BRAN

Bran Castle, more commonly referred to as Dracula's Castle was first built in 1242 but destroyed by Mongol invaders and rebuilt with stone in 1377. Since that time the castle has overturned hands time and time again and now serves as a museum and attracts 100's of visitors each day due to it's name. The castle however has no affiliation with infamous Count Dracula.

The real Dracula was Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler, a 13^th century leader remembered for his brutal reign. He would torture and kill people in the most inhumane ways possible. This included driving a wooden stake through a victims spinal chord, effectively paralyzing them but keeping them alive for 24-48 hours while slowly dying.

BRASOV

No need to ask if you have arrived, the giant white Hollywood type sign, reads BRASOV on top of Tampa Hill. This city is best approached by visiting the hill side white and black towers to get a view over the city center. The Black Church sits in the center near the historic central square. Outdoor bars are constantly full and serving up cheap traditional food and beer. The cheap costs, great night life and old style charm of this city will have you changing your plans and staying longer than intended.

SIBIU

The lively streets of medieval Sibiu are an excellent place to grab a beer and people watch. The cobble stoned streets are lined with vibrant buildings and towering old churches. Busy restaurants and bars poor into the streets and are always busy with Romanians and tourists alike. These ancient streets and the pure beauty had the city had it deemed the European Capital of Culture in 2007 and continues to be one of the most visited place in Romania.

SIGHISOARA

The hill top city of Sighisoara is a great starting place to experience Romania's epic Transylvania. The centerpiece of this city is the clock tower built in 1556 that offers outstanding 360 views over the city. It's cobble stoned streets are packed with restaurants and bars beautifully painted and extremely cheap. Another one of the cities highlights is it being the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, better known as Dracula. This is a town easily manageable in a day but it's small town charm is worthy of a much longer stay.  

BUCHAREST

I had heard Bucharest was not the most inspiring place to visit, and it turned out to be all too true. The city center is a bit lackluster, and packed with drunken homeless people and street dogs. The downtown is lined with shops and restaurants making it a lively stroll but lacking in sights. The centerpiece of the city is the parliament building, the largest in the world, but more of an eye sore than an architectural wonder. In Bucharest's favor however, it does have some beautiful parks in the outskirts of the city that are pleasant and enjoyable.

SPRING IN SOFIA

After three winter trips to Sofia, it was nice to return and see it again in spring. Flowers in bloom, markets opened, and people back in the streets. During winter Bulgarians give each other martenitzas (red and white bracelets) and when spring comes and they see a crane, flower in bloom or any other sign of spring they take them off and tie them to a tree. In downtown Sofia nearly ever flowering tree is covered with them, making it just another reason I love this city!