# Tourist attractions in Transylvania [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) Transylvania is the region inside the Carpathian arc: a plateau of hills and broad valleys enclosed by the Eastern, Southern and Western Carpathians, with towns that grew up around medieval citadels. Its character comes from a mix of cultures: Saxon villages with fortified churches, Székely seats, towns with Gothic and Baroque centres and, on the edge, in the Orăștie Mountains, the Dacian fortresses. The main cities are Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Sibiu, Târgu Mureș and Alba Iulia, easy to link into a single tour of the things to see in Transylvania. The most popular places are [Bran Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bran), the [Black Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-neagra) in Brașov and the [Sighișoara Citadel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-sighisoara), a still-inhabited medieval citadel on the UNESCO list. In Hunedoara, [Corvin Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-corvinilor) and [Sarmizegetusa Regia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sarmizegetusa-regia) cover almost two thousand years of history, while in Turda the [Turda Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-turda) is a former salt mine opened to visitors. The Saxon villages of [Sibiu county](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/sibiu) and [Brașov county](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov), with the fortified churches of Biertan and Viscri, deserve an unhurried day, and the Apuseni Mountains, shared between [Alba](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) and [Cluj](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/cluj), are the region's land of caves and waterfalls. ## Tourist attractions 117 attractions - [Bran Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bran) — Castles and palaces · Bran, BV · 120 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 20 A medieval fortress built by the people of Brașov on a rock in the Bran Pass, later Queen Marie's summer residence and known around the world as “Dracula's Castle”. - [Corvin Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-corvinilor) — Castles and palaces · Hunedoara, HD · 55 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 20 John Hunyadi's Gothic residence, on a rock above the Zlaști river and reached by a long bridge on stone piers; inside, vaulted halls and towers from the 15th century. - [Sighișoara Citadel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-sighisoara) — Fortresses and fortifications · Sighișoara, MS · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 A Saxon-built, still-inhabited medieval walled town on a hill above the Târnava Mare, with guild towers and the famous Clock Tower; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. - [Turda Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-turda) — Salt mines · Turda, CJ · 75 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · Top 20 A salt mine worked from the Middle Ages until 1932 and turned into a spectacular underground park: a Ferris wheel, a lake with rowing boats, an amphitheatre and salt walls 120 m below ground, near Cluj. - [Biertan Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-biertan) — Monasteries and churches · Biertan, SB · ½ – 1 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 The Saxon church on the hill in the middle of the village, guarded by three rings of walls and towers; inside, Romania's largest polyptych altarpiece and a door with a lock from 1515. - [ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-civilizatiei-populare-traditionale-astra) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 20 Romania's largest open-air museum, in the Dumbrava forest outside Sibiu: over 300 houses, mills, workshops and wooden churches brought from across the country, along ~10 km of paths. - [Alba Carolina Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-alba-carolina) — Fortresses and fortifications · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 20 Romania's largest bastion fortress, a seven-pointed star built by the Habsburgs in 1715–1738 at Alba Iulia; baroque gates, cathedrals, the Union Hall and a changing of the guard, all with free access. - [Făgăraș Citadel](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-fagarasului) — Fortresses and fortifications · Făgăraș, BV · 30 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 20 A moated, bastioned fortress in the centre of Făgăraș, seat of the princes of Transylvania in the 17th century and now home to the Făgăraș Land Museum. - [Sarmizegetusa Regia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sarmizegetusa-regia) — Fortresses and fortifications · Grădiștea de Munte, HD · 30 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 20 The capital of the Dacian kingdom, hidden in the beech forests of the Orăștie Mountains: the walls of Decebalus's fortress, the paved road and the sacred area with andesite and limestone sanctuaries, a UNESCO site. - [Bâlea Lake](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-balea) — Lakes · Sibiu County · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 100 A glacial lake at 2,034 m in the Bâlea cirque of the Făgăraș Mountains, at the top of the Transfăgărășan; reachable by car in summer and by cable car all year round. - [Brukenthal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-brukenthal) — Castles and palaces · Sibiu, SB · 50 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 The Baroque palace of Governor Samuel von Brukenthal on Sibiu's Great Square has housed Romania's oldest museum since 1817: a gallery of European painting with van Eyck, Titian and Bruegel. - [Coronation Cathedral](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-incoronarii) — Monasteries and churches · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 45 min · Top 100 The Orthodox cathedral inside Alba Carolina Fortress, built in 1921–1922 for the coronation of Ferdinand and Marie as king and queen of Greater Romania, with a 58 m bell tower and royal portraits in fresco. - [Câlnic Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-calnic) — Fortresses and fortifications · Câlnic, AB · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 A 13th-century count's residence, bought by the Saxon villagers in 1430 and turned into a peasant fortress: a Romanesque keep, two rings of walls and a chapel, in a valley near Sebeș. - [St Michael's Cathedral](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-romano-catolica-sfantul-mihail) — Monasteries and churches · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 45 min · Top 100 Romania's oldest and longest cathedral, Romanesque and Gothic, at the heart of the Alba Carolina Fortress; it holds the tomb of John Hunyadi and the first Renaissance chapel in Transylvania. - [Bánffy Castle in Bonțida](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-banffy-bontida) — Castles and palaces · Bonțida, CJ · 15 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 Transylvania's largest Baroque aristocratic residence, gutted in 1944 and being brought back to life by an award-winning training site; neo-Gothic façade, lapidarium and an exhibition on Miklós Bánffy. - [Praid Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-praid) — Salt mines · Praid, HR · Top 100 The salt mine of the Land of Salt, with huge leisure and treatment halls 120 m underground, once Romania's most visited. Closed indefinitely since the flood of May 2025. - [Râșnov Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-rasnov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Râșnov, BV · 10 lei · Top 100 A medieval peasant fortress on a rocky hill above Râșnov, looking out to the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains; the upper enclosure is under restoration, but the Fortress Garden and Báthory Tower are open. - [Scărișoara Ice Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-scarisoara) — Caves · Ghețari, AB · 45 min · Top 100 A cave in the Apuseni Mountains that holds one of the largest underground glaciers in the world: a block of ice over 10,000 years old, reached by stairs down a shaft 60 m across. - [Seven Ladders Canyon](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/canionul-sapte-scari) — Waterfalls · Săcele, BV · 25 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 100 A narrow limestone gorge in the Piatra Mare Mountains near Brașov, with seven rock steps climbed on metal ladders and walkways; at the top you can ride a zip line back down. - [Băile Tușnad](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-tusnad) — Resorts and thermal baths · Băile Tușnad, HR · Free · 3½ – 4 hours · Top 100 A spa resort in the Olt gorge between the Harghita and Bodoc mountains: naturally sparkling mineral springs, mofettes, a wellness centre with thermal water and trails up to Falcon Rock. - [Bâlea Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-balea) — Waterfalls · Sibiu County · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 100 Romania's biggest tiered waterfall, dropping about 60 m over the lower step of the Bâlea cirque in the Făgăraș Mountains; an hour's walk up from the Bâlea Cascadă chalet on the Transfăgărășan. - [Bánffy Palace in Cluj-Napoca](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-banffy-cluj-napoca) — Castles and palaces · Cluj-Napoca, CJ · 16 lei · Top 100 The finest Baroque palace in Transylvania, built between 1774 and 1785 on Cluj's Union Square, with classical statues along its attic; it houses the Art Museum, with five centuries of Romanian and Transylvanian painting. - [Bucura Lake](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-bucura) — Lakes · Hunedoara County · 10 lei · 6½ – 7 hours · Top 100 Romania's largest glacial lake, at 2,040 m in the heart of Retezat National Park; it can only be reached on foot, after a climb of about two hours from Poiana Pelegii. - [Dârjiu Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-darjiu) — Monasteries and churches · Dârjiu, HR · 10 lei · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 The only Székely and Unitarian church in the UNESCO fortified-church site: a Gothic church with 1419 frescoes of the legend of Saint Ladislaus, whose fortress villagers still use to store their