One of the most beautiful regions in central Europe and home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Transylvania preserves its cultural and artistic treasures in a landscape bordered on three sides by the Carpathian Mountains, home to Romania’s finest skiing and hiking destinations. Hay meadows in the lower Carpathians form a grassland ecosystem of extraordinary natural diversity, offering beautiful displays of wildflowers. The Carpathians are home too to lynx, wild boar and one of Europe’s largest populations of brown bear. Other natural phenomena include the Scărişoara ice cave in the Apuseni Mountains and the Sfȃnta Ana volcanic crater lake in Harghita.

Transylvania’s cultural riches include the Dacian fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains, including Sarmisegetusa Regia, conquered by the Roman Emperor Trajan in AD106. Historic Sighişoara is a picture-perfect medieval hill town. The fortified churches of southern Transylvania are testament to the perils of life in medieval Saxon communities, subject to frequent attacks from Ottoman raiders. The historic cities of Cluj, Sibiu and Braşov are rightly fêted (and host internationally renowned film, electronic music and theatre festivals). At Turda’s salt mine, you can ride the Big Wheel in an underground amusement park. And, inspired by the Hotel Transylvania or Twilight films, why not follow the Dracula trail, visiting sites linked to Bram Stoker’s novel?