Transylvania: four days among legends and living stones
With our van, we set off to explore Transylvania: castles, medieval towns, and ancient stories nestled among the Carpathians. Between vampire legends and little-known historical realities, we follow the traces of Romans, Saxons, and countless peoples who have shaped a surprising, mysterious, and captivating land.
Piero: Ready for another unforgettable adventure?
Angela: As always! But you’ve got me curious this time: why are you wearing those fake teeth and that cape? Carnival is still far away…
Piero: Because this time we’re going to Transylvania!
Angela: Wow… with our van, of course. Ready to chase castles, medieval towns, and maybe a vampire or two if we’re lucky.
Piero: You’ll see, you’ll definitely like this mythical region, with the Carpathians in the background and those Saxon towns frozen in time. And let’s be honest: driving here, through endless forests and postcard landscapes, is wonderful.
Angela: Yes, except when Google Maps sends us down roads even wolves would speed up on. But that’s okay: our van never backs down.
Piero: Exactly: it’s a fantastic land despite the skepticism that sometimes surrounds it.
Angela: Indeed, I remember as soon as we said "we’re going to Romania," everyone asked the same thing: "Isn’t it dangerous?" or "Are you going to see Dracula?" Nobody talked about the incredible history of this land.
Piero: But Romania has a historical layering that very few know. Ancient Dacia, conquered by the Romans in 106 AD under Emperor Trajan — remember the triumphal arch in Rome?
Angela: Of course! Trajan’s Column celebrates exactly that campaign. From there comes the name Romania, derived from Romanus, Roman citizen.
Piero: And here you can see that Romanians have Latin roots, not Slavic, although there were many influences later. After the Romans came the Goths, Huns, Avars, Slavs, Magyars, Ottomans, Habsburgs…
Angela: A continuous mix. But the history of Transylvania is even more fascinating: a contested region, closed between mountains and legends, where every stone tells a story.
Piero: The name itself is poetic: Trans-silva, "beyond the forest." A remote, isolated, mysterious place, inhabited over the centuries by Dacians, Romans, Hungarians, Saxons, and Vlachs.
Angela: And it was the Saxons who left the most visible traces: fortified medieval towns like Sibiu, Brașov, and Sighișoara. They were German settlers invited in the 12th century by the King of Hungary to defend the eastern frontier of his kingdom.
Piero: For centuries, Transylvania was under the Hungarian crown, then under the Habsburg Empire, then autonomous, and only in 1918 did it become part of Romania after World War I.
Angela: It’s a mosaic of cultures. Even today, in Sibiu people speak German, in Cluj Hungarian, and many villages preserve a mixed identity.
Piero: And then there’s the landscape. Transylvania is surrounded by the Carpathians, full of forests, castles, fortified churches. It’s a borderland, both geographically and symbolically.
Angela: That’s why it’s not just Dracula’s land. It’s much more: it’s the land of great medieval migrations, resistance against the Turks, Saxon merchants, artisans, Orthodox peasants, villages suspended in time.
Piero: And of a thousand stories just waiting to be heard. And we… we came exactly for that.
Angela: Ready then: four days, a van, and a region that looks like it came out of a Gothic novel. Let’s go.
Bine ați venit în România!
We land in Bucharest and begin our journey toward Transylvania: through rolling hills, timeless villages, and hidden monasteries nestled in the Carpathians. Romania welcomes us with its history woven between East and West, on a path steeped in spirituality, nature, and timeless traditions, where Latin, Slavic, Hungarian, and Germanic influences all converge. Transylvania, the historical and cultural heart of the country, preserves castles, medieval towns, and Orthodox monasteries—witnesses to a complex and fascinating history, suspended between myth, nature, and spirituality.
Piero: we land in Bucharest early in the morning. As soon as we leave the airport, we are greeted by that Balkan wind that smells of the East, but also of spring welcoming us: have you noticed how similar the language is to Italian?
