unirii is surrounded by many remarkable buildings, most of them of Baroque architecture, but also classical or eclectic: the Baroque Palace, which houses the Museum of Art, the Serbian Catholic and Orthodox Cathedrals, the Episcopal Palace. Note also the amazing Casa Brück, at No. 2, built in 1910 in the Art Nouveau style. Or, in a corner, at the very beginning of the rue Gheorghe Lazăr, a jewel of Art Nouveau architecture from 1908, with wavy shapes and glazed ceramic ornaments. The beautiful building is reminiscent of those designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. A little further on, by taking the Augustin Pasha street, you will see at n° 6 the house "au Trompettiste", surmounted by a baroque bulb.

This monumental building is the city's landmark. The Palace of Culture(palatul Culturii) reopened its doors in 2016, following a complete renovation. It was built between 1906 and 1925, in a flamboyant neo-Gothic, Romantic and Baroque style, by architect Ion Berindei. The rooms and galleries (of which there are over two hundred!) are vast and elegant. Their decoration went through two phases: austere neoclassical under Carol ^I, Baroque and Art Nouveau under Ferdinand. The Hall of the Voivodes, one of the most beautiful, features a portrait gallery of Moldavian rulers. The two central halls, on the ground and first floors, are impressive for their length, which matches that of the main façade. Note the circular mosaic and its Gothic bestiary. Built in the center of the medieval town, within the walls of the former ^15th-century princely residence, the palace served as both town hall and court for thirty years. In 1955, it became the Palace of Culture, a vast complex housing several museums. You can also explore its superb clock tower: tours take place every hour, from 10.45 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. In front of the building stands a large equestrian statue of the famous Moldavian voivode Ștefan cel Mare.

Art Museum

This museum has three galleries: one devoted to modern Romanian art (Grigorescu, Pallady...), another to contemporary Romanian art and the last to European art. You'll see a painting by Rubens and various representations of Moldavian landscapes.

Museum of Moldavian History

The oldest exhibit dates back to the Lower Paleolithic. The museum also boasts an impressive collection of Cucuteni ceramics, a rich Neolithic civilization. You'll also see ancient and medieval coins, ^17th-century parchments and precious objects that belonged to Moldavian or national personalities (swords, throne, etc.).

Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia

This museum presents the activities and customs of the Moldavian people through the ages. You'll see fabrics, pottery, furniture, carpets, etc. The collection of agricultural implements (wine, fishing, farming or hunting) is particularly rich and varied, as is that of folk costumes.

Museum of Science and Technology

Its main attraction is its vast collection of musical automata. Other exhibits include photographic and cinematographic equipment, computers, meteorological and telephone instruments.

An excellent museum, recently modernized and very popular with families. You'll meet the country's main species (bear, wolf, sturgeon, pelican, lynx...), stuffed and inserted in dioramas recreating their natural environment. Others are preserved in formalin. One section is dedicated to the world's fauna. There is also a large collection of insects, as well as imposing skeletons of prehistoric pachyderms, including that of a deinotherium, the only one of its kind in the world.

Founded in 1715 by the erudite Metropolitan Antim, this is one of Bucharest's most beautiful monasteries. You'll notice the characteristic Brâncovenesc style, the discreet but rich floral carvings, as well as beautiful Nativity paintings (dating from 1812, like many of its buildings). The monastery is concealed by the blocks of flats built in the 1980s. To erect them, the block housing the monks was moved 20 m. The surrounding streets, which escaped destruction, offer a glimpse of the district's past charm.

It took ten years (1778-1788) to build this palace, now considered one of the finest museums in Eastern Europe. In addition to its rich collections, the palace itself is well worth a visit. This Baroque masterpiece, the city's landmark, was designed by Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, Governor of Transylvania from 1777 to 1787, and a favorite of Empress Maria Theresa. Brukenthal, who was also a great art lover, asked in his will that the palace and his personal collections be made accessible to the public after his death. Opened in 1817, the museum is renowned throughout Europe for the richness and diversity of its collections, including the 1,090 paintings that belonged to the baron. These include 450 works by the Flemish school (Rubens, Van Dyck...), 500 German paintings illustrating the transition between the Gothic and Baroque styles, as well as works by Italian painters of various currents. Not to mention works by Romanian artists, Transylvanian drawings and engravings from the ^17th to ^19th centuries, and exceptional silverware.

The Baron's library has also been preserved, supplemented by the collection of Sibiu's medieval libraries. It contains 280,000 volumes, including a collection of incunabula (works printed before 1500) and the Brukenthal Breviary, written on parchment with superb miniatures by Flemish painters of the ^15th and ^16th centuries. It is no longer open to the public and is reserved for students.

A little gem! At the foot of the Făgăraș mountains, this immaculately white monastery was founded by the Wallachian prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688-1714). It resembles the Horezu monastery, but is of smaller dimensions. Demolished in the ^17th century, it was restored and enlarged in the ^20th century, in the purest Brâncovenesc style, and now houses a monastic community. The church boasts beautiful murals. Don't miss the museum, which features a valuable collection of icons on glass, as well as a variety of folk and religious art objects.

This ^15th-century pink-brick fortress became an important princely residence in the ^16th century. Transformed into an Italian Renaissance castle by Transylvanian Prince Gábor Bethlen in the early ^17th century, it was used in the second half of the century as a meeting place for the Sejm, and much later, between 1948 and 1960, as a prison for opponents. Today, it houses the Ethnographic and Historical Museum of the city and its region, with a fine collection of icons on glass, ceramics, costumes...

This remarkable museum will allow you to familiarize yourself with the history of the city and its region, from the Paleolithic to the present day. It occupies a building with an architecture of the purest neo-Romanian style, dating from 1921. You will discover exceptional remains, reflecting the archaeological wealth of Dobrogea: terracotta or bone objects, coloured glasses, jewellery, tools, weapons, bronze helmets, Greek and Roman statues... Among the valuable pieces is the Glycon (2nd century A.D.), a serpent deity carved in marble, which has become the emblem of the city. We can also mention the ceramics of the Neolithic civilizations of Hamangia and Gumelnița, notably the moving Thinker of Hamangia and the Seated Woman two terracotta statuettes discovered in the necropolis of Cernavodă.

Next to the museum is a gallery where a Roman mosaic dating from the 4th century AD is kept. Discovered during work in 1959, it is unique in Europe by its size (about 400 square metres preserved, out of the 2,000 of the original surface area). The harmony of its colours - dominated by red, white, green and beige - and the beauty of its plant and geometric patterns have not been altered by time. At the time, the mosaic occupied one of the terraces of a large commercial building, which served as a junction between the city and the port. From the gallery, you will enjoy a magnificent view of the port.