Transylvania Destination Guide
Transylvania is a relatively new option for holiday travel among tourists. This is surprising since you can find a wide range of fascinating wildlife, folklore and landscapes in the region. Transylvania is ideal for the tourist looking for a getaway from the usual overcrowded beach or resort. The country has not changed much in the last 50 years and tradition, folklore and culture are still an integral part of the daily life in many Transylvanian villages.
Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of Transylvania by discovering the relatively untouched towns throughout the region.
Our Transylvania destination guide tells you all the highlights of a trip to this beautiful region. There is a wealth of things to see and do, especially for history and nature buffs. Be sure to also take a look at our Transylvania tours page to book an exciting tour or activity with us. Our Romania Country Guide will provide all the travel information you need to plan your trip.
We recommend you check out the Transylvania travel information from fellow travellers on the RealTravel web site.
Things to See & Do in Transylvania
Transylvania transports you back in time to an era where horses plough the field, pull hay carts and drag logs. The untouched Ronda Mountains look down on the spectacular domain that was once Dracula’s. The Borgo Pass made unforgettable by Bram Stoker lies to the south. The historic Saxon towns and the renowned painted monasteries of Moldovita, Humor and Voronet are nearby and can be enjoyed before or after the ride. Bears, wolves, lynx and deer live in the surrounding forests and wild flowers fill up the hay fields. These make for a timeless experience.
Follow the links below or scroll further down the page for details on some of the many interesting tourist attractions in Transylvania:
Carpathian History and Nature Ride
Transylvanian Castles and Citadels
Transylvanian Medieval Cities
Transylvanian Monasteries
Must See Sights in Transylvania
Do not miss visiting the several wooden churches, monasteries and wooden homesteads that make Transylvania resemble an open air museum.
The environment in the mountains is more or less untouched and the temperature has not been affected by the last glacier. Transylvania has Europe’s largest collection of carnivores like the brown bear, wolf and lynx. There is great potential for spelunking as there are over 11,000 unique caves which can be visited with special guides.
Transylvania is the home of the famous Count Dracula or Vlad Tepes, as he is known historically. It offers many castles and towns with Medieval Germany or Hungarian influences. Some of the prominent tourist attractions are Brasov, Sighisoara, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. If you are an explorer, you will find several other sites that are yet to be discovered and enjoyed.
If you want to relax and get away from it all, head off to one of the many beautiful and untouched beaches (more than 225 km) on the Black Sea. Stay at any one of the world class resorts which are located right on the coastline – go right from main port city of Constanta, south to the border of Bulgaria. Visit the spa and enjoy a mud bath – these were the preferred baths of the Roman Gods in earlier times.
Transylvanian Spas
The old world charm
Transylvanian Villages
Transylvanian Fortified Churches
Transylvanian Famous Philosophers
Rasinari was the bithplace not only of the anti-Semitic prime minister and poet Octavian Goga, but also, in 1911, of the philosopher Emil Cioran. In 1934, he published “On the heights of despair”, setting out the nihilist anti-philosophy.
Another philosopher, Constantin Noica (1908 – 1987), spent the last years of his life in nearby Paltinis. In 1949, he was arrested fo writing a study of Goethe and exiled in Campulung Muscel and from 1958 to 1964 he was imprisoned for writing to Cioran, and in effect for Letters to a Distant Friend, which Cioran published as a reply in Paris, this case contributed to to the founding of Amnesty International in 1961. His best works are Romanian Philosophical Speech and The Romanian Sense of Being. In 1974 he settled in a one-room cabin in Paltinis.