Home to Vlad the Impaler (the man behind the legend of Dracula) and a city so recently subject to decades of brutal communist rule, Bucharest is an almost overwhelmingly fascinating place. As such, there are more than a few unmissable things to do in Bucharest.

From Russian churches to brutalist communist buildings; from the most elegant and beautiful bookstore to a medieval farmer’s market and more, here are the best things to do in Bucharest when you visit Romania’s capital.

Everything mentioned here was shown and provided to us by Romanian Thrills. Check them out for unique tours of Romania’s history and nature.

What to Do in Bucharest

Palace of Parliament

For the past two hundred years or so, Romanian leaders have been big fans of calling Bucharest’s grander buildings ‘palaces’, and you’ll see more evidence of that below. The first and most important of these palaces, and one of the most unmissable Bucharest attractions, is the Palace of Parliament.

Bucharest’s Palace of Parliament is a truly fascinating building which, to this day, holds the record for being the world’s heaviest building, built as it is almost entirely from marble. It’s not the world’s largest building, but it is substantial given that it’s a government building larger than the UK’s Houses of Parliament.

Construction of the Palace of Parliament was ordered by former fascist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, a communist leader who held power in Romania for 24 years, from 1965 to 1989, when he was overthrown in a people’s revolution.

When you visit Bucharest, you’ll see that one of the main features of the Palace of Parliament is an enormous balcony from which Ceausescu planned to address the people as they filled the Bulevardul Unirii (more on that in a moment).

However, Ceausescu was killed before he ever got to use his balcony. In fact, the first person to ever address a crowd from that balcony was Michael Jackson, in a moment which holds the world record for the most people fainting in a crowd!

There is so much to be fascinated by when it comes to the Palace of Parliament that it demands to be one of the best things to do in Bucharest and one of the most unmissable Bucharest attractions.

Read More: A Guide to Brasov Old Town

Bulevardul Unirii (Union Boulevard)

When you first visit Bucharest and arrive in the city centre, it’s difficult to avoid feeling a chill at the sight of Bulevardul Unirii, one of the most epic but somewhat unsettling Bucharest attractions.

This boulevard was carved through Romania’s medieval capital by Nicolae Ceausescu during his time in power. More than 3km in length, it connects multiple squares in the city and leads people to the Palace of Parliament.

There is so much fascinating history tied to this enormous boulevard.

Like, for example, how capital-C Communist leaders of the 20^th century, Ceausescu included, abolished religion in their countries, and so churches that sat where the avenue was planned were either hidden by the construction of brutalist tower blocks, or literally moved out of the way in a genius feat of engineering that involved hydraulic lifts and rail tracks.

This incredible move was spearheaded by civil engineer Eugeniu Iordăchescu, a secretly religious man who wanted to protect the city’s Christian heritage.

Union Boulevard’s construction was begun under the false pretence that the earthquake of 1977 had destroyed so much of the city and so it should all be rebuilt, starting with the boulevard.

In fact, this was simply a convenient excuse to tear down what Ceausescu wanted to be rid of in order to make way for his boulevard, on which his people would march and parade in his honour.

There are no Bucharest attractions, not even the Palace of Parliament, which demonstrate the impact of capital-C Communism in Romania like the Bulevardul Unirii, which makes seeing and walking along the boulevard one of the most important things to do in Bucharest.

Read More: Best Restaurants & Cafes in Bucharest

Manuc’s Inn

What was once the oldest operating hotel in Bucharest will be again, soon. For now, Manuc’s Inn is operating as a restaurant of traditional Romanian food. The history of power and wealth within Romania is inextricably tied to its merchant class. The traders who had the money also had the power, and Armenian entrepreneur Manuc Bei was one of them.

Manuc’s Inn, hidden just away from Union Boulevard, was once the most vital and integral part of Bucharest’s economy, where traders would come to stay, eat, and drink. It’s also a stunning building of wooden balconies, staircases, pillars, and even wooden cobblestones.

It might look fancy, but actually Manuc’s Inn serves a relatively affordable cuisine of traditional Romanian food, including staple Romanian dishes like Romanian ciorba (a soup, the roots of which can be traced through the Middle East and all the way to India) and mici (skinless sausages that are some of the best Romanian food you’ll ever try), and papanasi (a fried donut-like pastry topped with sour cream and sour jam).

If you’re looking for the best Romanian food, Manuc’s Inn is a great place to get it.

Ceausescu Mansion

At a time when Romanians were living in dire poverty in a closed-borders nation (think North Korea today), its fascist leader Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena were living in a villa of extravagant wealth and decadence (again, think North Korea today).

One of the most important things to do in Bucharest is explore the Ceausescu Mansion for yourself, in order to get a real sense of the recent history of this incredible nation and see the eerie disconnect between the brutalist buildings of matchbox apartments and this splendid but strangely clinical former home of their leader.

The Ceausescu Mansion is enormous; and it bears a striking resemblance to the aristocratic homes and palaces of the French and British gentry of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Elaborate and colourful frescoes and mosaics adorn the walls; the furniture is made from the finest materials and detailed with filigree and fine affectations. Chandeliers and sconces adorn the ceilings and walls.

From the perspective of an art and architecture lover, seeing this villa is one of the best things to do in Bucharest, but more than that it really serves to highlight the divide between the 1% and the 99% in Bucharest during the 70s and 80s. When you visit Bucharest, don’t miss out on seeing the Ceausescu Mansion.

Read More: 10 Books to Read Before you Visit Romania

Stavropoleos Monastery

We’ve covered a lot of brutalism and dark history in our discussion of things to do in Bucharest, and of course there’s a good reason for that and it’s all especially valuable for understanding the dark modern history of Romania. But what to do in Bucharest for people who want to journey further back in time?

Well, the first stop on our more historic Bucharest attractions is the Stavropoleos Monastery. Found at the corner of Strada Postei and Strada Stavropoleos in Bucharest Old Town, this fascinating and beautiful little monastery sticks out like a stone thumb.

Romania has a fascinating architectural history, inspired by Ottomans, Hungarians, Russians, and more recently Parisian architecture. Stavropoleos, however, sits on a street of French Renaissance buildings and yet is one of the few truly neo-Romanian buildings in the city.

While you can see many influences on its architecture and design, this little monastery is still very much its own unique kind of building, and when you go inside you’ll see that every single inch of the walls and ceilings is painted with frescoes of saints and biblical imagery.

Look closely and you’ll see that many saints’ faces have been scratched away. This was done by Ottoman invaders. The faces that are left are of those who appear in the Qur’an as well as the Bible and were thus safe from defacement.

When you visit Bucharest and explore Bucharest attractions both modern and medieval, it’s difficult to avoid seeing evidence of struggle, destruction, and a tug-o-war for control, whether that be by communists, Ottomans, or Romans.

The history of Romania is a history of struggle, and Bucharest is all the more amazing to explore for it. It’s the reason why visiting places like the Stavropoleos Monastery are such vital things to do in Bucharest.

Russian Church of St. Nicholas

To really feel the weight of foreign influence and the dynamism of architecture in Bucharest, you have to visit the Russian Church of St. Nicholas, found just off University Square in central Bucharest.

Standing for more than 100 years and only slightly predating the Russian Revolution, seeing this church isn’t a far cry from setting foot in Moscow’s Red Square. I mean, actually, it kind of is, but the tone and the authenticity is there.

Russian influence in Romania didn’t begin with 20^th century communism – it goes far further back than that, and seeing this fascinating Russian church is one of the best things to do in Bucharest to really see that first-hand.

The difference in architecture in the churches of Bucharest is fascinating enough without even looking at other types of buildings, and this church is certainly one of the most unique in Romania’s capital city.

Read More: A Guide to Sighisoara: The Medieval Heart of Romania

National History Museum

You might remember that, at the very beginning of this guide to things to do in Bucharest, we discussed how branding buildings with the word ‘palace’ has been common practice since the royal times.

The French influences which started this was known as ‘la belle epoque’ and is the reason Bucharest became known as Little Paris and has their own version of the Arc de Triomphe. As a direct result of this craze, what’s now the National History Museum was once the Postal Services Palace.

Today, however, this stunning building – located on Victory Avenue (once the most fashionable street in the city, where residents would go to show off their fashion and ensure that they remain talking points amongst their friends) – is where you’ll find Bucharest’s National History Museum.

While Romania’s history is often tied tightly to 20th-century communism, the legacy of Vlad The Impaler (aka Vlad Tepes or Vlad Dracula), and influence from the empires that passed through, settled, and waged war in Romania, the pre-Roman history of Romania belongs to a local people known as the Dacians, a Thracian tribe. In the National History Museum, remarkable artefacts of the Dacian people can be seen and admired.

As you can by now see, we’ve gently delved deeper and deeper into Romania’s past – from the recent communists, to the Russians and the Ottomans, and now to the pre-Roman Dacians.

The best things to do in Bucharest are the things that paint a vivid picture of Romania’s diverse and patchwork history, and visiting this building, one of the most stunning Bucharest attractions, is one of them.

Carturesti Carusel

History aside, what else is there to do when you visit Bucharest, especially artful and modern things? Perhaps the most beautiful and artistically significantly of Bucharest attractions is the Carturesti Carusel.

Every time we visit a new city, we at Books and Bao, unsurprisingly, track down and give a spotlight to the best bookshops in that city. When you visit Bucharest, you’ll find that this city’s best bookshop is Carturesti Carusel.

What was once the headquarters of the Chrissoveloni Bank is now a stunning, warm, and beautiful Bucharest bookstore (banks always seem to get the best buildings – can’t imagine why). On the top floor of this bookstore is a bistro, while the basement houses a multimedia centre.

The three floors in-between are home to seemingly endless shelves of books, and, on the first floor, there’s even a gallery dedicated to contemporary art.

Carturesti Carusel is a truly staggering place to visit. Brightly lit, it has a Christmas vibe to it, with white painted columns and archways, wooden floors, and wide-open spaces where visitors can browse and enjoy some peaceful reading.

