Bucharest has precious few, outdoor, calm retreats from the frantic drivers and crowded sidewalks. Here’s one, with atmosphere to boot.

Here we are, the final post for Romania Month. I’m happy to close things out with a list that, not even six years ago, wouldn’t have been possible. A few standout places aside, when I first arrived in Romania in 2004, restaurants were pretty dreadful. Both food and service frequently…

I realize before I say this that a guidebook writer shouldn’t be so vocal about favoring one city above all others in his research area, but when it comes to Sibiu, Romania, I simply cannot control myself in the face of its all-encompassing awesomeness. So, here it is: Sibiu is…

A hard-won ‘best of’ list if there ever was one. I’ve spent many uncomfortable nights around Romania over the years to boil this list down to the perfection that it is today. The good news is that each year another worthy budget place opens up and one or two god-awful…

Romania Month continues with a look at “Stefan cel Mare” (Stephen the Great, ruled 1457-1504), defender of Moldavia, founder of monasteries and total badass. It’s a rare day when a Romanian doesn’t speak Stephen The Great’s name, not only because he was the closest thing to a superhero that Moldavia…

Among the many, many, so very many brainless, monumental, money pit projects hatched by former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, only one remains useful and even admired. I speak of the Transfagarasan Road, Romania’s highest asphalt road, winding over the Fagaras Mountains, connecting Transylvania to Wallachia. The Transfagarasan Road was born,…

Romania Month continues with my picks for the best World Heritage sites in Romania. The full list of Romania’s World Heritage sites is impressively long. So long that you might be tempted to assume that Romania has naked pictures of World Heritage’s sister. They’re everywhere and, more importantly, each one…

Is Dracula real? Vlad Dracula was kind of like the Marilyn Manson of historic Romania. He was pretty twisted, but not nearly as twisted as the widely circulated rumors about him suggested, and, of course, he was considered a hero by many – even today (despite poor record sales). Nevertheless,…

Welcome to the first post of Romania Month, where I’ll be highlighting some of the country’s more notable attractions. I want to start by drawing attention to the fantastic cover and the fantastic thing on the fantastic cover, namely the mother of all Saxon fortified churches in Biertan. Located in…

I got a teensy weensy bit of good press in Romania last week. Typically when I get called out by the Romanian media, I’m being harangued by someone who has uncovered years old information, skimmed parts of it, absorbed almost none of it, then written a lengthy rebuttal where I’m…