Tourist Attractions & Monuments Romania

It's one of the region's most beautiful and best-preserved churches. It dates back to the ^12th century, before the Saxons settled in the region. Rebuilt and enlarged by new German settlers in the ^13th century, it was fortified in the ^16th and ^17th centuries to protect it from Ottoman invasions. The surrounding walls house an interesting ethnographic exhibition on Saxon customs, with a rich collection of period objects and photos, documents, painted furniture, costumes, craftsmen's tools and more.

This imposing brick edifice, on the corner of strada Luterană and strada General Berthelot, was inaugurated in 1884. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest, a religion claimed by over 800,000 people in Romania, including a majority of Hungarians. The church, mainly Romanesque in style, includes a few Gothic elements. The entrance is surmounted by a large rose window. The interior, dark and elegant, features an impressive organ.

West of Piteşti, this park extends beyond the gate of the World War I Heroes. This pleasant green space of almost 30 hectares includes an oak forest, a small zoo and a convent dating from 1699. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it is still a popular place to walk, perfect for cycling and rollerblading. To reach it, you can opt for a walk from the centre, through the beautiful wooded areas, or take bus 2A or 5.

Housed in the splendid Post Palace, this museum traces the country's history back to prehistoric times. The various sections house rich collections. In the lapidarium, you'll see a replica of Rome's Trajan column, as well as numerous frescoes and statues. The most interesting room is undoubtedly the Treasure Room, featuring the famous Poule aux poussins d'or, a set of gold coins in a highly refined style, said to have belonged to the Visigoth king Athanaric.

This covered passage, designed by architect Felix Xenopol and opened in 1891, is divided into two branches (Macca and Vilacrosse), which meet under an elegant rotunda. Both passages are occupied by boutiques and cafés. The yellow vaulted windows create a very special lighting ambience, whatever the time of day. A calm and pleasant place, which bears witness to a time when Bucharest shone and imitated the great capitals of Europe.

Dating from the ^14th century, the remains of the former princely court(Curtea Veche) are Bucharest's oldest monument. The complex was at the heart of the medieval city. It was under the reign of the Wallachian voivode Vlad Ţepeş (who inspired the character of Dracula), between 1456 and 1462, but above all under that of Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688-1714), that the princely residence enjoyed its greatest influence. Damaged by fire and earthquakes, the prestigious buildings were gradually abandoned by the end of the ^18th century.

Installed since 2004 in a wing of the Parliament Palace, the museum has a vast exhibition space. It presents the works of contemporary Romanian artists, often satirical, as a thumbnail to the place. There are also works by foreign artists. The MNAC has a unique collection, inherited from the communist regime, reflecting the propaganda of the time. Part of it is exposed on the first floor. On the fourth floor, a nice rooftop offers an incomparable view of the city.

It is the main tourist attraction in Suceava. To the east of the city, on a wooded plateau overlooking it, the Throne Fortress (cetatea de Scaun) was built in the 14th century by Petru II Muşat, who had taken up residence there. It remained the main residence of Moldova's leaders for almost two hundred years, when Suceava was the capital of the province. The building was enlarged and fortified by the sovereign Alexander the Good, who made it a defensive work. Later, Ştefan cel Mare considerably reinforced the surrounding walls and towers. Damaged by Turkish attacks and invested by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538, it was dismantled in the following century, then gradually fell into ruin, a degradation accelerated by the transfer of the Moldavian capital to Iași in 1564. Its stones were even used as building material. Its circular shape, massive walls, some watchtowers and the remains of the foundations can still be seen. The fortress was the subject of a vast rehabilitation and development project in 2015. It now houses an exhibition combining period objects (medieval arms and coats of arms, crowns...) and multimedia projections on the history of Moldova.

In the large park surrounding the fortress stands the monumental statue of Ștefan cel Mare, the great builder of monasteries. It is 23 m high and dates back to 1977, a period during which Ceaușescu enjoyed reviving the heroes of Romanian history.

This imposing 1900 building, one of the most beautiful in the capital, was designed by French architect Paul Gottereau. Built in an eclectic style reminiscent of the Petit Palais in Paris, it is one of the symbols of French influence on Romanian architecture in the early ^20th century. Its richly decorated facade is dominated by a large central dome, which illuminates the hall. The monumental entrance arch, supported by four columns, houses a clock, framed by Hermes and Demeter. Today, the palace houses the headquarters of the CEC Bank.

