Romania

Romania is the country where the Carpathian Mountains curve in a massive arc through the center, creating a natural fortress that separates Transylvania from everything else. And yes, Transylvania is real - it's not just where Dracula supposedly lived. Bram Stoker chose the region for his novel because it already had a reputation as mysterious and inaccessible, and honestly, parts of it still feel that way. Medieval towns like Sighisoara and Brasov look like they haven't changed much in 500 years, and the forests are home to Europe's largest population of brown bears.

But Romania is far more than Dracula tourism. The Danube Delta is the second-largest river delta in Europe and a birdwatcher's paradise. The painted monasteries of Bucovina have exterior frescoes from the 15th century that are still vividly colorful. Bucharest is a chaotic, lively capital where the second-largest administrative building in the world (after the Pentagon) sits at the end of a boulevard designed to be longer than the Champs-Elysees. Romania also has one of the fastest internet speeds in the world, a tech industry that's booming, and a folk culture that includes some of the most elaborate traditional costumes and dances still actively practiced in Europe.