As my Romanian trip neared its end, I had a busy schedule ahead of me. There were still a few must see spots in Romania I didn’t want to miss. I mean, I had to go and see the stunning Hunedoara Castle (or Corvin Castle). And how I could go to Romania and not drive the Transalpina road. Full of windy roads through the Carpathian Mountains with a stunning landscape.
So, what else is there, besides stunning Transylvania? (Read blog here)
After Medias I made my way up to Cluj-Napoca. I read in a few different blogs that it is a nice city to visit. However after leaving the area around Sighisoara and the colourful towns I wasn‘t quite sure why I went there. It was a nice city but after seeing what I have seen I didn‘t find it that special or worth the extra driving time. It was quite big and busy and so I had a quick walk around the centre and continued on south again.
Alba Iulia
The next stop was Alba Iulia, south of Cluj-Napoca. Driving in, I wasn‘t sure what to expect, and I was trying to find the old town. Once I found it, it was a big WOW! What a stunning and interesting upper town region, in and outside of the 17th century citadel of Alba Iulia. It is a great area to walk around Albina Iulia, adding steps to my day. Inside the city and outside the city walls.
One of the unexpected must see spots in Romania.
Hunedoara Castle (Corvin Castle)
The second, and definitely one of the top must see spots in Romania, was the Hunedoara Castle (or Corvin Castle). I was on my way to Sibiu when I decided to do a spontaneous right turn, heading towards Hunedoara and the castle. It was late in the afternoon already and 30 degrees, so I planned to visit it the next day, after a very disappointing overnight stay in a remote Gasthaus 30km away. Let’s say I booked a 4 star gasthaus, with great reviews and nothing worked. Nor was there any help from the host. So I learned to book more central after that one. Another travel lesson learned!
Seeing the Hunedoara castle in the morning, however, made my day. What a beautiful fairytale castle. The best of them all and much nicer than the Dracula castle in Transylvania. From the outside and inside, it was a great morning, exploring the different areas, taking amazing photos!
I am so glad I did the detour. And so should you! I highly recommend it on your trip to see.
Sibiu Transylvania
Before taking one of the famous roads back down the mountains (Transalpina), I had one last stop, Sibiu. It meant to have lots of Germanic architecture and medieval walls and towers. I expected a lot, but I didn’t see anything special. Yes, it is a nice town, and it has a certain city vibe, but nothing in comparison to the other Transylvanian towns I have seen. I mean, how amazing was Brasov!
I just realised I didn’t even take any photos of Sibiu. So if you are short in time definitely see the other Transylvania towns. See my thoughts here.
The best thing about Sibiu was the timing as it was a ‘Street Food Festival’ weekend. Perfect spot to eat a delicious pulled pork Gyros!
So, that is all for my final must see spots in Romania. Transylvania and Romania has been certainly one of my many highlights. So, to top it all, let’s drive one of the most famous roads, the Transfagarasan Road (that is, if you watched Top Gear).
Except, I didn’t. Unfortunately the road was closed due to snow, although it was June already. So I had to drive the Transalpina instead. Still fun though!
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Transalpina, the drive
Although the Transalpina road is the less glamouros one, it was still great. Especially at the peak of 2140m the view was breathtaking. Small tip: don’t drive it, if you get carsick easily. It is pretty windy and curvy! But for me personally, I enjoyed the two hours driving the road through the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.
Off to Bulgaria next!