Read More: 5 Essential Day Trips from Brasov

Obor Market

In much of Europe and the West, shopping for food in supermarkets is the norm today, while visiting farmer’s markets is something of a luxury – or, at least, something a minority of people do.

When you visit Bucharest, however, you’ll see that farmer’s markets are much more commonly frequented and so are very much vibrant spaces filled with delicious goodies to try.

Supermarkets are pricier so, if you’re looking to save some money, heading to the local farmer’s market is a perfect way to interact with local people.

Obor Market is the best example of a Romanian farmer’s market. Open 365 days a year, with some indoor and other outdoor stalls, Obor Market is where you’ll find mostly local and a few imported staple cooking ingredients and Romanian food.

There’s an overwhelming amount of pork here, cut up and ready to buy in every form you can imagine. There are also fruit and veg stalls, a corridor of fishmongers, as well as shops and stalls that deal in spices and teas.

Beyond the Romanian food that you can take home to cook with, you’ll also find at Obor Market a place to sit and enjoy mici – the skinless sausages found on the menu of Manuc’s Inn. Here, they’re cheaper and just as delicious.

It’s said that mici, a staple of Romanian food, were invented by accident when a chef ran out of skin for his sausages (and they’re far better for this unplanned development). It’s imperative that you eat your mici with the provided mustard, to really get the full experience.

Read More: 10 Amazing Places to Visit in The Balkans

Traditional Romanian food is a mountain of indulgence and a broad landscape of local delicacies inspired by centuries of history, empire, and immigration. There is so much to love and explore in both the sweets and savouries of Romanian food that it’s vital to know the best restaurants in Bucharest, and to have a firm grip on the most unmissable Romanian dishes.

Here, you’ll find not only the five best restaurants in Bucharest – as well as their history and cultural importance – but also the four best cafes in Bucharest to relax at and take in the atmosphere. Finally, at the bottom, you’ll get a detailed guide to the very best of traditional Romanian food from Wallachia and Transylvania, including the Romanian national dish.

Everything we learned here was taught and shown to us by the amazing people at Romanian Thrills. Check them out to book a private tour of Romania’s history and natural landscape.

5 Best Restaurants in Bucharest

Everyone who visits Bucharest owes it to themselves to indulge in the local cuisine. Traditional Romanian food is delicious – all of it; every single bit. And Bucharest has some historic, beautiful, dedicated restaurants that serve up the best Romanian dishes around. Here are five to check out when you visit Bucharest.

Manuc’s Inn (Restaurant Hanu’lui Manuc)

We mentioned Manuc’s Inn as a place of great historic and architectural significance in our guide to things to see in Bucharest, but it’s also one of the best restaurants in Bucharest. In fact, Manuc’s Inn might be the very best, not only for its architectural beauty, history, and atmosphere, but for its menu – which is the real reason anyone eats anywhere.

You can scroll down to our guide to the best Romanian dishes, but you’ll also find almost all of them on the menu at Manuc’s Inn. Restaurant Hanu’lui Manuc, being the place of cultural history that it is, and once upon a time being a vital staple of Bucharest’s economy and politics, is a Romanian restaurant very much concerned with serving up real traditional Romanian food.

At this Romanian restaurant you’ll find the national dish of Romania: sarmale, as well as every local’s favourite skinless sausages (mici) and a soup originally brought to Romania all the way from medieval Persia: ciorba. For dessert, you can treat yourself to what is Europe’s most indulgently sweet and filling pudding: papanasi.

In short, if you want an affordable meal in a beautiful central location, drenched in Romanian history, and if you’re looking to try real traditional Romanian food – and the very best of it, no less – head to Manuc’s Inn, one of the very best restaurants in Bucharest.

Caru’ cu Bere

With a name that literally translates to ‘The Beer Wagon’, this restaurant in Bucharest Old Town is a symbol and a staple of Bucharest in more ways than one. The first being its neo-gothic architecture, which adds spectacularly to the collage of gorgeous architecture that makes up the style and aesthetics of Bucharest Old Town.

One of the family founders of Caru’ cu Bere took a trip to Germany in the late 19^th century to learn about the process of beer brewing, and ever since Caru’ cu Bere has been a beloved pub and brewery for so many locals for over a hundred years. But Caru’ cu Bere offers more than just beer.

As a hub for traditional Romanian food, ‘The Beer Wagon’ is one of the best restaurants in Bucharest. Their menus offers a dizzying selection of homemade meals, from breads and salads to soups and grilled meats. The Romanian dishes we’ve already mentioned, and will continue to mention – like sarmale cabbage rolls and papanasi dessert – all feature on the menu.

With a huge history (which you can read more about on their website), grandiose architecture, a deep beer culture, and an extensive menu of Romanian dishes, Caru’ cu Bere is indisputably one of the best restaurants in Bucharest.

Read More: 10 Amazing Places to Visit in The Balkans

Scovergaria Micai

Perhaps it’s unfair to call this one of the best restaurants in Bucharest, since it’s not technically a restaurant but more of a street food stall/takeout place. Nonetheless, Scovergaria Micai is the best place in Bucharest to pick up some heavenly scovergi.

You can find out more about scovergi below but it’s vital that you know just how heavenly they are. In the UK, we have Cornish pasties; in New York, there are hotdog vendors; in Shanghai and Taipei, there are bao; in Osaka, you’ll find takoyaki. In Bucharest, the cheap, delicious, filling street food of choice is scovergi.

Scovergaria Micai can be found in Bucharest Old Town, and the end of Strada Lipscani and around the corner from the National Museum of Romanian History. It’s a simple hole-in-the-wall where you pick your scovergi of choice from a long menu, order from the lovely lady behind the counter, and walk away a very happy person.

Scovergi from this place are so cheap it feels dirty, and our scovergi of choice were filled with cheese, garlic, and dill. Find your own and then find yourself coming back every single day for lunch.

Read More: 9 Unmissable Things to Do in Bucharest

Saint George

While we often consider Saint George the patron saint of England (and that’s true) he actually has enormous significance across Europe and beyond, including Romania. Born in Cappadocia, Turkey, Saint George is the patron saint of a number of nations and regions across the world, and in Romania Saint George’s Day is a pretty big deal.

So, it should come as no surprise that a restaurant that has taken his name has nothing to do with English food. In fact, Saint George restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Bucharest, offering both Transylvanian fare and, for those looking for comfort food, some fantastic Italian dishes.

All the best Transylvanian food can be found here, as well as reliable staples like ciorba soups and sarmale. There are a lot of meat-based dishes here, which is worth keeping in mind. But, if you are a carnivore, then you have your pick of beef, fish, and pork-based meals; and they’re all excellent.

Obor Market

While a market might not be a restaurant, the goal of this guide is to give visitors to Bucharest the chance to really understand Romanian food and to enjoy the best Romanian dishes. You can do both at Obor farmer’s market.

This market, which is open every day of the year, has an outdoor eating area where you can enjoy the very best mici in Bucharest. Just below, you’ll find out the story of mici and exactly how it came to be. But, put simply, mici are grilled skinless sausages. And the ones you can get at Obor Market are divine; their recipe is perfection, and they give an enormous helping of mustard to enjoy your mici with.

Aside from mici, Obor Market also allows visitors the opportunity to explore all the local ingredients and shopping items that Romanians typically pick up. Romania is still a very traditional place, and shopping at farmer’s markets (as well as at the supermarkets0 is the norm for the majority of people in Bucharest.

Because of this, Obor Market is the truest representation of food shopping and traditional Romanian food in Bucharest. You won’t find the best restaurants in Bucharest here; what you’ll find instead is something more valuable: a window into authentic Romanian living and eating.

4 Best Cafes in Bucharest

Bucharest is a busy place, and knowing where to take refuge and be able to relax when you’ve had enough of exploring and you need to recharge is vital to fully enjoying this bustling capital. It’s also important for coffee addicts like us to know where to get the very best coffee in Bucharest. So, here are four excellent cafes in Bucharest to relax in and enjoy.

Origo Coffee Shop

Origo is the speciality coffee shop of Bucharest. While Brasov is overflowing with great cafes and has a real coffee culture, Bucharest at first seems a little lacking. That might be because all the city’s creative coffee energy went into Origo.

If you’re looking to get your hipster coffee fill, with a post-modern artsy décor, friendly English-speaking servers, artisanal coffees, and packets of their own speciality coffee on sale for you to take home with you, Origo has it all.

There are multiple blends of coffee to choose from at Origo, from multiple sources around the world. The coffee experts at Origo experiment with blends to provide truly unique-smelling-and-tasting coffee. One that we tried was brewed in rum barrels and actually had a sweet rum flavour; it was seriously delicious.

For proper quality coffee, and if you’re looking for a coffee shop in Bucharest that’s designed for coffee lovers by coffee lovers, Origo is absolutely it. For the quality of its coffee alone and the dedication they have to coffee, Origo is the best café in Bucharest.

Carturesti Carusel Café

Carturesti Carusel, an enormous bookshop in Bucharest Old Town, is a place we recommend you visit for its selection of books, its atmosphere, and its architecture alone. But the cherry on top (literally, because it’s at the top) is its bistro café.

When you enter Carturesti Carusel, your breath will be snatched away by the white columns and staircases, the three balconies of bookshelves that surround you on all sides, and the huge basement of genre fiction, records, video games, and more.

Head up past the balconies of bookcases, and you’ll arrive at a bistro café that overlooks the entire store and all the shoppers happily flicking through books new and old. The café is often quiet and peaceful; a perfect hideaway to sit for hours and read, work, or chat.

No matter how good the coffee might be in a place like Origo, its atmosphere can’t compete with that of a bookshop café in the heart of Bucharest. Nothing marries as well as a bookshop and a café, and Carutresti Carusel is exactly what bookish coffee lovers like us have been searching for.

