​​​Transylvania is by far the most famous region of Romania in the West, legendary as the mysterious home of the ruthless vampire, Count Dracula. Many people believe that Transylvania was made up in the fevered imagination of Bram Stoker, and then to become the setting of countless Hollywood films.

The real Transylvania is one of the three main historic regions of Romania, located in the north-west of the country and bordered by the Carpathian mountains to the West and South. It is one of the most beautiful regions of Europe, home to alpine scenery, green pastures, and quaint medieval villages.

Unlike the other historic regions of Romania – Wallachia and Moldavia – Transylvania was under Hungarian and Austrian rule for centuries, giving it a more central European feel than the rest of Romania. Look for university towns filled with elegant Baroque architecture and ski resorts established in the 19th century.