Where You Should Go In Romania Based On Your Interests

One thing that is absolutely great about Romania is that the country is a natural and cultural wonder. The Carpathians, the Black Sea, the Danube Delta, Transylvania, Cluj, Bucharest, you’ve certainly heard about all this, but have you visited? We know that picking one particular place in Romania for your holiday might not be too easy in a country where there is so much to see and do. So we’ve put together an interest-based guide of the places not to miss.

For nature lovers

The Carpathians offer breathtaking landscapes and amazing views, and if you love hiking, exploring and getting lost in the middle of nature, there is one place where you should definitely go: the Apuseni Mountains. One of the highlights of the area is Marisel village, an authentic Romanian village where you will discover the Romanian hospitality and enjoy a 360-view of strikingly beautiful scenery. Technology hasn’t reached up there, at 1,200 meters (3,937-feet) high.

Deeper in the mountains, the Scarisoara Cave awaits you with the biggest subterranean glacier of Romania. But the spot where you can uncover nature at its best is the Padis Plateau: steep slopes, mysterious caves, monumental gorges and stunning meadows that will leave you in awe.

For art lovers

In the last years, Romania has caught the world’s attention thanks to its emerging contemporary art scene. Cluj-Napoca has been included into Phaidon’s Art Cities of the Future book as one of the cities that will shake the art world. And there are some good reasons for that, as Cluj is home to the biggest and most remarkable artistic project in the country, the Paintbrush Factory, an old factory converted into an independent cultural space. Moreover, the city boasts art galleries, street art, quirky pubs; creativity is to be found on every street corner.

For party people

If you are a crazy about parties and dancing all night long, Bucharest is perfect to have a great time. The bars, pubs and clubs in the capital can be original, quirky, classy, crazy. In Bucharest, during the night you unleash the party animal within you and dance to the latest beats.

Start your evening with a unique cocktail at Fix me a drink or go straight to the Old Centre if you are in for all-night-long madness. For live concerts and Romanian music, Expirat is the place where you can get familiar with Romanian artists and see how locals party; but if you want to get crazy with them, go to Gaia Boutique Club for the most insane themed parties.

2. For authenticity seekers

In Romania, going to the countryside is discovering another world, a land where centuries-old customs and traditions still guide the locals’ life. The rural, authentic Romania is to be discovered in its villages, exploring, tasting, listening.

The Maramures region stands witness to the ancestral way of living. There is nothing unusual to see horse-drawn carriages transporting people or hay, seeing people dressed in the traditional costumes and going to church every Sunday at Barsana Monastery, attending a pig slaughter or seeing the villagers wearing bear costumes and dancing in the streets around Christmas. It’s just traditional and genuine.

Rural Romania © Dennis Jarvis / Flickr

For wine lovers

Do you want to discover the Romanian version of the ‘god’s drink’ but you don’t know where to start? Dealu Mare region is certainly a good option. In Dealu Mare, the grapevines stretch over 15,000 acres and count eight wine centres that are AOC attested. The grape varieties are very wide, including local ones like Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala and Feteasca Neagra and international varieties like Merlot and Petit Verdot. You can visit some of the wineries, but generally, you have to make a reservation before. Once on the spot, wine tasting, winery and vineyards visits are available. Enjoy your glass!

For the history buff

History is to be found in every city, village, street and building of Romania. But there is a particular region where the history of several peoples built its present: Transylvania. A multicultural land, Transylvania is home to Romanians, Hungarians, Saxons and Szeklers. For several centuries, Transylvania belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire or was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Today, the region is flourishing thanks to its rich heritage. Visit the Saxon Fortified Churches in south Transylvania, the Calata Region for its Hungarian culture, the Rimetea village for the Szekler heritage and the city of Alba Iulia for a sneak peek of Romanian history.

For the foodie

While Romanian food is great all over the country, there is a region where gastronomy is celebrated all year long. In the Sibiu region, you can discover the local plates through gastronomical events. The association My Transylvania promotes local communities and dishes prepared by the locals with ingredients from their own garden. Taking part in events like ‘Flavours and Sounds of Transylvania’, ‘Transylvanian Brunch’ or ‘Dinner in Nature’ equals eating great food while discovering the Transylvanian villages and local heritage. Take a look at their calendar and subscribe for a wonderful culinary experience.

For the birdwatchers and photographers

There is one place in Romania where cormorants, pelicans, egrets, flamingos, swans and 345 other species of birds gather from April to September at the birdwatchers and photographers’ delight: the Danube Delta. A natural paradise, the Danube Delta is one of Romania’s jewels, a place of beauty with remote villages, lovely channels and surprising forests. You can rent a boat and book a guide to take on the Delta’s channels and unveil the secret places where the birds are hiding, so you can take stunning photos. And if you wake up early in the morning, you will enjoy the most beautiful sunrise you have ever seen.

For the thrill seekers

Craving adrenaline? In Romania, that’s something you won’t miss. While you could hike in the mountains on unmarked trails and some brown bear might give you the quiver of your life, there are other, safer fun options like rafting, canyoning, river tubing, paragliding, aerial rope-slipe or abseiling to give you chills. All these activities can be practised in the southern area of Romania, but you can go to Bucharest and start your adventure from there. The adrenaline addicts of Green Adventure will help you get your daily dose.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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