CITY: Cluj-Napoca
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Retro Hostel, which is located on a quiet pedestrian street about a 5 min walk from the main square in old town. Overall it was a decent hostel, and I think it’s the best option in Cluj. Good wifi, beds had their own socket + light, and there were lockers in the room. Kitchen was pretty small, but if you wanted to cook something you could. Biggest issue is that there wasn’t really a common area to facilitate meeting other people. Luckily I still managed to meet people by cornering them in the small kitchen π
Where to Eat:
Eggcetera – definitely a must visit. Food was delicious and beautiful! I went twice and both times had a line out the door, but luckily the wait wasn’t more than 20 min each time.
/Form Cafe– I stumbled upon this restaurant the first night I arrived and while I was looking at the menu outside, I noticed a couple waving at me like I knew them. However, given I had only been in Romania about 2 hours at this point, I was quite confused as to how anyone would be waving at me. Upon further investigation, it was the couple who had given me advice on the bus system outside the airport! They invited me to sit down and down them for a drink + food. So fun to have this random run in and it quickly reminded me why I love travel so much!
Roata– The aforementioned couple told me that the dessert I must try before I leave was Papanasi. Given this, while on a walking tour, I asked the guide where I might find the best Papanasi in town. He recommended us to try his favorite restaurant. He had recently celebrated his birthday at this spot. Roata didn’t disappoint. Delicious traditional Romanian food. I went with a German friend I met at the hostel and we tried the Polenta with cheese & pork cracklings as well as the Venison goulash stew. Of course we finished with some Papanasi, which kind of like a donut with sweet cheese + jam.
What to do:
My favorite thing to do was just walk around all the lovely streets in the old town. Most don’t have cars, which makes it especially pleasant. Fabian (friend from the hostel) & I also took a walking tour, which was mildly interesting (wasn’t the best one I had been on). A visit to the Botanical Gardens are a must. My morning runs through Parcel Central were also lovely. Obviously a daily ice cream was also important.
The best thing we did was rent a car to explore the countryside. Fabian and I spent two days exploring the following:
- Salina Turda– Part mine, part amusement park. It’s pretty wild. Basically it’s an old salt mine that’s been turned into somewhat of an amusement park. There’s a ferris wheel, a lake with row boats, ping pong tables, & mini golf. You read that right: all that 120m under ground.
- Turda Gorge – beuatiful nature reserve. The canyon, formed through the erosion of the Jurassic limestone of the mountain, is 2,900 m long and the walls have heights reaching 300 m. Nice to be able to walk under some trees along a river for a bit. On the drive here, we didn’t see many trees.
- SighiΘoara – a lovely UNESCO old town in Transylvania. A great day trip from Cluj. It’s not huge, so doesn’t require an overnight stay, but you certainly could spend a night here.
- Alba lulia – cool old Roman fortress and it used to be the capital of Transylvania.
Overall Thoughts:
Cluj will always have a special place in my heart. It was the perfect mixture of lovely runs in the morning, meandering the old town streets in the afternoons in search of ice cream, and using the rental car to go on some adventures in the countryside. If you are ever in Romania, Cluj is a must see.
CITY: Sibiu
HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Pangeea Hostel, which is located right off the main square in town – sweet! The hostel itself is nothing to write home about, but it does the job. At $15 per night, I can’t complain too much. It’s quite a small hostel, which I usually like, but there haven’t been too many people to meet as a result. Basic bed, shower & kitchen, but wifi seems to work fairly well. Location can’t be beat, but I might look at other options if I were to come back.
Where to Eat:
Urban Food – Located on a nice little square, it was lovely to sit out front and enjoy the warmth of the day. Food wasn’t anything special, but they had a huge menu so it was nice to have a bunch of different options to choose from.
Lumos – Yummy food + great vibes (hey the sign even said so!). I loved eating here and spent a whole afternoon working on my computer. Lovely, lovely spot!
Meron– Adorable coffee shop and was great to work at while on my computer. Had a yummy iced chocolate while here.
What to do:
I was pretty tired after all the activities in Cluj, so I mostly used my time here to chill. I went on some long runs in Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park & spent my afternoons in cafes planning more of my trip + updating this blog! It is a perfectly sized town to spend a leisurely few days. I loved wandering through the streets, basking in the warm sun.