Grand Café Van Gogh

This café is exactly what it sounds like: a Van Gogh themed café. Walls are lined with replicas of every one of Van Gogh’s most famous artworks, and ‘grand café’ is right – the place is enormous! I’ll comfortably confess to not being the most educated art-lover in the world, but I absolutely adore Van Gogh (I have a little rug of his Café Terrace at Night and I bloody love it). So finding a Van Gogh café in Bucharest was the most delightful surprise.

The coffee at Grand Café Van Gogh is a little on the pricey side, at least by Bucharest standards (still cheaper than Starbucks), but it’s the décor and atmosphere that you’re coming for. High ceilings, an elaborate bar and staircase, and the aforementioned walls of Van Gogh paintings.

They also offer a sizeable menu of food options as well, including sandwiches and burgers, all-day breakfasts, various desserts, and more. Of course, if you’re just there for the coffee and the décor, you’ll definitely be satisfied. Grand Café Van Gogh is a treat for the eyes and a truly exciting atmosphere to indulge in as you rest and take a break from exploring Bucharest Old Town.

Fox Book Shop & Coffee Lounge

Found at the side of a busy boulevard between Youth Park and Carol Park, Fox Book Shop & Coffee Lounge is a quiet haven for book lovers and coffee drinkers. It’s also not the only fox-themed bookshop and café in this corner of the world – Sofia in neighbouring Bulgaria has one, too, and each is as delightful as the other. There’s certainly some charming magic that brings foxes, coffee, and books together in perfect harmony.

At first, the location of Fox Book Shop & Coffee Lounge seems a little off, but actually it’s just what you need: a refuge from the busy streets and the brutalist architecture. A soft, quiet home for book lovers who want to browse, buy, read, and enjoy a soothing cup of coffee.

A Guide to Traditional Romanian Food

Now that you know where to eat in Bucharest, let’s look at exactly what you should eat. These are five Romanian dishes – including meals, desserts, and street foods – which represent the culinary range and beauty of Romania, including the national dish of Romania.

Mici

Mici (pronounced like ‘meech’ and often called mititei in Transylvania) are grilled skinless sausages which originated in Bucharest in the 19^th century. Though they’re from Bucharest they can be found across Walachia and Transylvania.

Although they’re not, comparatively, all that old, mici are a true traditional Romanian food, and one of the most beloved Romanian dishes in their hometown of Bucharest. They’re also a really great entry point for trying Romanian food, since they’re so similar to a staple of British and German cuisine: pork sausages.

The story of their origin goes back to a rushed chef, a busy restaurant, and a moment of desperate ingenuity. When a Bucharest chef ran out of skin for his sausages, he though to just put some pork meat on the grill and serve it up with some mustard, hoping that his customers would be happy enough with what they go. And happy they were! Since then, mici have remained a staple traditional Romanian food.

Just make sure, when you try mici, that you eat them with a large dollop of mustard. Otherwise, well, you’re doing the beloved mici a disservice.

Papanasi

One thing to know about Romanian dishes is that they’re made up of three primary food groups: pork, carbs, and fried things. Even their desserts are fried, as evidenced by the queen of Romanian desserts: papanasi (pronounced like if you had a beloved grandfather who loved to chew things, and you endearingly called him Papa Nash).

At their heart, literally, papanasi are big lumps of fried doughnut. Sweet, warm, a little crunchy, filled with soft cheese, and coated with a generous helping of sour cream and jam – often blueberry. They’re also topped with another, smaller fried dough ball which makes them look a bit like a bobble hat.

When first shown Papanasi by the guys at Romanian Thrills, I asked what the little ball on top was, assuming it was fruit-based or something else entirely. Vlad shrugged and said, “More dough. We like dough,” which, honestly, is the best answer we could have received. It goes without saying that Papanasi are the most indulgent dessert you’ll ever eat in all of Europe.

It’s a wonderful feeling when you’re desperate to try the local dish of a place but you also have that guilty feeling where you’d rather just have something familiar like a cheeseburger or some cake. Well, papanasi is a true traditional Romanian food that’s also as familiar and indulgent as you can get.

It’s a thrill of a dessert that we recommend you share, because when it comes to papanasi, our eyes are often bigger than our stomachs. That goes double for those of us who have just gorged ourselves on a plateful of that most succulent of Romanian dishes: mici.

Scovergi

We’ve already mentioned which Romanian restaurant serves up the best scovergi, and just how ludicrously cheap they are, but what exactly are scovergi? Well, most nations around the world have their meals, their desserts, and a third thing. This third thing is usually cheaper, smaller, good for breakfast or lunch, often served as street food. Scovergi are exactly that.

Scovergi are flat slabs of fried dough, rolled into a pastry, and filled to overflowing with things that designate it either sweet or savoury. If you’re eating one as a dessert, it’ll be filled with yogurt or jam. If it’s a snack or a lunch item, it’ll be full of cheese, garlic, dill, and sour cream. Put simply, scovergi are heavenly.

They’re almost illegally cheap and a very simple, common Romanian food. Though ‘simple’ might be the wrong word, given just how delectable they are. While they might not be considered one of the great items of traditional Romanian food, scovergi are nevertheless an absolute favourite of ours, and a must-try when you visit Bucharest.

Scovergi tip: You won’t find scovergi outside of Wallachia. When we visited Transylvania, we were heartbroken to find this out (although we did later find out that the Hungarian equivalent in Tranalvanyia is called langos so keep an eye out for those). They are very much a Bucharest food, so keep that in mind and be prepared to have to go without when you leave Bucharest.

Sarmale

Ever wonder what is Romania’s national dish? It’s sarmale: cabbage rolls usually filled with pork, garlic, and possibly some onions and other spices (and pronounced like sar-mah-lay). It’s actually inspired from the Ottoman empire, supposedly inspired by the Greek stuffed vine-leaves dolma but, either way, it’s totally unique and absolutely delicious.

If you’re from the UK, like we are, you might have grown up assuming that cabbage is a dull and lifeless food. But travel to places like China and Eastern Europe and you’ll soon discover the versatility and mouth-watering deliciousness of cabbage. Prime example: sarmale.

When we sat down in a restaurant in Brasov, I indulged in my twentieth plate of mici, while Jess followed her curiosity and ordered some sarmale. At first, it looked pretty unappetising. But the flavour, texture, and smell make for one of the most delightfully filling and gratifying of Romanian dishes.

It’s honestly no wonder that sarmale are Romania’s national dish. They are made up of simple things that allow with enough experimentation to make them delightfully fun to try. They’re relatively healthy but also kinda not. And they really hit the spot on a cold winter’s day, especially. Along with mici, sarmale are the best example of a traditional Romanian food, and they really are excellent.

Ciorba

If you know your Persian, Arab, or Turkish foods then you might recognise this word. More commonly spelled ‘shorba’ in the Middle East, ciorba is a soup that originated in Persia and made its way to Romania centuries ago.

Ciorba, very simply, is a sour soup comprised of various meats and vegetables – often pork in Romania because, well, it’s Romania. Since the winters here get bitingly cold, ciorba is a lifesaver of a dish. When you order it at a Romanian restaurant, you’ll find that it’s often served with a generous helping of the local bread, as are most soups in Europe.

There’s no great secret to ciorba, except that its existence speaks to the fascinating history of Romania, a European country with a fascinatingly diverse range of culinary influences from the East. And, of course, if you’ve had soup in other countries, you know that every nation’s soup is its own, and ciorba is very much one of the beloved Romanian dishes.

The Best Romania Tattoo Artists to Check Out

There are a lot of wonderful reasons to visit Romania, from the perfectly maintained medieval town of Sighisoara to the incredible cuisine to be enjoyed in cities like Bucharest and Brasov, as well as the hidden castles and villages to be discovered and explore.

But beyond all of this, there are also the artists. The tattoo artists in Romania are as talented as their food is delicious. So, if you’re planning to visit Romania any time soon, maybe book in an appointment with one of these fantastic Romania tattoo artists.

Rheea Devri

One of the best Romania tattoo artists, Rheea Devri is someone very, very special. Her art is boundary-pushing, and she is a wonderful example of where the world of Romanian tattoo artists is heading. Her artwork is boldly and brilliant unique; truly outside the box.

She specialises in small but intricately detailed pieces, usually circular, and formed from blends of soft colour and black-and-grey. There is so much charm and elegance that oozes from every piece of artwork that Rheea creates, setting her far apart from her contemporaries.

Rheea is a member of Cactus Ink in Bucharest, but also the founded of that studio’s sister: Cactus Ink in Cluj-Napoca.

Chill

This tattoo artist, known only as Chill on Instagram, works out of Restless Tattoo Studio in Timisoara, and specialises in thick black tattoos. This minimalist style is so satisfying to look at, made up of block black and dense lines.

Reminiscent of the earliest American cartoons, Chill’s tattoos have a classic, timeless quality. And they do often lean into that old school cartoon style by emulating it through tattoos of anthropomorphised items and animals. Chill has an extensive collection of original flash designs for clients to choose from. Have a browse and request one next time you find yourself in Timisoara.

Against a sea of pop colour, neotrad, and hyper-realistic black and grey tattoos, Chill and their tattoos really stand out in the Romania tattoo artists scene.

Read More: 10 Amazing Places to Visit in The Balkans

Urian Stelian

Based in the capital of Bucharest, Urian Stelian is the owner of Black Skull Tattoo Shop, a place with a name that pretty well represents the theme and style of Urian’s own tattoo art, and hosts some of the best Romania tattoo artists. One of the most renowned and respected tattoo artists in Bucharest, Urian is a master of hyper realistic and lifelike black and grey tattoo art.

Whether you’re looking to get a portrait tattoo of a person you know and love, or an animal you cherish, or perhaps something more art-related like a religious or mythical sculpture, Urian will deliver for you a perfect true-to-life tattoo that not only captures the image you’re looking for, but also the life and the soul behind it. His art carries emotion and passion in every line.

