Marketed outside Romania as Dracula's Castle, it is presented as the home of the title character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is no evidence that Stoker knew anything about this castle, which has only tangential associations with Vlad the Impaler, voivode of Wallachia, whose byname 'Drăculea' resembles that of Dracula.^[1] Stoker's description of Dracula's crumbling fictional castle also bears no resemblance to Bran Castle.

The castle is now a museum dedicated to displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie.^[2] Tourists can see the interior on their own or by a guided tour. At the bottom of the hill is a small open-air museum exhibiting traditional Romanian peasant structures (cottages, barns, water-driven machinery, etc.) from the Bran region.^[3]

In 1241-1242 there was the great Tatar invasion with lots of destruction, followed by a period of regression. The fact that in 1280 Sighisoara was a small fortress and that the order of Dominican monks founded a monastery here, shows that the settlement already had an important role and, of course, it had been founded before 1280.

The inhabitants of the medieval city were from the beginning tradesmen organized in associations (guilds). Most guilds and cheesemakers are specified after the year 1400: shoemakers, coopers, locksmiths, wood turners, blacksmiths, furriers, weavers, painters, spinners, goldsmiths, tailors, etc.

The most important settlements in Transylvania had the right to weekly fairs. In Sighisoara, the fair was on Wednesday, the only day of the week when the population from the villages had the right to come to the city. The gates of the citadel were guarded by halberdiers and there were all kinds of inscriptions warning about correctness. 

Theft, fraud, false weights, and selling low-quality products were punished on the spot. The culprits were imprisoned or made to ride the wooden donkey, with two heavy weights tied to their legs. Sighisoara had the right to three big annual fairs, in which most of the towns in the area participated.

Therefore, the medieval atmosphere and the old order of the guilds based on honor and quality were maintained in Sighisoara until late, when the first factories appeared, with which the old guilds could no longer compete, and they gradually left history. 

For the inhabitants of Sighisoara, the most difficult period was between the years 1601-1676, almost a century full of natural disasters, wars, robberies, plagues, and fires.

In 1601, a Szekler army manages to treacherously enter the citadel, taking advantage of the mayor’s absence. The Szeklers drove out the inhabitants, and temporarily changed the name of the city to Nemesvar, occupying the city for a year, after which they left it, leaving behind a lot of damage.

In 1612, there was another attempt to occupy Sighisoara. A captain of Prince Bathory, together with 600 outlaws, set up camp near the citadel with the intention of entering it by trickery. But this time all the armed citizens were on duty and the outlaws gave up and left. Earthquakes followed, pestilence (plague epidemic), and fires.

The most dramatic event in the history of the city remains the fire of April 30, 1676, when in a few hours, due to a strong wind, the fire engulfed Orasul de Jos (the Lower City), the citadel, and all the surroundings. The damage was huge and many residents had the intention of leaving the city for good.

The medieval history of Sighisoara ends at the end of the 19th century, leaving us a legacy, a city museum, unique in central and south-eastern Europe, which we are learning to appreciate and preserve.

From 1542 to 1690, Alba Iulia was the capital of the principality of Transylvania. In 1599 Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul) proclaimed himself prince of Walachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia at Alba Iulia—achieving for the first time the union of the three great provinces of Romania. The town became a centre of Romanian nationalism and an important Romanian-language printing centre. It was at Alba Iulia that the union of Transylvania with Romania was pronounced on Dec. 1, 1918; Romania’s King Ferdinand and Queen Marie were crowned in the Orthodox cathedral in 1922.

When King Carol I of Romania (1839–1914), under whose reign the country gained its independence, first visited the site of the future castle in 1866, he fell in love with the magnificent mountain scenery. In 1872, the Crown purchased 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) of land near the Piatra Arsă River. The estate was named the Royal Estate of Sinaia. The King commissioned the construction of a royal hunting preserve and summer retreat on the property, and the foundation was laid for Peleș Castle on 22 August 1873. Several auxiliary buildings were built simultaneously with the castle: the guards' chambers, the Economat Building, the Foișor hunting lodge, the royal stables, and a power plant. Peleș became the world's first castle fully powered by locally produced electricity.

