A first-time guide to Romania

21.11.2024 - 16:21 / lonelyplanet.com

Nov 21, 2024 • 8 min read

Ancient forests and long-enduring traditions that have produced a storybook’s worth of legends: yes, Romania is as alluring as you’ve heard.

Here, you’ll find magnificent castles and medieval fortresses, with diverse landscapes that range from riveting mountaintops, thermal waters and lush meadows to wide beaches and an extraordinary delta by the Black Sea.

In the last decade, the country has changed exponentially. While Romania remains one of the last European countries where you can find wild living and country life seemingly untouched by modernity (you really will see horse-drawn buggies in small villages), its cities feel utterly contemporary, with wi-fi available at most cafes, a thriving tech scene, specialty coffee and world-class festivals. (EDM fans should immediately add Untold to their calendars.) 

Bucharest is the economic epicenter and largest city, where rich cultural scene sets it apart in the country. It is here, as well as in sought-after Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania’s unofficial capital, that the cost of living reaches levels similar to Western Europe. Yet as soon as you travel into the countryside, you’ll find bargains galore.

Before you set out, keep in mind that Romania is bigger than you think, and ease of getting around can vary according to where you are in the country. We recommend picking one or two regions and really getting to know them.

If you’re thinking of heading to Romania for the first time, here’s more of what you need to know. 

With a temperate continental climate, Romania’s weather ranges from frigid to sizzling. Winters are colder in the mountains, with temperatures well below freezing from December to mid-March (though the past few years have been milder, with less snow). Recent summers have been plagued by heatwaves and droughts, with scorching, 38°+C (100°+F) highs in the southern flat areas not uncommon.

Which is why late spring and early autumn might be the best times to visit Romania. April and May bring a slew of festivals and the scent of lilacs and linden blossoms. Late September and October usher in exciting events; the pleasant temperatures and autumn foliage make this the perfect season for leisurely road trips and hiking the golden-hued Carpathian Mountains.

Several cities in Romania – such as Bucharest and the popular Transylvanian towns of Brașov, Cluj-Napoca or Sibiu – are suitable for long-weekend city breaks. All are connected to airports (Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport is by far the busiest), with Brașov’s Ghimbav the first new airport to be unveiled in Romania in 50 years. If you’re driving into Banat from Hungary, stops in Timișoara and Oradea will delight history and architecture lovers.

A week would be most ideal