Laurica

One of the most popular tattoo artists in Bucharest. In fact, in all of Romania. Laurica is a charming artist with a unique eye. Her art ranges dramatically in style and design. Beginning with a core of hyper-realistic black and grey but playfully adding bold colours with flowers, happy creatures, and mind-melting landscapes, there is no other artist in Romania quite like Laurica.

Take a look through her portfolio and you’ll see how getting a tattoo from her means having a wholly unique and frankly beautiful piece of art on you for the rest of your life. You’ll never meet anyone else with a tattoo like yours, so wildly unique, charming, and smart are Laurica’s tattoos.

Beyond the blend of photorealism and vibrant colour is also this Romania tattoo artist’s penchant for surrealism in a kind of neon gothic sense. Angular lines and nods to body horror, blended with shock mixtures of greys, greens, and purples makes for an art style like no other. Laurica’s art is special.

Rotunjeanu Alin

You’ll notice for yourself by the end of this list that Romanian tattoo artists have a passion for photorealism and black and grey art. Rotunjeanu Alin, based out of Pitesti (a small town northwest of Bucharest), is another one of the best Romania tattoo artists for black and grey hyper-realism.

Alin’s art actually goes beyond simply mimicking real life, however. He also injects tasteful shocks of colour into his art, in a flower or an eye here and there. He also moves away from photorealism on occasion, while sticking to black and grey in order to deliver some very heavy metal tattoos that depict some very gothic imagery.

Where his realism excels is in historical images from Greece and Egypt, as well as in his staggering recreations of scenes from classic films that look breath-taking in tattoo form.

Read More: 10 Books to Read Before Visiting Romania

Alcaz Alex

Alcaz Alex is one of our favourite Romanian tattoo artists. He is the owner of Penumbre Atelier, a tattoo shop based in the university city of Iasi in Eastern Romania.

The reason Alcaz is one of our very favourite artists is because of his unique blend of inky deep blacks with shocks of colour which often take established and recognisable things like animals, iconic artworks, or cartoon characters, and transform them into something surreal in a Picasso-esque kind of way. There isn’t a tattoo artist in Romania, or perhaps anywhere else in Europe, quite like Alcaz Alex.

He is bringing something wholly new and delightfully strange to the table. And not strange in an eerie or unsettling way, but strange in his exciting use of neon colour and thick, deep blacks. It’s mesmerising artwork that really must be appreciated.

Alin-Cristian Oprea

Here’s an artist who can accomplish just about anything, both in colour and in black and white. In fact, Oprea is at his most impressive when dabbling in a mix of the two.

Once again, this is a Romania tattoo artist with the skill of capturing real life remarkably beautifully in tattoo form. But unlike many of his contemporaries, Oprea often does so using soft and warming colours as well as shades of black and grey.

In my opinion, Oprea is at his strongest when utilising colour in his tattoos; when he is able to flex his impressive artistic muscles to deliver a tattoo inspired by something from either life of pop culture but with a bold and vibrant charm.

Buta Andrei

Buta Andrei just might be the next step in the evolution of neotrad tattoos. This style of tattooing evolved from the timeless nature of classic old school tattooing, taking the beloved art style of legends like Sailor Jerry and refining it with modern creativity and artistry.

Now, Buta Andrei has come along to elevate that style even further, injecting it with a shocking and wonderful amount of realism and the kinds of colours rarely seen in the world of tattooing. This is a Romania tattoo artist to keep a very close eye on.

Dragos Calmuc

Dragos is the founder and owner of Cactus Ink Bucharest, a studio which our first artist on this list – Rheea Devri – also works. Dragos is another artist with an almost unbelievable eye for detail in realism. His artwork is photorealistic, sure, but it also embodies the heart and soul of the person or creature he captures in his tattoos.

There’s so much boldness to Dragos’ tattoos, not just in their aesthetic, but also in the feeling they encourage in anyone who lays eyes on his art. Dragos really is the best at what he does, especially when he injects intensely bright and bold colour into his artwork. Then it really bursts into life and takes your breath away.

The true history of the man behind the myth of Count Dracula is gripping and terrifying. Reading a few Romania books is going to give you that wonderful insight into the nation’s history and culture, so here are ten books on Romania to start with before you visit.

Bottled Goods by Sophie Van Llewyn

Let’s start with some beautiful contemporary Romanian literature by a woman longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2019. Sophie Van Llewyn grew up in a little-known part of Romania and currently lives in Germany. Her novel, Bottled Goods, is set during the communist era of 1970s Romania.

This period was a dark and brutal time for everyone in Bucharest who wasn’t friendly with Nicolae Ceausescu, and Bottled Goods captures the suspicion and paranoia which plagued everyday people. Centred around a woman, Alina, and her husband who have come under threat after the husband’s brother defects.

Reminiscent of the writing of legendary German author Hans Fallada, Bottled Goods is one of the best Romania books available right now, and is a thrilling novella that feels especially relevant in today’s political climate.

Read More: A Guide to Romanian Cuisine

A Stake in Transylvania by Arabella McIntyre-Brown

This is an interesting one. At the time of writing, A Stake in Transylvania is only available in English at bookstores in Bucharest, but it should hopefully be available worldwide soon. We picked it up at a bookshop in Bucharest, read the blurb, and thought, “This sounds great. I’ll get it on Kindle later,” only to find out that it’s not yet on Kindle.

All of that aside, A Stake in Transylvania will, eventually, be a book very much worth reading. Its author, Arabella McIntyre-Brown, is a British writer who spent decades in the UK working as an author and magazine editor before eventually going to too many funerals and feeling deadened by life in Britain and so escaping to the Transylvanian wilderness.

The book is a log of her life, her travels, and her experiences in the Romanian countryside. A wonderful and colourful portrait of a land untouched and undiscovered by those outside of Transylvania.

In Europe’s Shadow by Robert D. Kaplan

On your hunt through a sea of Romania books, if you’ve been searching for a history book that examines the complex history of Romania from the ancient to the modern, In Europe’s Shadow is the book you’ve been looking for. This book also lays out clearly the bleak Communist years of the late 20th century, as well as the events of World War II before it, and even more besides.

Written by a man with a 30-year love affair with Romania, In Europe’s Shadow blends Kaplan’s personal experiences in Romania, from the 1970s onward, with an examination of capital-C Communism through a historic, a political, and a philosophical lens.

It’s a book that explores the complex medieval history of Romania and paints a distressingly vivid image of the most viscerally evil dictator in Europe: Romania’s Nicolae Ceausescu. There is so much covered here, and so many perspectives laid out and darted between. It’s a book of intense knowledge and fascinating exploration that you will absolutely devour. One of the best Romania books available.

Read More: Sighisoara: The Medieval Heart of Romania

Blue River, Black Sea by Andrew Eames

Blue River, Black Sea is a travelogue which doesn’t exclusively deal with Romania but is still one of the best Romania books out there because it paints Romania beautifully into the landscape of Eastern Europe, with the Danube as its brush.

Eames’ journey takes him along the Danube, from Germany, across Eastern Europe, and into Romania. It’s a book that shows us the varied and rugged landscape of Romania, with its traditional Roma gypsy population, its Saxon villages, and its people’s reliance on medieval methods of farming and transportation. This is the travel book to show the world how rural Romanians live and thrive.

Revolution 1989 by Victor Sebestyen

1989 was the year the Iron Curtain fell across Europe. The most famous example being the Berlin Wall. Romania was one of those nations locked behind the Iron Curtain, with its leader Nicolae Ceausescu being one of Europe’s most sickeningly ruthless dictators.

On Christmas Day 1989, after a mock trial, Ceausescu was the final Romanian to ever be given the death sentence. Killed by firing squad after a people’s uprising, his death paved the way for a slow but gradual political reformation of Romania which led to the country eventually joining the European Union.

Revolution 1989 is a book which charters the fall of the Iron Curtain across Europe at the tail end of the 20th century, Romania included.

Read More: 5 Essential Day Trips from Brasov

Dracula by Bram Stoker

It might be predictable to include Dracula on a list of books about Romania, but the book’s contents and the inspiration that Bram Stoker took to write it are both intrinsically tied to the world’s perception of Romania today, and the book does serve as a great starting point for digging into the real history of the man.

Dracula is one of the great gothic novels, written by an Irishman who spent the majority of his adult life in London and never actually visited Romania. He took inspiration for the book’s setting from descriptions of Bran Castle, a castle which the real Dracula never had any real connection to, though it did exist while he was ruler of Wallachia.

Dracula cemented the image and the mythology of the blood-drinking, night-dwelling immortal vampire for decades, and is still to this day a well-paced, punchy, gripping, and terrifying novel that should be read by every lover of classic English literature.

Vlad by C.C. Humphreys

Bram Stoker’s Dracula took the real Vlad Dracula and turned him into an immortal vampire who seduces and feasts on humans, but the man behind the legend was as real as you and me. Born in Sighisoara, Transylvania, son of Vlad Dracul ‘The Dragon’, and ruler of Wallachia, Vlad Dracula became a myth thanks to his love of impaling people on enormous wooden spikes, and some clever propaganda from the Transylvanians.

Vlad by C.C. Humphries is a novelisation of the life of the real Vlad Dracula. If you’re interested in something that dispels the myth, but you also don’t want to dive into a dense and dry history text, this novel is exactly what you’re looking for. It keeps the true history of The Impaler intact while at the same time transforming it into an engaging and thrilling novel about a ruthless and bloodthirsty medieval leader.

Read More: 9 Things to Do in Bucharest

Dracula’s Wars by James Waterson

From the myth of Dracula, to a novelisation of the real Vlad, and now to a non-fiction account of the world that Vlad Dracula lived and ruled in: 15th century Romania. Dracula’s Wars is not a novel, but rather a gathering of facts and accounts that weave together a vivid tapestry of the land that Dracula ruled.

