Our birth country is one of those countries that we traveled a lot in and somehow it still always feels that a lot is left to see and visit. This might be driven by the contrast between the familiarity of our childhood places and all the other unique locations that were poorly advertised and we learned about only after leaving the country. With family still in the country we travel back to Romania quite often and always try to expand the areas that we visit with almost unanimous great results.
Driving in Romania is not that bad outside of the capital city, Bucharest, however there are few divided highways and driving defensively is highly recommended. The major cities can also be reached by train, bus and some by plane.
Map of Travels
Travelers' Map is loading...
If you see this after your page is loaded completely, leafletJS files are missing.
Trips
- Trip to Romania visiting friends in Munchen on the way
Our team is split again for a couple weeks as one of us travels to Germany, Romania and Hungary to meet friends and relatives - A week exploring Cluj
During our week in Cluj we explore both the old town and more newer areas of the city both with our relatives and alone - “Discoteca 90” a retro concert
Today we are invited and attend a 90’s hit concert where formations from that era perform the hits that made them famous - Rosia fortified church and an anniversary
Today we are invited and celebrate the birthday of the famous writer Eginald Schlattner held at Rosia fortified church - Obor and Bucharest downtown before flying to Cluj
We spend the last hours in Bucharest before our flight to Cluj by exploring the Obor area where we lived previously and the downtown - Bucharest Botanical Garden, finally
The Botanical Garden is a peaceful place and while not as extensive as other Botanical Gardens it is worth a stop to slow down and relax a bit - University “Politehnica” Bucharest, a blast from the past
A nostalgic tour on a beautiful University campus that we are quite attached to - Two short days in Bucharest
We spend two days in Bucharest enjoying the food and helping relatives with some chores around town - Unexpected and sad trip to Romania
This one week trip to Romania was unexpected and for a sad reason due to a death in the family so we didn’t really do or expect to do any tourist stuff - The impressively huge National Art Museum
The National Art Museum is housed in the impressive former Royal Palace with some beautiful artwork both Romanian and foreign - Exploring Bucharest with family
We spend the last two days with family and friends in Bucharest visiting the small historical downtown - The unexpectedly special Golesti Museum
Golesti Museum a relatively unknown museum is unexpectedly beautiful with some interesting sections to visit and explore - The History Museum of Ramnicu Valcea
Ramnicu Valcea is a modern city but the history museum was worth a stop with some interesting exhibits - Famous Cozia Monastery on the Olt Valley
Cozia Monastery is one of the most famous monasteries in Romania erected in 1388 by Mircea the Elder and housing his tomb - One day in historic Sibiu
Sibiu is one of the best preserved and visited cities in Romania and we spend a day visiting the beautiful old town - The famous Corvin’s Castle in Hunedoara
On the way to Sibiu we stop in Hunedoara which is the site of one of the most famous castles in Romania - The exciting Steampunk Museum
While in Cluj we visit the new Steampunk Museum with some very exciting and unconventional exhibits - Mushroom hunting near Cluj
While in Cluj we meet with friends and during one of the outings we go mushroom hunting and even dare to eat them afterwards - A week in Cluj-Napoca with family
We spend a week in Cluj exploring the old city and visiting with friends and family while eating good food - Romania sightseeing from the border to Cluj
From the border we make our way through Transylvania towards Cluj enjoying scenic views and rustic villages along the way - One day in Bucharest before our Turkey adventure
We spend the last day in Bucharest exploring the town a bit visiting the grave of relatives and getting our covid certificates for the return trip - The hidden and abandoned fortress of Dinogetia
Our last major stop for the trip is at Dinogetia fortress which seems forgotten and abandoned with ruined sections accessible via overgrown paths - The special Paleochristian Basilica in Niculitel
Stopping in Niculitel we visit the impressive Paleochristian Basilica housed in a modern building - The well known, in Dobrogea, Celic Dere Monastery
We make a brief stop at the large Celic Dere Monastery one of the more famous ones in Dobrogea before buying some good Dobrogean wine - Tulcea Museum of History, a worthy stop
The Tulcea History Museum is larger than expected with many interesting exhibits including the objects found in treasure hoards throughout the county - The wild horses of Letea forest
We spend a few hours exploring Letea from an open truck seeing the old forest and the dunes as well as the famous wild horses - A day long boat tour of the Danube Delta
Today it is the day to explore the Danube Delta passing through innumerable canals and seeing lots of birds while enjoying the beautiful nature - Halmyris Fortress, a key Roman castle
We end the day at the northernmost point of the Roman limes Halmyris a major fortress for hundreds of years - Impressive hilltop Enisala Fortress
On the way up the coast we stop at the only surviving Genovese fortress on the coast Enisala fortress on a special location on top of the hill - A nice hike exploring the unknown Argamum ruins
On the way north we stop at a ruin that we know little about but the Argamum ruins are worth the stop with great views and some nice ruins at a cost of free - The weird Buried Church of Istria
With the Histria ruins closed we visit the nearby weird buried Orthodox church built that way to follow the Ottoman rules at the time - Exploring the wild Vadu Beach
Late afternoon we visit the wild beach at Vadu to see birds, walk on the shore and enjoy the beautiful weather before eating at an exceptional fish restaurant - Exploring the fun Bat Cave
We stop at an actual wild cave to see bats and also visit the nearby hermitage in a beautiful natural setting - A visit to St Cassian Monastery and Cave
There are many new monasteries here and we visit one of them, St Cassian Monastery, which has a nearby cave where the Saint meditated - The impressive restored Tropaeum Traiani at Adamclisi
Adamclisi was a place we always wanted to visit to see the famous Tropaeum Traiani represented on Romanian stamps and coins - Capidava, a mystery Roman fortress
On the first major stop of the day we visit the interesting Capidava fortress which was recently partially reconstructed - A fun boat ride in Comana Natural Park
We make a short visit to Comana to meet relatives and to take a boat ride on the lake and see birds and wildlife - The famous and special Bran Castle
We end the day with a visit to Bran Castle the most famous castle in Romania and linked to Dracula even though there is little truth to that - On the way from Bilbor to Tusnad
Today returning from Bilbor To Bucharest we stop in Tusnad to eat some local specialties and look for bears - The Fortified Church of Valea Viilor, an Unesco WHS
Today the major stop is the Fortified Church in Valea Viilor an Unesco WHS while also visiting a friend and relatives graves on the way - Calnic Fortress, a well deserved Unesco WHS
Last stop today is Calnic Fortress an Unesco WHS and an impressive well preserved medieval fortified church - Sebes Fortified Church
With our relatives now awake we visit with some difficulty the nearby historical Fortified Evangelical Church - The surprisingly interesting Sebes Museum
With our relatives sleeping we spend an hour in the more interesting than expected Municipal Museum in Sebes - One day exploring Sebes from a historic hotel
We explore historic Sebes for a day enjoying our stay at a 15th century hotel while switching between families - Central Park to Cetatuia Hill exploration
We spend half day exploring the Central Park and then walking up the Cetatuia Hill for great views and a few ruins - Ten days in Cluj, quarantined and then freed
The trip does not start auspiciously as we are forced into quarantine for a few days before being able to explore the city - Belis, the mountain playground of Cluj
Today it is time for a daytrip to Belis a mountain village that is a popular destination from Cluj due to its lakeside location in beautifully wooded hills - A week in Cluj
The week in Cluj is spend mostly with friends and relatives and relatively little sightseeing besides the usual haunts downtown - One week in Cluj
One week extension of our Ireland trip to visit family in Cluj, Romania