Romania: Transylvania

Transylvania (the 'land beyond the forest') is a wild, wooded, intensely romantic region, filled with mountains and gorges, myths and legends, dragons, bears, wolves - and vampires. Bram Stoker called it 'one of the wildest and least-known parts of Europe', a description remaining true today. Comprehensive chapter-per-county coverage caters for the diverse range of interests, from city breaks to rural escapes, skiing to wildlife-watching. One of the most beautiful regions in central Europe and home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Transylvania preserves its cultural and artistic treasures in a landscape bordered on three sides by the Carpathian Mountains, home to Romania's finest skiing and hiking destinations. Hay meadows in the lower Carpathians form a grassland ecosystem of extraordinary natural diversity, offering beautiful displays of wildflowers. The Carpathians are home too to lynx, wild boar and one of Europe's largest populations of brown bear. Other natural phenomena include the Scarisoara ice cave in the Apuseni Mountains and the Sf?nta Ana volcanic crater lake in Harghita.