While Dracula’s Wars does flesh out and add dimension to the man behind the legend, it also adds an awful lot of context. It brings to life the medieval Romanian landscape that built Vlad Tepes and the people he ruled. This is a book that serves to bring that history to life in a very vivid way, and one of the best Romania books to add context and real history to the myth of Dracula.

Journal 1935-1944 by Mihail Sebastian

The 20th century was not kind to Romania, and Bucharest especially. In the decades before World War II, the city was a hub for poets, artists, and intellectuals. It was a fashionable capital enjoying prosperity and beauty. But the war changed everything, and opened the gates for fascism and dictatorship to come later.

Mihail Sebastian’s Journal 1935-1944 is a real diary of events before and during World War II in Romania, a country whose war history is seldom taught in the English-speaking world. This is an invaluable insight into the lives of people who lived in a Bucharest that no longer exist, as well as how the events of the war affected Romanian Jews and intellectuals (two worlds which Sebastian himself was a part of).

Note: Apologies for not naming the translator for this book. For the life of me I can’t find out who it is; if you do know, please let us know! This is one of the most important Romania books out there and it deserves more recognition.

Read More: 10 Amazing Places to Visit in The Balkans

Adventures in Immediate Irreality by Max Blecher

Translated by Michael Henry Heim

While Mihail Sebastian captured in writing the real world of a pre-war Bucharest, Max Blecher was another Jewish Romanian contemporary of Sebastian’s who shone bright and died prematurely.

He is often compared to Franz Kafka in both his method of painting the world through his words – an unseen, obscured, often more true version of reality – and also in that he died young and never enjoyed the success that his literary genius should have granted him.

Adventures in Immediate Irreality is a new English edition of Blecher’s work, translated by Michael Henry Heim, a legend in the world of translation who actually learned Romanian just to have the chance to translate Blecher’s work.

The book itself is a fever dream populated by characters who don’t observe nor adhere to the usual rules of logic and behaviour. Written from a hospital bed, this is a deeply personal novel that grants us a glimpse into a world that only Blecher himself knew.

This town in the heart of Romania is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, the very real Romanian ruler who inspired the legend of Dracula. It’s also a place of medieval churches, an awe-inspiring clock tower, and restaurants serving up delectable local foods like mici and papanasi.

Here is everything you need to see and enjoy in Sighisoara, as well as the best Sighisoara hotels to stay in during your visit to Romania’s heartland.

A Guide to Sighisoara’s Unmissable Sights

Sighisoara is a small town with a lot to see. It’s very easy to explore in a day or two, with its medieval old town (Sighisoara fortress) making up the core of the city If you get a bus from Brasov to Sighisoara or from Cluj-Napoca to Sighisoara, you will arrive a short walk from the medieval centre. You’ll see it rising in front of you in the distance like a magnificent fortress.

Once you arrive in the medieval centre of Sighisoara, you’ll find a wealth of beautiful buildings to explore. These are the best sights to be found in Sighisoara.

Sighisoara Clock Tower

The only real way to enter Sighisoara is to walk past the clock tower, which stands like a guardian to this medieval wonderland. With a history that dates back to the 13th century, this clock tower is one of the defining buildings of Sighisoara. The stonework carries a heavy medieval, almost fantasy, aesthetic that is completely mesmerising.

The Sighisoara clock tower is more than just a beautiful sight; it’s also a platform from which you can take stock of the entire town on every side. It’s open from 9am to 3:30pm in the winter, and 9am to 5:30pm in the summer months, and costs 15 lei to enter. Payment grants you more than the view.

You’ll also pass through three floors of museum pieces: artefacts from around Transylvania and a scale model of Sighisoara.

Read More: A Complete Guide to Brasov Old Town

The Church on the Hill

If you’d rather not pay to get to the top of the Sighisoara clock tower, you can get yourself a fantastic view of the town from the Church on the Hill. While the Sighisoara clock tower is at Sighisoara fortress’ northernmost tip, the church is directly south.

Pass straight through the town and you’ll come to the covered walkway: an ominous looking dark wooden passageway that leads up a hill to the church.

The covered walkway itself is fantastic, reminiscent of the Hogwarts wooden bridge from Harry Potter. It hides quite a few steps, but they’re well worth the climb to get to the Evangelical Church on the Hill, which is the highest point in Sighisoara.

Compared to other churches and medieval buildings in Transylvania, this church has a very unique aesthetic, being smoothly painted on the outside rather than consisting of rugged exposed stone. It’s a calming sight in itself, and standing beside it yields a gorgeous view of the entire town, including the Sighisoara clock tower.

That is always the issue with using beautiful buildings as viewing platforms: they are no longer part of the view. You can’t see the Empire State Building if you’re standing on it. So if you use the Church on the Hill as your (free) viewing platform, you can enjoy the Sighisoara clock tower as part of your view of the medieval town.

Casa Vlad Dracul

Nowadays, Casa Vlad Dracul is primarily a restaurant (which is why you’ll also see it mentioned below in our restaurant guide). But, originally, it was the home of Vlad Dracul, father of the infamous Vlad Dracula, the Impaler. Vlad Dracula himself was born in, and lived for four years in, this very house, and the exact room that he was born in can still be visited.

When you enter the restaurant on the first floor of Cas Vlad Dracul, you’ll find another small staircase leading up to a room. You have to pay an additional fee to enter, but it is one of the great pieces of Romanian history, and they also provide you with a cheap but fun scare as you enter (you’ve been warned).

On the ground floor, beneath the restaurant, Casa Vlad Dracul also has a gorgeous arts and crafts shop which sells all traditional and hand-made Romanian crafts, mostly for decorating your home.

Plates, wall-hangings, and ornaments made from wood, cloth, and porcelain, and painted with vibrant primary colours. They really showcase the still-popular traditional Romanian arts and make for souvenirs that you will really cherish.

Read More: 10 Books to Read Before you Visit Romania

Holy Trinity Church of Sighisoara

This is the only must-visit sight in Sighisoara that is neither medieval nor within the walls of the old medieval town, but is nonetheless a beautiful and unmissable sight in Sighisoara. If you’re entering the old fortress town from the north, you’ll pass by it and stop to really drink in its enormous size and and elaborate beauty.

The medieval town of Sighisoara and the more modern residential area are divided by the Tarnava Mare River, and the Holy Trinity Church sits at the river’s edge opposite the old town and the Sighisoara clock tower. It was built in the early 20th century in a Neo-Byzantine architectural style and is a truly enormous building that demands any passer-by stop in their tracks to admire its dominant stature.

Read More: 5 Essential Day Trips from Brasov

The Dracula Investigation

For kids and adults alike who love their history and mythology, The Dracula Investigation is a delightful and slightly cheesy experience in the centre of Sighisoara. Located just down from the Sighisoara clock tower, this is an interactive educational experience that will paint a smile on the face of anyone who enters.

Vlad Dracula/Tepes/The Impaler (he went by a few names) is undoubtedly the most famous Romanian in history, with a mythology that was firmly cemented by the publication of Bram Stoker’s novel. But he was a real man and a real ruler, and he was born in Sighisoara.

The Dracula Experience is a series of rooms filled with decoration, costume-clad guides, coloured lights, and interactive experiences that teach you all about the man behind the myth of Count Dracula. It’s a delightful experience for kids of all ages.

Sighisoara Restaurants and Cafes

Sighisoara might be a small town, but it is a very traditional one that hides some of the most fantastic Romanian restaurants. The food in Transylvania is one of the very best things about the whole province, and when you’re in Sighisoara there are a few restaurants and cafes you need to visit, and a few meals you owe it to yourself to enjoy. Romanian food is simply wonderful.

Medieval Cafe Restaurant

If you only visit one Sighisoara rrestaurant, let it be the Medieval Cafe Restaurant. This is the place you eat at if you want to experience true, delicious, satisfying Romanian dishes.

Some of the best Romanian dishes include the national dish of sarmale (cabbage rolls wrapped around pork meat), the indulgent mici (skinless sausages, grilled and eaten with a generous helping of mustard) and many other fantastic dishes.

Just be aware that pork is the main ingredient in so many Romanian dishes, so it’s not great for vegetarians and vegans. I myself avoid eating pork because pigs are such intelligent creatures, but I had to put my morals aside for a while and just enjoy all the pork-based meals that Romania has to offer. And the Medieval Cafe Restaurant is the best place to enjoy all of that.

Vlad Dracul Restaurant

This is the same Casa Vlad Dracul we mentioned before: birthplace of Vlad Dracula and residence of his father, Vlad Dracul. The building’s first floor is now a restaurant that offers traditional Romanian dishes of the highest quality. While the Medieval Cafe Restaurant, in our opinion, offers a more humble and relaxing dining experience, you should not resist the temptation to eat at the house where the very real Dracula himself was actually born.

The Bean Specialty Coffee

There are quite a few cafes in Sighisoara, and all of them are easy enough to find. But we want to give special attention to the lesser-known The Bean Specialty Coffee. This is a tiny hipster coffee shop with enough little tables for a few people to sit and enjoy the best coffee in Sighisoara.

This cafe has all the trappings you’d expect to find in a London hipster coffee shop: flat whites, wood-heavy decor, a grumpy barista, and a bar to sit at in order to maximise your people-watching potential. We spent an hour or two hiding from the biting cold, reading books, and relaxing in this sweet little Sighisoara cafe.

The Best Sighisoara Hotels

Romania is a very cheap and affordable country, especially compared to other EU nations. It’s a place where you can really splash out and enjoy yourself, especially in the medieval Transylvanian towns like Sighisoara. That means you can really explore the various Sighisoara hotels and take your pick without worrying about money. These are the most comfortable but affordable Sighisoara hotels for you to choose from.

Casa Savri

There is nothing more soothing and calming than a hotel room that’s furnished almost entirely with gorgeous wood, giving it an antique medieval vibe. That’s what Casa Savri delivers. The rooms of this hotel are absolutely massive, providing guests with plenty of space to get settled in, and all the furniture is so raw and rustic in a real medieval European tone.

The architecture of Casa Savri is traditional Saxon, like many of the buildings and villages in Transylvania, and if you stay here you’ll be a mere 300m away from the Sighisoara clock tower and the rest of the old fortress town. This is the definitive Sighisoara hotel experience.

Book a room at Casa Savri here!

Carolina House

Another one of the best Sighisoara hotels is Caroline House. If you want your room’s decor to still have that touch of wood furnishing but with a slightly more modern paint job, this is where you’ll want to stay when you visit Sighisoara.

If you visit in the summer months, Carolina House also offers a garden, a terrace, and facilities with which you can barbecue at your heart’s content! There’s also a continental breakfast served every single morning, if you’d rather avoid heading out in search of your own breakfast.

Book a room at Carolina House here!

Casa Lily

Without a doubt, Casa Lily is the most strange and exciting hotel in Sighisoara. If you’re an enormous Japanophile like we are, you’ll gasp at the sight of this Japan-themed hotel. The garden of Casa Lily features a pond with real lotus flowers, as well as an actual red torii gate and accompanying red bridge.

Inside, the rooms are decorated in a Japanese ryokan style, with wall scrolls of Japanese calligraphy, floor mats reminiscent of tatami, and a heavily bright red and deep wooden aesthetic. It’s a strange hotel to find in rural Romania, to be sure, but definitely one of the most weird and wonderful Sighisoara hotels.

Book a room at Casa Lily here!

Hotel Villa Franca

If you’re on a budget, this is one of the cheapest Sighisoara hotels that still offers beautiful decor, views of the fortress, including the Sighisoara clock tower, and fantastic service for a reasonable price.

Hotel Villa Franca is a B&B style hotel featuring traditional Transylvanian decor, including a four poster bed in select rooms. If you’re looking for breakfast, it’s served every single day in the hotel. And, if you need anything, there’s 24 hour access to the reception where someone can help you with whatever you need.

Book a room at Villa Franca here!

Mercure Sighisoara

Just a five minute walk from Sighisoara fortress, Mercure Sighisoara is definitely the most high class hotel we’ve mentioned. If you’re looking for the most classy experience possible, this is the Sighisoara hotel you’re looking for.

There’s a restaurant at the Mercure Sighisoara which serves a mix of traditional Romanian and international dishes. There’s also a wellness centre that includes a sauna and and hot tub! The rooms themselves are of the highest quality wooden decor, and the restaurant is one of the most beautiful rooms in all of Sighisoara.

Book a room at Mercure Sighisoara here!

Here are five unmissable Brasov day trips for travellers who love their medieval history, sublime and jaw-dropping views, and Dracula mythology. From here you’ll visit remarkable Romanian castles, citadels, churches, and a UNESCO World Heritage town.

Bran Castle

Bran Castle is at the top of everyone’s list of Brasov day trips, and rightly so! It’s an easy drive from Brasov that takes less than an hour; it sits on the border of Wallachia and Transylvania; and its legend is tied so completely to that of Count Dracula. But what is the truth of Bran Castle, exactly? And why is it the most essential of our Brasov day trips?

Bran Castle is an interesting beast. It was originally a 13^th century wooden fortress built by the Teutonic Knights, and soon after destroyed by invading Mongols.

Since then, the stone fortress we have today has been built, rebuilt, and expanded upon multiple times over hundreds of years. Now, it’s a museum dedicated to its own history and mythology. And yes, it is an incredible place to visit.

The castle’s connection to the myth is two-fold: first, it existed during the rule Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula, son of Vlad Dracul), the ruler of Wallachia who inspired the myth of Count Dracula. However, Vlad Tepes was the king of Wallachia, while Bran Castle sits across the border, in Transylvania, and was used, essentially, as border control.

The second part of the myth is the reason Bran Castle is often called ‘Dracula Castle’, and that’s because Bram Stoker – although he never visited Romania – based his description of Count Dracula’s castle off written records about Bran Castle: a castle atop a hill that sits at the border of Wallachia and Transylvania.

Mythology aside, Bran Castle is a simply jaw-dropping place to visit. It rests atop a tall, thin hill, taking up the entire hilltop in a remarkably and delightfully gothic fashion. In fact, as you look on it from below, you can see how some of the hill’s bare stone seems to be climbing up the castle like ivy, as though it’s reclaiming it. Bran Castle is so badass and thrillingly gothic!

Bran Castle inside is just as gorgeous and fascinating as outside. The Bran Castle museum furnishings were all owned by the one Romanian ruler who truly loved the place: Queen Marie.

Marie was actually a British princess who married the king of Romania around the turn of the 20^th century, shortly before the monarchy in Romania ceased to be. Queen Marie cherished Romania and spent much of her time living in Bran Castle, and so she furnished the place with so many traditional pieces of Romanian art and furniture which are, today, remarkable antiques.

Read More: 10 Books to Read Before You Visit Romania

Getting from Brasov to Bran Castle

The only real way to get from Brasov to Bran Castle is by car. So, you have two choices: either rent a car of your own in Brasov or get yourself a guide who can drive you there, as we did.

Renting a car in Romania is so cheap and so easy; we highly recommend it. You hear horror stories about renting cars in Romania, and they’re mostly nonsense. The only intimidating place to drive is in Bucharest. If you avoid driving in the capital, you’ll have no issues whatsoever!

As for getting a guide, the amazing people at Romanian Thrills hooked us up with a tour guide in Brasov called Smaranda, who took us from Brasov to Bran Castle and many of the other places mentioned on this list.

Read More: Brasov Old Town Complete Guide

Bucharest

Bucharest is the capital of Romania and is found across the border, in southern Wallachia. If you’re currently in Brasov, there’s every chance you flew into Bucharest and made your way north. In which case, you know about Bucharest well enough. If you didn’t, however, then Bucharest is definitely a city worth visiting and exploring!

Bucharest is the largest city in Romania, and its two biggest draws are its fantastic cuisine and its enormous selection of architecture that spans hundreds of years and many different eras and styles. It’s also a great place to go shopping in Romania.

When you head from Brasov to Bucharest, there are a few things to do in Bucharest that you don’t want to miss seeing and doing.

The biggest of which being a visit to the Palace of Parliament: an enormous building which holds the world record for heaviest building on Earth, due to it being almost entirely marble. Today it remains the house of the Romanian government, and it was originally built by order of Nicolae Ceausescu.

The other unmissable places in Bucharest can all be found in Old Town, including the National Museum of Romanian History, the Stavropoleos Monastery, and Carturesti Carusel – an enormous multi-storey bookshop in the heart of the city which hides a delightful bistro on its top floor.

For more unmissable things to do in Bucharest, check out our complete guide!

Getting from Brasov to Bucharest

Finding your way from Brasov to Bucharest is simple, cheap, and fast. All you need to do is hop on a train. You can book tickets online or at the station ticket booth. You just need to head from Brasov Train Station south to Bucharest, where you’ll alight at Gara de Nord Station. The total journey from Brasov to Bucharest takes two hours and you’ll see some incredible scenery along the way.

Pro tip: The train journey on the way from Brasov to Bucharest will probably also pass through Sinaia, which is a fantastic mountainous medieval town, and home to perhaps the most beautiful of Romanian castles: Peles Castle. So, on your way from Brasov to Bucharest, consider a stop along the way at Sinaia before continuing on to Bucharest.

Read More: 9 Things to Do in Bucharest

Rasnov Fortress

Rasnov Fortress (sometimes referred to as Rasnov Citadel) is one of the oft-overlooked Brasov day trips. It’s as quick and easy to get to from Brasov as Bran Castle is, and yet so many people ignore it. Don’t be like them! If you can get from Brasov to Bran Castle, you can also get to Rasnov Fortress. And if you’re visiting Bran Castle for its history and hilltop beauty, wait ‘til you see Rasnov Fortress!

When you first approach the town of Rasnov, a delightfully small and uniform town a short drive from Brasov, you’ll see the Rasnov fortress standing ominous and powerful atop the hill, overlooking the town. Honestly, despite it not being a castle, its size and stature overlooking the small town, framed by jagged mountains, gives it way more of an immersive Dracula vibe than even Bran Castle.

Rasnov Fortress was constructed way back in the 13^th century and has remained so incredibly untouched to this day. The exception to that being a few houses inside the fortress which have been awkwardly modernised with red brick. This would be disappointing if the story behind it wasn’t so funny.

Decades ago, the fortress was bought by an Italian man who began renovating it by himself, in order to turn it into a hotel. He was quickly stopped when the local government realised what this meant for the site’s historic significance, and he was ordered to stop renovating and walk away.

He only managed to do little enough damage to make for a funny story, while the rest of Rasnov Fortress remains perfectly untouched.

The historic significance of the fortress is one reason to visit; the other is the view of the surrounding area. The whole Brasov area is in an enormous valley that stretches for miles, encompasses several towns, including Rasnov, and is bordered on every side by sublime mountains.

Rasnov Fortress is the ultimate place to get a view of all of that. In the autumn and spring months, you’re likely to get clear skies and snow-covered mountains. We visited in the dead of winter and the view was still utterly gorgeous.

Getting from Brasov to Rasnov Fortress

Just like with Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress is a very short drive from Brasov, and you really do need a car to get there. So, either hire your own car for very cheap from Brasov or get a guide to take you in their own car.

Once you’ve gotten yourself from Brasov to Rasnov Fortress, you can pay for a lift at a ticket booth. The lift consists of a trailer being pulled by a tractor, which is a fairly unique experience in itself! If you’d rather just walk, it’s a short stroll but a very steep one.

Halfway up the hill to Rasnov Fortress, there’s also a Dino Park that’s made up of a small wilderness area filled with life-size dinosaur replicas – a perfect visit to tack onto your journey from Brasov to Rasnov Fortress, especially if you have children!

