Romania & Bulgaria
Contents
Plan Your Trip
Romania & Bulgaria's Top 17
Welcome to Romania
Need to Know
If You Like
Month by Month
Itineraries
Regions at a Glance
Welcome to Bulgaria
Need to Know
If You Like
Month by Month
Itineraries
Regions at a Glance
On The Road
Bucharest
Sights
Activities
Tours
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Snagov Lake
Wallachia
Ploiesti
Targoviste
Pitesti
Curtea de Arges
Craiova
Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Transylvania
Transylvania Highlights
Prahova Valley
Sinaia
Bucegi Mountains
Predeal
Brasov
Around Brasov
Bran
Poiana Brasov
Zarnesti
Harman & Prejmer
Saxon Land
Sighisoara
Fortified Saxon Villages
Fagaras Mountains
Sibiu
Around Sibiu
Szekely Land
Sfantu Gheorghe
Miercurea Ciuc
Gheorgheni
Odorheiu Secuiesc
Odorheiu Secuiesc to Targu Mures
Targu Mures
Southwest Transylvania
Alba Iulia
Deva
Retezat Mountains
Northern Transylvania
Cluj-Napoca
Turda
Huedin Microregion
Apuseni Mountains
Bistrita
Crisana & Banat
Crisana & Banat Highlights
Banat
Timisoara
Crisana
Oradea
Baile Felix
Arad
Maramures
Baia Mare
Around Baia Mare
Tara Chioarului
Sighetu Marmatiei
Mara Valley
Sapanta
Iza Valley
Viseu & Vaser Valleys
Borsa
Moldavia & the Bucovina Monasteries
Moldavia & the Bucovina Monasteries Highlights
Moldavia
Iasi
Targu Neamt & Around
Piatra Neamt
Ceahlau National Park
Bucovina
Suceava
Bucovina Monasteries
The Danube Delta & Black Sea Coast
Tulcea
Sulina
Sfantu Gheorghe
Constanta
Mamaia
Vama Veche
Sofia
Sights
Activities
Courses
Tours
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Boyana
Vitosha Nature Park
Plovdiv & the Southern Mountains
Plovdiv & the Southern Mountains Highlights
Rila Mountains
Rila Village
Rila Monastery
Borovets
Pirin Mountains
Blagoevgrad
Bansko
Melnik
Bulgarian Thrace
Plovdiv
Rodopi Mountains
Chepelare
Pamporovo
Smolyan
Devin
Veliko Tarnovo & Central Mountains
Shumen
Madara
Veliko Tarnovo
Around Veliko Tarnovo
Dryanovo Monastery
Tryavna
Etar
Lovech
Troyan
Hisar
Karlovo
Kazanlak
Shipka
Stara Zagora
Sliven
Black Sea Coast
Black Sea Coast Highlights
Southern Coast
Burgas
Sozopol
Primorsko
Tsarevo
Sinemorets
Central Coast
Pomorie
Nesebar
Northern Coast
Varna
Sveti Konstantin
Balchik
The Danube & Northern Plains
Vratsa & Around
Chiprovtsi
Belogradchik
Ruse
Rusenski Lom Nature Park
Lake Srebarna & Around
Silistra
Understand
Understand Romania
Romania Today
History
The Dracula Myth
Outdoor Activities & Wildlife
Visual Arts & Folk Culture
The Romanian People
The Romanian Kitchen
Understand Bulgaria
Bulgaria Today
History
Outdoor Activities & Wildlife
Visual Arts, Craft & Music
The Bulgarian People
Bulgarian Wine
Bulgarian Cuisine
Survive
Directory AZ
Accommodation
Children
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food & Drink
GLBTI Travellers
Health
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Volunteering
Work
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Language
Directory AZ
Accommodation
Children
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food & Drink
GLBTI Travellers
Health
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
Maps
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Volunteering
Women Travellers
Work
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Romania & Bulgaria's Top 17
Palace of Parliament, Bucharest
Depending on your point of view, the Palace of Parliament is either a mind-blowing testament to the waste and folly of dictatorship or an awe-inspiring showcase of Romanian materials and craftsmanship, albeit applied to sinister end
s. Most visitors conclude that it's a bit of both. Whatever emotions the former ‘House of the People’ happens to elicit, the sheer scale of Romania's entry into the 'World's Largest Buildings' competition – on par with the Taj Mahal or the Pentagon – must be seen to be believed.
Joyfull / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Black Sea Beaches
Whether you’re looking for all-day tanning, all-night clubbing, or something a little more relaxing, you’re sure to find some patch of sand to your liking along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Away from the big, brash package resorts, you’ll come across charming seaside towns standing above smaller sandy coves, while the cities of Varna and Burgas both have lengthy, less-crowded urban beaches. If it’s solitude you seek, head for the more remote beaches to the far north and south.
Albena | Opopo / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Rila Monastery
More than a thousand years of uninterrupted spiritual activity have swept through this beautiful monastery, which rises from a valley in the misty Rila Mountains. Credited with safeguarding Bulgarian culture during the dark centuries under Ottoman rule, and a lightning rod for revolution in the 19th century, Rila Monastery remains Bulgaria’s most storied spiritual treasure. The monastery grew from a 10th-century hermit’s hut; following a fire, the breathtaking mix of elegant archways, soaring domes and apocalyptic frescoes that stands today dates mostly to the 19th century.
Ivancreative / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Bran Castle
Perched on a rocky bluff in Transylvania, in a mass of turrets and castellations, Bran Castle overlooks a desolate mountain pass swirling with mist and dense forest. Its spectral exterior is like a composite of every horror film you’ve ever seen, but don’t expect to be scared. Inside, Bran is anything but spooky, with its white walls and geranium-filled courtyard. Legend has it Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Count Dracula) was briefly imprisoned here, and you can follow his footsteps through an 'Escheresque' maze of courtyards and hidden passages.
