VACATION DETAILS

Flashpoint of the 1989 revolution, this scenic city is spiritually centered on the inconspicuous church Biserica Reformata Tokes. It was there that Father Laszlo Tokes preached a sermon that inspired the citizens of Romania to overthrow the dictator. Other attractions are the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Huniade Castle that houses the Banat Museum, a historical museum about Timisoara, and a pleasant old district. It is also home to a National Theater and Opera House. The city, usually seen en route to or from Hungary, provides a pleasant place to rest for an hour or so. Timisoara is 250 mi/400 km west of Bucharest.

Caught between eastern and western Europe, Budapest has a character uniquely its own. It's also the last cheap, civilised city in Europe. Budapest can seem like one big sight, with each phase in its history, from the Ottoman period until the Communist days and from renaissance to revolution, leaving its mark on the city. For the tourist, a trip to Hungary's capital is dominated by the majestic sights of Buda. In the summer, there are open-air festivals at Szeged, Diosgyor Castle in Miskolc, Gyor and Pecs. Visit the former Royal Palace complex, the Matyas templom and the Belvaros. Margaret Island is a giant recreational park and feels pleasantly separated from the city bustle. Hungarian National Gallery houses Hungarian art since the birth of the nation. Although Esztergom is Hungary's most sacred city, home of the Archbishop and the nation's biggest church, it has a real-life edge. The first-time visitor to Szeged is invariably struck by its space and grandeur. One's immediate impressions of Hungary's third largest provincial city are of greenery and plazas, of broad.

Excursions

For centuries, the Citadel of Sibiu was one of the largest and best fortified in Europe. Withstanding the test of time, some of defensive walls and towers still stand along Strada Cetatii and Coposu. The city is easily navigable by foot and visitors can choose to walk “upper town”, which contains most of Sibiu’s historic sites or walk “lower town”, which is a collection of cobblestone squares and quaint houses. Some of the sites include Little Square, Huet Square and the Evangelical Church, Bridge of Lies, Goldsmith Square, Great Square, Orthodox Cathedral, The Roman Catholic Church and City Hall Tower. There are numerous museums in the town as well, such as the Bruckenthal Art Museum.

Brasov is a medieval city located in central Romania, originally founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 and settled by the Saxons as a walled citadel. The city was located at an influential intersection linking trade routes of the Ottoman Empire and Europe. It is part of the Transylvania region, and is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. A wealth of historical attractions can be visited, including Bran Castle, attracting many fans of Dracula, the Black Church (Biserica Neagra), the largest gothic church in Romania, and Rope Street, the narrowest street in Romania.

Bucharest is the capital and largest city in Romania and is located in the southern part of the country. Referred to as the ‘Paris of the Balkans’, Bucharest has ornate buildings, wide boulevards and gardens fashioned after French architecture and city planning. In the name of progress and modernization, North Korean style buildings began being erected – many of which still stand unfinished today. Sights to see in Bucharest range from the stately to the heavenly. The Palace of Parliament should not be missed while in Bucharest – and it’s hard not to. It’s the second largest building in the world behind the Pentagon. Containing over 1,000 rooms, restaurants, conference areas and an art gallery, it houses the Romanian Parliament. There are several museums in the city, such as the National Art Museum and the Village Museum - an open–air museum containing over 300 houses, churches and mills from all over Romania and displays of some of the best folk architecture in the region. The Antim Monastery and Patriarchate Church are among Bucharest's outstanding religious structures.