bacon. - [Deva Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-deva) — Fortresses and fortifications · Deva, HD · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 100 A 13th-century hilltop fortress on a volcanic hill above Deva, with three enclosures restored by 2024 and wide views over the Mureș valley. - [Lake Sfânta Ana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-sfanta-ana) — Lakes · Harghita County · 46 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 100 Romania's only volcanic lake: an almost round sheet of water in the Ciomatu crater, ringed by forest, with a Catholic chapel on the shore and the Mohoș peat bog in the neighbouring crater. - [Lake Ursu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-ursu) — Lakes · Sovata, MS · Top 100 A heliothermal salt lake in Sovata, formed in 1875 over a salt massif: beneath a thin layer of fresh water the salt water goes above 40 °C in summer; a lido runs on the shore in season. - [Ocna Sibiului](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/ocna-sibiului) — Resorts and thermal baths · Ocna Sibiului, SB · 35 lei · Top 100 A spa resort 15 km from Sibiu with salt lakes formed where old salt mines caved in: in summer you swim in water that keeps you afloat, between white banks of salt. - [Palace of Culture in Târgu Mureș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-culturii-targu-mures) — Castles and palaces · Târgu Mureș, MS · 30 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 A masterpiece of Transylvanian Secession architecture, completed in 1913, with a gold-ground mosaic façade, the Hall of Mirrors and its 12 stained-glass windows, a concert hall with an organ and the Mureș County Museum's art galleries. - [Prejmer Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-prejmer) — Monasteries and churches · Prejmer, BV · 30 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 One of the largest Saxon fortified churches: a Gothic church on a cross-shaped plan, ringed by an oval wall with over 270 refuge rooms reached by timber galleries. - [Red Lake](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-rosu) — Lakes · Lacu Roșu, HR · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · Top 100 A natural dam lake formed in 1837, when a mountainside blocked the Bicaz valley; the trunks of the drowned forest still rise from the water, at the upper end of the Bicaz Gorge. - [Rupea Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-rupea) — Fortresses and fortifications · Rupea, BV · 20 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · Top 100 A Saxon peasant fortress climbing in tiers up a basalt hill above the town of Rupea, first recorded in 1324 and restored in 2010–2013, with wide views over the Transylvanian hills. - [Saschiz Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-saschiz) — Monasteries and churches · Saschiz, MS · 10 lei · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 A Late Gothic Saxon church beside the DN13, with a bell tower modelled on Sighișoara's Clock Tower; on the hill above the village stand the walls of a 14th-century peasant fortress. - [Valea Viilor Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-valea-viilor) — Monasteries and churches · Valea Viilor, SB · 8 lei · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 The Saxon church in a vineyard valley near Mediaș, with its choir turned into a defence tower, an almost intact oval wall and a wood-and-iron portcullis that has survived for centuries. - [Vălul Miresei Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-valul-miresei) — Waterfalls · Răchițele, CJ · Free · ½ – 1 hours · Top 100 A roughly 30 m, two-tiered waterfall at the foot of the Vlădeasa massif, on the Stanciului valley near Răchițele; the water fans out over the rock like a veil, and in winter the frozen wall is an ice-climbing spot. - [Viscri Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-viscri) — Monasteries and churches · Viscri, BV · 20 lei · UNESCO World Heritage · Top 100 A small white church on the hill above the village, grown from a 12th-century Romanesque chapel and ringed by walls, towers and grain galleries, in a Saxon village that has survived almost intact. - [Mălâncrav Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-malancrav) — Monasteries and churches · Mălâncrav, SB A 14th-century Gothic church built by the noble Apafi family, with the largest ensemble of Gothic frescoes in Transylvania and a polyptych altarpiece that has stood in place for more than five centuries. - [Bethlen Castle in Criș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-cris) — Castles and palaces · Criș, MS · ½ – 1 hours The most complete Renaissance residence left in Transylvania, seat of the Bethlen family: a tower with soldier reliefs, an arcaded loggia and bastioned walls, now under restoration. - [Cisnădioara Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cisnadioara) — Monasteries and churches · Cisnădioara, SB · 10 lei A Romanesque basilica from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, left almost unaltered, on the rocky top of St Michael's Hill, ringed by a defensive wall and looking out to the Făgăraș Mountains. - [Ocna Mureș Salt Baths](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-sarate-ocna-mures) — Resorts