Overall Thoughts:
I really liked that all that I “needed” to do while here was explore town. It lifted any pressure of needing to run around and see everything. I thoroughly enjoyed just hanging out and not doing much of anything. Sibiu is very beautiful and I loved seeing all the funny windows that look like eyes, known as the “Eyes of Sibiu“
CITY: BraΘov
HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
Zozo Hostel: Wow – this is an incredible hostel from start to finish! The whole hostel has a beautiful Scandinavian mets cabin vibe (does it get better than that?!) and the beds are so comfy. Best part, no bunk beds and the room is so quiet. Randomly there are two queen beds in the 8 bed room (the other 6 are twin beds) and I magically got the queen beds (hallelujah – what a treat). The hostel also has 5 cute little pods in the back that sleep 2 people. This makes for a very small, cozy atmosphere where everyone gets to know everyone. The backyard also has 3 hammocks, which were lovely in the afternoon to be under some tress away from the heat. Also, there was a free breakfast each morning. While it is slightly far from the main part of town, it’s an easy 20ish min walk or 10 min bus ride.
Where to Eat:
Antreu Focaccerie– This place has the best sandwiches. Holy moly! I got a raclette + prosciutto sandwich and it was divine.
Restaurant Sergiana – Went to dinner with 7 others from the hostel after a walking tour. It’s very close to the main square and serves traditional Romanian food. Great atmosphere + delicious food.
What to do:
There’s so much to do in BraΘov. It’s the most visited area of Romania!
- Visit Bran castle – While admittedly it’s a slightly underwhelming castle, there’s no way you can go to Transylvania and not see Bran Castle haha. Bran Castle is famous for allegedly spawning the original vampire legend of Count Dracula. but the author of Dracula never actually visited Romania, let alone the castle. We did spend the extra $3 to go through the torture exhibit which was was pretty cool (& CREEPY)
- Peles Castle – I actually did not have time to go, but this is supposed to be a far more impressive (albeit less famous) castle in the region.
- Piatra Craiului National Park – did a small hike here
- 7 Ladders Canyon– Easy to get a bus ride to the trailhead and then head up through the forest for a beautiful hike. For ~$10 you can then climb through the canyon through, you guessed it, 7 ladders!
- Hike to the top of Muntele TΓ’mpa – you can either hike (not a necessarily an easy hike as it’s steep and it was so hot when we were there) or you can take a cable car up! Definitely get to the top as it provides stunning views of BraΘov below.
Overall Thoughts:
BraΘov was a delight! Between meeting fun people at the hostel, there being lots to do, all in the setting of a cute town, I really enjoyed my visit here! BraΘov is a must on any visit to Romania!
CITY: Bucharest
HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at T5 Social and overall it was a great hostel! Walking distance to old town (15 min), but in a quiet neighborhood. The beds had curtains, personal plugs for charging & the beds were very comfy. I slept great! The best part, however, is the backyard. It’s part bar/part hangout area. Locals mix in with the travelers to create a very social atmosphere. Between hammocks, picnic tables & comfy floor cushions, there were plenty of spots to chill & meet people. If you find yourself in Bucharest, this is the place to stay (but just make sure to book ahead because it’s always full!).
Where to Eat:
I ate at the hostel mostly with groceries I picked up, but I did manage to find a smoothie bowl spot (very on brand haha). Rio Juice Dorobanti was delicious!
What to do:
Given I had just blown through the rest of Romania at a fairly fast clip, I was a little burnt out when I arrived to Bucharest. That coupled with the fact that Bucharest just felt like a large slightly run down Western capital & the insane heat, I wasn’t all that motivated to “do” much.” The two main things I did was walk around a park that had a lot of random sculptures (including one for Michael Jackson) and walked around Old Town. Neither blew me away.
The only thing I can absolutely recommend and that I truly enjoyed was visiting Therme!! This is the largest spa in Europe and it delivers. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There were so many different pools, big & small, of all different temperatures. There were indoor pools & outdoor pools. There were water slides. There were over 10 different themed saunas, including the Hollywood sauna, which was showing a nature documentary inside. There were over 5 restaurants. I only spent 4 hours here and wish I could’ve spent the whole day. Best part: one day admission to the whole facility is ~$32!!!! Run, don’t walk here π
Overall Thoughts:
I feel like it’s obvious, but I wasn’t blown away by Bucharest. I feel like Romania really shines in its quaint small towns so focus your time there vs Bucharest.
BUDGET FOR 13 DAYS IN Romania:
Accommodation: $287 ($22 per night)
Food: $225
Groceries: $60
Activities: $147
Local Transportation: $110
Other: $20
Total: $846 (Daily average: $65)
Transportation to next destination: $63 (Flight to Serbia)
The Pursuit Of Travel