Tourist Attractions & Monuments Romania

Along the road from Cluj to Oradea, then through the Pădurea Craiului mountains, the gorge forms a rich geological and fossil reserve, covering over 220 ha. It is also home to an abundance of wildlife and offers superb forest landscapes, made up of karst reliefs and steep cliffs. This is where the Criș Repede rises. Very accessible hikes are possible here, departing from Vadu Crișului and Șuncuiuș. They offer beautiful panoramic views.

Paintings (including the last painting painted), furniture and personal effects gathered in what was his home and his death. Nicolae Grigorescu (1838-1907) worked for a long time in France, where his painting had the happiness to please Emperor Napoleon III in particular.

The other attraction of CÂmpina. Bogdan Petriceicu's castle (1838-1907) was built between 1893 and 1896 by the history teacher (and instigator of a nationalist current) of the same name in honour of his daughter Iulia. This one, considered a brilliant poet, died of tuberculosis at only 18 years, shortly before receiving a diploma from the Sorbonne, where she studied. And it is to communicate in the past with his daughter that B.P Hasdeu built this erected edifice as a temple of spiritualism. Its crude and frozen exterior hides an interior decoration rich in symbols with an abundance of stained glass windows.

Inside the Roman Hotel are the remains of Roman baths from the 2nd century, the only ones that were not destroyed in the wars between the Turks and Austro-Hungarians. You can admire a copy of a bas-relief depicting Hercules, a cup of thermal water in his hand. Legend has it that it was in the Cerna valley that the hero defeated the Hydra, after bathing in the beneficial waters of the spring that still feeds the station today. You will also see votive paintings, offered to the gods after healing.

Located in the Clock Tower, its seven rooms house coins and documents relating to the city's history, as well as coins, weapons and a model of Sighişoara. You can also climb to the top of the tower to admire the superb view of the city and surrounding area. Please note, however, that as the tower is currently being refurbished, the balcony is closed (scheduled to reopen in 2025). The museum also includes a torture chamber, whose entrance is on the lower town side, and a collection of weapons housed in another building on the square.

Dedicated to the ethnology of southeastern Transylvania, this museum illustrates, through its precious heritage, the rural civilization of the Bran, Rupea, Ţara Oltului, Valea Hârtibaciului and Ţara Bârsei areas. A permanent exhibition, dedicated to the history of the region's fabrics, shows the changes in raw materials, techniques and dyes, in relation to the evolution of rural and urban society. The exhibition also presents the lifestyle and clothing trends of the early ^20th century in south-eastern Transylvania.

Occupying a neo-baroque building dating from 1902, it boasts fine collections of national art (Tattarescu, Aman, Grigorescu, Mattis-Teutsch...), illustrating the evolution of Romanian art (painting and sculpture) in the ^19th and ^20th centuries. The permanent exhibition also features Transylvanian art from the ^16th to the ^20th centuries, as well as a series of ^18th-century portraits of the city's notables. The decorative arts section features fine porcelain from Europe and Asia. Temporary exhibitions are organized on a regular basis.

Located in the courtyard of St. Nicholas' Church, this beautiful building, built in a baroque style in the 18th century, instead of an older wooden one, housed the first Romanian school, established in 1495. There are the printing works of Deacon Coresi, who had the first books published in Romanian in the 16th century. There will also be old textbooks, printing machines and school furniture from different periods, as well as a small ethnographic section dedicated to the Schei district.

Local crafts and folklore.

A must-see if you want to discover Romanian culture. The Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, founded in 1922, is the oldest of its kind in Romania. Since 1959, it has been located in the heart of the city, in the Redoubt Palace. A key location in the country's history, it was here that the Transylvanian Diet met in 1790. It was also the site of the Memorandum trial in 1894. Last but not least, it has been the venue for numerous balls, and has seen such great names as Brahms, Liszt and Bartók pass through its doors. The premises house over 41,000 objects, ranging from the ^17th to the ^20th century, including a superb collection of traditional costumes and a documentary collection of over 80,000 references, including 50,000 photographs and 5,000 slides.

