Ancient castles and haunting folklore, glittering palaces and cobblestone streets, jagged Transylvanian Alps and rolling vineyards. Romania has all these qualities you love about Europe, but without the exorbitant price tag or seasonal throngs of tourists. It’s rare to discover a hidden gem on the continent, as European travel is so popular with Americans—if you truly want to go off-the-beaten path, the thinking goes, check out places in Africa or Asia (or sail to Antarctica if you’re desperate). And yet, Romania is one of the last truly unique and stunningly wild nations on earth—and, having visited 103 countries, you can trust me on this.
But why is Romania so underrated? After all, the nation’s lore looms large in popular culture as the birthplace of werewolves and vampires—and, most famously, Dracula. Nosferatu was filmed on-site in Transylvania in 2024, as was season one of the Netflix series Wednesday. Maybe it’s because tourists don’t realize Dracula was based on a real person, Vlad Tepes (also known as Vlad the Impaler), a 15th-century Romanian ruler (and the ancestor of yours truly, though I promise I remain unbiased). Fall travelers should swap the pumpkin patch for an actual haunted castle—and there are many in the Carpathian Mountains. Also, in those mountains? Skiing, hiking, and charmingly quaint villages. One of the more famous proponents of Romania as a travel destination is King Charles (another descendent of Dracula), who bought his first Transylvanian property in 2006.
But there’s more to Romania than its pristine and pastoral countryside—the capital of Bucharest, in all its Belle Époque splendor, is referred to as the Paris of the East. And just beyond the city is Europe’s largest indoor spa, an all-day wellness destination drawing visitors all across the continent and beyond (with plans to expand into the U.S.). And Romania is unlikely to remain a well-kept secret for long—U.S. tourism has increased 40% in the past few years, aided by increased air paths. Direct flights from the U.S. started operating, after a 20-year hiatus, in 2024 with service to Bucharest from New York City. Two years later, HiSky added additional nonstop service to Chicago. In short, the moment to visit is now.
From ancient cities to untouched wilderness, read on for the top reasons why Romania should be elevated to the very top of your bucket list.
1. The glittering city of Bucharest is the “Paris of the East.”
When imagining the capital of Romania, you’d be forgiven for thinking in an oppressively muted color palette—the country only overthrew its Communist dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu, in 1989, after all. A visit to the Spring Palace, his former home in the tree-lined Primăverii district, is essential for understanding this recent history. In fact, the city is filled with sparkling palaces and lush green parks. It’s nothing like the Brutalist remains of the Eastern Bloc that’s so prevalent in popular culture even today—if Mexico is sepia-toned in Hollywood, Eastern Europe is ominous browns and washed-out shades of gray.
The capital is known as the “Paris of the East,” (Micul Paris) and its lively café culture and grand boulevards certainly resemble France (the city even has a matching Arcul de Triumf). After a massive fire in 1847 destroyed the medieval villages, the city was rebuilt in the elegant Belle Époque style, followed later by an influx of Neo-Romanian and Art Deco architecture. And yet, despite these Francophile similarities, the city remains entirely its own. Consider it a continental crossroads of East meets West—where elegant restaurants, bakeries, and luxury hotels commingle with handicraft shops, centuries-old churches, and hidden libraries.
The cuisine is also divine—order the stuffed cabbage (sarmale) and țuică, a plum brandy that’s taken as a shot before a meal, with vișinată (sour-cherry liqueur) or pălincă (a digestif) to follow. Unsurprisingly, nightlife in Bucharest is also outstanding, with a raucous yet relaxed energy—don’t be surprised to see people (literally) dancing in the streets. And unlike neighboring Budapest, it remains largely undiscovered, so you will be out at night with locals rather than befuddled (and often overserved) American tourists—I was warned by my taxi driver that one beer in Romania equals three in the U.S., so imbibe accordingly.
2. Soak in the geothermal waters of the largest spa in Europe.
Therme Bucharest, located 12 miles north (or a half-hour drive) of Bucharest’s city center in Balotești, is a destination unto itself. Luckily, it’s located just 10 minutes away from Henri Coandă International Airport, because it’s a site of frequent pilgrimages for visitors elsewhere in Europe who will cross international borders and board a flight to soak in the spa’s geothermal bliss—if only for a day. As the largest indoor spa in Europe, Therme offers a luxurious wellness experience without the exorbitant price tags attached to premium facilities in Western Europe and beyond. And the attitude is distinctly Romanian, or rather, Eastern European—alongside personalized massage centers and infrared beds, there’s a full swim-up bar and music playing. You can make the visit as lively or relaxing as you like—the spa is massive, featuring the largest indoor botanical garden on the continent (with over 800,000 plants).
Therme Bucharest is a true oasis. You will feel like you’re no longer landlocked outside a city, but rather in a tropical rainforest blooming with wildflowers. The entire experience is a true meeting of East and West—from Himalayan salt saunas and Russian banyas to a Hollywood Sauna that plays popular movies on a daily loop. Schedule a day trip during your stay—the 6,000-square-foot wave pool and waterpark alone are diverting enough for children, while adults can enjoy the more elevated spa treatments.
Be sure to check if there are any events lined up during your visit. I attended the Therme Herbarium Festival in May, the world’s largest wellness and sauna festival, where I spent an entire day treating myself to custom spa treatments from around the world. Therme Group is now slated to share their formula with the world as they plan international expansion across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. So, head there soon for bragging rights for visiting the Romanian flagship before it becomes a household name. (Your skin will thank you, too.)
3. The Transylvanian countryside is bewitching in its beauty.
From town to country, we’re headed out into the small villages and medieval fortresses of Transylvania as our final reason to visit Romania. While the name alone evokes horror for many—street vendors sell souvenir T-shirts reading A Smile from Transylvania with bloody fangs—the actual countryside is heavenly. A subrange of the Carpathian Mountains, the Transylvanian Alps are picturesque, with jagged limestone peaks and dense green woodlands that are some of the last remaining virgin forests in Europe. Outdoor adventurers should set out on skiing and hiking trails to explore truly wild and untouched terrain, while wine-lovers should taste their way across Transylvanian Plateau wine region, where local vintners specialize in crisp, high-altitude white varietals, as well as traditional-method sparkling wine.
The charming villages at the rolling mountainous foothills remain largely untouched by mass tourism, offering a unique cultural experience that’s difficult to find anywhere else. Spend time perusing the villages and markets for local crafts and delicacies—painted eggs are totems of good luck, and traditional Romanian peasant blouses are quite fashionable nowadays (and well-suited to wear at home). Popular street food includes mici, minced meat, and langoși, deep-fried bread, and merdenele, a cheese pastry. Just be sure to withdraw enough cash in advance, as many places do not accept Western credit cards.
And, of course, you’re in Transylvania for a reason, and if you don’t spend a day visiting historic castles, you’re missing out. Bran Castle, built by the Saxons in 1377, is a must-visit, of course. Also known as “Dracula’s Castle,” this forbidding gothic fortress is situated upon a 200-foot rockface, gazing upon the village below like a dark and twisted fairytale. From there, travelers should continue their sightseeing tour by heading to the southern Carpathian Mountains, to Wallachia, to visit our next two royal selections. First, head to Cantacuzino Castle in nearby Bușteni, which doubles as the filming locale of Nevermore Academy in Netflix’s Wednesday. Then, visit Peleș Castle in Sinaia, Romania. Considered one of the most beautiful castles in Europe, it was commissioned by King Carol I in 1873 as a summer palace, and the Neo-Renaissance design stands out dramatically against the backdrop of the Bucegi Mountains and Carpathian pines.
Luckily, these three fortresses are all within easy driving distance of one another, so you don’t have to choose. Your only regret will be not having planned your stay for even longer—there’s always more to uncover along the winding roads and ancient forests of the Transylvanian countryside, which is truly haunting in its beauty.
