Transylvania is best known as the mysterious land of bloodthirsty vampires and howling wolves. Some may think it’s fictional, but this central Romanian region is a real place. And it’s pretty special, too.

Dracula is real (sort of)

In her 30’s, Ramona was tired of her desk job. She enjoyed being outdoors, hiking through Romani’s countryside, chatting with locals, and introducing travelers to her native country. Her ability to speak many languages since she was a kid helped her create MyRomania, a tour company that specializes in creating authentic family-friendly experiences.

Soon, Ramona’s husband quit his job too and joined the business. They moved into their parent’s home in one of the villages, where they bring up their 2 kids. Ramona is one of the friendliest people I met during my travels and it seemed that everyone knew her wherever we went in Romania.

Read Why Romania Should be on Your Travel List

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Ramona s-a specializat in excursii alaturi de strainii care iubesc natura si peisajele, care vor sa se bucure de frumuseti, nu sa le priveasca din goana cailor putere de la masina.

We were on the fourth day of walking and every day I had been expecting to get a lift from a horse and cart. Unfortunately, it just happened that we didn’t find one going in the right direction. On this morning we were walking along the Sas valley through Botiza village to end at its centre and then start our walk over the hill. It is a 3 km walk along the road and I said again “This is the time I wish a horse and cart would appear”. I had said the same when we were walking between Budesti and Sarbi and again between Hoteni and Breb and between Poienile Izei and Botiza.

The next day we climbed Gutai mountain otherwise known as “Creasta Cocosului” (The Rooster’s Crest). Ok, so, I have to be honest and say I didn’t climb to the absolute top of the rock. Being pregnant I thought it would be too much effort for me and I waited at the bottom. However, I taught Simon to say: “Imi faceti o poza, va rog” (Can I have a picture please!) to make sure he had a photo of himself on the top!
Anyway, climbing to the top is not as challenging as getting back home again.

The “No 1” place that the travelers want to see in Romania, when they arrive for the first time, is the province of Bucovina in the north-east of the country. Bucovina is famous for its painted churches – painted, that is, on the outside rather than just on the inside which would be more usual for Orthodox churches. This feature is unique in the Byzantine world and these churches have kept their vivid colors on the outside walls despite the vicissitudes of 500 years of rough weather. Themes such as “The Jesse Tree”, “the Prayer of All the Saints”, “The Hymn of Mary” and “The Siege of Constantinople” are to be seen on a beautiful palette of reds, blues, greens and yellows.

Source: Tourism Review