Complete guide to Romania

From our agency in Bucharest, we view Romania as a country of transitions: the Danube plain gives way to the hills of Wallachia, which rise toward the arc of the Carpathians before descending into Transylvania and its fortified Saxon villages. Seven hours of driving separate Bucharest from the painted monasteries of Bucovina, and the same to reach the Danube Delta on the Black Sea side. These distances explain why a stay of less than ten days requires making choices.

The wildlife of the Carpathians remains one of Europe's densest: approximately 6,000 brown bears, wolves, lynx, observable with local guides in the Piatra Craiului or Apuseni Mountains massifs. On the heritage side, the exterior frescoes of the Voroneț and Sucevița monasteries (16th century), the wooden churches of Maramureș, and the seven Saxon citadels listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites around Sibiu and Brașov make up a singular cultural heritage, straddling Romanian Orthodoxy and Germanic influences.

For a first trip, we recommend combining Transylvania and Maramureș over ten to twelve days, or adding Bucovina if you have fifteen days. The Danube Delta and Black Sea coast lend themselves more to a thematic nature-focused stay, in May-June for birdwatching.