and thermal baths · Ocna Mureș, AB · 80 lei · 3½ – 4 hours A modern spa complex in Ocna Mureș, opened in 2023, with heated salt-water and fresh-water pools, saunas and treatments. It is above ground only: the old salt mine cannot be visited. - [The Black Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-neagra) — Monasteries and churches · Brașov, BV · 30 lei · 45 min Romania's largest Gothic church, built by the Saxons of Brașov between 1383 and 1477; inside are the 1839 Buchholz organ and a rare collection of Anatolian carpets. - [Băile Cojocna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/baile-cojocna) — Resorts and thermal baths · Cojocna, CJ · 50 lei A lido with two salt lakes formed where old salt mines caved in, 24 km from Cluj-Napoca, plus an indoor pool of warm salt water that stays open all year. - [Bethlen-Haller Castle](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-bethlen-haller) — Castles and palaces · Cetatea de Baltă, AB · 39 lei · ½ – 1 hours A Renaissance castle with four round towers, built by the Bethlen family on a hill above the Târnava Mică; today it is the emblem of Jidvei wines and is visited on hourly guided tours. - [Black Tower](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-negru-brasov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · 30 min A square 15th-century watchtower perched on a rock outside Brașov's western walls, with a glass pyramid roof and a platform looking out over the old town and the Black Church. - [Costești-Cetățuie Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-costesti-cetatuie) — Fortresses and fortifications · Costești, HD · 10 lei · 1 – 1½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage A Dacian fortress on Cetățuia hill, at the gateway to the Orăștie Mountains: earth ramparts, a stone wall built in the Hellenistic manner, tower houses and temples, a UNESCO site. - [Council Square (Piața Sfatului)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-sfatului-brasov) — Monuments and historic sites · Brașov, BV · Free · 1 – 1½ hours The main square of old Brașov, lined with merchants' houses and dominated by the Council House, the old town hall with its watchtower, now the County History Museum, with Tâmpa as a backdrop. - [Durgău Salt Lakes](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/strandul-durgau) — Resorts and thermal baths · Turda, CJ · 40 lei A summer lido on two salt lakes formed in collapsed old salt pits, 100 m from the Durgău entrance of the Turda Salt Mine. The very salty water keeps you afloat; the mine is visited separately. - [Lake Colibița](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-colibita) — Lakes · Colibița, BN · Free · 1½ – 2 hours A reservoir on the Bistrița Ardeleană between the Bârgău and Călimani mountains, nicknamed “the sea in the mountains”, with the Colibița resort spread along its shores. - [Lolaia Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-lolaia) — Waterfalls · Nucșoara, HD · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours A waterfall of about 15 m, split by a rock into two streams, in the Nucșoara valley in the north of Retezat National Park; a 15–20 minute walk from Cârnic. - [Ocna Dej Salt Mine](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/salina-ocna-dej) — Salt mines · Dej, CJ A working salt mine near Dej, where salt has been dug since Roman times, with an Orthodox church carved into the salt about 80 m down. Not currently open to visitors. - [Râpa Roșie](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/rapa-rosie) — National parks and reserves · Sebeș, AB · Free · 1 – 1½ hours An 800 m wall of red clay and sandstone on the edge of Sebeș, carved by rain into columns, towers and earth pyramids, a badlands landscape rare in Romania. - [Strada Sforii (Rope Street)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/strada-sforii) — Monuments and historic sites · Brașov, BV · Free · 10 min A passage 1.1–1.35 m wide in Brașov's old town, recorded in the 17th century and counted among the narrowest streets in Europe; closed for repairs since November 2025. - [White Tower](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/turnul-alb-brasov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · Free · 45 min A 15th-century horseshoe-shaped defence tower perched on a rock above the Graft, with one of the best views over Brașov's old town. - [Alma Vii Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-alma-vii) — Monasteries and churches · Alma Vii, SB A small Saxon stronghold on the hill of a village at the end of the road, with four restored towers housing small museums of village life; winner of a Europa Nostra award in 2024. - [Apold Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-apold) — Monasteries and churches · Apold, MS · 45 min A Saxon church on a hill in Apold, surrounded by walls and defensive towers that survive almost complete, with Gothic frescoes on the triumphal arch and contemporary art exhibition spaces. - [Axente Sever Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-axente-sever) — Monasteries and churches · Axente Sever, SB · 45 min A 14th-century Gothic hall church with its bell tower