Transylvania

Holidays In Transylvania

There is no doubt that the beauty of Transylvania lies in the Carpathian Mountains, one of the most spectacular ranges in Europe. Here is the best hiking in Romania, if not Europe, and the Piatra Craiului National Park covering 14,773 hectares of mountain landscape is home to bears, wolves and lynx. In fact, Romania has the largest bear and wolf populations in Europe outside Russia, numbering approximately 5,500 and 3,000 respectively. There is a fascinating bear hide where you stand an 80% chance of seeing wild bears in their natural habitat. Romania’s forests are legendary and great pride is taken in preserving and managing them. Full of wildlife, their extent has to be seen to be believed.

Then, of course, there is the Dracula myth, centred on Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) which was, in fact, built by Saxons in the late 14th century. Rising from the middle of Bran village, the castle is far more romantic than frightening with beautiful, fairytale turrets. Popular myth has it that the castle was built by Vlad (The Impaler) Tepes who ruled Wallachia in the 15th century. Vlad Tepes Draculea (meaning son of Dracul) - a particularly bloodthirsty and cruel ruler – somehow became associated in popular folklore with Bram Stoker’s fictional character because the novel was based in northern Transylvania. The association was helped because vampires feature heavily in Romanian folklore. In fact, Dracula’s castle was sited on the Tihuta mountain pass which links Transylvania with Moldavia, a particularly foreboding landscape complete with a pretend Dracula’s castle hotel! But, legend, myth and reality are inextricably entwined in heavily forested and mountainous Transylvania.