Angela: we pick up the van — clean, shiny, ready — and immediately head north. We’re skipping Bucharest on this trip; it will deserve a dedicated visit. Sinaia awaits us, a small and charming village where we booked our base.
Piero: we arrive in the afternoon, after crossing rolling hills and villages where time seems to have stopped in the '60s. Horses pulling carts, women with headscarves, pastel-colored little houses.
Angela: Sinaia is small and adorable. Elegant and the ideal destination for a tourism made of relaxation, walks, and fresh air. And behind, the snowy silhouette of the Carpathians. There’s a peace that relaxes your bones.
Piero: we settle into the van, take a short walk, and are already immersed in another world.
Angela: since our transfer took almost two hours, today we only have time for a first stop here.
Piero: exactly, we are headed to the Sinaia Monastery, founded in 1695 by Mihail Cantacuzino, a Wallachian nobleman, after a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. Hence the town’s name.
Angela: at first it was just a small monastic settlement, but it quickly became important: the first monastery in Wallachia to be built entirely of stone. And above all, it became a spiritual beacon along the road that connected the south to the heart of Transylvania.
Piero: we enter through the monumental gate. Before us opens a quiet, well-kept courtyard, with gardens and cypress trees. In the center stands the Old Church, small and austere, with a carved stone portal. Inside, delicate 18th-century frescoes, still visible, and an icon of the Madonna venerated for centuries.
Angela: at first it was just a small monastic settlement, but it quickly became important: the first monastery in Wallachia to be built entirely of stone. And above all, it became a spiritual beacon along the road that connected the south to the heart of Transylvania.
Piero: we enter through the monumental gate. Before us opens a quiet, well-kept courtyard, with gardens and cypress trees. In the center stands the Old Church, small and austere, with a carved stone portal. Inside, delicate 18th-century frescoes, still visible, and an icon of the Madonna venerated for centuries.
Angela: on the walls there are biblical scenes, Orthodox saints, and figures of Romanian kings. It’s a church of representation, almost imperial. It is said that King Carol I also visited it, as he had his residence not far away, at Peleș Castle, which we will see on our last day.
Piero: in the adjacent museum, we discover a splendid collection of ancient books, carved crosses, liturgical textiles, and a Bucharest Bible from 1688: the first sacred text printed in Romanian.
Angela: leaving, we walk slowly under the linden trees. Time here seems to stand still. Every stone has a story, every fresco a prayer.
Piero: the feeling is that we have touched a deep, spiritual Romania that does not reveal itself to those who are in a hurry.
Angela: and so ends our first day in this land.
Piero: let’s enjoy our first evening in our little house, with the air, flavors, and scents typical of the mountains.
Bran, Râșnov, and the Magnificent Brașov
Today we venture into the mysterious heart of Transylvania: Bran Castle welcomes us with legends of Dracula and true stories of Vlad the Impaler, while Râșnov reveals its Saxon fortress. Finally, Brașov surprises us with its Gothic elegance, the Black Church, colorful squares, and hidden alleys. A day filled with history, myth, and beauty.
Angela: today is the day of mystery! We leave early, the van takes us along narrower and narrower roads through woods and hairpin bends, and suddenly… there it is.
Piero: Bran Castle! Perched on a rocky outcrop, with sharp towers and white walls that seem to rise from the living stone. There’s no fog, but you can still feel the gothic atmosphere.
Angela: it’s the one everyone associates with Dracula. Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel imagined it among the Transylvanian mountains, with the count sleeping in coffins and sucking blood between demonic laughs.
Piero: actually, Stoker never set foot in Romania. His Dracula is a literary creation partly inspired by the historical figure Vlad Țepeș, the 15th-century Wallachian prince known as the Impaler.
Angela: Vlad may never have really been here either, although Bran Castle is the only one that matches, in location and appearance, the description in the book. So: more mythology than history.
Piero: definitely! Even though Vlad Țepeș really existed.