raised above the choir, surrounded by an oval wall whose former food stores now house a museum and guest rooms. - [Băile Sărate Turda Lido](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/strandul-baile-sarate-turda) — Resorts and thermal baths · Turda, CJ Turda's historic lido, on the Roman Lake, a salt lake formed in old salt workings in the Băile Sărate district. The town's spa was born here around 1840. - [Bănița Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-banita) — Fortresses and fortifications · Bănița, HD · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage The ruins of a Dacian fortress on the rocky summit of Piatra Cetății, above the DN66, which guarded the southern approach to Sarmizegetusa Regia; a UNESCO site, reached only on foot by a steep climb. - [Bolii Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-bolii) — Caves · Bănița, HD · 10 lei · ½ – 1 hours A cave crossed by a mountain stream north of Petroșani, with a 20 m-wide portal and a gallery of about 466 m walked end to end on footbridges, beneath the Dacian fortress of Bănița. - [Borsec](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/borsec) — Resorts and thermal baths · Borsec, HR · Free · 3½ – 4 hours A mountain spa resort at 900 m in northern Harghita, with carbonated mineral springs you can drink from for free, old wooden villas, travertine caves and a new spa centre. - [Brâncoveanu Monastery of Sâmbăta de Sus](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastirea-brancoveanu-sambata-de-sus) — Monasteries and churches · Sâmbăta de Sus, BV · 1 – 1½ hours Orthodox monastery founded by Constantin Brâncoveanu below the Făgăraș Mountains: the church rebuilt in 1926–1946 on its old foundations, an icon museum and a new Brâncovenesc-style precinct. - [Brașov Fortress (Cetățuia)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatuia-brasovului) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · Free · ½ – 1 hours A bastioned fortress on Citadel Hill, north of the old town, built to stop enemies firing on Brașov from the heights; the interior is closed for works, but the walls and the view can be enjoyed from the paths on the hill. - [Brașov Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-brasov) — Zoos and aquariums · Brașov, BV · 35 lei · 1½ – 2 hours The zoo in the Noua district, at the foot of the forest, enlarged to 10 hectares after the 2012–2014 modernisation, with tigers, lions, bears, sea lions, penguins and a planetarium on site. - [Bratocea Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasul-bratocea) — Scenic roads · Brașov County · Free · ½ – 1 hours The pass where the DN1A crosses from the Teleajen valley into the Bârsa region at 1,263 m, below the Ciucaș Mountains: a mountain road between Cheia and Săcele and the trailhead for Ciucaș Peak. - [Bunești Fortified Church (Bodendorf)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-bunesti) — Monasteries and churches · Bunești, BV · 30 min The Evangelical church of Bunești (Bodendorf), a late 13th-century basilica ringed by a wall with towers and the villagers' grain chambers, with a narrow, tall interior full of painted galleries. - [Căpâlna Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-capalna) — Fortresses and fortifications · Căpâlna, AB · Free · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage The ruins of a Dacian fortress on a wooded hill above the Sebeș valley: limestone walls in the murus dacicus technique and the base of a tower house, the only Dacian UNESCO site in Alba County. - [Catherine's Gate](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poarta-ecaterinei) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · Free · 20 min The only surviving medieval gate of Brașov's walled town, a white tower of 1559 with four corner turrets and the town's coat of arms; next to it, the neoclassical Șchei Gate of 1827–1828. - [Cheilor Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-cheilor) — Waterfalls · Sângeorz-Băi, BN · Free A 20–30 m waterfall in the Cormaia Valley, at the foot of the Rodna Mountains near Sângeorz-Băi; a built path of about 1 km, with steps, footbridges and chains, climbs alongside its tiers. - [Cincșor Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cincsor) — Monasteries and churches · Cincșor, BV · 45 min A Gothic Saxon church from 1421, enclosed by walls, four defensive towers and a second ring of fortifications, in the middle of a village by the Olt with the Făgăraș Mountains behind it. - [Cisnădie Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cisnadie) — Monasteries and churches · Cisnădie, SB · 45 min A 13th-century Romanesque basilica turned Saxon fortress, 10 km from Sibiu: a bell tower with a clock dating from 1425, double walls and a small museum. - [Clocota Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-clocota) — Waterfalls · Geoagiu-Băi, HD · Free · ½ – 1 hours A thermal waterfall that never freezes, spilling over a moss-covered travertine wall, a quarter of an hour's walk from the centre of the Geoagiu-Băi spa resort. - [Coiba Mare Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-coiba-mare) — Caves · Casa de Piatră, AB · Free An undeveloped cave in the Bihor Mountains near Casa