Transylvania is a place of mesmerizing sites and spooky legends. It’s renowned as the mysterious land of howling wolves and bloodthirsty vampires. This fictitious image is accurate up to a certain point as the scenery is spectacularly dramatic. But the image is just an element of Transylvania, whose almost 100,000 km take in alpine peaks and meadows, dense forests and caves sheltering wild boar and bears, as well as lowland valleys. The population here is an ethnic mix of Gypsies, Germans, Magyars, and Romanians among many others formed over centuries of colonization and migration. If you are planning a trip to Transylvania, this guide will help you discover the top attractions in this region.
The Hyandai Castle
Often referred to as Corvin Castle, the Hyundai Castle is one of Europe’s most beautiful castles. Built in the 15th century by lancu of Hunedoara, this castle binds several stories and legends, including that Vlad the Impaler was once a prisoner here and turned into the popular Dracula. Once inside the castle, you will be transported into the medieval era of the 14th and 15th centuries. The Hyundai Castle was included in Europe’s Top 10 ‘fairy tale castles’.
Bran Castle
Just like the Hyundai Castel, this castle is also listed in the scariest buildings in the world and the most beautiful castles. Bran Castle is located in Brasov County.
Alba Carolina Fortress
This star-shaped fortification attracts lots of tourists annually to the city of Alba Iulia. Established within its walls is the Great Union of 1918 and it is a great place for Romanian people’s history. Built over 300 hundred years ago, the Alba Carolina Fortress is one of Transylvania’s most historical monuments.
Turda Salt Mine
About 13 million years ago, salt deposits were believed to have been formed in Transylvania. Although there are several points of exploration of these deposits in this region, the Turda Salt Mine is the best known and most beautiful in Transylvania. Owing to the curative properties of this mine’s underground air, this is a popular salt mine with most people. Also, there is an underground amusement park here and a visit to this salt mine is therapeutic for the respiratory system.
The Astra Museum
Located in Dumbrava Forest near Sibiu, the Astra Museum is Romania’s largest open-air ethnographic museum. Visitors to this museum will get to see this country’s folk-traditional heritage. The highlights in the museum include traditional Romanian houses, household tools, as well as techniques and tools for livestock product processing.