Romania

With an area of 238000 km² Romania is the largest of the Southeast European countries. Romanians originate from the ancient Dacians and Thracians and speak a Romance language, Romanian. Romania has a sizable Hungarian ethnic minority in the west. Transylvania has been inhabited for centuries by German settlers and its cities have a distinct German character. Due to its long history and rich ethnic mix, Romania has a significant number of historic sites and buildings.
In 2019 we visited Romania for the first time. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was thinking to find not so good infrastructure, perhaps old broken roads and an a bit old-fashioned country. It turned out that roads in Romania are pretty good, although there are still few motorways. The cities in Transylvania we visited were in a surprisingly good shape. Roads and squares were clean, most buildings in the historic cores had been restored and all places were very touristy (countless restaurants, shops, hotels etc.). The city of Sinaia where we spent a few hours when visiting the Peles castle looked like a sophisticated Alpine resort town. Almost everywhere you could pay by credit card. The cost level was about half of the one in western Europe.
How to get to Romania
Romania is easily reachable by car, train or plane. It is well connected to the European motorway network.
Accommodation
Accommodation options include hotels and pensions, all bookable via the international booking portals.