de Piatră: a huge portal, tens of metres high, through which the Gârdișoara stream vanishes underground. - [Copșa Mare Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-copsa-mare) — Monasteries and churches · Copșa Mare, SB · 30 min A Saxon church fortified around 1510, with a tall choir under a star vault, a bell tower with a timber gallery and a winegrowers' village around it, in the Wine Country. - [Costești-Blidaru Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-costesti-blidaru) — Fortresses and fortifications · Costești, HD · 5 lei · 2 – 2½ hours · UNESCO World Heritage One of the strongest Dacian fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains: murus dacicus walls, six towers and a dog-leg entrance, on a wooded hill above Costești, a UNESCO site. - [Covasna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/covasna) — Resorts and thermal baths · Covasna, CV · Free The spa resort in the town of Covasna, Romania's "resort of the heart": carbon dioxide mofettes, sparkling mineral springs on every corner and the Devil's Pond, a mud volcano in the central park. - [Cristian Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cristian) — Monasteries and churches · Cristian, BV A Saxon church fortress in the Burzenland, near Brașov: a 19th-century Neoclassical church ringed by a double medieval wall with eight surviving defensive towers. - [Criț Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-crit) — Monasteries and churches · Criț, BV · 30 min A 19th-century Lutheran church with an 1813 organ, enclosed by an oval 15th-century wall, on a hill in the middle of a quiet Saxon village a few kilometres off the DN13. - [Dragons' Garden (Grădina Zmeilor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zmeilor) — National parks and reserves · Gâlgău Almașului, SJ · ½ – 1 hours A geological reserve in Sălaj with 10–15 m sandstone towers and spurs, shaped by erosion and named by locals "the Dragon and the Dragoness", "Fata Cătanei" or "the Monks". - [First Romanian School](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/prima-scoala-romaneasca) — Museums and memorial houses · Brașov, BV · 20 lei · ½ – 1 hours The old school in the courtyard of St Nicholas' Church in Șcheii Brașovului, now a museum: a classroom with wooden benches, a replica of Coresi's printing press and Romanian books five centuries old. - [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/piata-mare-sibiu) — Monuments and historic sites · Sibiu, SB · Free · 45 min The main square of old Sibiu, about 140 by 90 metres, enclosed by merchants' houses with "eyes" in their roofs, by the Brukenthal Palace, the Jesuit church and the Council Tower. - [Hărman Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-harman) — Monasteries and churches · Hărman, BV · 20 lei A 13th-century Romanesque basilica enclosed by 12 m walls with seven towers, with the tallest bell tower in the Burzenland and a chapel of 15th-century Gothic frescoes. - [Hațeg Bison Reserve](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/rezervatia-de-zimbri-hateg) — Zoos and aquariums · Hațeg, HD · 45 min Romania's oldest European bison reserve, in the Slivuț forest near Hațeg: the first bison brought from Poland arrived here in 1958, and the herd can be watched from the fence of the enclosure. - [Homorod Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-homorod) — Monasteries and churches · Homorod, BV · 45 min A 13th-century Romanesque hall church with an eight-storey keep above the old choir, two rings of walls and fragments of medieval wall paintings, a few kilometres from Rupea. - [Hosman Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-hosman) — Monasteries and churches · Hosman, SB · 45 min A 13th-century Romanesque church with a richly carved portal, enclosed by a double ring of walls in the Hârtibaciu valley, with the Făgăraș Mountains behind. - [Huda lui Papară Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-huda-lui-papara) — Caves · Sub Piatră, AB · 300 lei · 3 – 3½ hours An active cave in the Trascău Mountains, with a portal almost 40 m high in the limestone wall and an underground river of lakes and waterfalls, visited only on guided tours in a wetsuit. - [I Giardini di Zoe (Zoe's Gardens)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradinile-zoe) — Parks and gardens · Banpotoc, HD · 25 lei · 1 – 1½ hours A private Italian-style garden at Banpotoc, near Deva: travertine paths, geometrically clipped hedges, fountains and vases brought from Italy, over almost 3.5 hectares, open to the public since 2018. - [Ighișu Nou Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-ighisu-nou) — Monasteries and churches · Ighișu Nou, SB · 30 min A Saxon Gothic church of the 14th–15th centuries, with a defensive tower under a hipped roof, a complete enclosure wall, a round bastion from 1515 and medieval frescoes in the choir. - [Kálnoky Castle in Micloșoara](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-kalnoky-miclosoara) — Castles and palaces · Micloșoara, CV · 30 lei · ½ – 1 hours A Renaissance hunting manor of the Counts Kálnoky, begun in 1648, with bastions and rare stucco work, restored and opened in 2017 as the Museum of Transylvanian Life, with