Transylvania in 3 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.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
Bran Castleabout 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 Squarefree · 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.
Day 2
- All day
The Transfăgărășan roadfree · 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.
Day 3
- Morning
Sibiufree · 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).
- Afternoon
Biertan fortified churchabout 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.
- Late afternoon
Sighișoara citadelfree · 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.
Further afield (over 130 km from the base hotel), best as a separate stop: Salina Turda, Corvin Castle.
Where to sleep in Transylvania
- Hotel Korona · €50 a night
- Hotel Stefani · €55 a night
- Hotel Rusca · €45 a night
- Hotel Bella Muzica · €70 a night
- Casa Cu Cerb · €70 a night
- Hotel Imparatul Romanilor · €80 a night
- Aro Palace · €140 a night
- Hilton Sibiu · €120 a night
- Teleferic Grand Hotel · €150 a night
Plan this trip
Hotel prices per room per night, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.