We spent a week in Romania, with three days dedicated to work and the rest filled with exploring. While I was tied up in meetings, S and E made the most of Bucharest — and together we managed to see far more than I expected in just a handful of free hours.

Bucharest

Bucharest was our base, and even though I didn’t have much time during the workdays, S and E quickly grew comfortable navigating its parks and neighborhoods. They found fun play areas for S, who declared Bucharest “the city of cats” after spotting them everywhere. At one park, they even came across a cat‑feeding device activated by inserting a plastic bottle — a clever recycling idea that delighted S.

In the evenings, we wandered through Old Bucharest, taking in the mix of historic architecture and lively streets. We stopped at Carturesti, a cool looking bookstore that feels like it should be in a movie.

We reconnected with old friends over dinner at Hanul lui Manuc, a beautiful historic inn with a large courtyard now used as a restaurant. The food was ok, but the catch up was great.

Later in the week, we tried Caru’ cu Bere, another iconic spot housed in an old brewery, full of carved wood and stained glass. Both were touristy, but in the best way — full of atmosphere and tradition.

On another rainy evening, we stopped at the Parliament building, an enormous landmark that truly earns its reputation as the second‑largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. Standing in front of it, you can’t help but feel small. I was surprised to learn that the building was build in the recent past. It was commissioned by the Romanian dictator Ceausescu in 1984.

Brasov

We spent one of our free days heading north toward Brasov to visit Romania’s famous castles. Peles Castle was the standout for all of us — its interiors are some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen, full of intricate woodwork, stained glass, and rooms that feel like they belong in a fantasy novel. It was built by King Carol I, the first king of Romania.

Bran Castle (Dracula Castle), on the other hand, surprised me. I had imagined something larger and more imposing, but its charm lies in its simplicity and the legends that swirl around it. In the late 1800s, the English novelist Bram Stoker chose Bran Castle as the home of Count Dracula – the main character in his novel Dracula. The novel was based on a merger of two storylines – of a real person Vlad the Impaler that ruled Wallachia in the 15th century and the Transilvanian folk tales of the undead. Stoker never traveled to Romania to research his book – it all came from his imagination. Vlad the Impaler was also called Vlad Dracula stemming from his father’s name Vlad Dracul (who got it by his membership in the Order of the Dragon). Vlad the Impaler never lived or even visited Bran Castle, but the Dracula Castle name is too lucrative for tourism to give it up. In front of the castle, a medieval market was set up, and S had a great time exploring the stalls.

We grabbed lunch in downtown Brasov at La Ceaun, a cozy spot serving hearty local dishes.

Cluj

On the last day, we made a quick day trip to Cluj, just long enough to visit Salina Turda — a massive underground salt mine transformed into one of the most unique attractions I’ve ever experienced. Deep below the surface, there’s an underground lake, and we were the first ones of the day to rent a boat. We floated slowly across the dark water, gazing up at the salt walls rising around us. At the end, S and E climbed up the long staircases — part adventure, part workout — while I took in the scale of the place from below, waiting for the elevator.

In Cluj, we had lunch at Roata, where we enjoyed some of the best traditional food of the trip. They start the meal with complimentary drinks: vișinată (a sour cherry liqueur) for the ladies and țuică (traditional brandy) for the men. I wonder, is this why the food tasted better?

Our final stop before the flight back to Bucharest was Muzeul Etnografic, an open‑air museum preserving traditional Romanian houses and rural life.

These are the faces of three very tired travelers on the way back home. With so many adventures packed into three weeks, the trip felt like three months. It was a mix of history, architecture, heat, and memorable moments squeezed in between responsibilities.