Five Days in Transylvania

In the summer of 2017 we spent a week in Romania, travelling from Bucharest to the Transylvanian towns of Brasov and Sibiu, as well as checking out the famous Bran Castle and the spectacular Peles Castle.

Beautiful Brasov

Brasov is one of the most colourful cities we've visited. It's characterised by pastel-painted buildings, tiled open squares, red roofs and its iconic version of the Hollywood sign, the word 'Brasov' perched high on the Tampa Mountain.

Its historic centre, including the Council Square, is worth a couple of hours' worth of aimless wandering.

Colourful Brasov streets

Then, head to one of the towers that flank the outer limits of the old town - my favourite was the Black Tower which, from the top, has fantastic views over Brasov. You get a great view of the gothic Black Church, as seen below!

View of Brasov from the Black Tower

We also took a wander away from the crowds in search of another gothic-looking church, St Nicholas. This one has a series of spooky black spires - it's no wonder vampire myths derive from Transylvania when they're building churches that look like this!

Church of St Nicholas

Finally, taking the cable car to the top of Tampa Mountain for views of Brasov that make it look like a toy town is a good way to spend a couple of hours. Disappointingly, the mountain is thickly covered in trees, so clear viewpoints are hard to find: I had to awkwardly clamber up onto a fence and lean around the 'B' of the giant 'Brasov' sign to get the shot below!

Brasov seen from Tampa Mountain

Peles Castle

Brasov is a popular starting point for a tour of Transylvania's castles. My favourite was Peles, a super ornate, Renaissance-style castle in the Carpathians. It's fascinating both inside and out - technically, it is a palace, as it is not fortified as castles should be, but its design means people naturally refer to it as a castle!

First glimpse of Peles Castle

Bran Castle

Bran is Transylvania's most famous castle, thanks to its role in the Dracula myth. Of course, we're actually referring to brutal ruler Vlad the Impaler, but even he doesn't have any real connection with the castle! It is the castle's imposing appearance that has given rise to the idea that this is Dracula's castle.

It is impressive-looking from the outside, I'll admit, but we were disappointed by the interior: the rooms were mostly bare and empty of furniture, and the volume of visitors made passing through it quite a chore! If you had to choose only one castle - Peles or Bran - I'd firmly recommend Peles.

Bran Castle

Rasnov Fortress

This fortified town perched high on the top of a mountain is another place that has its own version of the Hollywood sign announcing its name across the landscape. At first glance, this place looks like a ruin, but delve a little deeper and you will discover an entire medieval town hidden beneath the fortress walls. The views from the highest points of the fortress over the Carpathians are also stunning and worth the visit!

Carpathian views from Rasnov fortress

Sibiu

Another charming, ancient Transylvanian city, Sibiu is a labyrinth of streets and flights of stairs leading to hidden squares, little churches and pointed towers. We didn't arrive with much of a plan, and spent our time getting lost all over the place.

Higgledy-piggledy Sibiu

We discovered a fantastic little wine cave, Weinkeller, and sat outside eating meat and cheese in the shadow of a tower, surrounded by fairy lights as the sun set.

Hidden wine bar

Speaking of towers, if you climb the Turnul Sfatului, you're treated to great views over Sibiu!

View over Sibiu