Parking tip: Recently, a car park has been installed which you have to pay for. But lining the outside of the car park is a long strip of empty space where you can just park for free. Do that.

Prejmer Fortified Church

One of the most beautifully unique and historically alluring Brasov day trips is Prejmer Fortified Church. Like Rasnov Fortress, it was constructed in the 13^th century and remains almost untouched to this day. It’s hidden inside what at first seems like the unassuming and uninteresting town of Prejmer, a short drive from Brasov.

When it was initially constructed, Prejmer Fortified Church was a Catholic church, but like many in Romania, including Brasov’s infamous Black Church, it later became a Lutheran church. It was also built as a fortress within the town of Prejmer, complete with battlements and a barbican.

The fact that it has remained so beautifully untouched for more than 600 years means that exploring this fortified church truly is like stepping back in time. This isn’t a museum or a recreation; these are the same walls and ceilings that supported the people of Prejmer half a millennium ago!

The church at the centre of the fortification is a piece of outstanding beauty, but the surrounding barbican speaks of the place’s remarkable history.

Here, you’ll be able to walk up the wooden staircases to peer into the rooms which were once occupied by members of the town. Each town member could purchase a numbered room in the barbican as a place to hide from any potential invaders.

Today, many of the ground floor rooms are filled with machinery from the medieval period: looms, ploughs, and other farming equipment. The rooms aren’t set up like a museum with velvet rope and plaques; instead they’re more like untouched storage sheds.

There’s a real untouched authenticity to this place that works so well to make you feel like you have fallen through a portal into medieval Romania. Without question, and especially for history buffs, this is one of the best Brasov day trips you can take.

How to get from Brasov to Prejmer Fortified Church

Just like with Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress, a car can easily get you from Brasov to Prejmer Fortified Church. It’s a short drive from Brasov, and the town is super quiet; easy to drive around. Simply park in the free carpark nearby and stroll over to the church. You can’t miss it; surrounded by brutalist 20^th Century buildings, this medieval fortification certainly stands out!

Read More: The Best Restaurants in Bucharest (+Romanian Food Guide)

Sighisoara

The UNESCO World Heritage town of Sighisoara is one of the most astonishing and beautiful towns in all of Romania – not just in Transylvania. It’s also a deceptively simple, cheap, and quick day trip from Brasov. Beloved as not only the country’s best-preserved medieval town, but in fact the best-preserved medieval town in all of Europe.

In terms of history, Sighisoara was arguably put on the map by a similar fashion as Bran Castle: its affiliation with Dracula. However, unlike Bran Castle – which really has no concrete connection to Vlad Dracula whatsoever – Sighisoara was the true birthplace of Vlad the Impaler.

Although Vlad Dracula was the king of Wallachia – the southern province of Romania – he was born in Sighisoara, Transylvania, and lived in a house which is now a restaurant for the first four years of his life: Casa Vlad Dracul (the house of Vlad Dracul, father of Vlad Dracula).

When you visit Sighisoara, you can eat at this restaurant and even visit the upstairs room in which Vlad Dracula/Vlad Tepes/Vlad the Impaler was born! Sighisoara’s old town also has a few other unmissable sights to explore, including the city’s clock tower, which includes an interior museum and grants you an incredible 360-degree view of the city from the very top.

You can also enjoy the interactive Dracula Investigation, stroll up to the Evangelical Church on the Hill via the historic wooden covered walkway, and eat some delicious Transylvanian food at the Medieval Café Restaurant.

Sighisoara is one of the best Brasov day trips by virtue of being an entire town that can be fully explored, photographed, and admired in a single day. It’s a stunning medieval city filled with fun and interactive history and some of the sweetest, kindest people.

Don’t forget to pick up a souvenir at the shop beneath Casa Vlad Dracul, which is filled with authentic, hand-made local arts and crafts.

Read More: A Guide to Sighisoara

Getting from Brasov to Sighisoara

The quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to get from Brasov to Sighisoara is by bus. CDI is a transport company that provides cheap local buses between Brasov and Sighisoara. You can book tickets directly from their website or just turn up at the bus station, which is outside Brasov Train Station, and buy a ticket from the driver.

It’s estimated for the bus to take 3 hours but ignore that. It’s actually around 1 hour 45 minutes, which makes a Brasov to Sighisoara day trip very easy and doable. We actually stayed there overnight, which is also a fun option, but you really don’t have to.

From literary themed cafes to restaurants which offer traditional Romanian food, as well as a full sightseeing guide and tips on how to easily get from Bucharest to Brasov, here is your complete guide to Brasov Old Town.

Everything we got to experience here was thanks to the awesome people at Romanian Thrills. Book a tour with them to discover both Romanian history and the country’s natural beauty.

Things to Do in Brasov Old Town

All the best and most essential Brasov sightseeing is done in Brasov Old Town. While the rest of the city has a lot of great restaurants, hotels, and cafes to explore, the real historic and architectural beauty of Brasov is in Old Town. And here are is a guide to the unmissable things to do in Brasov Old Town when you visit Brasov.

Hotel Tip: Brasov hotels and hostels are all fairly affordable, so make sure to prioritise location and go for something in, or within walking distance of, Old Town.

Read More: Brasov Day Trips that You Have to Do

The Black Church

The 17^th Century was a rough one for Europe; the Great Fire of London in 1666 being a blistering example of that. Only a few years later, Brasov had its own great fire – one which snuffed out the lives of 3,000 Brasov residents. The fire also damaged Saint Maria Church, scarring it so famously black that its name was unavoidably (and officially) changed to The Black Church.

The Black Church is one of the most alluring buildings in Brasov, in part because of its dark history but also simply because it still stands today as a powerful and dominant figure in Brasov’s Old Town.

One of the only things not burned up in the fire of April 1689 was a painting of the Virgin Mary. Before the fire, she wore a dress of deep blue; the fire turned her dress a pitch-black colour, said to represent her mourning for the victims of the fire of Brasov.

Because of this blackening, she is now known as the Black Madonna (we weren’t able to take any photos of the Black Madonna since photography in most Romanian churches is prohibited).

Outside the church is a statue of Johannes Honter, a Romanian Saxon and a follower of the teachings of Martin Luther. Honter brought the first printing press to Romania, opened a library, and established a German school in Brasov (which still remains behind the Black Church, and which his statue is gesturing towards).

Honter also instigated the switching of mass readings in Romania from Latin to German so that the Saxon people of Transylvania at the time could actually understand it. In other words, he was a great humanist who is still very much honoured and beloved in Brasov.

Strada Sforii (Rope Street)

Proudly wearinf the title of ‘narrowest street in Southeast Europe’, Rope Street was a later addition to the already established medieval town of Brasov. It was carved out to provide ease of access to firefighters who, during the medieval era, had to make do with carrying buckets of water back and forth to quench the flames.

The stipulation for the width of Strada Sforii was that it had to be just wide enough to fit a fireman carrying two buckets of water. That’s it. And, yeah, it just about manages that.

At the end of Rope Street, you’ll meet a brand new and abstract statue (pictured below) that celebrates the history and imagery of Rope Street. Hilariously, it has already been damaged by a random drunk who tried to do a pull-up on her arm.

Beyond simply being a narrow alley that barely fulfils its purpose, Rope Street also provides for a very impressive photo opportunity.

One of the coolest things to do in Brasov is to get an epic photo of the Brasov sign (more on that below) which stands proud on the mountain beside Old Town. Strada Sforii provides the most epic photo op for the Brasov sign. Walk halfway down, away from Old Town, and look up to get the best shot.

There is also a local legend surrounding Rope Street and involving that most legendary of Transylvanians: Vlad Tepes. It is said that Vlad the Impaler stole a kiss from his future wife while walking with her down Rope Street. For the sake of transparency, this might just be a legend, since records of the street begin in the 17^th Century and Vlad Tepes ruled Wallachia (not Transylvania) during the 15^th Century. Still a cool story, though!

Brasov Sign on Tampa Mountain

While we did stipulate that all the best things to do in Brasov can be found in Old Town, the Brasov sign is a bit of a cheat because it’s a modern addition and it merely overlooks Old Town from Tampa Mountain,  a small mountain which sits within the city limits.

The Brasov sign should feel familiar to you if you’ve ever seen a film or breathed oxygen: it’s an unashamed copy of LA’s iconic Hollywood sign. Except it’s actually better than the Hollywood sign because it lights up at night.

The story behind the Brasov sign is far more interesting, and darker, than you might first assume. It originally put in place because, for a decade during the mid-20^th century, Brasov went by another name: Stalin. Just Stalin. In fact, several cities across eastern Europe had their names changed to Stalin under Soviet and Communist rule.

On Tampa Mountain, the name Stalin was formed from strategically planted trees. To eventually get rid of the name, more trees were planted to obscure the letters and, eventually, the Hollywood-inspired Brasov sign was put in place, and there it stands proud to this day.

You can also take the Tampa Mountain Cable Car up to the Brasov sign. It runs from 9.30am to 5pm and costs just 10 lei ($2.50) one way or 17 lei for a return trip. If you’d prefer to hike all the way up, you can do that, too! The view of Old Town from the Brasov sign is excellent and taking the time to head up via hike or cable car definitely makes for one of the best things to do in Brasov.

Read More: 9 Unmissable Things to Do in Bucharest

Catherine’s Gate

Surrounding the western parts of Old Town are Brasov’s old Defensive Fortifications. If you’re a history buff, visiting these old city walls is one of the coolest things to do in Brasov. And the most impressive part of the old fortifications is Catherine’s Gate.

While a few towers and bastions remain intact, it’s Catherine’s Gate that stands tall and proud to this day. Though what we have now isn’t the entire structure. Much of this medieval gate was demolished in 1827, but the gate that remains is still a sight and a half. In fact, its five small medieval towers are so delightfully reminiscent of a Disney castle as to give you happy fairy tale chills.