The first three design plans submitted for Peleș were copies of other palaces in Western Europe, and King Carol I rejected them all as lacking originality and being too costly. German architect Johannes Schultz won the project by presenting a more original plan, something that appealed to the King's taste: a grand palatial alpine castle combining different features of classic European styles, mostly following Italian elegance and German aesthetics along Renaissance lines. Works were also led by architect Carol Benesch.^[2] Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman, who designed the towers, including the main central tower, which is 66 metres (217 ft) in height. The Sipot Building, which served as Liman's headquarters during the construction, was built later on. Liman would supervise the building of the nearby Pelișor Castle (1889–1903, the future residence of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania), as well as of King Ferdinand's villa in the Royal Sheepfold Meadow. King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth lived in Foişor Villa during construction, as King Ferdinand and Queen Marie had during the construction of Pelișor Castle.

The cost of the work on the castle undertaken between 1875 and 1914 was estimated to be 16,000,000 Romanian lei in gold. . In the 1883 inaugural journey of the Orient Express to Bucharest, passengers from Paris were invited to Peleș Castle by Queen Elisabeth of Wied as King Carol I ceremoniously put the last brick in place to celebrate the castle's completion. This initiative by Queen Elisabeth was part of an effort to promote Peleș Castle and Romania's Carpathians to a broader audience.^[4] Peleș Castle had its official Royal Ball of Inauguration on 7 October 1883. Thereafter, Carol II of Romania was born at the castle in 1893, giving meaning to the phrase "cradle of the dynasty, cradle of the nation" that Carol I bestowed upon Peleș Castle. Carol II lived in Foișor Villa for periods during his reign. Princess Maria died there in 1874.

After the forced abdication of King Michael I of Romania in 1947, Communist Romania seized all royal property, including the Peleș Estate.

The castle was featured in the 2009 film The Brothers Bloom. The exterior of the castle is used to represent a large estate in New Jersey, the home of an eccentric billionaire played by Rachel Weisz.^[5]

The castle was featured in the Netflix original film A Christmas Prince and its two sequels, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby. It was also featured in the Hallmark Channel movie A Princess for Christmas (2011) and Royal Matchmaker (2018).

Perched around 1,200 meters above sea level on a steep cliff in the Altındere Valley, Sumela Monastery was originally founded in AD 386 by two Athenian monks and later expanded under Byzantine and Ottoman rule . This Greek Orthodox monastery, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, features chapels, fresco-adorned rock churches, living quarters, a library, and a sacred spring — a remarkable testament to the region’s Christian heritage and multilingual history .

The ancient city of Troy, located at Hisarlık in Çanakkale, Turkey, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998 and has over 4,000 years of continuous history. Best known for being the legendary setting of the Trojan War immortalized by Homer in the Iliad, Troy stands as a fascinating fusion of myth and archaeology.

The Diyarbakır city walls, made of dark basalt and stretching nearly 5.8 km with 82 fortified towers and four gates, originated in Roman times and expanded through Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottoman eras. Adjacent to the walls lie the lush Hevsel Gardens, fed by springs and terraces along the Tigris River, which have supplied food, water, and shade since ancient times.

The Agora of Smyrna, originally built in the 4th century BC and later rebuilt by the Romans after a major earthquake, served as the civic, commercial, and judicial heart of ancient İzmir. Sitting at the foot of Kadifekale (ancient Pagos Hill), these ruins intersect Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman layers, showcasing Turkish, Greek, and Levantine cultural influences.

Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys and Göreme Open Air Museum reflect a unique blend of nature and faith, with cave churches carved into volcanic rock since the 4th century. The rock-cut churches and chapels, built by early Christian communities, are adorned with Byzantine frescoes depicting biblical scenes like the Nativity and Crucifixion.

Cumalıkızık is a well-preserved 14th-century Ottoman “waqf village,” established to support Bursa’s early urban complexes through agriculture and commerce . Its narrow cobblestone streets wind between 270 colorful timber-framed houses—180 of which are still inhabited—showcasing traditional rural Ottoman architecture .

Akdamar Church, officially the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, was built between 915 and 921 AD on Akdamar Island in Lake Van by Armenian King Gagik I and architect Manuel. The church is famed for its richly carved bas-reliefs adorning the exterior walls and rare interior frescoes depicting biblical scenes—a remarkable example of medieval Armenian art.

In Adana, food is a powerful expression of cultural identity. More than just meals, traditional dishes reflect the city's diverse heritage, bring communities together, and preserve shared memories across generations.

Built around 636 AD on a former church—and possibly even a pagan temple—Habib‑i Neccar Mosque is considered the oldest mosque in Anatolia, marking the very start of Islam’s architectural heritage in the region. Named after Habib the Carpenter, an early Christian believer and martyr honored in both Islamic and Christian traditions, the site includes sacred tombs revered by multiple faith communities.

Zeybek is a traditional folk dance that symbolizes courage, dignity, and freedom.
It is the dance of the Efes—local heroes known for their pride and honor.
With its slow, solemn beginning that gradually builds in strength, Zeybek reflects a deep cultural identity through its music, movements, and distinctive costumes.

Immerse yourself and be amazed by the most important marine ecosystems in the world represented at Oceanogràfic Valencia.

Visiting the Oceanogràfic is a unique experience. Everything is possible in this magical place.

This architectural marvel, a pinnacle of Baroque artistry, is celebrated as one of the most distinguished and beloved landmarks in France. Positioned just a stone's throw from Paris, the once modest royal hunting lodge was transformed by King Louis XIV into a dazzling testament to the sheer grandeur of the French monarchy.

When Park Güell began to be built in 1900, Barcelona was a modern and cosmopolitan metropolis whose economy was based on the strength of its industry and which had over half a million inhabitants. Its walls had been knocked down nearly half a century earlier and the new city, the Eixample planned by engineer Ildefons Cerdà, had grown spectacularly from 1860 onwards, in what was the largest 19th century city development project in Europe. Ildefons Cerdà had made a thorough study of the difficulties of modern growth within the walled Barcelona and the impact of technological changes, especially the railway. The plan for his Pla d’Eixample proposal increased the area of Barcelona tenfold, as the result of a practical vision of the city. Cerdà conceived the plan as a flexible instrument undertaken with a reformist spirit in order to foster the formation of a modern city that would be more effective, healthier and fairer.

Barcelona expanded very rapidly throughout the second half of the 19th century, with the Eixample spreading out over the plain. Its central area began to take shape as a large bourgeois centre, while development also advanced along its flanks, in the direction of the old manufacturing areas on the plain, with a more popular and industrial nature

The Universal Exhibition of 1888 showed Europe and the world the dynamic thrust of Barcelona, capital of a Catalan nation being reborn, and boosted the quest for a new artistic language and idiom of urban representation. That explained the success of the Modernisme movement, very much in evidence at the heart of the Eixample, and the work of an architect as singular as Antoni Gaudí.

Nestled at the foot of Bucegi Mountains in the picturesque town of Sinaia, Peles Castle - considered by many one of the most stunning in Europe - is a masterpiece of German new-Renaissance architecture. If you are curious, you can find out more here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkRWSZFSW_g&t=11s

You will be able to admire all the architectural richness of the Medina, upon visiting one of its many riads, small oriental palaces overlooking a beautiful patio. You can also relax and recharge at the Menara, a vast garden with an emblematic basin. Marrakech shower its visitors by its splendour and its diversity, you just have to leave the ramparts to be immersed in modern Morocco. The districts of Gueliz and Hivernage offer the most modern infrastructures, luxury boutiques and international ready-to-wear stores, airy avenues ; which all contribute to Marrakech's unique offering.

popular in Marrakech: Jamâa El-Fna Square, Majorelle Garden, El Badîi Palace, El Koutoubia Mosque,The Menara basin

Strasbourg is the perfect overture to all that is idiosyncratic about Alsace – walking a fine tightrope between France and Germany and between a medieval past and a progressive future, it pulls off its act in inimitable Alsatian style.

You may be surprised to read about the Statue of Liberty in a travel guide about things to do in Colmar, but the famous statue’s creator, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, was from this lovely French town so you can see a 12 metre high replica of the well-known landmark when you visit.

The replica was added to the town to celebrate the centenary of the sculptor’s death, and if you are interested in finding out more about him you can visit where he lived on the Rue des Marchands where you can see his old living quarters and plenty of fascinating artefacts too.