Transylvania, Romania

Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crişana, Maramureş, and Romanian part of Banat.
Transylvania is often associated with vampires(chiefly due to Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and its film adaptations) and the horror genre in general, while the region is also known for the scenic beauty of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history.
The Transylvanian plateau, 300 to 500 metres (1,000-1,600 feet) high, is drained by the Mureş, Someş, Criş, and Olt rivers, as well as other tributaries of the Danube. This core of historical Transylvania roughly corresponds with nine counties of modern Romania. Other areas to the west and north, which also united with Romania in 1918 (inside the border established by peace treaties in 1919-20), are since that time widely considered part of Transylvania.

 Tourist attractions

• Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's Castle
• The medieval cities of Alba Iulia, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu (European Capital Of Culture in 2007), Târgu Mureş and Sighişoara (UNESCO World Heritage Site and allegedly birthplace of Vlad Dracula)
• The city of Braşov and the nearby Poiana Braşov ski resort
• The city of Hunedoara with the 14th century Hunyadi Castle
• The citadel and the Art Nouveau city centre of Oradea
• The Densus Church, the oldest church in Romania in which services are still officiated
• The Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains, including Sarmizegetusa (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• The Maramureş region including:
  • The Merry Cemetery of Săpânţa (the only of that kind in the world)
  • The Wooden Churches (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • The cities of Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmaţiei.
  • The villages on the Iza, Mara, and Viseu Valleys.
• The Saxon fortified churches (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Romanian traditions and folk culture, ASTRA National Museum Complex, Sibiu
• Hungarian traditions and folk culture
• The cafe culture, street theatre and cosmopolitan society of Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara
• The Apuseni Mountains:
  • Ţara Moţilor
  • The Bears Cave, one of the most beautiful caves in Europe
  • Scarisoara Ice Cave, that has a gigantic and astonishing underground glacier, actually the third largest glacier cave in the world
• The Rodna Mountains.