Wedged between blocks of flats at the entrance to Place de la Révolution, this red-brick, Brâncovenesc-style church was built in 1722 on the initiative of boyar Iordache Crețulescu (or Kretzulescu), Prince Brâncoveanu's son-in-law. The interior frescoes, dating from 1860, are by Tattarescu. The church underwent numerous alterations in the ^20th century. Threatened with demolition by the Communist regime, it was finally preserved. Damaged during the 1989 revolution, it was restored between 1990 and 2000.

Erected in the ^15th century by Transylvanian voivode István Báthory, the fortifications were almost entirely destroyed in the early ^17th century, then rebuilt between 1605 and 1653. The enclosure, surrounded by bastions named after guilds (tailors, butchers, tanners, etc.), is remarkably well preserved, with a pretty public garden. The main tower houses a small Citadelle museum upstairs. The walls protect the ^14th-century Hungarian Reformed Church (in the center of the courtyard), built by the Dominicans on the site of a former Franciscan monastery. A ^17th-century building houses the Archaeology and History Museum (open Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm). The citadel is a regular venue for events such as the Festival des Lumières in May.

The streets around the citadel, such as bulevardul Cetății, offer beautiful tree-lined promenades lined with pretty houses. On strada Mitropolit Andrei Șaguna, a few steps north of the citadel, you'll see a small wooden church from 1794 dedicated to Saint Michael (sfântul Mihail). It stands in the middle of a cemetery and is said to have sheltered Mihai Eminescu, the national poet, for a night. South of the citadel is the Bolyai Memorial Museum, housed in the same building as the Teleki Library (strada Bolyai 17, open every day except Monday). It is dedicated to the mathematician Farkas Bolyai (1775-1856).

This large village-like district is different from the medieval Saxon center, and for good reason. It was the only part of the city where, for centuries, the Romanians of Brașov were allowed to live, while the Saxons had most of the city. Romanians could only enter the center at certain times, subject to a toll. The fairly straight streets of the Saxon quarters are contrasted by narrow lanes winding between the hills, lined with small houses. To get there, pass through Poarta Șchei, at the end of the street of the same name.

The municipal tourist office is located in the underpass of Piaţa Universităţii. In this recently refurbished space you will find some brochures, maps and practical information on transport, points of interest in the capital, excursion and guided tour services, as well as cultural activities. The information is not overwhelming, but this small office can be useful. A staff member on site may be able to provide you with information.

Located in an attractive neo-Romanesque building at the entrance to the town center, this tourist office can provide information on the area's main tourist attractions, as well as free maps and brochures. There's another information point in town, at the News Caffe (bulevardul Eroilor, 10). For cultural events, you can consult the website https://zilesinopti.ro/brasov/ (of which there is a free paper version, Zile și Nopți Brașov, available in some cultural venues).

On a tiny island to the north of the lake lies this monastery, founded around the beginning of the ^15th century by the Wallachian prince Mircea the Elder (Mircea cel Bătrân). The monastery church, a handsome brick edifice, is in the Byzantine style. Its interiors are covered with frescoes. Vlad Țepeș, the voivode who inspired the character of Dracula, had defensive walls, a bridge and a prison built here. Legend even has it that he was buried there, but to date no evidence has confirmed this. The island can be reached by footbridge or by boat.

At the foot of the citadel, this museum is housed in the Magna Curia palace, Deva's oldest historical building, built in the ^16th century and rebuilt in 1621 in Renaissance style by Prince Gabriel Bethlen. The building underwent its final refurbishment in the early ^18th century, giving it the Baroque appearance that can still be seen today. The museum houses collections of archaeology, history, paintings, coins and more. On the first floor, there's a permanent exhibition of natural sciences and a room with ^19th-century furniture and objects. Upstairs, in the Salle de la Cheminée, concerts, shows, parties and balls are organized. The rest of the rooms house various temporary exhibitions. There's also a modern lapidarium.

The museum has branches in Sarmizegetusa, where you can see the ruins of the former capital of the Dacian state, in Orăştie, where there is a museum of ethnography, as well as in Brad, Baia de Criş and Aurel Vlaicu. This village 35 km east of Deva is named after the Romanian aviation pioneer, whose birthplace can be visited. Well-preserved, it gives an idea of the life of a peasant family in a Transylvanian village at the beginning of the last century. Near the house, the Aurel Vlaicu Memorial Museum exhibits many objects that once belonged to this engineer: his bicycle, motorcycle, aviator's suit, diagrams, plans and model gliders.

The city, one of the greenest in the country, has many of them. The oldest (19th century) is the park Petőfi Sándor, in which the Catholic Episcopal Palace is nestled. Very wooded, it is home to three giant sequoias. The former Rhedey Park was also divided in two in the 19th century: on the one hand the park Bălcescu, on the other hand the zoological garden. The Central Park, or Park 1 Decembrie, dates from the 1950s. By the river, the park Brătianu is the largest in the city. Another park surrounds the fortress, laid out in the old moat.

This village on the road to Ploieşti owes its name to the great Romanian playwright (1852-1912), whose birthplace he was. It is, of course, that a small exposure to his memory is presented.

This small station is in kind a "prestige" station. This is where the Orient-Express stops, before winning Istanbul.

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.

It is one of the symbols of Sibiu, linking piața Mică and piața Mare. The Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului) was built in the 13th century as the gateway to the city and has been rebuilt many times since: partially collapsed in 1585, it was rebuilt and extended by one floor in 1826. It now has seven. The tower hosts various small exhibitions, but if you absolutely have to go there, it's mainly for the view it offers: all up there, the panorama of the city and its surroundings is breathtaking!

In the village of Cetatea de Baltă, 25 km north-east of Blaj, this castle built in the 16th century was completely remodelled at the beginning of the 17th century in a French Renaissance style, on the model of the castle of Chambord. It's flanked by big round towers. It belonged to the powerful Bethlen family, whose members included Gabriel Bethlen, the reigning prince of Transylvania (1613-1629) and king of Hungary (1620-1621). Today it belongs to the Jidvei group, a major Romanian wine producer, and can be visited upon prior request.

Close to the Thalia Hall, it occupies a yellow building purpose-built in 1895 in the Italian Renaissance style. Here you can admire beautiful minerals, prehistoric animal skeletons (mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses...) and dioramas presenting Romanian, tropical, Arctic and Australian flora and fauna. The garden is home to a variety of plant species, some of them rare. A few dinosaurs can also be seen!

It occupies a beautiful green neo-Gothic building, called Casa Hermes (named after the Greek god of Commerce), erected in 1867 to house an association of craft guilds. Opened in 1990 as part of the Astra complex, this museum, currently undergoing restoration, is the only one in the country devoted to non-European ethnography. It brings together objects collected by local collectors during their travels in Africa, China, Japan, Oceania, Lapland and Brazil.

This pretty little museum presents pharmacy objects in use in Transylvania from the 17th to the 19th century, which bear witness to the evolution of pharmaceutical techniques: bottles of all kinds, wooden or ceramic pots, funnels, scales, plant presses... The house that houses it, a 16th century building combining Gothic and Renaissance styles, has housed one of the oldest pharmacies in the city, which appeared around 1600 and was called The Black Bear.

A beautiful mountain resort, a small cave offers exquisite karst formations. We then continue to Bran and Braşov.

Stop in his charming 1386-year-old Monastère monastery. At the foot of a cliff, this building has the particularity of being partially carved in a rock.

The icon in its midst is, it seems, miraculous. A few minutes walk is necessary to access it, but the site is worth a visit.

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.

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.

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.

The Piatra Craiului National Park Visitors' Center is a natural site located in Bran. Visitors can buy tickets using the blue ticket machines located at the Zărnești post office, the Piatra Craiului National Park Visitors' Center, the Plaiul Foii Hut and the Ivan Valley Bridge. Tickets can also be purchased by sending an SMS with the text "Pcrai1" for one person, "Pcrai2" for two people or "Pcrai5" for five people to number 7473. Prices range from 2 to 10 euros, plus VAT. The entrance fee also includes a visit to the Zărnești Visitors' Center.

Located 6 km from Mediaș, this beautiful village of 2,000 inhabitants, called Prețai in German, features a beautiful Gothic basilica. Dating from the ^14th century, it was extensively remodeled and fortified in the ^15th century. Among other modifications, a wooden parapet walk was added to the bell tower. The church served as a training center for craftsmen specializing in the renovation of fortified churches, but work was interrupted during the pandemic and never resumed. Today, the village's population is predominantly Roma. You can get there by train.

Beautiful valley where the river is surrounded by gentle mountains covered with forests. Pensions and camping abound around Lepşa (thanks to the fortunes of Italy) as well as sumptuous and colorful wooden villas. Possibility to visit a small trout farming and buy (if you do not want to fish them in the river) to get them ready in your pension. The place is also perfectly celebrated by the Romanians, since the valley is located just steps from the Monastery of Putna, where the Stefan Cel Mare Voivode is founded.

The majestic "Monts du Gypaète" offer great hiking opportunities. At the heart of the massif lies a national park, a nature reserve that protects many rare botanical species (edelweiss, sabot-de-Vénus...). These mountains are nicknamed the "Moldavian Olympus". Kogaionon, the sacred mountain of the Dacians, was located here and Zamolxis, their supreme god, had his temple. The steep slopes are flanked by deep forests and strangely shaped rocky peaks, such as Panaghia. Its highest points are Ocolașul Mare and Toaca (around 1,900 m).

The Dragoș Vodă bison(zimbri) reserve lies 15 km west of Târgu Neamț, at the entrance to the Vânători Neamț nature park. Created in 1968, it was home to the first bison reintroduced to Romania in captivity. Today, it still holds a few specimens. Others have been released into the wild, but some, living in semi-liberty, can also be seen. You can also meet other animals, such as deer and peacocks. The nature park team offers safaris to observe the bison in their natural habitat.

Close to the railway and bus stations, separated from the Danube by a thin strip of land, Lake Ciuperca (literally "Mushroom Lake") is one of the city's favorite walking spots. The surrounding park is pleasant. On the western shore, a small beach has been laid out for swimming. You can also fish in specially designated areas, or hire a rowing or pedal boat. There are several bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity, as well as a swimming pool to the northwest.

A late 1969 th-century church (renovations in) richly decorated (paintings, sculptures).

The road from Constanţa to Cernavodă, via Murfatlar, runs along the Black Sea Canal to the Danube. Also visible from the train that connects the capital to Constanţa, it was built in the 1950s and put into service in the 1980s. This 64.5 km long pharaonic project cost the lives of thousands of workers. Those who were called "volunteers" to carry out this "heroic project" for a "great Romania" were in reality peasants who refused collectivization, political opponents, Greek-Catholic priests.

The strada Regele Ferdinand, named after Ferdinand, King of Romania between 1914 and 1927, takes you from the city center behind the ^13th-century Franciscan Church of Cluj to the bridge over the Someşul Mic river. The two crossroads facing each other on either bank form a very harmonious whole, with, among other things, the Széki and Babos Palaces, two highlights of this architectural complex, with neo-Gothic and Secession accents, built between the ^19th and ^20th centuries.

Once across the bridge on the north bank, a flight of stairs takes you to the top of the citadel hill, with a superb view of the city and the grand Hotel Belvedere. But the area is also steeped in history: traces of Neolithic and Roman remains have been found here, a Vauban-style fortress was built here as early as 1715 to plans by the Italian architect Visconti, and the Citadel Cross(Crucea de pe Cetățuie) was erected here in 1995, in tribute to the Romanian martyrs of the 1848 revolution.

Still on the north bank, Strada Horea is not a very lively street, with few shops. It features three religious buildings. First, the synagogue and a memorial temple for the Jewish community, which commemorates the 16,700 Cluj Jews deported by the Hungarian government to Nazi Germany. Further on stand the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas (neo-Romanesque, ^20th century) and the Reformed Church, known as Peste Apă ("across the water"), with its pointed bell tower (^20th century).

Starting from the north-east of Piaţa Unirii, this 2 km long commercial boulevard has two churches, including, from the very first metres, the Evangelical Church (1829). Rather narrow, sometimes pedestrian, the surrounding streets, sometimes very lively, are worth a look. Like Strada Dávid Ferenc, near the Hungarian Reformed Church (1796). It leads to the very commercial Piaţa Mihai Viteazul, where the statue of the first prince to have ruled the two Romanian principalities and Transylvania in 1600 is enthroned.

