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Travel guide
Transylvania
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to October
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Welcome
Transylvania, in a few days
Transylvania means seven fortified Saxon towns at the foot of the Carpathians, some 150 fortified churches in its villages, and Bran Castle, which Bram Stoker never saw. You drive the Transfăgărășan up to 2,042 metres, pass horse-drawn carts on country roads and sleep in family guesthouses.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Bran Castle · about 1 h 30Built by Brașov's Saxons in the 1380s to guard the pass, later Queen Marie's summer home; nothing seriously links it to Vlad the Impaler.
- Afternoon · Brașov and Council Square free · 2 to 3 hThe great Saxon town under Tâmpa hill, with its 1420 council house on a pastel square and the Black Church, named after the 1689 fire.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Bella Muzica€70 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Transfăgărășan road free · a full dayAbout 90 km of hairpins built on Ceaușescu's orders in the early 1970s, topping out at 2,042 metres at glacial Lake Bâlea.
- Afternoon · Sibiu free · 2 to 3 hThe historic Saxon capital, with three squares in a row, roof windows like eyes and the Bridge of Lies, Romania's first cast-iron bridge (1859).
🛏️ Where to sleep · Casa Cu Cerb€70 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Biertan fortified church · about 1 h 30A hilltop church among vineyards near Sighișoara, ringed by three walls, the most imposing Saxon fortified church and a Lutheran bishops' seat until 1867.
- Afternoon · Sighișoara citadel free · 2 to 3 hA lived-in 14th-century Saxon citadel with nine of its fourteen guild towers, a covered stairway of 176 steps and a 64-metre clock tower.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Imparatul Romanilor€80 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Salina Turda · 2 to 3 hA centuries-old salt mine turned underground park, with a Ferris wheel in the vast Rudolf chamber and boats on a salt lake below.
- Afternoon · Corvin Castle · 2 to 3 hJohn Hunyadi's Gothic fortress at Hunedoara, begun in the 1440s, with a drawbridge, painted towers, a Knights' Hall and a legendary well.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Casa Wagner€75 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Sarmale: cabbage leaves rolled around minced meat and rice, simmered for hours.
- Mămăligă: a firm maize porridge, served with cheese, sour cream or alongside stews.
- Mici: small grilled sausages without skins, eaten with mustard and a cold beer.
- Ciorbă: a family of sour soups, from tripe to vegetables, sharpened with bran or lemon.
- Papanași: fried cheese doughnuts topped with sour cream and jam.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Watch for stray dogs in the countryside and on mountain trails.
- The Transfăgărășan road is closed for most of the year, usually opening only from early summer to October.
- Use cash machines attached to banks, and take metered taxis or a ride app.
- Book early in the Transylvanian villages in summer, where guesthouses are small and few.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Romanian
| English | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bună ziua |
| Thank you | Mulțumesc |
| Please | Vă rog |
| Yes | Da |
| No | Nu |
| Excuse me | Scuzați-mă |
| Goodbye | La revedere |
| Do you speak English? | Vorbiți engleză? |
| I don't understand | Nu înțeleg |
| How much is it? | Cât costă? |
| Where are the toilets? | Unde este toaleta? |
| The bill, please | Nota, vă rog |
| Help! | Ajutor! |
| Cheers! | Noroc! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyRomanian leu (RON)
BudgetAbout €68 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to October
PlugC/F · 230V
Tap waterGenerally safe in cities; bottled is simpler in the countryside
TippingAppreciated, around 10%
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/transylvania
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.