ROMANIA

🚶 Start your introduction to Romania in Bucharest’s Old Town (Lipscani) — on narrow cobblestone streets with neoclassical façades you’ll find artisan shops, coffeehouses, and bistros side by side. Be sure to stop by the Macca Passage (Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse) with its yellow stained-glass vaults and tobacco/tea salons. Then head to the Romanian Athenaeum — a neoclassical jewel with a rotunda and colonnade at Strada Benjamin Franklin 1–3; its circular hall, famous for superb acoustics, is decorated with a panoramic frieze of the country’s history. For an easy first-day pace, walk through Cișmigiu Garden to the Dâmbovița river embankment — ponds, rotundas, little bridges, and centuries-old plane trees create the atmosphere of the old “Little Paris.”

🚶 Spend the morning at the National Museum of Art of Romania (Calea Victoriei 49–53) — the former Royal Palace houses works by Brâncuși, Grigorescu, and European masters. Next is a trip around the country “in miniature” at the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum (Șos. Pavel D. Kiseleff 28–30): dozens of original houses, small churches, and farm buildings from every region, set along forest paths and lakes. At sunset — the Palace of Parliament (Strada Izvor 2–4): a giant of marble, chandeliers, and carpets built in the 1980s; it’s best to book the halls tour in advance (passport required at entry).

🚆 Transfer: Bucharest → Sinaia, CFR trains (InterRegio/Regio) from Gara de Nord: ≈ 1h25–1h45. Frequent departures throughout the day.

🚶 Sinaia is a resort at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains. Peleș Castle (Aleea Peleșului 2) is a fairytale neo-Renaissance palace with carved wood, stained glass, and an armory; neighboring Pelișor preserves Queen Marie’s Art Nouveau interiors. Nearby is Sinaia Monastery (founded in the 17th century): quiet courtyards, frescoes, and a museum cell. It’s easy to walk between sites along shady alleys.

🚆 Return to Bucharest the same way for an evening of rest.

🚆 Bucharest → Brașov: CFR InterRegio trains from Gara de Nord ≈ 2h20–2h50 (Carpathian views and the Prahova Pass along the way).

🚶 Council Square (Piața Sfatului) is the heart of medieval Brașov with the Town Hall and fountain; the cobbled pedestrian Republicii street leads to the Gothic Black Church (Curtea Johannes Honterus 2), the largest Gothic church in Transylvania. At dusk, climb up to viewpoints on Mihail Viteazul Street or look for a vantage point at the foot of Tâmpa — the city flares with lights like a theatrical set.

🚌 Brașov → Bran: from the Autogara 2 bus station (Transbus Codreanu) buses run about every hour; travel time ≈ 45–60 minutes. Convenient to combine with Râșnov on the way.

🚶 Bran Castle (Str. General Traian Moșoiu 24) is all cliffs, towers, galleries, and inner courtyards with a well. The exhibition tells the story of the royal family and Transylvanian mythology (including the “Dracula” layer). Next, Râșnov Fortress (Valea Cetății St.) is a “peasant citadel” with stone streets and views of the Piatra Craiului Mountains. In the evening, return to Brașov.

🚶 Morning: ride up Tâmpa (Telecabina Tâmpa; lower station by Aleea Tiberiu Brediceanu). From the top you get a panorama of tile roofs, bastions, and valleys. Afternoon: Poiana Brașov — forest trails in summer and ski slopes in winter; on the way, it’s worth stopping by the Bastions and the Museum of Urban Civilization (south side of Sfatului Square) for a cozy slice of life in old Kronstadt.

🚆 Brașov → Sighișoara: CFR trains (direct and with transfers) ≈ 2h–2h30.

🚶 Sighișoara is a living medieval fortress on a hill above the Târnava Mare River. The iconic gate tower is the Clock Tower (Turnul cu Ceas), which houses the History Museum; from the viewing gallery you can see the roofs of craftsmen’s houses and monastery spires. On Citadel Square, stop by Vlad Dracula’s House (Casa Vlad Dracul) — legends here are tightly interwoven with the reality of Saxon Transylvania.

🚆 Sighișoara → Sibiu: ≈ 2h40–3h (CFR).

🚶 Sibiu welcomes you with the Grand Square (Piața Mare) and its ensemble of Baroque façades, and the Brukenthal National Museum (Piața Mare 4–5) — the region’s oldest public museum (since 1817). Walk across the Bridge of Lies to the Small Square and the towers of the defensive belt; in the evening, enjoy wine bars and gastronomic courtyards in the arcades of Dominican cellars.

🚶 Devote the whole day to the ASTRA ethnographic park (Str. Pădurea Dumbrava 16–20): mills, churches, and manor farms from all historical provinces, relocated to clearings around the lake; craft workshops are open, as well as cafés with baked plăcintă pies and corn mamaliga. On the way back, stop by the History Museum House (Casa Altemberger) with Sibiu’s urban artifacts.

🚐 Option 1 (seasonal, June–October when the road is open): a trip to Lake Bâlea via the Transfăgărășan (often 2–2.5 hours one way, switchbacks and waterfalls). Outside the summer season, the ascent is possible by cable car from Bâlea Cascadă (be sure to check cable car operation and the weather).

🚐 Option 2 (year-round): Hunedoara — Corvin Castle (≈ 1h45–2h by car from Sibiu): a bridge over the moat, the Knights’ Hall, Gothic galleries and flying buttresses — one of Europe’s most cinematic castles.

🚆 Sibiu → Cluj-Napoca: CFR trains (usually with a transfer in Teiuș/Coșlariu) ≈ 4h30–5h30.

🚶 Cluj is a university city with a festival vibe. The main axis is Unirii Square with the Gothic St. Michael’s Church and the Matthias Corvinus Fountain; from it, streets radiate out with third-wave coffee shops and vintage stores. For a break — Simion Bărnuțiu Central Park with a pond and pavilions.

🚶 In the morning — the Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden (Str. Republicii 42): tropical greenhouses, a Japanese garden, and viewing terraces over the valley’s green carpet. In the afternoon — the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania (Palatul Reduta, Str. Memorandumului 21) with halls of crafts and peasant life, or the National Museum of Transylvanian History (Str. Constantin Daicoviciu 2) with archaeological “hits” — from Daco-Roman artifacts to a collection of antique jewelry.

🚌 Cluj-Napoca → Turda: buses/minibuses (Fany and others) ≈ 35–45 minutes; then a short taxi ride to the entrance at Aleea Durgăului 7.

🚶 Salina Turda is a fantastic underground space: galleries with amphitheaters, rope bridges, an underground lake with boats, and a “well” of salt layers. The lighting highlights the crystalline walls; the air is saturated with salt and is perfect for a leisurely walk. In the evening — return to Cluj.

✈️/🚆 Cluj-Napoca → Bucharest: domestic flights (≈ 50–60 min flight time) or CFR InterRegio/night trains ≈ 9–10 hours. If you’re staying in the capital until evening — a final walk along Calea Victoriei with a coffee stop and Romanian-design souvenirs.