The abbey at Cârța was established in 1205, or maybe next year by the Cistercian monks at the behest of Hungarian king Emerich, who was continuing a project of the Arpad dynasty of colonizing Transylvania. Prior to that, these monks, coming from Burgundy, a region in the east of France had established the first monastery […]

A new Administrative Code, modified by an emergency ordinance by the Government, brought protesters to the capital Bucharest, in front of the institution. A few hundreds of people with many flags came in support of the Constitutional article 13, that states Romanian language is the only official language of the country.  By the existing Administrative […]

Brașov is just another town of Transylvania established by the Germans, in this case, the Teutons, who were defending this regional periphery. The necessity for defense walls grew in the 13 century with the invasions of the Tatars (Mongols), but the constructions were extended and improved for almost six centuries after. In the 15 century, […]

This rocky hill has been defended since the time of the Dacians, more than two thousand years ago, according to some archeological findings. The Teuton knights, who were under a contract with the Hungarian king to defend this border region of Transylvania, also built some fortification here in the 14 century. But we have no […]

When taking the national road from Brașov to Sighișoara, you can’t help notice two monuments that remind you of the rich medieval history of Transylvania. The first is the peasant fortress of Rupea, and the other is the clock tower of Saschiz. The latter is a replica of the clock tower in Sighișoara, present in […]

Sighișoara is the medieval fortress with the longest uninterrupted dwelling in Europe, so the typical images from this Romanian city would include Gothic churches, narrow cobble streets and bastions. But this city of Transylvania has it’s modern neighborhoods, where the bulk of the population lives, outside the walls of the hill fortress. Just a few […]

Though the Black Church in downtown Brașov is the most famous monument in the city, there is another religious building, not far away, that is about one century older: the Orthodox church of Saint Nicholas. Compared to the massive and grim Evangelical Black Church, the Orthodox church is slimmer and covered in Byzantine frescoes on […]

Surrounded by the highest peaks in Romania (the Făgăraș Mountains, part of the Carpathian chain), this monastery assures you that God can be found where is beauty. The beauty of the natural surroundings and the spiritual tradition of Sâmbăta de Sus work together to create one of the most special places you will ever encounter. […]

Brașov is rapidly catching up on the race for the unofficial title of Transylvania’s most important town. Sibiu had a head start after gaining the European Cultural Capital title, which came with heavy investments in restoring landmark buildings and museums. And Cluj secured its name as Transylvania’s business hub. But Brașov has on its side […]

An anonymous village in Transylvania has aroused the curiosity of European tourists in recent years, due to a famous royalty who decided to buy a vacation house here. Viscri is a small village, hidden inside an imaginary triangle of three cities in the center of Romania: Brașov, Sighișoara and Făgăraș. Brașov is one of the […]

Founded in 1919, U Cluj is one of the oldest and popular football teams in Romania and now has the most modern stadium in the country. The choice for innovative architecture may come as a surprise for an almost centennial club, that is one of the emblems of Cluj, the largest city of Transylvania, known […]

The Hunyad or Corvin dynasty is as disputed among Romanians and Hungarians as Transylvania itself. This North-Western province of Romania was for many centuries either part of Hungary or subject to the Hungarian crown, but is demographically vastly Romanian. As was the case with Britain under the Normans, Transylvania had a Romanian population and a […]

Not long ago, in the last century, you could positively identify the geographic area of origin of a Romanian by looking at his clothes. The costumes were entirely home-made and it was a matter of great pride to preserve the exact decorations with vegetal, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs. Even today there are several regions of […]

Despite its small size, Sighisoara might be the most beautiful Romanian cities. A charming miniature, that makes you feel like a lucky explorer during a discovery. Sighisoara is one of the cities of Transylvania built by German settlers in the Middle Ages, brought by the Hungarian crown here to lift up the economy. Thus its […]

With a documented history of nine centuries, Sibiu is one of the oldest cities in Romania. Situated in the heart of Transylvania, Sibiu was built by German settlers brought here by the Hungarian king. Back then, Transylvania was part of Hungary and the settlers were brought to defend the border of the empire and to […]

St Anna Lake’s area has a special air purity due to the vast forests surrounding it and the landscape is enchanting at any time. The lake is 30 km away from Baile Tusnad resort, which you can also reach by hiking. Though the region is in the heartland of Romania, this part of Transylvania has […]

Though it seems that Vlad The Impaler never used it as his usual home, the myth of the vampire-king made Bran the tourist attraction with most foreigners in Romania. And since we are not sure for how long this construction shall maintain its public destination as a museum, the castle should definitely not be missed […]