CENTRAL TRANSYLVANIA

Here is why you should visit Transylvania

I often meet people who have heard of Romania and want to go there, or to visit Transylvania.
Most often, they have a very positive representation of it, beautiful landscapes, medieval castles to visit, Dracula…

But each time, the desire to visit comes up against a few sensitivities that we will try to unblock in this article.

Do you have to speak Romanian to visit Transylvania? Yes, Transylvania is currently part of Romania, after many battles and disputes over the centuries. You should know that despite appearances, the Romanian language is a Latin language, which means that many words you will see on signs / maps / sites will look like English. Moreover, the vast majority of Romanians speak English, except in the depths of the countryside (but there it is understandable), and you will find many Romanians of a certain age who speak English!

How to stay? My recommendation is to stay in pensions. These are often accommodations under a hotel system, arranged directly with the locals or most often in an annex. These accommodations are now of a good standard, comfortable and well laid out, which have nothing to envy to the more “classic” hotels”. They are all listed in guides such as (Le petit futé and consoors). They are even more easily found using a phone with an internet connection, and google maps by typing “pensiune” in the google maps search.These accommodations are economical, and you will allow you to discover otochtones as closely as possible.

How to move? The best way is by car. All global rental agencies are present on site. The bus network is also very developed and I recommend the following 2 companies: Transmixt and Dacos. The train, unfortunately, is not very practical or time-saving. It has the particularity of being really typical and of crossing breathtaking landscapes. There are even still tracks with steam locomotives!

Do I need cash? No, except for a simple precautionary principle. Visa credit cards are accepted in all shops, and you can easily withdraw the money you want from a bank distributor (pay attention to fees which may vary depending on the bank). In general, French people are recommended to withdraw from a BRD distributor, a subsidiary of Société Générale. The exchange rate in August 2020 is around 1€ = 4.8Lei.

What to visit? Here is a non-exhaustive list: – The castle of BRAN, then BRASOV. – The village of Viscri, not far from Brasov. – The castle of FAGARAS – The historic center of Sibiu, as well as the open-air ASTRA museum (Romanian peasant museum) – the ALBOTA trout farm, near Sibiu, on the Route de Raul Sadului – The citadel of ALBA IULIA – The FELIX baths in Oradea – The Happy Cemetery in Maramures – TURDA salt mine – The naturally salty lakes of SOVATA – Mud volcanoes near BUZAU – The Transfagarasan, and the Transalpina, 2 roads which cross from side to side (North-South) the Carpathians and which are fabulous.

Visit Transylvania Sovata

Link to the official website of the Romanian Tourist Office

Want to learn about the gastronomy of Transylvania? Discover our articles by clicking on this link