Vampires & vistas

Romania's blend of beauty and picturesque landscape make it a perfect tourist destination.

The Dracula Castle, the Danube River, the Black Sea coast, monasteries and the Sinaia castle are well known attractions.

As we made our way out of the Otopeni International Airport in Bucharest, we decided to make the best of the few hours we had in the city. After a stopover at the hotel, we headed for Herastrau Park.

Village Museum

Commonly referred to as the Village Museum, it was founded by royal decree in 1936. This museum, the largest in Europe, covers some 30 acres on the shores of Lake Herastrau.

It features a collection of 50 buildings — steep-roofed peasant homes, thatched barns, log cabins, churches and watermills. The Village Museum hosts events where artisans demonstrate traditional skills such as weaving and pottery.

Folk arts and crafts are available at the museum gift shop.

The streets between Bulevardul Mircea Eliade and Soseaua Kisileff contain houses in various architectural styles.

Parliament Palace

Originally called Palace of the People, this building is the legacy of Nicolae Ceausescu, former dictator of Romania executed during the revolution of 1989.

It contains amongst its many materials 3,500 tonnes of crystal, mostly in its several thousand chandeliers, and 700,000 tonnes of steel and bronze in its monumental doors.
Guided tours are available in different languages.

The Art Collections Museum and the National History Museum are also well worth a visit.

Poiana Brasov

This is Romania's most important winter resort. We admired the bastions of medieval fortresses and the Biserica Neagra (the Black Church),the greatest Gothic building in the southeastern Europe.

Bran Castle

Bran Castle, situated between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului Mountains, is a national monument and a landmark of Romania's tourism, due to its beauty, the scenery and its association with the legend of Count Dracula. Its bright fairytale turrets and winding passages of small but brightly filled rooms are fascinating.

Just below the castle, a folk museum is worth a quick look.
Stalls outside the castle sell food and and gift items.

Having bought a couple of key chains and T-shirts, my shopping experience was quite satisfactory.

With a lingering taste of timelessness and beauty, we made our return trip towards Bucharest. With a heavy heart and promise to return, we bade adieu to the land of Dracula.

— Bandana Jain is a UAE-based freelance writer

Romania's attractions: at a glance

Medieval Towns: Romania houses some of the best preserved medieval towns such as Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara.

Spas: Romania is rich in mineral and thermal springs. These natural factors under attentive medical care through physiotherapy, acupuncture, electrotherapy and medicines produced from plants result in excellent results.

Castles & Fortresses: While castles built from the 14th to the 18th centuries are strong and austere fortresses built mainly for defense against invaders, while those built in the beginning of late 1800s are impressive and luxurious.

Dracula Castle and the Sinaia Castle occupy a special position on the global tourist map.

The Black Sea Resorts: Beaches, stretching from Mangalia to Mamaia, are dotted with resorts, hotels and countless sports and entertainment facilities.

The Danube Delta: It is formed with the waters of the Danube which flows into the Black sea.

The Danube Delta has more than 300 bird species, 160 kinds of fish and 800 plant families.

It preserves more than 1,678,000 acres comprising channels and canals, reed islands, lakes, oak forests, desert dunes and fishermen villages.

The Painted Monasteries: Among the most picturesque treasures of Romania are the painted churches in Bucovina. The Sinaia Monastery or “Carpathians' Cathedral'' dates to the 17th century and represents the historical identity of the town.

Best buys

While in Romania don't forget to shop for the following items: