Bucharest
The capital is in an exciting stage of development, with EU investment resulting in sympathetic modernisation projects and a general buzz around the city. But you can still visit Ceausescu's obscenely grandiose palace and other communist-era monstrosities, plus medieval churches and monasteries. Stay in the Hotel Christina, a boutique hotel in the centre.
• Doubles from £54 B&B, hotelchristina.ro
Carpathian mountains
Also known as the Transylvanian Alps, the Carpathians are an unspoilt range perfect for hiking, biking and skiing. Or take the slightly lazier – but just as thrilling – option of a motorbike tour.
• Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com) has a seven-day motorbike tour for £826pp, staying in three- and four-star hotels, excluding flights
Castles
Romania isn't short of fairytale castles. Peles (peles.ro) is the most opulent and Bran (bran-castle.com) is the legendary home of Dracula. The ruins at Poenari were once one of Vlad the Impaler's fortresses, and so have more claims to being the "real" Dracula's castle.
Maramures
This remote region of northern Romania is the place to come for a slice of traditional rural life. Expect to see rolling green hills, wooden churches and picturesque villages, all against a mountain backdrop.
• Green Mountain Holidays (greenmountainholidays) has a nine-day self-guided walking holiday in the Maramures for £372pp, including guesthouse accommodation and luggage transfers, but excluding flights
Ice Hotel
The Ice Hotel is 2,034 metres up the Fagarass range of the Carpathians, among the highest peaks in Romania, and is accessible only by cable car. Rooms are made entirely from ice, as are the bar, restaurant and church.
• Explore (explore.co.uk) has a five‑day Ice Hotel Adventure from £469pp, including three nights in a standard hotel and one night in the ice hotel, snowshoeing and toboganning, but excluding flights
Transylvanian towns
Romania boasts several atmospheric medieval towns that are well worth a visit. Among the most appealing are cobbled Brasov, brooding Sighisoara and beautiful Sibiu, all within easy reach of each other.
• Cox & Kings (coxandkings.co.uk) has a nine-day Timeless Romania trip that stops at all three towns from £1,062pp, including flights and half-board
Danube Delta
Where the mighty Danube flows into the Black Sea it forms a delta that straddles Romania and Ukraine. It offers some of the best birdwatching in Europe. Explore the channels and lakes by boat, spotting white pelicans, spoonbills, cormorants, ibis, egrets and white-tailed sea eagles.
• Wildlife Travel (01954 713575, wildlife-travel.co.uk) has a 10-day boat trip for £1,845pp, including flights, guides and full-board accommodation
Painted monasteries
The monasteries of Bucovina, north-eastern Romania, are decorated on the outside with 15th- and 16th-century frescoes depicting religious stories. The best-preserved monasteries are within a 30-minute drive of each other – hire a car to take in a few in one day.
• More information at romaniatourism.com/painted-monasteries
