The New York Times: Cobblestones? Check. Castles? Check. Budget? Check. Why Romania Is Worth the Trip.

The prestigious US newspaper ‘The New York Times’ has published a travel feature, signed by Dionne Searcey, about her journey to Romania together with her family. The feature describes the voyage in vivid colours and an experience worth trying or repeating. We reveal only a few paragraphs of the article, the more curious readers should read the  original story.

“Last fall we decided to pack up our three elementary-school-age children for a week in Bucharest and Transylvania. We mapped out a journey that included a couple of days in the nation’s capital city as well as a road trip to Brasov and into the Carpathian Mountains.

Why Romania? That’s the question all of our friends asked, those who bothered to give voice to what their raised eyebrows were already saying when we told them our destination. To them, it seemed an odd spot for a European vacation. But we wanted something a little off the beaten path, and we were in search of more time in nature than we thought destinations like London or Madrid could offer.

But the chief reason we picked Romania: It’s a bargain compared with other countries on the continent. Romania is the T. J. Maxx of European vacations. You can find British-looking cobblestone streets, old castles that rival those of the Loire Valley and Alpine-like snow-capped mountains. Designer attractions at a third of the price of its western neighbors.”

The author describes ‘Caru cu bere’ restaurant downtown Bucharest, trips to Peles Castle (photo) in Sinaia, Bran Castle, Brasov.