The five high-pointed towers of Catherine’s Gate are representative of Brasov’s proudest symbol: the crown. If you have a sharp enough eye, you’ll spy the symbol of the crown everywhere in Brasov Old Town, either literally — in a coat of arms — or symbolically in the shape of things, with Catherine’s Gate being the best example.

The reason for the crown is in part because Brasov’s Latin name was Corona (crown). And so, the coat of arms to this day features a crown.

It also features the roots of a tree, the origin of which can be traced back to the Hungarian King Solomon who fled into the woods of Brasov and placed his crown on a tree to trick his pursuers while he hid in the nearby caves.

Council Square (Piata Sfatului)

The place in which you will likely end up spending much of you time when you visit Brasov is Piata Sfatului – the council square of Old Town.

It’s the central glue of the district – a picturesque and historic square surrounded by medieval buildings. From the Council Square you can see and walk to the Black Church, spy and photograph the Brasov sign, and walk down Strada Republicii (more on that below).

Council Square is also where you can find plenty of food and drinks, both local and foreign, traditional and modern. If you’re craving Starbucks or KFC, they’re here. If you’d rather try the best traditional Romanian food, here you’ll find La Ceaun (more about Brasov restaurants below as well). And, if you’re eager to explore the Brasov café scene, Kafe Pub is steps away.

As for the history of Piata Sfatului, the first thing you’ll notice is the enormous central watchtower. What was once the Council House is now the Brasov County Museum of History. On one side you’ll spy the Brasov Coat of Arms displayed proudly. The watchtower is known as Trumpeters Tower, where lookouts would use trumpets to signal approaching invaders.

The former Brasov Council House is also where criminals due to be imminently hanged would spend their final night, in the tower overlooking the gallows – perhaps the worst torture they could have been put through. Where the gallows once stood is now the fountain; a far more pleasant sight.

Brasov Council Square is very much the hub of Old Town, and you’ll find plenty of Brasov hotels nearby, which is exactly where you’ll want to be. From Piata Sfatului, all the best things to do in Brasov are within reach, including Strada Republicii.

Strada Republicii

Commonly known as Brasov’s pedestrian street, this is the main shopping street of Old Town. No cars can come down here, and it’s on this street that you’ll find the best Brasov restaurants, cafes, and boutique shops.

Beginning in Council Square and making up the spine of old town, with smaller streets reaching out and away like limbs, Strada Republicii is home to almost every single one of the Brasov restaurants we’ll be exploring below: L’etage, Bibliotheque Pub, Pickles, and more besides for you to discover for yourself.

If you’re in the mood to shop, Strada Republicii has some great stores. Our favourite which we discovered when strolling up and down Strada Republicii was Cato: a stunning local store that sells gorgeous high-end jackets, boots, sweaters, scarves, and more for a really good price.

It’s not usual for us to promote a particular clothing store on Books and Bao, but the stuff here was just so beautiful. Strada Republicii always delivers. If you’ve finished your Brasov sightseeing and you’re wondering what to do in Brasov Old Town, simply take a stroll down Strada Republicii and explore the shops, cafes, and restaurants on offer. Speaking of Brasov restaurants…

Brasov Restaurants & Cafes

We’ve already covered at length the wonders and delights of traditional Romanian food, and a lot of it hails from Transylvania. So, while you’re in Brasov, make sure to fully explore the local cuisine in as many of the following Brasov restaurants as possible.

The coffee culture in Brasov is also intense – far more so than in the capital of Bucharest. Take advantage of that while you’re here and check out these fantastic speciality and themed local Brasov cafes and pubs.

La Ceaun

Let’s begin with one of the very best Brasov restaurants. In fact, if you’re specifically looking for traditional Romanian food, La Ceaun is the best. There are two branches in Old Town: one on Council Square and another on a side street just off from Strada Republicii.

La Ceaun is a rustic and traditional restaurant with modern trappings which serves all the best Romanian dishes. Here, you’ll find the very best mici (known here in Transylvania as mititei) and sarmale. The Council Square branch of La Ceaun also offers a colossally sized papanasi for dessert.

Just be aware: only the Council Square branch offers mici and papanasi, thus making it the superior branch of La Ceaun. For this reason, we can’t really recommend the second branch; it’s better to just stick with the restaurant on Council Square, so vitally important to your diet are mici and papanasi.

While the restaurant does look quite fancy, and the food is plentiful, the prices are still insanely reasonable for foreign visitors. For locals, they’re arguably a little pricey, but you won’t have any problem affording a few meals at La Ceaun.

If you want to know more about the dishes mentioned here, like sarmale, mici, and papanasi, check out our detailed guide to local Romanian dishes.

L’etage

As bookish travellers, we’re obligated and excited to discuss a place with this much literary charm. L’etage is a Brasov restaurant, café, and bar. When we visited, we just had a few coffees, but they also have an extensive drinks range and fantastic dinner options.

L’etage, located halfway down Strada Republicii, is a great place to come during the evening. Live music, from a lone pianist to a larger band, is playing almost constantly, and the décor is made up of literal walls of books. The theme here is books and music, and it is executed so masterfully.

What L’etage really has going for it as one of the best Brasov restaurants is its underground musical charm, its dedication to using books and literature as a decorative theme, and its pub-like charming atmosphere. A great place to eat, drink, and be merry.

Read More: A Complete Guide to Traditional Romanian Food

Pharmacy Café

Perhaps our favourite place in Brasov to sit and relax. Found on Strada Michael Weiss, and offshoot of Strada Republicii, Pharmacy Café is a little wonderland for fans of Jules Verne, Mary Shelley, or Robert Louis Stevenson – in fact, the official name above the door is Dr. Jekelius, named after one of Stevenson’s most beloved characters.

The décor of Pharmacy Café is subtle – understated – but clear enough to be just a little bit, and delightfully, campy. But the place always has a perfectly calm and relaxed atmosphere that soothes as well as its drinks do. It’s the perfect antidote to a long and exhausting day of exploring and sightseeing in Brasov. If you’re looking for a place to relax, have a coffee, and take a load off, Pharmacy Café is exactly that.

One of the most encouraging things about Brasov in general is that so many shops and cafes are open far later than in many European cities, so don’t worry about missing your chance to relax at Pharmacy Café – it’s open from 8am to 12am every single day of the week.

Bistro de l’Arte

When we visit another country, it doesn’t take long to get used to their average cost of living. Spend a week in London and you get used to paying £8 for a pint. Spend a month in China and you’ll be appalled when you leave and find that other countries’ taxis cost more than $5.

My point here is that Bistro de l’Arte is a little pricey – perhaps the priciest of the Brasov restaurants we’ve mentioned here. But it’s still cheap, or at most average, by Western European standards. Comparatively to other Brasov restaurants, though, it feels a little high-end.

All that said, you pay for what you get. And Bistro de l’Arte provides the finest local cuisine and a very refined and authentic décor that’s perfect for a date night. It has a medieval style décor that breathes traditional both inside and out, and the wine list is appropriately generous.

Bibliotheque Pub

As the name suggests, this is another literary themed place that suits the scene of Brasov perfectly. You enter Bibliotheque Pub down a short alleyway off Strada Republicii, and this alleyway is lined with rustic bookshelves, themselves lined with old, warn tomes of Romanian literature.

The menu for Bibliotheque Pub is a perfect and welcoming mix of authentic Transylvanian cuisine and a broader selection of foreign staples like burgers and fries. It’s affordable and strikes an ideal balance between local and foreign, while having one of the best aesthetics of any of the Brasov restaurants we’ve covered.

Kafe Pub

Moving away from the Brasov restaurants and into the more selective locales. Kafe Pub is a coffee shop, pure and simple.

It’s another bookish, literary themed café that offers an enormous selection of coffees of every kind, with all of the assumed Italian words plastered across the menu. If you like your coffees sweet, there’s a host of flavour choices available.

Kafe Pub is very much a lazy Sunday afternoon kind of place. If you love tucking a book under your arm and heading out to a coffee shop for some quiet reading time in a soothing environment, Kafe Pub is exactly what you’re looking for.

Kafe Pub is for the people coming to Brasov to relax, take in the local vibe, and forget their troubles. The décor, which features hipster vintage staples like an old gramophone and rows of books, reinforces that delightfully, and the soundtrack which accompanies your drinking session is as jazzy and smooth as the coffee they serve.

Luado Chocolate

While Luado Chocolate is neither a Brasov restaurant nor a café, it is still a unique and dazzling local place that absolutely deserves both mentioning and visiting. This place is a local chocolatier found on a corner of Council Square.

While you can pick up handmade boxes of chocolates here for yourself or as souvenirs for loved ones back home, you owe it to yourself to try their hot chocolate – the authentic type that’s made with a lump of chocolate on a stick (the best kind). If you visit Brasov in winter the hot chocolate is especially soothing and welcoming.

Getting from Bucharest to Brasov

Let’s close off this guide by mentioning exactly how to get from Bucharest to Brasov. Most people who come to Brasov fly into Bucharest first, then make plans to travel north from Bucharest to Brasov. And what’s the best way to do that?

You have a few options, but the best of them is to travel by rail. The trains across Romania aren’t all quick and reliable, but the one from Bucharest to Brasov and back certainly is. It takes two hours and the scenery is extraordinary, especially if you catch the mountains when they’re caked in pure white snow.

Just head to Gara de Nord station in Bucharest and hop on the train to Brasov. You can buy tickets at the station or online. We suggest online to guarantee yourself a seat. And they’re cheap, too!

If you’d prefer the more adventurous option, you can rent a car. Driving in Romania has built up a kind of scary mythology which I want to put to rest right now: driving in Bucharest is terrifying and not recommended. Driving anywhere else in Romania is absolutely fine.

If you want to rent a car, hop on the train at Gara de Nord and get off at Sinaia – a gorgeous mountain resort town. From there, you’re far enough from Bucharest to rent a car and safely drive the rest of the way to Brasov and beyond.