Southeast Europe · Europe

Romania

Discover Romania - a country of Transylvanian castles, Carpathian bears, the Danube Delta, and medieval towns that look frozen in time.

Where Is Romania?

Romania is a country in Southeast Europe. Its capital is Bucharest.

Where Romania isSoutheast Europe · Capital Bucharest

Plan a trip · 4 guides

Capital Bucharest
Population 19M
Area 238,391 km²

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.

At a glance

Language

Romanian

Currency

Romanian Leu (RON)

Calling Code

+40

Drives On

Right

Internet

.ro

Timezone

EET (UTC+2)

Script

Latin

Government

Semi-Presidential Republic

Independence

1877

Travel guides

Plan a trip to Romania

All 4 Romania guides

Sunset over the red rooftops of Sibiu's old town, with the Council Tower, the Lutheran Cathedral's spire and the Făgăraș Mountains on the horizon

Romania · 5 days

5 Days in Sibiu

A Saxon town whose rooftops watch you through half-closed eyes, with shepherd villages and fortified churches all around.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

Elevated view over Cluj-Napoca's red-tiled rooftops, with the tall Gothic spire of St. Michael's Church and green hills on the horizon

Romania · 5 days

5 Days in Cluj-Napoca

Transylvania's student capital, Romanian and Hungarian at once, with a salt mine down the road that has a Ferris wheel inside.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

The Romanian Athenaeum lit up at night, its domed rotunda and columned portico behind a lawn and fir trees, with the statue of Mihai Eminescu in front

Romania · 5 days

5 Days in Bucharest

Belle Époque palaces, a dictator's concrete dream and the best mici in Romania, all in one loud, likable capital.

Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →

By population

Largest cities in Romania

Bucharest

The chaotic, vibrant capital with the massive Palace of the Parliament, beautiful Belle Epoque architecture, and a thriving nightlife

1,794,000

Cluj-Napoca

Transylvania's unofficial capital, a young university city with a booming tech scene and cultural festivals

326,000

Timisoara

European Capital of Culture 2023, where the 1989 revolution that ended communism began

319,000

Iasi

Cultural and academic capital of Moldavia, with the oldest university in Romania and a rich literary tradition

290,000

Brasov

Stunning medieval town at the foot of the Carpathians, gateway to ski resorts and Bran Castle

253,000

Sibiu

Beautifully preserved Transylvanian Saxon town with colorful houses and rooftop eyes, European Capital of Culture 2007

170,000

People

Famous people from Romania

Constantin Brancusi
Art
Pioneer of modern sculpture who influenced the entire trajectory of 20th-century art, famous for Bird in Space
Gheorghe Hagi
Sport
The Maradona of the Carpathians, considered the greatest Romanian footballer, led Romania to the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals
Nadia Comaneci
Sport
First gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the Olympics, in Montreal 1976, changing gymnastics forever
Mircea Eliade
Literature
Influential historian of religion and novelist, author of The Sacred and the Profane
George Enescu
Music
Romania's greatest composer and violinist, his Romanian Rhapsodies are still celebrated worldwide
Elie Wiesel
Literature
Born in Sighetu Marmatiei, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, author of Night

Food

Traditional cuisine of Romania

Sarmale: Cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, slow-cooked with tomato sauce, the centerpiece of every Romanian celebration
Mici (Mititei): Grilled minced meat rolls seasoned with garlic and spices, served with mustard - Romania's ultimate BBQ food
Mamaliga: Cornmeal porridge served with sour cream, cheese, and eggs, Romania's traditional staple like Italian polenta
Ciorba de Burta: Tripe soup with garlic, sour cream, and vinegar, an acquired taste and the go-to hangover cure
Cozonac: Sweet bread with walnut, cocoa, or Turkish delight filling, baked for Christmas and Easter
Papanasi: Fried or boiled cheese doughnuts topped with sour cream and jam, Romania's most beloved dessert

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Romania

Carpathian MountainsMountain: The dramatic mountain arc through central Romania, home to Europe's largest population of brown bears, wolves, and lynx
Danube DeltaRiver: Europe's second-largest river delta and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a maze of channels, lakes, and floating reed islands
Transfagarasan HighwayMountain: The road that Jeremy Clarkson called the best in the world, winding through the Fagaras Mountains at over 2,000m
Painted Monasteries of BucovinaLandmark: UNESCO-listed monasteries with vivid 15th-century exterior frescoes still perfectly preserved
Bran CastleLandmark: The castle associated with the Dracula legend, dramatically perched on a cliff near Brasov
Turda Salt MineLandmark: Ancient Roman salt mine converted into an underground theme park with a lake, amphitheater, and Ferris wheel

Sport

Sports in Romania

Football: Quarter-finalists at the 1994 World Cup with the golden generation led by Gheorghe Hagi
Gymnastics: Nadia Comaneci scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history, and Romania has won 26 Olympic gymnastics medals
Tennis: Simona Halep won two Grand Slam titles and reached world No. 1, Romania's greatest tennis player
Handball: One of Europe's traditional handball powerhouses, with multiple European Championship medals

Facts

Did you know?

Nadia Comaneci scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history at age 14 in 1976
Romania's Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest is the world's heaviest building and second-largest administrative structure
The Danube Delta is home to over 300 species of birds and is one of the best birdwatching sites on Earth
Romania has some of the fastest internet speeds in the world, regularly ranking in the global top 5
Transylvania means 'the land beyond the forest' in Latin
The Romanian revolution of 1989 was the only violent overthrow of a communist regime in Eastern Europe
Romania's Merry Cemetery in Sapanta has colorful tombstones with funny poems and paintings depicting the dead person's life