Transylvania.
Dracula's Legend.
Attractions.


Transylvania.

Transylvania is by far the most romantic and inspiring of Romania's provinces. Its very name brings to mind visions of mountain peaks rising up to the sky above wooded valleys and sparkling streams, visions of high-roofed wooden churches, legendary castles and a troubled history. But there is much more to it: ski resorts and health spas, hiking trails and the Retezat National Park, fascinating medieval towns, art museums and good hotels. In Transylvania new vistas and leisure activities appear wherever you go.

The name of `Transylvania` comes from the Latin expression -Trans Silva – which means `the land beyond the forests`, due to the forests which covered the mountains in the area. Transylvania is one of the most important regions of Romania and of Europe as well. It is one of the provinces of medieval Romania which experienced difficult moments along the centuries. Transylvania is an important economic and cultural centre of this country,  a region rich in natural and historical tourist attractions, being situated inside the arch of the Carpathians.

The main form of relief is the plateau, surrounded by hills, depressions and crossed by numberless rivers. The population in the area is over 3 million inhabitants who live in cities, towns or villages, each having its own specific architecture.
The climate is continental-temperate, in summer the temperature reaches 30 degrees Centigrade and in winter it sometimes reaches -23 degrees Centigrade.

The breathtaking natural beauty of the quiet, unspoiled mountains shelters a land and a way of life that has changed little in generations. Working horses still outnumber motor vehicles, providing transportation for people and goods and cultivating fields. Food is grown and produced locally, using age-old methods. The hardworking, hospitable people gather in close communities where family is the centre of life.

Transylvania is alive with history, having served as a crossroads between the East and West. Settled at various periods in history by the Romans, Saxons, Hungarians, and other Eastern Europeans, in addition to its original Dacian inhabitants, the influence of these diverse peoples can still be seen today in the art and architecture, food and crafts. Minority populations of Hungarians, Saxons, Poles, Czechs, Greeks, Tatars, and others continue to thrive in Romania today, interspersed with the ethnic Romanians.

The Transylvania of today is a mix of old and new as Romania joins the European Union. Transylvania's cities bustle with industry and construction and Western goods and services are becoming more common. The old man driving the horse cart may well have a mobile phone and a house without running water may nonetheless have a teenager surfing the internet. The people see opportunity ahead—as Westerners discover the country and tourism increases—while still holding fast to their traditions.

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Dracula's Legend.

An important tourist attraction associated to the name of Transylvania is the legend about Count Dracula. The legend tells about the existence in Transylvania at the beginning of the Middle Ages of a prince, a bitter enemy of the Turks. Left for the battlefield, his enemies spread the news he might have been killed. Hearing that, his wife commits suicide. Back from the battlefield, the prince finds his wife dead and furious about God, he makes a covenant with the devil, becoming an immortal vampire forever looking his beloved wife`s figure and soul in every woman.
This legend has its origins in the old history of Romania in the times of Prince Vlad Dracul (Vlad the Devil), also called Tepes (the Impaler), who lived in the 15th century, born in Sighisoara, as he punished his enemies or those who committed small crimes by impaling them. Using such harsh and bloody measures, he managed to make order in the country and he was not only loved, but also feared by the people. For this reason, people travel safely in Walachia without fearing they might be robbed. Prince Vlad Dracul was also a feared enemy of the Turks, being the one who stopped their invasion towards the centre of Europe either alone or making military alliances.
His enemies who were not content about his policies, spread all sorts of untrue stories about him, considering him a blood-thirsty vampire, a real devil. So a legend was born.
Bran Castle is nowadays visited by thousands of tourists who consider it Dracula`s Castle. In fact, Prince Vlad lived in this castle for a very short period. His real castle was not at Bran but somewhere else, in the south of Transylvania on the banks of the river Arges in the village of Poienari (this castle, as well as the ruins of Vlad's palace at Targoviste and his grave at Snagov, can be visited on a sightseeing trip). He was not not the Prince of Transylvania, but of Walachia.
It is true that he passed through Bran and Brasov, having commercial liaisons with this area which he also attacked several times in order to punish the Transylvanian Saxon merchants for their enemy trade policy. Bran stood for the commercial customs of Transylvania with Walachia.

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Other attractions.

The tourist potential of Transylvania does not stop at Dracula`s legend. In Transylvania there are numberless tourist and thermal resorts, wonderful nature landscapes, architectural or archeological vestiges.
Among the places where one may spend one`s holidays, relax or practice winter sports one must mention Predeal, Poiana Brasov, Stana de Vale, Sovata, Baile Felix, Baile 1 Mai, Baile Bazna, Paltinis, Moneasa, Lipova, Borsa and many more. The hills, mountains and the plateau of Transylvania make the soul happy and relax the body. The waters which cross the land are rich in fish and they offer various opportunities of spending one`s free time: fishing, rafting and so on. The wines produced in the centre of Transylvania in the area of the Tarnava rivers are famous all over Europe and they have been served at the tables for all the kings and princes which came to this country.
Winter sports can be practiced no matter in what resort, but the best-known are of course Predeal and Poiana Brasov where, every winter, the modern hotels and the lighted ski slopes wait for the tourists to enjoy the Romanian winters.
Due to the multitude and the variety of its areas and its tourist attractions, Transylvania offers not only an attractive alternative of spending the holidays, but you will also experience the discovery of unique places in the world, of legends and stories, delicious food, good wines, high mountains to climb or do bungee-jumping, rapid waters to go rafting. You will also have the privilege to travel around a famous and legendary county not only due to Bram Stoker`s descriptions, but also to the history and the beauty of these places.
If you do not walk on this land, you will never understand those who have come and remained here for a while, have come back again and again or have never left at all.

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