I’ve just finished one week briefly touring key cities in Romania. This was an extension tour to a Gate 1 River cruise ending in Budapest. We left the ship, boarded our bus and headed for Romania with 32 people and a tour manager.
Timisoara. We stayed at Hotel Timisoara which is extremely well located next to a major square in Old Town and opposite the Opera House. It was an easy walk to any location in the Old Town area. We took a walking tour with a local guide that covered the architecture and history of the town and the story of the Romanian Revolution which started here in 1989. The most poignant memorial was the one to the children killed during the revolution.
Sibiu. We next journeyed to Sibiu with a stop at Hunedora Castle along the way. It was interesting to see this medieval castle but a bit shocking to how ruthless justice was at that time in history. Sibiu is one of 7 fortifed cities developed by German settlers in Transylvania. It, like all of Romania, has changed hands many times over history. We stayed at the Hilton Sibiu which was a bit out of the center.
Brasov. We stopped and toured Sighisoara on our way to Brasov where we were to spend two nights at the hotel Aro Palace. Sighisoara is a fortified twin is a great example of a medieval village. Major tourist attraction, but very few American tourists besides us. Brasov had beautiful parks and buildings as well. The Aro Palce wins high praise for its location in the center and great breakfast buffet. We had a tour to Bran Castle, Romania’s number 1 tourist location. Now we started seeing our fellow American tourists! Our tour manager insisted we get there just before 9 am when it opened. We met our local guide and walked right in. The line was hundreds long when we came out an hour later. Although it was made famous as the home of Dracula the vampire In literature, it is truly known as the home of a beloved queen in recent times and had very little to do with Vlad the Impaler. Interesting, but overhyped.
Bucharest: We spent our final two nights at the Bucharest Sheraton Hotel. On our way to Bucharest we stopped at Sinia to see Peles Castle. This castle lived up to every bit of its hype and was a highlight. If you can only visit one of either Bran Castle or Peles Castle, choose Peles Castle. The summer Palace of Romanian Monarch’s its decorations, woodwork, and Murano Glass chandeliers and mirrors dazzle. Once again, arrival at opening made all the difference as did having a local guide to tell the story of the castle. In Bucharest we had a 1/2 day tour of the city with a local guide with two highlights being walking tours at Revolution Square and the Palaces of Parliament. Bucharest was formerly known as “little Paris” and I could see why on my independent ramblings around.
Summary: Romania was a delight. I just grazed the surface of this amazing country. Air conditioning is a must for a summer visit. If you are looking for something a little different in your European travels I can highly recommend it. Most of your walking will be on cobblestones and there are many stairs in most sites you may want to visit.