The museum also boasts an open-air section: the Romulus Vuia Ethnographic Park, named after the museum's founder. Located on Hoia hill, north-west of the city, this village museum, opened in 1929, was the first of its kind in the country. The park features over 160 exhibits (buildings, tools, etc.), the oldest dating back to 1678, all in a beautiful setting, with several farms and rural technical installations, workshop houses and three wooden churches. One of these (Biserica din Cizer) was built in 1773 by the craftsman Vasile Ursu Nicola, known as Horea, the future leader of the peasant revolution of 1784.

This is a very useful museum for understanding the turbulent local history. Occupying a 19th century neoclassical building, it traces the history of the region from prehistory to the contemporary period. In 1999, a new part was added to the museum, the treasury: two rooms with more than 4,600 gold and silver coins. Near the museum, two statues honour the Austrian Emperor Francis I, his wife Caroline-Augusta and the historian Constantin Daicoviciu.

Originally part of the Museum of Transylvanian History, the "Collection of the History of Pharmacy" was inaugurated in 1954. But the place in which it is housed is much older: it's the oldest pharmacy in Cluj, opened in 1573. On the menu, a basement with a medieval laboratory atmosphere and over 1,800 items illustrating Transylvanian pharmaceutical activity between the ^16th and ^19th centuries: maps, books, furniture, drawings, as well as many exotic products (crayfish eyes, precious stone powder...).

Among the city's monuments is one whose history is closely linked to the country's nobility: the Bánffy Palace. Built between 1774 and 1785 to designs by architect Johann Eberhard Blaumann, this Baroque-style building - the largest of its kind in Cluj - served as the private residence of Count György Bánffy, a Hungarian aristocrat and former governor of Transylvania. Many people have stayed here from time to time, including Franz ^I of Austria, composer Franz Liszt and Franz Joseph, head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The palace belonged to the Bánffy family until it was expropriated by the Communist regime in the ^{mid-twentieth} century.

Since 1956, the palace has been home to the Cluj Fine Arts Museum, founded in 1951. Its 22 rooms house two distinct galleries. The National Art Gallery features a rich collection of Romanian works from the ^19th and ^20th centuries, including paintings by Romanian painters such as Tattarescu, Tonitza and Aman, as well as numerous sculptures. The universal art gallery houses works by art schools from all over Europe. With over 12,000 items, it is one of the most important art museums in Romania. Frequent temporary exhibitions, notably of photography, make this museum a lively cultural venue. After or before your visit, you can enjoy the coolness of its arcades in summer, as well as the café and terrace in the inner courtyard.

Info and brochures about the city, its museums, the coast and the whole region.

Tourism in the region, but the reception is cheap.

Baia Mare is a town that offers many opportunities for tourists interested in rural, ecological and cultural tourism. The ANTREC MARAMUREŞ Tourist Office is a valuable resource for visitors wishing to discover traditional Romanian culture. Founded in 1994, this association promotes the preservation of traditional Romanian culture and offers information on activities and events related to rural tourism. Visitors can also discover local gastronomy and traditional crafts. ANTREC MARAMUREŞ regularly organizes cultural events, such as "La porțile soarelui. De Sânziene la Muzeul Satului", which showcases local traditions and customs. Visitors can take part in activities such as wreath-making and attend traditional dance performances. The association also has branches throughout the country, demonstrating its commitment to rural, ecological and cultural tourism in Romania.

Bus tickets, excursions and car hire.

You will find some agencies and information in major hotels.

Timişoara was one of the first cities in Romania to set up a tourist office. You will find all kinds of information: maps, data on the main tourist objectives of the city and its surroundings, a list of hotels and pensions, contact details of guides and agencies, transport timetables and practical publications to find out about cultural event programmes (concerts, etc.), such as the free bi-monthly Zile și Nopți The office also has a website, rich in information.

A very active association based in the Rhône-Alpes region. With a tourist accreditation, it can arrange for you to have a special or tailor-made stay. Offers flights at competitive rates from many cities in France. Their site may provide you with interesting general information, do not hesitate to ask them for a brochure of their products.

Ideally located in Piaţa Mare, in the huge, classy hall of the town hall, the center will be able to find you a room in town or in guesthouses in the surrounding villages, give you information on entertainment, give you the contacts of French-speaking guides and provide you with maps and brochures on Sibiu and the surrounding area. The welcome is always helpful. English and German are available, but not French. Ask about guided tours of the city departing from here.

Cheap and very comfortable, one of the best choices in Azuga.

Romania is a dynamic country, rich in history, arts and natural beauty. The website of the Romanian Tourist Board offers a wealth of information for discovering the unique travel experiences the country has to offer. In just three to four hours by road or train, you can travel from the Danube River to a beautiful, unspoilt medieval town, from Bucharest - Romania's capital - to the Black Sea, or from southern Transylvania to the historic regions of Bucovina or Maramures. You can visit unique painted monasteries in Bucovina, the perfectly preserved citadel of Sighisoara or an authentic, centuries-old village in Maramures. Explore Romania's architectural treasures and discover its thriving art scene. Romania is waiting for you!

The Institut français de Bucarest is a must for French culture lovers in the city. Located on Dacia Boulevard, the Institut offers a variety of cultural events such as musical conferences, exhibitions, French film screenings and literary encounters. Music lovers can also enjoy unique sound creations. The Institut also has a media library where visitors can borrow books, films and music in French. For those wishing to learn French, courses are available, including during school vacations.

This is the heart of the city. This square, surrounded by concrete blocks, commemorates the union of Moldavia with Wallachia. In the center stands the statue of the man who initiated this union, Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1820-1873). From this square runs the pleasant pedestrian Lăpușneanu street, lined with cafés. To the south, boulevard Ștefan cel Mare and its surroundings are home to a large number of monuments and lead to the immense Palace of Culture. To the east and north, the narrow street Cuza Vodă, traversed by the tramway, and boulevard Independenței lead to an area rich in monasteries.

Housed in a historic ^18th-century building in the center of the small town, this recently renovated museum evokes the rural world around Rupea: traditional fishing on the Olt river, the pottery center at Drăuşeni, the specific customs of the region's Saxon population (Kronenfest), Romanian weddings, the interiors of Saxon and Romanian homes... You'll also see a reconstructed antique store.

Located in a village on the outskirts of Brașov, the museum occupies a 1543 building that was used to collect taxes for three centuries. It features an exhibition on the traditional civilization of the Southern Carpathians: trades, crafts, technical facilities, a living space and traditional costumes. It reflects the multicultural nature of the Săcele region, where Romanian shepherds cohabited with a population of Hungarian origin, known as Csangos.

Housed in a building dating back to 1566, this museum traces the evolution of urban society in Brașov, a trading city at the crossroads of East and West. We discover various aspects of daily life: the notable's living room, the children's room, the spice counter, the embroidery workshop and the photography studio. Wall paintings, with floral decor inspired by the Transylvanian Late Renaissance of the ^18th-19th centuries, have been preserved.

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.

Along the Cerna River, this park enchants with its diversity of flora and with the landscapes created by the river that cuts its way through the limestone massif. A scientific reserve was created here in 1932 on an area of 61,211 hectares to study 1,051 plant species. Three types of habitats are represented: aquatic, terrestrial and underground. There are many caves and grottoes and a rich cave fauna.

The Solca monastery dates back to 1614. Abandoned during the Austro-Hungarian period, it is now open to the public. You can appreciate the extensive fortification work carried out shortly after its construction. The church still stands proudly, with its classic Moldavian octagonal bell tower. Buses running between Rădăuți and Gura Humorului pass through here.
Poieni Solca, between Solca and Cacica, is a much more charming and picturesque village, home to many animals (barnyard, cows, cats...).

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.

In the east of the valley of the Olt, this mountain range with easy access gives you a variety of different rock or forest landscapes. There are many opportunities for hiking.

A beautiful park located south of the city centre, extending along Iza. There will be many old trees and poplars with impressive height.

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.

The central square, piața Mihai Viteazul, houses a statue of the voivode, a native of the city. Bordered by a park, where the Sfânta Treime church stands, this mineral square is dominated by the prefecture, an imposing neo-Romanian building dating from 1913. Calea Unirii, which crosses the town from north to south, also passes through here: here and for 300 m the avenue is pedestrianised. Noteworthy buildings include the Madona Dudu church (1929), in the street of the same name, and the university, which occupies a massive 1890 building at the corner of calea București and strada Arieș.

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.