Romania. A name known to all, that conjures up images of fantastic legends, ruthless tyrants, ghoulish aristocrats and Gothic horrors, but a country whose modern reality is almost completely unknown to those who haven’t taken the time to travel there.

 

Look beyond Dracula, Vlad the Impaler and the Ceauşescu’s, and there is a fascinating modern country worthy of exploration. Romania’s history is long and complex and bloody, a story of repeated invasion, occupation and resistance, but it has left behind a plethora of thick-walled castles, medieval villages, fortified towns, ostentatious palaces and painted monasteries, along with a beguiling historical narrative.  

 

Approximately the same size as the UK, this roughly hexagonal country is bounded to the south by the mighty River Danube and divided centrally by the crescent of the Carpathian mountain chain. A good proportion of the country is, therefore, mountainous, which is excellent news for hikers who are really spoilt for choice.

 

Many of the areas are hardly known to UK hikers. Some may have heard of Maramureş and the Făgăraş, and maybe even walked there. But other areas are just not on the radar of the British walker, and that’s a shame because in this fabulous country there is some legendary hiking to be enjoyed.

 

So, if you’re looking for somewhere new to get your teeth into, Romania may be just the tasty treat you are looking for.