Touring central Romania

It is always hard to give an 'essential core' of something, and the basics of tourism in a certain country make no exception. However, Southern Transylvania- with places like Sibiu, Brasov, Sighisoara and Alba-Iulia, and Northern Wallachia, with Curtea de Arges Monastery and Targoviste, both connected by the Transfagarasan road, are generally regarded as clear must-see destinations when one visits Romania. This tour attempts to bring all this together in an unforgettable bunch of local fragrances.

We start from Bucharest, Ploiesti, or Brasov, driving first to one old Wallachian capital- Targoviste- to visit the remnants of Vlad the Impaler's princely court, then to Curtea de Arges, to admire the wonderful local monastery, heading then to crossing the Fagaras Mountains through the scenic Transfagarasan Road, not before climbing to the Poienari Fortress ruins, shelter of Vlad III, nicknamed Dracula. Once in Transylvania, after breathtaking views, the sights of Sibiu, once European Capital of Culture, are waiting, to close the day by arriving in Alba-Iulia, the white medieval Transylvanian capital. The next day gets us to two Saxon peasant fortresses- Biertan and Viscri, part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, embracing the visit to Sighisoara, a medieval still inhabited citadel of a particular charm. The return through Brasov, the geographical heart of the country, then back over the Carpathians, sends us back to the start-off point, richer in memories to cherish.