3 Best Sights in Romania

Southern Romania's largest protected area is in Comana, a commune of five small villages. The park covers more than 60 acres and its management has done a great job catering to families and outdoors enthusiasts. Bike trails run through the forest (bicycles are available for hire), and there are tennis and basketball courts, a pick-your-own garden with herbs and vegetables, a few restaurants serving local cuisine, and an adventure park where kids (and eager adults) can climb trees and a rock wall, ride horses, and practice archery. You can fish, kayak, and canoe within the park and watch birds in the protected bird area. Weekends are quite crowded; come early.

This lovingly preserved town square has been holding markets since the mid-14th century. In the middle of the square is a pillory formerly used for public punishments, including those of witches. The square and surrounding Old Town are filled with medieval buildings, and these include the red-roofed former Council House, now the Historical Museum. Built in 1420, its watchtower was used to look out for approaching invaders. Nearby is the handsome Renaissance-style Merchant's House (once known as Hirscher House, named for its owners, and now a restaurant). Within the square is Strada Sforii, once a firefight's corridor and the city's narrowest street; it measures between 44 and 53 inches wide and 260 feet long. Spring and summer are when Council Square is at its liveliest, with sidewalk cafés and musical performances, but there's much to enjoy even in winter.

A fairy tale castle come to life, Peles is a stunning Neo-Renaissance/Gothic structure that sits tall upon the Carpathian Mountains. It dates to 1883 and is estimated to have cost a whopping 16,000,000 gold Romanian lei (roughly $120 million today). The former royal residence has more than 150 rooms, each more stunning than the last, a bubble of gold and carved wood. It's estimated that the castle's art and antiquities collection includes nearly 4,000 pieces of armor and armaments and 2,000 paintings. Audio guides are available, and if you're on a time crunch these are a better option than the tour guides, who may not be available immediately. Part of the complex is the splendid Art Nouveau-style Pelisor Castle, which was built by King Carol I for his nephew, the future King Ferdinand, and finished in 1902. It's less castle and more stately home, but still well worth a visit, and it's much less crowded than Peles.