Bucharest
Your first stop will be Romania’s capital, Bucharest. You’ll be able to start your trip with a journey back to the past while exploring the architecture in the old town, which dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries and was home to many Romanian princes. The Palace of Parliament is one of the main tourist attractions of Bucharest. With around 3,000 rooms and an area of 330,000 sq. km of marble and steel, it is considered the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. The ex-dictator Nicholas Ceausescu also lived here.
The Romanian Athenaeum, home of George Enesco´s Philharmonic Orchestra, is the city's concert hall. The auditorium and its 652 seats dates from the 19th century and is known for its excellent music and art performances. The 70-meter long fresco around the round hall illustrates Romania's history.
The church of Stavropoloes, an old royal court and a church, is an important part of Romanian history. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the palatial residence of Vlad Pfahler (Vlad Tepes), a gelding prince who inspired the story of the Dracula legend. Also worth seeing is the old church, which was added to the old court building by Ciobanul and had served as a coronation center for following princes. In the center of Bucharest, the former dictator of Romania, Nicholas Ceausescu, gave a speech on 21 December 1989 in front of 100,000 Romanians where he was booed and later overthrown by them.
You can also visit the Monument of Rebirth, where the names of the 1,050 victims of the revolution and the bronze painting of Prime Minister luliu Maniu are perpetuated. Furthermore, you should not miss the Arc de Triomphe, a 27-meter high building that serves as the center of the military parades. In the Dimitri Gushi National Village Museum, an open-air museum with a lot of history, you will find old huts from different villages in Romania, – which have been carefully preserved here – artifacts and remains of the ancient civilization and much more.
Stay the night at one of the hostels in Bucharest and get a bed in an 8-person dorm for €8 a night.
Sibiu
You’d better take a rental car to travel to Sibiu, Transylvania. There are many historical attractions, events, and beautiful surroundings where you can easily spend a week or more. A lot of history has been made on the square of Sibiu; from a place of execution of criminals to the meeting place it is today.
The places you can visit in Sibiu and which count to the most popular attractions are the Blue House, the Brukenthal Palace, the Catholic Church and the Haller House. All these are located on the large square. On the small square there is a building from the 14th and 16th century. Other attractions are the town hall tower, from which you have a wonderful view over the town, the Lügenbrücke (in Europe today called the Iron Bridge) and the Hermes House.
The notorious Brukenthal National Museum in the old town dates from the 18th century. It is divided into six sectors, which are all divided into five magnificent buildings, such as the Weapons and Hunting Museum, the Pharmacy Museum, the History Museum and the Nature Museum. Why don't you visit also the Astra Museum of Traditional Folk Culture if you want to learn more about the buildings and civilization from past centuries.
It is a very large open-air museum with wooden churches, wooden and stone houses and windmills.
Stay at one of Sibiu’s hostels and get a bed in a 10-person dorm for €8 a night.
Bazna
Your next stop is Bazna and you’ll get there with your trusty rental car. Take your time to explore Bazna calmly so that you don't miss all the beautiful things it has to offer. Tourist attractions in Bazna are the spas, as the village in Sibiu County in Transylvania is famous for its seemingly magical water.
The mud and minerals, are said to have successfully treated rheumatic and motor problems, stress-related disorders as well as nerve and hormonal disorders. The bromine and iron in the water are particularly health-promoting. Swimming and hydro-massage are recommended to visitors to relax and detoxify the body.
You can get a quiet double room to relax in at one of the local hotels for €23 a night.
Brasov
Again, you will arrive by rental car. Take a few days here to relax, to interact with the locals and to learn Romanian, if you like. Brasov, a medieval town in Transylvania, is the most visited city in Romania. Hurry up and check Brasov off your list! There are many places to start your adventure, but I would recommend the Council Square (Piata Sfatuluki) as a starting point. In the past it was used for executing criminals and it is the historical center of the city.
Don't miss the opportunity to see the clock tower from the 13th century and to relax a little on the square. A visit to the Biserica Neagra, the Black Church, which is the largest Gothic church in Europe, is also a must. The Anatolian carpets with which the church walls and the Gothic architecture were designed demonstrate the culture, history and geography of Brasov. If you want to have a great view over the city, you can climb the top of Tampa Mountain. A walk through the streets and buildings of Brasov under the guidance of a tour guide is also a good way to get to know the city. Visit the white and black towers and walk through the narrowest streets in Europe (the Strada sforii). Enjoy Kurtos-Kakis, go on a trip to the Schei area, a trip to the Rasnov fortress and finally a trip to the Carpathian Mountains.
Stay the night at one of the city’s hostels and get a bed in a 6-person dorm for €14 a night.
From Brasov, drive back to Bucharest to catch your flight back home.