Angela: so let’s talk about him for a moment. Vlad III of Wallachia, called Țepeș, meaning “the Impaler,” was born in 1431 in Sighișoara, son of Vlad II Dracul, a member of the Order of the Dragon, from which comes the famous title “Dracula,” meaning “son of the Dragon.”
Piero: he was a ruthless but determined prince who fiercely fought the Ottoman Turks to defend Wallachia. He imposed order with brutal methods: impalement was his trademark. Chronicles speak of entire forests of skewered corpses.
Angela: yet, to his people, he wasn’t a monster. He was a just ruler who punished the corrupt, defended Wallachia’s autonomy, and did not hesitate to strike down treacherous nobles or dishonest merchants.
Piero: as often happens, history and legend have merged. The German accounts of the time, commercial rivals of the Romanians, described him as sadistic and bloodthirsty. It was from those descriptions that Stoker created his aristocratic, immortal vampire.
Angela: but Vlad didn’t have sharp fangs. He did have a sharp political mind, though. He was even imprisoned in Visegrád by the Hungarian kings, later returned to power, and finally died in battle; his head was sent as a gift to the sultan in Istanbul.
Piero: a fate more like a Greek tragedy than a gothic novel.
Angela: and maybe it’s precisely this mix of violence, mystery, and patriotism that made him immortal. Much more than Count Dracula.
Angela: a blend of legend and reality that, however, works. We climb on foot along a short cobblestone path, between trees and stone walls. The castle watches us from above, with its leaning towers and uneven façade: it really seems suspended between history and fantasy.
Piero: once inside, we move through cozy rooms, low ceilings, narrow corridors, wooden stairs, and secret passages. There’s something disorienting about this castle: every space changes direction, height, and light.
Angela: in the center there’s a small inner courtyard, surrounded by wooden balconies and little windows with embroidered curtains. A well in the middle adds mystery to the scene: it’s said there’s an underground tunnel beneath it, now sealed; who knows where it led.
Piero: along with Dracula, the most fascinating part is connected to Maria of Edinburgh, Queen Marie of Romania. It was she who received the castle as a gift in 1920 from the city of Brașov, as a token of gratitude for her role in the unification of Romania.
Angela: Maria fell in love with it immediately and transformed it into a summer residence, filling it with artworks, oriental rugs, antique furniture, and above all, soul. Here she would take refuge in difficult times, write, and receive guests and diplomats.
Piero: she was an incredible figure: writer, traveler, informal diplomat, and deeply connected to Romania. She had British and Russian blood, but a Romanian heart. And that heart, after her death, was actually kept for a time right here at Bran, in a small chapel.
Angela: we walk through her rooms with respect. Here you feel the real history, much stronger than folklore. The castle tells her story more than Dracula’s. Watch our discovery again in this video:
Piero: we get back in the van, which heads off through the pines toward Râșnov, just a few kilometers away. Here awaits a true fortified medieval citadel, built by the Saxons in the 13th century to defend against Tatar raids.
Angela: Râșnov Fortress dominates the valley from the top of a hill. We park and, instead of climbing a path through the woods (we’ll be walking plenty today), we take advantage of the panoramic elevator. A short ride through the forest and here we are: the entrance is spectacular—towers, mighty walls, wood and stone.
Piero: inside there were houses, a chapel, warehouses. A truly self-sufficient village where inhabitants took refuge during sieges. Some houses have been rebuilt with shingled roofs and artisan workshops. Unfortunately, the heart of the fortress is closed for renovations—it must have been quite a sight!
Angela: and then the view… from up there you can see the Southern Carpathians, the dark forests, the rooftops of Râșnov, and in the distance, Brașov waiting for us.
Piero: and that’s exactly where we go for lunch. We choose a restaurant with outdoor tables right in front of the Black Church, in the main square. A spectacular view and a plate of ciorbă de burtă (tripe soup) that brings us back to life.
Angela: then begins our walk in the heart of magnificent Brașov. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century and later colonized by the Saxons, it’s an elegant city with a perfectly preserved historic center.
Piero: and we start our visit right from the Black Church.
Angela: it’s the largest Gothic church in Romania. It owes its name to the fire of 1689 that blackened its walls. The interior is severe and majestic: soaring vaults, stained glass windows, and above all, a unique collection of Anatolian rugs hanging on the walls, gifts from Turkish merchants.
Piero: from here we move to the main square, Piața Sfatului. It’s a true gem: baroque buildings, fountains, and especially the Council House with its medieval tower and clock at the top.
Angela: we are in one of the most beautiful squares in Transylvania. Piața Sfatului has the shape of an irregular rectangle, with houses featuring colorful façades that look like they came out of a model. The roofs are tall, red, with dormers and crooked chimneys. The Council House was the medieval town hall.
Piero: it was built in the 15th century, and here the council of the German Saxons, who ruled the city, used to meet. Today it is a local history museum. The square is perfectly preserved. The stones on the ground, the wrought iron street lamps, the shop signs—everything seems to evoke a bygone era.
Angela: we continue with a walk along Republic Avenue: shops, shopping, and here too splendid colorful buildings.
Piero: on the opposite side, we reach the entrance to Strada Sforii, the “Rope Street”: just about one and a half meters wide, it’s one of the narrowest streets in Europe.
Angela: it’s about fifty meters long and was used as a passage for firefighters in the 17th century; today it’s a small attraction: everyone wants to walk through it single file.
Piero: fascinating to cross it and observe the many writings on the tall, smooth walls, like a collective diary left by passersby.
Angela: walking through the nearby streets, we find ourselves in front of a doorway with the Star of David carved in stone.
Piero: it’s the Neolog synagogue of Brașov, built at the end of the 19th century in Moorish style. The entrance is a bit hidden, but once you pass through the gate, you find yourself in a quiet courtyard.
Angela: it looks like a building from Sarajevo or Budapest, not a mountain synagogue.
Piero: indeed, the style is Austro-Hungarian, like many Neolog synagogues of the time. The Neolog movement sought to modernize the worship and promote the integration of Jews into the society of the Empire. Here, the Jewish community counted more than four hundred thousand people; after World War II and subsequent emigration, only a few remain. It opens only on Saturdays. We just have time for a photo.
Angela: at this point we head up to the Weaver’s Bastion, one of the city’s defensive towers. Brașov was completely surrounded by walls, and this bastion still preserves the original beams and medieval structure.
Piero: we take a walk along the walls, pass by the Blacksmiths’ Bastion, and go through Poarta Ecaterinei, the only surviving city gate in Renaissance style, with its four small towers that symbolized the city’s right to carry out death sentences.
Angela: the last stop now is the White Tower.
Piero: built in the 15th century, it was used to watch over the walls and defend the northern side of the city. From here, every movement could be monitored.
Angela: sure, at the end of the day, climbing this short but steep stairway isn’t the best for my legs, but the view is worth the effort: it’s a perfect vantage point to enjoy the colors of Brașov as sunset approaches.
Piero: Brașov is a lively city but not chaotic; historic, yet still vibrant. Perfectly human-sized. Discover it by walking with us in this video:
Angela: we return to our van and head back to Sinaia. Today has been a full day, one of those that fills your mind and heart.
Piero: Dracula, fortresses, Gothic, and a city that surprised us. Transylvania still has much to tell.
Sighișoara, Biertan, and the Fortresses of Saschiz and Rupea
This morning, dawn gently embraces Sighișoara: the most beautiful medieval citadel in Romania welcomes us with its Clock Tower and the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș. From there, we head to Biertan with its fortified church and famous lock, then on to Saschiz, among ruins and silence, and finally to Rupea, the spiral-shaped fortress. A journey into the authentic heart of Saxon Transylvania.
Angela: today the alarm goes off early. The sun filters through the branches, and the morning mist wraps the fields like a thin veil. Our van is eager: heading to Sighișoara, the most beautiful medieval citadel in all of Romania.
Piero: and also the best preserved. Sighișoara isn’t just a tourist stop, it’s a plunge into the real Middle Ages. Founded by the Saxons in the 12th century as Schäßburg, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, time seems to have forgotten to move.
Angela: we park the van at the foot of the hill and walk up the stone streets. Just beyond the entrance gate, the Clock Tower welcomes us, the city’s emblem. It stands 64 meters tall, with a multicolored roof and pointed pinnacles—it looks like a crown reaching up to the sky.
Piero: we climb all the way to the top, step by step, passing through the city museum. In every room, medieval instruments, maps, seals, old registers. At the top, the view over the citadel is breathtaking: red roofs, towers, bell towers, and all around green hills dotted with woods.
Angela: a little further on is the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș, the real Dracula. He was born here in 1431, when his father was in Sighișoara as commander of the Wallachian troops. Today it’s a restaurant, but it still preserves the original walls and a suspended atmosphere. A bit eerie, too. Nothing special, but it works as a tourist attraction.
Piero: the wrought iron sign with the dragon is a tribute to his father’s nickname, Dracul, who belonged to the Order of the Dragon. From that comes Dracula: the son of the Dragon. A name that would become famous centuries later...
Angela: we leave the tourist heart of the city and take the Covered Staircase: 176 wooden steps, sheltered by a dark, creaking roof. Built in the 17th century to allow children to reach school even in winter. Today, it’s one of the most poetic and mysterious experiences in the entire citadel.
Piero: we climb amid plays of light and shadow, and emerge at the top of the hill, in front of the Church on the Hill and the old Saxon cemetery. The cypresses sway in the wind, the tombstones are carved in Gothic German. A place that speaks softly, but says a lot.
Angela: then we slowly go back down and start wandering through the citadel without any particular destination. Every corner is a discovery: carved wooden doors, decorated windows, wrought iron signs, and flowered balconies.
Piero: we stop in front of the Town Hall, a massive building with Gothic and Renaissance elements, overlooking the central square. It looks like it stepped out of a Bruegel painting, but it’s real.
Angela: we sit down in a typical little restaurant, hidden in a side alley. Wooden beams, checkered tablecloths, earthenware plates. We order sarmale (cabbage rolls), mămăligă, and a glass of vișinată, a cherry liqueur.
Piero: strong, rustic flavors, but authentic.
Angela: we start our afternoon with the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, just outside the citadel along the riverbank. It’s not as old as the Saxon churches, but it’s a marvel of spirituality and beauty.
Piero: the central dome is majestic. The walls are completely frescoed in a Byzantine style that leaves you speechless. Bright colors that convey harmony and perfection. A true marvel.
Angela: one last look up at the citadel, and we relive the beauty of Sighișoara; you can do the same with this video:
Piero: now we move on to Biertan, a tiny village with a fortified church that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. Imposing, built on a small hill in the center of the village; we walk up the stone path. Around us, the silence of the countryside, birdsong, a few curious cats. It’s like stepping into a lost world. The church is slender, simple but elegant. Inside, a carved pulpit, a late Gothic high altar with 28 painted panels, and soft light filtering through the tall windows.
Angela: but the real marvel is in the sacristy, in its door. A true masterpiece of 16th-century engineering: a lock with 19 synchronized locking points. When the key turns, hidden mechanisms activate that simultaneously secure the door in multiple directions.
Piero: a kind of medieval safe. So ingenious that in 1900 the lock was exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair as an example of applied art in security!
Angela: not bad for a village surrounded by vineyards. It also shows how rich and organized the Saxon world in Transylvania was.
Piero: and then there’s that story about the “reconciliation room,” do you remember it?
Angela: of course! If a couple wanted a divorce, the priest would lock them in a small room next to the church for two weeks. One bed, one chair, one spoon, one plate. And they had to manage.
Piero: apparently, in two centuries only one couple actually divorced. The others... came out either more in love or more resigned! Medieval intensive therapy.
Angela: we thought the day was over, but the beauty is that in Transylvania, around every corner, there’s always a fortress waiting for you.
Piero: so we leave Biertan with the sun still high and head east. Next stop: Saschiz, a lesser-known village with a fortress that dominates the hills.
Angela: we see it from afar: the peasant citadel of Saschiz, built in the 14th century by the Saxons as a refuge in case of attack. It has been restored, perhaps too much, but its charm remains intact: the stone walls, the towers, the complete silence.
Piero: we park the van at the bottom and take a nice twenty-minute walk through the woods—be careful not to do it after sunset, the signs warn us about bears… At the top, the wind and the 360-degree view welcome us. There’s something wild here.
Angela: there are no gates, no tickets, no souvenirs. We imagine the peasants running here with their livestock to escape the raids. It’s a place that speaks softly, but stays with you.
Piero: we descend slowly, get back on the road, and in less than half an hour we reach the majestic fortress of Rupea. Now that one really stands out!
Angela: from afar it looks like a spiral of walls winding around a volcanic hill. A colossus. Its origins date back to the Dacians, but the current structure is medieval, expanded over time until the 18th century.
Piero: here we enter for real: there’s a ticket, a well-marked path among towers, bastions, and courtyards. It’s one of the best-restored fortresses in Romania, and you really get lost among the panoramic terraces and steep stairs.
Angela: from the highest point, you can see kilometers of hills, cultivated fields, scattered villages. A view that makes you take a deep breath.
Piero: we read that the fortress was also used as a refuge for persecuted Protestants, then as a grain storage, and even… a prison. So many lives in these stones!
Angela: the sun begins to set behind the battlements of the towers. It’s time to head back. We still have a couple of hours’ drive to Sinaia, but with these landscapes, it’s never boring.
Piero: the van glides through golden hills and silent forests. By the time we arrive in Sinaia, it’s already dark.
Angela: an intense but beautiful day. Today we touched the Middle Ages with our own hands. And Transylvania… has won us over once again.
The Castles of Sinaia and Dracula’s last shadow
Our last day in Transylvania gives us a grand finale: the neo-Renaissance dream of Peleș, the art nouveau soul of Pelișor, and the suspended silence of Snagov Monastery, where legend says Dracula rests. A journey through beauty, history, and mystery — to be savored slowly.
Angela: it's our last day. Sinaia bids us farewell with the fresh air of the Carpathians and the scent of pine resin. We pack our bags slowly, without hurry. Today, the grand finale awaits.
Piero: yes, because here you'll find two of the most beautiful castles in all of Transylvania. And we certainly can't leave without seeing them. Even if it's Sunday… and that’s clear right away: the parking lot is full, the line is long, and visitors' voices echo through the trees.
Angela: but it’s worth it. After a short walk through the woods, suddenly, between the leaves, it appears: Peleș Castle. A vision. A Bavarian dream planted in the Carpathians.
Piero: built between 1873 and 1914 at the request of Carol I of Romania, the country’s first king, it’s a masterpiece of German Neo-Renaissance architecture. The king wanted it not only as a summer residence, but also as a symbol of the new Romania’s modern and Western identity.
Angela: the façade is a triumph of carved wood, pointed turrets, friezes, balconies, and coats of arms. It looks like a fairytale castle. But it’s the inside that truly takes your breath away.
Piero: as soon as we step inside, we find ourselves in the Entrance Hall, with an imposing staircase of carved wood and hand-sculpted panels. The carving is so delicate it looks as if it were etched in silk.
Angela: then comes the Armory Hall, with incredible collections: full medieval suits of armor, halberds, swords, helmets, shields, and even oriental weapons. A museum within the museum.
Piero: we pass through the Reception Hall, with its stained glass ceilings, red velvet sofas, gilded mirrors, and marble columns. Every room has a different style: Moorish, French, Turkish, Venetian...
Angela: Carol I’s Library is a wonder: dark wooden shelves, ancient leather-bound books, and even a secret passage hidden behind a shelf—just like in a mystery novel.
Piero: then there's the Music Room, where even George Enescu once performed. And the Council Room, where the king made decisions with his ministers, surrounded by wood paneling and allegorical frescoes.
Angela: everywhere you look: Persian carpets, Murano glass chandeliers, hand-painted ceramic stoves. And then that atmosphere… not pompous, but intimate, lived-in.
Piero: we’ve seen many beautiful castles, but we leave this one truly dazed. Just a short walk away is Pelișor Castle, built in the early 1900s for the future King Ferdinand and his wife, Queen Marie.
Angela: if Peleș is elegant and monumental, Pelișor is personal, romantic, full of soul. Its style is more modern—Art Nouveau with Celtic and Eastern influences. A castle for artists.
Piero: you can feel Marie’s presence in every corner. In the brightly colored stained glass, in the furniture designed especially for her, in the crowned heart symbols that appear everywhere.
Angela: the most famous room is the Golden Room, created at the queen’s request. The walls are covered in gold leaves on a white background, with plant motifs and Celtic crosses. A private, mystical, luminous sanctuary. This is where Marie loved to meditate and reflect.
Piero: we end the visit a bit moved. Two castles so different, yet both deeply connected to the identity of this nation. Discover them with us in this video.
Angela: we head back to our van. It’s time to leave, but before we say goodbye to Romania, there’s one last place to visit. One that brings us back to the beginning: the legend of Dracula.
Piero: we drive toward Bucharest, but just before the airport, we turn northeast, heading to the Snagov Monastery.
Angela: it’s located on a small island in the middle of a lake, connected to the mainland by a narrow bridge. The air is still, the water’s surface reflects the willows, and the sky is deep, clear blue.
Piero: the monastery, founded in the 11th century, was fortified in the Middle Ages and restored several times. It’s small but full of atmosphere. Inside, ancient frescoes, darkened icons, and soft light filtering through the arched windows.
Angela: in the center of the nave, there is a simple stone slab with a cross. It is said to be the tomb of Vlad Țepeș. According to legend, after his death in battle, monks recovered his body and secretly buried it here to protect it from desecration.
Piero: but the truth, as often happens, gets lost between history and legend. Excavations in the 1930s found no human remains. The tomb could be elsewhere. Yet this place, with its silence and the lake surrounding it, seems made to keep a mystery.
Angela: we pause for a moment in the courtyard. Time stops too. Our journey began with Dracula and ends where he might truly rest.
Piero: then we get back into the van for the final stretch to the airport. But we take something with us: the stern beauty of Transylvania, its castles, its legends, its silences.
Angela: and as always, our van that brought us here, step by step, like a trusted companion.
Mulțumesc Transilvania
Our adventure in Transylvania ends with whispered words, lingering images, and a quiet thank you in Romanian. It’s not just the end of a journey, but a farewell to a land that spoke to us through its stones, its silences, and its deep stories.
Angela: and so, once again, the van door closes, leaving a little piece of us behind in the places we’ve visited.
Piero: transylvania leaves us with the feeling of a beautiful book left unfinished.
Angela: i think of the towers of Sighișoara, the creaking stairs in Bran, the silent gold of Maria’s chamber. Each place had a different soul. And all of them spoke to us.
Piero: they told us a story—not just one of castles or Dracula, but of blended peoples, of stones that endure, of mountains that protect. A story that’s complex, rough, and real.
Angela: some journeys pass lightly. And then there are those that cling to you.
Piero: Transylvania isn’t something you just pass through. You listen to it. you walk it slowly. you watch it in silence.
Angela: and you say goodbye with a thank you—mulțumim.
Piero: și la revedere, goodbye then. Because really, we already know—we’ll be back. But for now, enjoy with us all the beauty of our memories in this video: