These Highlights Await You in Bulgaria and Romania

What are you in the mood for? Places where Dracula comes to life, a second Paris, or perhaps an untouched natural paradise? Bulgaria and Romania offer travelers destinations to suit every taste. Here are the highlights.

Sun, beach, and sea, or rather culture and picturesque city centers? In Romania and Bulgaria, you can experience both and much more. And the best part: starting March 31, 2024, the countries will be easier to travel to. Strict border controls will be removed for arrivals by plane and by sea. The reason is the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen Area.

Visitors to these countries will be greeted with highlights such as romantic villages, natural attractions, impressive buildings, and great legends. ReiseReporter gives you an insight into what you can expect in these countries.

Culture meets modernity. That's how you could describe Bulgaria's capital. Beautiful old buildings meet street art and hidden backyard restaurants here. The city's landmark is the massive Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with five naves and light green and gold domes, considered the largest Orthodox church on the Balkan Peninsula. When you enter, you can marvel at plenty of gold and marble along with intricate mosaics.

In the Ivan Vazov National Theater with its neoclassical façade, you can enjoy performances ranging from opera to dance. The Central Mineral Baths, which once housed an oriental hamam in the Middle Ages, today host the Regional History Museum. Right next to it, you'll find the active Banya Bashi Mosque from the 16th century, one of the oldest mosques in Europe.

In addition to the splendid old buildings, Sofia also boasts modern art in the form of graffiti on electrical boxes, house walls, and such. Street art is particularly concentrated on Tsar Ivan Shishman Street, where cool shops and cafés also beckon. Those who want to delve deeper into the street art scene can do so on guided graffiti tours.

Sofia is also worthwhile as a starting point for a trip into nature. By bus and metro, you can reach the Vitosha Nature Park, whose mountains can often be seen from downtown Sofia. In the summer, activities like climbing, hiking, or mountain biking are available, while in the winter, the Vitosha Mountains are a popular skiing area.

In the port city of Balchik in northeastern Bulgaria on the Black Sea, you can enjoy a beach holiday in the ambiance of a charming city. One of the attractions of this city with 13,000 residents is the royal summer palace with its extensive botanical garden featuring stone temples, water features, and sea views.

Of course, you can also relax on Golden Sands Beach in Balchik, which belonged to Romania from 1923 to 1940, and soak up the sun. Or, you can linger along the waterfront promenade at one of the many small restaurants with sea views and stroll through the dreamlike old town of the so-called 'white city.'

Nature enthusiasts and active vacationers will delight in the 40,000-hectare Pirin National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Hiking and climbing take you into nature, consisting of 80% forest and complemented by 176 glacial lakes. In the Pirin National Park stands the Bajkusheva Mura, a pine tree considered one of the oldest trees in the world, estimated to be about 1,350 years old according to 'National Geographic'.

Caves that lead up to 100 meters into an underground world can be found in some areas. The park in the country's far southwest is home to wild boars and chamois, brown bears, jackals, and wolves. Birdwatchers will rejoice: 159 bird species have been registered here, and with luck, you might spot rare species like golden eagles, wallcreepers, kestrels, or alpine choughs.

For those who love picturesque locations, Bulgaria offers many dreamy spots. One of them is the charming town of Melnik in the southwest. Gentle hills and vineyards and traditional Bulgarian architecture are features of this village, known as the smallest town in Bulgaria with 160 residents. It's famous for its wine and the surrounding sandstone pyramids.

Marked hiking trails also lead to another of Bulgaria's attractions: the Belogradchik Rocks and the Belogradchik Fortress on the northern slopes of the Balkan Mountains in the northwest. The massive rocks formed around 200 million years ago and rise up to 200 meters into the sky. Their bizarre shapes have earned them nicknames like 'The Castle,' 'The Horseman,' or 'Adam and Eve.' The Fortress of Belogradchik clings to the rock slopes, providing a setting straight out of an adventure film.

The medieval fortress Tsarevets also transports visitors to a dreamland. The massive castle complex sits atop a hill, encompassing hundreds of residential buildings, churches, palaces, and monasteries. It was built in the 12th century and served as the seat of the Tsar at times. Climbing up offers a unique view of the beautiful city of Veliko Tarnovo, which was once Bulgaria's capital.

Are you in the mood for medieval flair? Then Sighișoara in Romania is your destination. The town lies in the heart of the Transylvania region and is one of the few fully preserved medieval towns, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Colorful house facades meet playful turrets here, and it's worth climbing the 64-meter-high clock tower with its colorful figures to enjoy the view from above. And while there is doubt, there is a claim that Sighișoara is Dracula's home. The fictional character 'Count Dracula' was based on a real-life figure in Romania: the tyrannical ruler Vlad III Drăculea, who burned villages and had a penchant for executions by impalement. You can visit his alleged birthplace, Vlad Dracul's house, in Sighișoara.

More Dracula and undoubtedly one of the country's most famous landmarks is Bran Castle, also known as Törzburg. Perched on a 60-meter-high rock amidst a mountain landscape in Transylvania, the structure instills awe in those who believe the legend, just by looking at its walls.

Inside the castle, you'll discover armors and weapons across four floors, as well as a room dedicated to the Dracula novel.

At the border with Serbia, the Romanian Iron Gates Nature Park presents a diverse natural paradise. The Danube Gorge along the Romanian-Serbian border features rugged cliffs surrounded by untouched nature. There are also cultural attractions along the way that will leave you breathless.

For example, in the Mraconia Bay there's a stone-carved face of the Dacian King Decebalus, which at 55 meters tall and 25 meters wide, is impossible to miss. The full beauty of the Danube Basin is revealed from a boat. By waterway, you pass picturesque structures like the small Mraconia Monastery and the Hercules Spa, where even the mythic hero is said to have encountered the Hydra.

In Bucharest, charm meets gigantism. In Bucharest's restored Old Town, you'll find ornate old buildings, avenues, and beautiful structures like the artistically designed Stavropoleos Monastery or the old Princely Court, the oldest building in Bucharest. It's no wonder Bucharest is also known as the 'Paris of the East,' a nickname supported by its Arcul de Triumf, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

In Bucharest, you can, which was commissioned by dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. For five years, the construction employed 20,000 workers. The result was 5,100 rooms, some up to 2,000 square meters.

Museum enthusiasts can explore traditional costumes, ceramics, and artifacts of rural life at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant in Bucharest. In the National Museum of Art of Romania, after some strict security checks, 70,000 art objects await curious eyes, including international works by Rubens and Monet.

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