guided tours. - [Lake Beliș-Fântânele](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-belis-fantanele) — Lakes · Beliș, CJ · Free A reservoir about 13 km long on the Someșul Cald in the Apuseni Mountains, at almost 1,000 m; in dry summers the ruined church of the drowned village of Giurcuța de Jos rises from the water. - [Lake Tarnița](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-tarnita) — Lakes · Gilău, CJ · Free A reservoir almost 9 km long on the Someșul Cald, about 30 km from Cluj-Napoca, with wooded slopes, a 97 m arch dam and sailing or kayaking on the water. - [Lázár Castle in Lăzarea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castelul-lazar-lazarea) — Castles and palaces · Lăzarea, HR · 35 lei The Renaissance castle of the Lázár family, with four bastions, a gate tower and walls topped by ornamental crenellations, at the edge of the forest near Gheorgheni; Gabriel Bethlen spent his childhood here. - [Moșna Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-mosna) — Monasteries and churches · Moșna, SB · ½ – 1 hours One of the largest Gothic hall churches in the Târnava valley, with a massive bell tower and a walled enclosure with towers; part of the wall collapsed in June 2026. - [Mount Tâmpa](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muntele-tampa) — Mountains and trails · Brașov, BV · 45 lei · 1½ – 2 hours The wooded 960 m mountain that rises straight out of central Brașov: the “BRAȘOV” letters, views over the old town, a nature reserve, marked trails and a cable car from its foot. - [Piatra Roșie Dacian Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-dacica-piatra-rosie) — Fortresses and fortifications · Luncani, HD · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage A Dacian fortress on top of a rocky hill above Luncani, with an ancient paved road of stone steps and tower ruins hidden in the forest; a UNESCO site, far from the crowds. - [Pișoaia Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-pisoaia) — Waterfalls · Vidra, AB · Free · 45 min An 18 m waterfall spilling down a limestone wall in the Țara Moților region, near the village of Nemeși in Vidra commune; a landscape reserve 500 m from the road to Avram Iancu. - [Poiana Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/poiana-brasov) — Resorts and thermal baths · Brașov, BV · Free · 5½ – 6 hours Romania's best-known ski resort, above 1,000 m beneath Postăvaru: 12 slopes, cable cars almost to the summit and, in summer, forest trails and views over Brașov. - [Porolissum Archaeological Complex](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/porolissum) — Monuments and historic sites · Moigrad-Porolissum, SJ · 11 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage The northernmost bastion of Roman Dacia: the fort with its reconstructed gates, the paved imperial road, the civil town and the amphitheatre, on the hills at Moigrad in Sălaj. - [Richiș Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-richis) — Monasteries and churches · Richiș, SB · 45 min A Gothic basilica from the second half of the 14th century, with a gate tower and enclosure walls, known for the Green Man and the other faces carved in stone inside. - [Rucăr–Bran Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/culoarul-rucar-bran) — Scenic roads · Brașov County · Free · 1 – 1½ hours The pass between Piatra Craiului and the Bucegi: the DN73 climbs from Rucăr onto the Fundata plateau, over the Giuvala Pass at about 1,260 m, and descends to Bran past hamlets scattered on the ridges. - [Sibiu Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-sibiu) — Zoos and aquariums · Sibiu, SB · 20 lei · 2 – 2½ hours The zoo in the Dumbrava forest, opened in 1929 and considered the first in Romania, with tigers, lions, jaguars, white wolves, bears and lakes where you can go boating. - [Șipote Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-sipote) — Waterfalls · Sălciua de Jos, AB · Free · 2½ – 3 hours A chain of travertine cascades on the Șipote stream, below the Bedeleu cliffs in the Trascău Mountains: the last one drops straight into the Arieș by the DN75, the upper ones are reached on a nature trail from Sălciua. - [St Margaret's Church, Mediaș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-sfanta-margareta-din-medias) — Monasteries and churches · Mediaș, SB · 15 lei · ½ – 1 hours The Lutheran church in the centre of Mediaș, late Gothic and enclosed in a fortress with walls and towers; its leaning tower, with a five-pointed spire, is the town's emblem. - [St Nicholas Church in Șchei](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-sfantul-nicolae-din-schei) — Monasteries and churches · Brașov, BV · 45 min The Orthodox church of the Romanians of Șcheii Brașovului, built from 1495 on the site of a wooden one, with Gothic-Baroque towers, painted façades and Nicolae Titulescu's grave in the churchyard. - [Székely National Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzeul-national-secuiesc) — Museums and memorial houses · Sfântu Gheorghe, CV · 25 lei · 1 – 1½ hours The oldest museum in Székely Land, in a building designed by Kós Károly in 1911–1912: history, ethnography, natural sciences and a garden with Székely