Romania Overview

Romania Overview


Romania's modern history is as haunting as its old Dracula legend: The brutal reign of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu ended in 1989, but the country is still plagued by a past of poverty and political uncertainty. Its capital, Bucharest, is only just beginning to break from the post-communist nightmare of polluting traffic, massive potholes, roaming dogs and panhandling children. And yet Romania remains appealing to visitors, offering an entirely different culture from what you'll find elsewhere in Europe. It has some of the most stunning mountain scenery on the continent, and many parts of the countryside seem untouched by modern history. For adventurous travelers, the eerie castles, charming medieval villages and painted monasteries hidden away in deep forests more than make up for the often drab cities and the irritating bureaucracy that lingers from the country's communist past.