From the peaks of the Carpathians to the Black Sea, a Romania told beautifully

Munții Rodnei - Vârful Pietrosul

The Rodna Mountains, the highest massif of the Eastern Carpathians, are crowned by Pietrosul Peak, which rises above 2300 metres and forms the culminating point of the entire eastern chain. Above the town of Borșa in Maramureș, the alpine ridges of the massif offer some of the most impressive mountain scenery in the north of the country, with sharp crests, glacial cirques, high-altitude lakes and broad meadows scattered with rare flowers. The area lies within a national park and an internationally recognised biosphere reserve, protecting rich flora and fauna, including chamois and many endemic species. Beneath the peak lies the glacial lake Iezer, a mirror of clear water cradled in a cirque carved by former glaciers. The ascent routes set off from the Borșa area and demand good fitness, proper equipment and attention to the changeable mountain weather. The effort is rewarded with sweeping views over the Rodna crests and the neighbouring massifs.

Vârful La Om (Piscul Baciului)

La Om Peak, also known as Piscul Baciului, is the highest point of the Piatra Craiului Massif, rising more than 2,230 metres above the limestone ridge that dominates the Zărnești area, in Brașov County. Piatra Craiului is renowned for its long, narrow ridge, one of the most spectacular in the Carpathians, a veritable limestone blade stretching over tens of kilometres. The climb to La Om Peak rewards the experienced hiker with views of overwhelming beauty over the Bucegi, Făgăraș and Bârsa Mountains, as well as over the surrounding forests and meadows. The mountain is part of the Piatra Craiului National Park, a protected area of great value, a habitat for rare species such as the Piatra Craiului pink, an endemic flower that grows nowhere else on earth. The ridge routes require experience and proper equipment, some sections secured with cables. For mountaineers, reaching this peak is one of the great achievements of hiking in the Romanian Carpathians.

Mănăstirea Bârsana

Bârsana Monastery in Maramureș is the most spectacular expression of wooden architecture in northern Romania, an ensemble of churches, cells and carved gates that seems a gateway to heaven. Although the present monastic community was re-established in the 1990s, the tradition of the place reaches much further back, and the new buildings were raised by local craftsmen in the authentic Maramureș style, with slender, soaring spires, cascading shingle roofs and lacework in wood. The main church, one of the tallest wooden structures in Europe, rises skyward above a well-tended flower garden. The whole complex, set on a hill, breathes calm and craftsmanship. It is an essential stop on the trail of Maramureș wooden churches, some inscribed on the UNESCO heritage list. Modest dress is advised; check the visiting schedule.

Șumuleu Ciuc

Șumuleu Ciuc is the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage centre in Romania, set on a hill at the edge of the town of Miercurea Ciuc, in the heart of the Szekler land in eastern Transylvania. The ensemble is dominated by the imposing Franciscan church, a baroque edifice raised in the eighteenth century on the site of older places of worship, which shelters a medieval wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, considered miraculous and deeply venerated by the faithful. The place is renowned above all for the great Whitsun pilgrimage, one of the largest religious events in the region, which year after year gathers impressive crowds of believers from across the Hungarian world, in a display of faith and cultural identity. On the nearby hill lies the saddle where the festive open-air mass is held. The monastic ensemble also preserves an old printing house and heritage objects. The natural setting, with wooded hills, completes the atmosphere of contemplation. Visitors are asked to respect the sacred character of the place and the quiet of the pilgrims.

Teatrul Național Vasile Alecsandri

The Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre in Iași is the oldest national theatre in Romania and one of the most beautiful performance buildings in the country. The present edifice, inaugurated at the end of the nineteenth century, was designed by the renowned Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer, authors of many monumental theatres across Central Europe, and impresses with a richly decorated eclectic facade and an interior of special elegance, its auditorium adorned with paintings, gilded stucco, a famous painted ceiling and an imposing Venetian crystal chandelier. The theatre bears the name of the great writer and poet Vasile Alecsandri, an essential figure of Romanian culture and of the Iași theatrical movement. The building also houses the Romanian National Opera, making it a key cultural centre of Moldavia. Set in a central square with a fountain in front, the theatre is an important urban landmark. Visitors can admire the architecture from outside, and for the interior it is best to attend a performance or a guided tour, depending on the schedule.

Mănăstirea Sihăstria

Sihăstria Monastery is one of the best-known and most beloved monasteries in Moldavia, set in a secluded, peaceful clearing in the wooded massif of the mountains near the town of Piatra Neamț, in the famous land of the Neamț monasteries. The settlement, with origins reaching back to the seventeenth century, developed over time into an important centre of spiritual and monastic life, becoming renowned above all for the great spiritual fathers who lived here, among them father Cleopa Ilie and father Paisie Olaru, key figures of twentieth-century Romanian Orthodoxy, to whose graves many pilgrims come. The main church and the cells blend harmoniously into the natural setting, among conifer forests, in an atmosphere of deep peace and contemplation. The monastery preserves worship objects and a valuable library. Its proximity to other settlements, such as Sihla and Secu, places it on a spiritual circuit. Visitors are asked to respect the quiet, the proper dress and the rules of an active monastic settlement.

Crucea Caraiman

The Caraiman Cross, also known as the Heroes' Cross on Caraiman Peak, is an imposing monument built in the 1920s on a ridge in the Bucegi massif, at high altitude, in memory of the soldiers who fell in the First World War. With its metal structure tens of metres tall, set on a massive concrete base, the cross is visible from a great distance and, being lit at night, can be seen from Busteni and across the whole Prahova Valley. It has been recognised as the tallest cross in the world placed on a mountain peak. Its construction at such an altitude, in harsh conditions, was a genuine engineering feat of the era. The site offers a dizzying panorama over the mountains and the valley below. Practical note: it is reached by cable car from Busteni to the Bucegi plateau and then along a marked trail, or by a more demanding hike; proper mountain gear is needed even in summer.

Munții Rarău - Pietrele Doamnei

The Rarau Mountains, with their famous Lady's Stones, form one of the most beautiful landscapes of Bukovina, a massif in the Eastern Carpathians group renowned for its spectacular limestone rocks rising above the coniferous forests. The Lady's Stones are a group of limestone columns and ridges with dramatic shapes, a geological reserve offering superb views and routes valued by hikers and climbers. Legend links the name of these rocks to a lady who is said to have taken refuge here in times of hardship, adding a layer of story to the already impressive landscape. From the ridges open wide panoramas over the mountains of Bukovina, and nearby stands the Rarau Chalet, a convenient starting point. The area is rich in mountain flora and offers an ideal setting for nature. Practical note: access is by car to near the ridge and then along paths; for rock climbing, experience and proper gear are needed.

Caru' cu Bere

Restaurant românesc, cu arhitectură notabilă, cu lambriuri, vitralii și curte.

Hanu' lui Manuc

Preparate clasice românești, servite într-o clădire istorică, cu muzică tradițională și o curte spațioasă.

Sergiana

Restaurant Bastion Alba Iulia

La Ceaun

Taverna Sârbului Sinaia