gates. - [Tamina Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-tamina) — Waterfalls · Brașov, BV · Free · 2½ – 3 hours A chain of five waterfalls in a narrow limestone gorge in the Piatra Mare Mountains, above Timișu de Sus; reached in about an hour's climb on the blue-stripe trail. - [Târgu Mureș Zoo](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-zoologica-targu-mures) — Zoos and aquariums · Târgu Mureș, MS · 40 lei · 2 – 2½ hours The zoo on the Cornești Plateau, open since 1964 and now spread over 42 hectares of forest, with elephants, giraffes, gibbons, tigers, lions and bears, the largest in Romania by area. - [Tihuța Pass](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasul-tihuta) — Scenic roads · Bistrița-Năsăud County · Free · 1½ – 2 hours The pass where the DN17 crosses from Transylvania into Bukovina at 1,201 m, between Bistrița and Vatra Dornei: spruce-dotted pastures, a 31 m cross and a hotel inspired by the Borgo Pass of “Dracula”. - [Transapuseana](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transapuseana) — Scenic roads · Alba County · Free · 3½ – 4 hours County road DJ107I, 78 km through the Trascău Mountains between Aiud and Bucium, near Abrud: villages scattered along the ridges, thatched houses and views from over 1,100 m. - [Transursoaia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/transursoaia) — Scenic roads · Alba County · Free · 2½ – 3 hours National road DN1R, 80 km through the Apuseni Mountains between Huedin and Albac: past Lake Beliș-Fântânele, through the Moți villages and over the Ursoaia Pass, at about 1,320 m. - [Valea Cetății Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-valea-cetatii) — Caves · Râșnov, BV · 35 lei · ½ – 1 hours A lit cave on the slopes of Postăvarul, between Râșnov and Poiana Brașov, with a great hall over 20 m high, visited with a guide and sometimes used for concerts. - [Vânătările Ponorului Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-vanatarile-ponorului) — Waterfalls · Dumești, AB · Free · ½ – 1 hours A 70–80 m chain of waterfalls, with a 25 m main drop, plunging into a huge sinkhole in the Trascău Mountains and vanishing underground; seen from a wooden balcony a short walk from the road. - [Vârciorog Waterfall](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cascada-varciorog) — Waterfalls · Arieșeni, AB · Free · 2 – 2½ hours A waterfall of about 15 m on the Vârciorog stream, tucked into a spruce forest below Piatra Grăitoare, near Arieșeni; reached up a wooded valley on foot or by horse cart. - [Vârtop Cave](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pestera-ghetarul-de-la-vartop) — Caves · Casa de Piatră, AB · 15 lei An undeveloped cave in the Bihor Mountains, with ice at the entrance and white formations, where a Neanderthal footprint at least 62,000 years old was found in 1974. - [Vasile Fati Botanical Garden, Jibou](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/gradina-botanica-jibou) — Parks and gardens · Jibou, SJ · 25 lei · 2½ – 3 hours A botanical garden of almost 24 hectares in the former park of the Wesselényi castle: a Japanese garden with lakes and pavilions, greenhouses with palms and cacti, aquariums and thousands of tulips in spring. - [Weavers' Bastion](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/bastionul-tesatorilor) — Fortresses and fortifications · Brașov, BV · 10 lei · 45 min The best-preserved bastion of Brașov's city walls, built by the weavers' guild in the 15th and 16th centuries, with timber galleries on four levels and a model of the medieval town. - [Zănoaga Lake](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/lacul-zanoaga) — Lakes · Hunedoara County · 10 lei · 8½ – 9 hours Romania's deepest glacial lake, 29 m deep, at almost 2,000 m in the south-west of Retezat National Park; it can only be reached on foot, on a long day hike. - [Zărnești Bear Sanctuary](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sanctuarul-de-ursi-zarnesti) — Zoos and aquariums · Zărnești, BV · 95 lei · 1 – 1¼ hours The Libearty Bear Sanctuary, on 69 hectares of forest near Zărnești: home to more than 120 brown bears rescued from captivity, visited only on guided tours. It is not a zoo. ## Counties - [Alba](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) - [Bistrița-Năsăud](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/bistrita-nasaud) - [Brașov](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov) - [Cluj](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/cluj) - [Covasna](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/covasna) - [Harghita](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/harghita) - [Hunedoara](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/hunedoara) - [Mureș](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/mures) - [Sălaj](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/salaj) - [Sibiu](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/sibiu) --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/regiune/transilvania.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/region/transilvania.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/regione/transilvania.md Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania