What to visit in Romania?
Looking for things to do in Romania? We found 15 gorgeous but unknown places to visit in Romania that you must see if you get here.
Fortunately, there are many things to do, beautiful places to see and reasons to visit Romania. The country in the Balkans known for its still wild nature, medieval cities, traditional villages and delicious food.
And if you don’t know where to start, we made a list of 15 lesser-known, but gorgeous, places you should visit for a unique vacation in Romania.
Unique Places to Visit in Romania
The Water Mills from Rudaria
The 22 water mills from Rudaria, located in Caras-Severin county, are included in the UNESCO world heritage.
They are visited annually by thousands of romanian and foreign tourists, as they are quite close to the Bigar waterfall.
The locals use them for grinding, but also as a place to meet, to stand at the table, to share moments of life.
Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary
Do you dare? The LiBEARty bear sanctuary is the largest reserve of brown bears in the world and is located in Zarnesti, 23 mi. from the city of Brasov. Places to stay in the area
LiBEARty was the subject of a documentary made by the London TV station Animal Planet. In the series of 7 episodes, the filmmakers presented the most impressive stories of the bears from Zarnesti.
Even journalists from National Geographic visited the LiBEARty reserve to find out how the sanctuary’s employees manage to save the bears from terrible conditions.
For you it can be a unique experience where you can watch bears from a few feets away and learn more about the importance of protecting animals.
Biertan village
Biertan is one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Romania.
This village is part of the first German Saxon settlements in Transylvania, was first mentioned in a document in 1283. Book a place to stay in the area
It is located in Sibiu county, just 12 miles from Sighisoara and is a tourist destination that worth visiting.
In the heart of the village there is a fortified church of the 15th century surrounded by hills, built in the form of a church-hall in gothic style. It has preserved its appearance to this day.
One of the most interesting buildings of the entire complex is the divorce room or “marriage prison”, a place where couples who wanted to divorce were forced to spend several weeks together, all the time sharing only a room, a chair, a set of dishes and a bed.
Pietrisu village
For lovers of nature and simplicity, Romania also offers something else: its traditional villages, places that look like they are from another world.
A world from the 19th century, from the time of the kings, here the streets and houses are still the same. A unique place in Europe.
Among them is the village of Pietrisu, located in Baile Olanesti resort, 120 mi. from Bucharest. A true rural story, far from noisy cities, 2300 ft above sea level, at the foot of the Buila Vanturarita mountains.
When you arrive in the village, a sense of peace comes over you, where all thoughts are clearer. Here, you will find traditional old houses, transformed into authentic little refuges, where you can enjoy the simple village life.
The village can also be reached by car, but only by walking, you can enjoy the beautiful view and the wilderness of the mountains. At the end of the road, you will discover the heaven, surrounded by forests and people that almost no one can reach.
The Sunken Village of Geamana
The village of Geamana, in Alba county, has become a tourist attraction for many foreign tourists from all over the world.
Following some mining excavations, the village was transformed into a tailings lake and covered with tailings, through a series of events known as the Geamana natural disaster.
The village of Geamana is actually 328 feets below the surface of this tailings lake. People’s homes, graveyards and lands are down there under those toxic deposits.
The spire of the church is still visible because the church was built on the highest hill in the village – 328 feets above the people’s houses.
Although it can be considered a sinister place, many people want to come here to see the disaster created more than 30 years ago.
The Museum of Steam Locomotives
It is the largest open-air technical museum in all of Europe with the oldest steam locomotives in Romania.
The Locomotive Museum has a total of 16 imposing exhibits, 14 of which are manufactured in the city of Resita, and their existence writes an important page in Romania’s history.
Most of the locomotives were built following the pattern of Viennese locomotives. One of the museum’s most valuable exhibits is the Resicza locomotive, which is part of the first series of locomotives built in Eastern Europe.
Astra Museum (Sibiu)
Located in the center of Romania, in city of Sibiu, the ASTRA National Museum Complex is one of the largest open-air museums in our country. Places to stay in the area
With an area of over 900.000 square feet, the Astra museum presents visitors with an image of rural life throughout the country, with over 400 houses, outbuildings and technical installations.
The interiors of the houses are well-preserved and illustrate the simple life of the Romanian peasants.
With a lake and over 6 miles of alleys, the museum offers various leisure opportunities: horse-drawn carriage and sleigh rides, restaurants and playgrounds.
The lush vegetation helps people breathe fresh air, and forget the usual bustle of the city.
Colibita Lake
A must see attraction in Romania, is the Colibita artificial lake in the Calimani Mountains, Bistrita-Nasaud county, with a length of 9 miles, being located at an altitude of 900m. Book a place to stay in the area
On the shores of the lake is the Colibita tourist resort, which enjoys an impressive location: between Calimani and Bargau mountains.
It is said that at the bottom of the lake there would be part of the sunken houses, including the old church in Colibita, and when the water level drops, you can see the cross of the church.
The area offers numerous relaxation possibilities for mountain lovers, in any season: excursions, hikes, sleigh rides.
Viscri village
Viscri is a village in Brasov county and is among the most visited villages in Romania.
The village is included in the UNESCO World Heritage and is one of the seven villages with fortified churches included in this list of protected places. Book a place to stay in the area
Even the King of the United Kingdom, Charles III, has a house bought here.
The Fortified Church, built during the 13th century, is surrounded by a fortress consisting of defensive walls, two bastions and two towers.
In addition to the church itself, you can also climb the tower, where you can admire the village from above.
Kalnoky Castle
The Museum of Transylvanian Life is set up in a noble castle in Miclosoara – Kalnoky Castle.
The museum represents an alternative to the cultural and touristic offer of the area and a place where the exhibited objects show what the life of the nobles of the area meant. Book a place to stay in the area
Visitors can admire weapons, spectacular stoves, reconstructions of period clothing, or even an original Streicher piano, the same model used by Johannes Brahms. The basement of the castle is home to a cafe-winery.
Near the village of Miclosoara, the Daniel Castle in Tălișoara, the “Benedek Elek” Memorial House.
Near the village of Miclosoara, the Daniel Castle and the “Benedek Elek” Memorial House are also worth visiting.
The Black Church
Located in the city of Brasov, The Black Church is one of the most representative monuments of gothic architecture in Romania, with a length of over 295 feets. Places to stay in the area
It is considered to be the second largest church in Romania, and the largest gothic construction in Southeast Europe.
The Black Church also has the largest mechanical pipe organ in Romania, with about 4,000 pipes. It is also home to Europe’s largest collection of ancient oriental carpets from Asia.
The Black Church is also famous for the largest bell in the Romanian space, a bronze bell weighing 6 tons.
The medieval city of Sighisoara
If you have not yet come to see Sighisoara, the first impression will be that you have been teleported into a story from the Middle Ages and that, at any moment, a knight on horseback dressed in steel armor can cut your path. Places to stay in the area
The sensation will gain more and more power as you seek to visit the Clock Tower, considered the main tourist attraction that houses, among others, the Hall of Arms and the Torture Chamber.
You will learn that this is one of the cities where, hundreds of years ago, women were burned at the stake on charges of witchcraft, robbers had their hands cut off, and the wicked were taunted by the mob in the Central Square.
At the top of the Clock Tower, around the balustrade, are marked the exact distances to the world’s largest capitals and their direction.
But who cares what it’s like elsewhere when, looking up, you see the cluster of colorful, picturesque houses sheltered by reddish-tiled roofs.
Mogosoaia Palace
About 9 mi. from Bucharest is the Mogosoaia Palace, which for almost 120 years belonged to the Brancoveanu family. Book a place to stay in the area
Built in Romanian Renaissance style, the Mogosoaia Palace combines Venetian and Ottoman elements, being a historical monument with a special architecture.
The palace surrounded by a beautiful park creates a special atmosphere for tourists wishing to spend a day outdoors in the shade of imposing trees.
The Mogosoaia complex includes, in addition to the Mogosoaia Palace and other attractions: “St. Gheorghe” Church, the Gate Tower, the Kitchen, the Palace, the Guest House, the Glacier, the Greenhouse and the Family Cave.
Victory Avenue Bucharest
Victory Avenue is one of the most important streets in the center of Bucharest, and stretches from United Nations Square to Victory Square. Book a place to stay in the area
Victory Avenue was the favorite promenade of the country’s elite in the past. Over time, the aristocratic class used to meet here, the balls held at the Cantacuzino Palace being well-known at the time, and artists, writers, journalists, politicians or athletes drinking their coffee at the Capsa Restaurant.
Nowadays, Victory avenue remains the most cosmopolitan street of the capital, with numerous tourist attractions and historical buildings.
Among the main tourist attractions we find: the Capsa House, the Odeon Theatre, the Palace of Telephones, the National Art Museum of Romania, the Kretulescu Church, the National History Museum of Romania, the National Military Circle.
Rasnov Fortress
Rasnov Fortress is one of the best-preserved peasant fortresses in Transylvania. The first mention of Rasnov Fortress dates from 1335.
Rasnov Fortress is located only 12 miles from city of Brasov. Book a place to stay in the area
Inside the Rasnov Fortress, tourists can visit the museum of feudal art, where armor, weapons, galleries, period furniture, port specific to the century are exhibited, but also some more unusual objects for our time, but common in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as: a torture mask and a yoke for transporting prisoners. You can also try your skill in archery or on one of the paper targets.
Tourists who want to give something to the Rasnov Fortress can plant a rose in a small square in the inner courtyard. Instead, his name will remain written on a plaque, next to the planted flower.
Unknown Places to Visit in Romania
- Unique Places to Visit in Romania
- The Water Mills from Rudaria
- Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary
- Biertan village
- Pietrisu village
- The Sunken Village of Geamana
- The Museum of Steam Locomotives
- Astra Museum (Sibiu)
- Colibita Lake
- Viscri village
- Kalnoky Castle
- The Black Church
- The medieval city of Sighisoara
- Mogosoaia Palace
- Victory Avenue Bucharest
- Rasnov Fortress