Bucharest and Romania

Thanks so much for your comments! We are taking a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Bucharest late Sept. We extended in Romania and will stay in Brasov at the Kronwell Hotel. We visit the castles near there. Any other suggestions for there or Bucharest? Since we so, so love Paris.....I'm really excited!!

I lived in Bucuresti about 20 years ago. Back then, it was a very grey and dirty city. Stray dogs everywhere that would chase you in packs of 30-40 dogs! Rocks in the pocket were a must and I used to dream of creative routes to avoid the packs...and even more creative plans to make my escape when chased. I still loved Buc because I had immersed myself in the Romanian language and culture and loved the people, but it wasn't high on the tourist circuit.

I agree, the renovations and rebirth of the Old Town and city center are amazing! Great pedestrian areas, parks, shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. The buildings are now colorful and it seems there is green vegetation everywhere! The Casa Poporului (now called the Palatul Parlamentului) is an immense building (beyond anything you can imagine) and absolutely worth a visit. There's a great city walk from Piata Unirii, by Curtea Veche and Palatul Voievodal, to Revolution Square - right through the heart of old town. The village museum near Parcul Herastrau is exceptional.

Brasov is probably my favorite European city. It wraps around the mountain and just oozes that European city feel. I try to find lodging in the Schei District. Perfect access to Mount Tampa and the hiking trails, the old city wall and bastions and easy walking distance to the Black Church, Council Square and Strada Republicii. Brasov is also a perfect base for day trips to visit Sinaia and Peles Castle, Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress and the various fortified churches throughout the region. The fortified churches are easier to visit by car.

Corvin Castle in Hunedoara - about an hour west of Sibiu - is one of my favorite castles in Europe. Reminds me of Hogwarts. Sibiu is a fun city in itself and there's a great ASTRA open-air folk museum nearby. Great for a base to visit Corvin Castle and nearby Alba Iulia. Alba Iulia - of historical importance to Romania, Hungary, and Transylvania - has a fantastic fortress with huge bastions, Roman ruins and a surprising 11th century catholic cathedral.

I would put Sighisoara on the must-see list too. Whether or not you're interested in Dracula, the city's medieval clock tower and old town are great. So is the wood-covered stairway up to the church-on-the-hill. You can make it a day-trip from Brasov or Sibiu if you have a car. It's difficult to get by train if you're coming directly from Sibiu. Otherwise, it's a great stop en route between Brasov and Cluj or the long way from Brasov to Sibiu.

Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara are underrated. Both cities have a wonderful vibe. Timisoara has exceptional history, from the Hungarian days but especially with regards to the Revolution. The town is great for walking and has a lovely riverfront. It's also an easy 3.5-hour drive from Budapest to Timisoara. About 5.5-6 hours by train.

I feel like Cluj is the most westernized and the most livable city in Romania. It has a growing entrepreneurial culture and is a hotbed for tech companies. They call it the Silicon Valley of Transylvania. It has great, historic churches and provides great walks through the old town and city center to the river front and towards Fortress Hill. The Turda salt mines are an easy day-trip from Cluj.

Moldova is more difficult to reach, but worth a visit...usually on a subsequent trip. The painted-monasteries draw the tourists - and rightfully so - but Iasi has a magestic palace and I love Piatra Neamt! Just the feel of the city and the access to nature. Love it. FWIW, the drive from Cluj to Piatra Neamt via Bistrita and Vatra Dornei is one of the finest around. One of my fondest memories was helping a local farmer dig his horse-drawn cart out of a snow drift along the highway. Speaking of drives, the Transfagarasan drive is pretty amazing - ultra-twisty roads on the north and exceptional views from the south.

Anyway, Romania is absolutely worthwhile to visit, especially if you have already visited the Western Europe sights.

Thanks for the mention, Romania has intrigued me for a while and I've just now spent a bit of time researching hotels and connections in Brasov and Bucharest, might be the perfect new country to combine with my annual return to Budapest next spring.

Christa, I prefer to drive from Budapest to Romania. It's faster now and a car provides easier access to the castles and fortified churches than public transportation. I've never had a problem with parking and its usually inexpensive, if not free. So, if you can rent a car from Budapest, that might make for the best trip. There are still quality train and bus routes and schedules if you focus mainly on city-to-city travel plans and day-trips by bus from your city base.

The drive from Budapest to Timisoara is easy. With the completion of the western portion of the A1 motorway, the entire drive is on fast freeways. M5 to Szeged, HU and then M43 to the border at Nadlac. You still have to stop at the border, as Romania isn't yet part of the Schengen Area. Then A1 passes the Arad outskirts to the Timisoara connector road. About 3.5 hours of easy driving and a 5-10 minutes stop at the border.

Timisoara is about 2.5 hours from Corvin Castle by car. The A1 motorway isn't quite finished; there's about 40 miles between Lugoj and Deva where you get diverted to the old, slower roadway. It's supposed to be finished sometime in the next year or so.

It's another hour from Corvin Castle to Alba Iulia. From there, you can either go to Sibiu (less than an hour east - all completed A1 motorway from Sebes) or to Cluj-Napoca (about 2.5 hours north- the A3 motorway is only partially finished, so you use old, slower roadways for half the way, although I read that the A3 segment from Turda to Aiud was just completed two days ago, meaning its all motorway from the Cluj outskirts to Aiud, so that should speed up this drive).

If you want to go all the way to Bucuresti, I would suggest the following rough itinerary:

Budapest->Timisoara-->Sibiu-->Bucuresti-->Brasov-->Cluj-->Budapest

• Hit Castle Corvin and Alba Iulia en route to Sibiu.
• From Sibiu, take the E81 highway that follows the Olt river [BEAUTIFUL!] to Ramnicu Valcea and Pitesti - or, if you're up for an adventure during good weather, take the Transfagarasan highway to Curtea de Arges and then Pitesti.
• From Bucuresti, visit Sinaia and Peles Castle en route; visit Bran Castle and Rasnov as a day-trip from Brasov.
• Visit the fortified churches in Brasov county, Prejmer-Rupea-Viscri and Sighisoara en route to Cluj
• If you have more than 10 days, consider to divert from Cluj up north to the Maramures region. Sighetu Marmatiei is the closest decent-sized town to the wooden churches, but you could also consider to base out of the city of Baia Mare (about 45-60 minutes further).
• Also, consider to visit Debrecen and Eger on your way back through Hungary to Budapest.

For visiting the remote but unspoiled Maramures from northern Romania, the city of Baia Mare is placed over the mountains (the road has no less than 300 curves), at 45-120 minutes away from the wooden churches, so, Sighetu Marmatiei remains the best base.

S.M. also has a former Securitate prison that has been developed into a museum/memorial. It's an excellent place to learn about how the Ceausescu regime treated people it perceived to be enemies. You'll probably need to borrow a booklet that translates much of the explanatory material into English.

When in Bucharest and Brasov, MUST DO, Walkabout Free tours!! Can’t say enough good things about them!!! Great way to get acquainted with city!! When in Bucharest, you must do the Palace of Parliament tour!!! Brasov can’t say enough good things about. Even if you are not interested in Dracula, take bus to castle. Stop off at Rasnov and go to Rasnov Fort. Another awesome city!! Also get into countryside of Transylvania!! BEAUTIFUL!! I took a day trip Sigishororia( I know I spelled this wrong!!) Must see city!! Go to very top!!! First country I actually thought about retiring from US.