Dziewul / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Painted Monasteries of Bucovina
Tucked away in the eastern side of the Carpathian mountains, the Unesco-listed painted monasteries of Bucovina proudly show off Romania’s unique, Latin-flavoured Orthodox tradition. The churches are at one with their natural surroundings and the dizzying kaleidoscope of colours and intricate details in the frescoes bring to life everything from biblical stories to the 15th-century siege of Constantinople. The monasteries are largely the genius of Moldavian prince and national hero Stephen the Great (Ştefan cel Mare), who was later canonised for his works.
Voroneţ Monastery | Mikadun / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Veliko Târnovo
Bulgaria’s long history of warring tsars and epic battles is exceptionally vivid in its former capital, Veliko Târnovo. Topped with a marvellous medieval fortress, this town of Soviet monuments, cobblestoned lanes and barely changed handicraft shops allows for a memorable trip into Bulgaria’s past. Home to the second-largest university in Bulgaria, the town also has a simmering nightlife; a creative and multicultural expat community adds to the fun. Set above the ribboning Yantra River, it’s also a great base for local hikes, mountain biking and day trips to Emen Canyon.
Tsarevets Fortress | S-F / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Bulgarian Wine Tasting
Bulgaria’s winemaking tradition dates to ancient Thracian times, and its wines have been enjoyed by everyone from Roman writers to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Melnik in southwestern Bulgaria is an especially fruitful location to sip wine, and a very scenic one: the village is lined with traditional 19th-century houses, against a backdrop of natural sandstone pyramids. Beyond here, discover five distinct wine-growing regions from the Danube to the Black Sea to the Thracian Plain. Numerous wineries offer tastings; beyond Melnik, some of the best are in Bulgarian Thrace.
Scott Wong / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Wildlife in the Danube Delta
After flowing 2800km across the European continent, the mighty Danube River passes through a vast expanse of remote wetland in eastern Romania – the delta – before finally emptying into the Black Sea. Under the international environmental protection of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority, the region has developed into a sanctuary for fish and fowl of all stripe and colour. Birders, in particular, will thrill to the prospect of glimpsing species such as the roller, white-tailed eagle, great white egret and even a bee-eater or two.
Porojnicu Stelian / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Wooden Churches of Maramureş
Rising from forested hillsides like dark needles, the exquisite wooden churches of Maramureş, in northern Romania, are both austere and beautiful, with roofs of shingle, and weather-beaten, Gothic-style steeples. Inside, you’ll discover rich interiors painted with biblical frescoes, some of which date back to the 14th century. On Sundays, the villagers don traditional dress for church, and attending one of the services is a special treat.
Bârsana Monastery | Scott Wong / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Thracian Tombs
The Valley of Thracian Kings, between Shipka and Kazanlâk, is dotted with fine tombs, and more are unearthed every year. But one of the most magnificently preserved examples is the Unesco-listed Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari in Bulgaria’s northeast. The tomb dates to 300 BC and harbours lovely artwork and reliefs within its three chambers, including 10 elegant female figures. This rare discovery was made in 1982, but tourists are few. A visit requires private transportation, but it’s worth the effort to play Tomb Raider within its evocative confines.
Tomb of Sveshtari | Takashi Images / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Trekking in the Carpathians
Dense primeval forests leap straight from the pages of a Brothers Grimm story, with bears, wolves, lynx and boar, rugged mountain plateaus, well-marked trails and a network of cabins en route to keep you warm. Trekking is the best way to absorb this vibrant landscape of mountain tops, forests and rolling pastureland. The peaks can be approached from both Transylvania and Moldavia. The Retezat Mountains, with some 80 glacial lakes and peaks towering above 2000m, are a spectacular stretch of the southern Carpathians.
Hikers in the Bucegi Mountains | Gaspar Janos / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Cluj-Napoca
Romania's second-largest city has reawakened from its decades-long slumber and now offers countless bohemian cafes, great restaurants, music festivals, clubs and bars. It's also emerged as the country's contemporary arts hub. The tens of thousands of students here lend a youthful vibe and fuel a vigorous nightlife at places like Insomnia. With increasing flight links to European cities, the city is welcoming more and more travellers, who usually shoot off to higher-profile burgs like Braşov, Sibiu or Sighişoara, but who come inevitably to regret not allowing enough time for Cluj.
Mariia Golovianko / Shutterstock ©
Top Experiences
Stara Planina Hiking
Hikers have breathtaking choice across the Stara Planina mountain range, rippling for 550km across the length of Bulgaria. Casual strollers can walk through the meadows around Dryanovo or stride to peaceful monasteries such as Sokolski. Meanwhile, dedicated hikers can climb the tallest peak, Mt Botev (2376m), a challenging but picturesque ascent overlooking sheer ridges and expanses of green. Alternatively, seek out solitude on multiday hikes, staying at the Stara Planina’s 80-odd hizhas (mountain huts) along the way; just prepare for notoriously changeable weather.
A hizha | SimeonDonov / Getty Images ©
Top Experiences
Saxon Villages & Fortified Churches
Back in the 12th century, Saxon Germans were invited to settle parts of Transylvania to
buffer the then-Hungarian kingdom from the threat of Tatar and Turkish attack. The architectural legacy is a row of regal fortified churches, watchtowers and impenetrable stone walls that dot the landscape between Sighişoara and Sibiu. Around these haunting churches, town entrances were guarded with heavy metal gates that could be quickly lowered. Most visitors are drawn to the impressive Fortified Church in Biertan, though Viscri, Mălâncrav and Alma Vii are also worth exploring.