This place of worship has had an eventful history over the centuries. Originally, it was the first Catholic church in Cluj. It was destroyed during the first Tatar invasion in 1241, replaced by a Romanesque church and rebuilt in Gothic style in the ^15th century. The monastery was then built by the Dominicans. The site was no longer used for religious purposes from 1556 to 1609, when it fell into the hands of the Calvinists. In 1728, the Franciscans recovered the building and launched a campaign to restore the bell tower, in a Baroque architectural style. The church then suffered the consequences of Romania's political climate: it was confiscated in 1949, when the Communist authorities decided to dissolve the Franciscan order in Romania. For many years, the building housed a music school, until 1990, the year that marked the end of the church's special history. It then became the property of the Roman Catholic Church and the Franciscan order, along with part of the monastery.

The building was restored in the 1970s and 1980s, during two periods of renovation. An attractive inner courtyard separates the church from the monastery. The monastery also houses an important Franciscan library, with a collection of over a thousand volumes. Finally, in the square in front of the building stands an obelisk, said to have been erected after the visit of Austrian Emperor Francis ^I and his wife, Caroline.

At the beginning of the boulevard, this obelisk topped by a bell commemorates an important episode in the country's history: the Transylvanian Memorandum. In 1892, representatives of the Romanians of Transylvania, then under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sent a petition in defense of their rights and culture to Emperor Franz Joseph, who ignored it. In response, the petition was made public in Sibiu. Tensions, violence and, under pressure from Hungarian nationalists, a trial followed in 1894. Fourteen people were imprisoned, then pardoned in 1895.

The Orthodox church of Feleacu has a singular appearance: it is Gothic in style (especially its vaults and portal) and almost entirely white. Inside it has wall paintings and icons from the 18th century. Built in 1516, it was completely restored in 1925 and has been listed as a historic monument since 2010. The adjoining monastery is also worth a visit, with its impressive architecture and beautiful paintings and gilding inside.

A mountain pan that brings together more than 35 species of fossilized molluscs.

Some ten kilometers west of the city, the Turda Gorge(Cheile Turzii) offers an astonishing spectacle. The Hășdate River has cut an impressive corridor over 3 kilometers long, giving rise to cliffs nearly 350 meters high. There are some sixty caves, formed in the karstic relief. Most are small, apart from the 120 m-long Cetățeaua Mare. The region benefits from a microclimate that favors a dazzling natural wealth. Some sixty species of animals (birds, foxes, fish, weasels, amphibians, deer...) and over 1,000 different plant species, including some particularly rare ones (wild garlic, Jupiter's helmet...), can be found in a 125-hectare reserve.

The main access point to the gorge is the village of Cheia, which can be reached by local bus or by a 2-hour walk from Turda, along a path called Drumul Domnilor (departure from piața Romană, red cross markings, approx. 8 km). By car, pass the village of Mihai Viteazu and, a little further on, on the road towards Câmpeni, follow the signs. The gorge can easily be covered in just over an hour. But if you'd like to explore the area in more depth, you can go to the Cabana Cheile Turzii, where a map is displayed, detailing the various trails. We can also provide you with a map. The gorge route stops at Petreştii de Jos, where buses run back down to Turda (occasionally at least).

South of Mediaş. Beautiful and beautiful fortified church of the th century built on a height.

This small village north of Luduş (town between Târgu Mureş and Turda) has a small original natural reserve. It is formed around an area where many of the peonies of the steppes grow. Beautiful during flowering in May.

It was built between 1694 and 1703 for Johann Schuller von Rosenthal, mayor of the town at that time. Above the entrance, a coat of arms with a sword and a bouquet of three roses bears the motto of the house: Per spinas ad rosas. A romantic figure and inveterate adventurer who spent his youth in Turkey as a translator for the Sultan, Johann Schuller von Rosenthal was convicted in 1703 for embezzlement and beheaded in the courtyard of the Dominican monastery.

Called Hetzeldorf in German, this charming traditional Saxon village in the hills between Mediaș and Biertan features a fine ^14th-century church, fortified in the ^15th century. Note the pretty Gothic carvings with plant motifs, particularly on the western portal. The view from the towers over the brown-tiled roofs of the identical, low-rise houses is truly breathtaking. Today, only around 100 Saxons live in the village. From Biertan, it can be reached via a hiking trail (vertical blue stripe) through Dupuș.

Near the village of Topleţ, in the south of the city by going to Orşova, the Sphinx (Sfinxul Bănăţean) is set, a curious rock formation reminiscent of that of the guardian of the Egyptian Pyramids.