Fall is such a perfect season for travel in Europe, because people get back to work and kids go back to school, as well. So some travel destinations in Europe, such as Romania, won’t be as crowded as they were during the summer. Moreover, the weather is kind of perfect for exploring as much as you can by foot.
If you have decided to travel in Europe in the fall, Romania is a must-see destination, which you must put on your list.
The travel route through Europe in the fall months of September and October can pass through Bucharest, the capital of Romania, through Transylvania with its old medieval fortresses and Dracula’s castle or through the ancient settlements hidden in the mountains of Bucovina and Maramures.
Top 5 Parks You Need to See When Visiting Bucharest in the Fall
Bucharest, the capital of Romania, hosts quite a large number of recreational grounds, where you can simply take a walk and enjoy a corner of nature. Moreover, now that fall has made its presence felt, the trees have turned to different shades of orange, and the panoramas are absolutely delightful.
If you’re planning to travel around Europe this fall, visit Bucharest and make sure you bring a camera with you, because the images you’ll capture will be truly spectacular.
1. Herăstrău Park is the largest park in Bucharest, which extends over 182 hectares in length. A large part of this entire surface area is occupied by the Lake Herăstrău – which encompasses 74 hectares.
Due to the lake’s size, most of the areas within the park have access to the lakeside. You’ll almost always catch a nice view of the lake with the trees in the background. A part of the park hosts the Village Museum. It is a massive open-air museum which hosts hundreds of traditional houses from the bygone days of old Romania.
2. Cișmigiu Park is a series of large floral gardens which collectively form an entire park. It is the largest green zone in Bucharest’s central area. It offers a breath of fresh air from all the concrete of the big city.
The park also hosts an artificial lake, in which visitors can traverse by renting rowboats. During the fall, when the greenery turns to amber, the park becomes quite an impressive sight to see.
3. Kiseleff Park – back in the 19th century, Bucharest wasn’t as massive as it is today and many of the areas were part of the wilderness surrounding the city. What would end up becoming the Kiseleff Park was first a forest. The same architect that planned the Cișmigiu Park envisioned this forest as a nice recreational ground and thus, somewhere around the year 1850, the Kiseleff Park came into existence.
Situated along the Kiseleff road, the park isn’t the wild forest it once was. However, the trees are still there and you can just take a detour along the alleyways to enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet.
4. Tineretului Park (Youth Park) – a bit farther from the city centre, you will find the Youth Park. It is a large public park situated in southern Bucharest. It was built in the year 1965 and it was meant as the main recreational area for the inhabitants of this part of the capital.
Past the cover of the treeline, there is a large navigable lake. You can either rent a boat from the port and get the chance to row on the calm waters or you can just sit on a nearby bench and let go of your worries.
5. Carol Park is a 36-hectare landmass which hosts an abundance of monuments, close to the city centre. Inside the park, you will find a large assortment of archaic structures, statues and fountains. During the fall, the reddish colours of falling leaves seem to breathe new life into the dormant stone figures which adorn the park.
Plan on Visiting Bucharest?
If you are visiting Bucharest this fall, then do not miss the chance to visit the parks, as they provide an excellent retreat for those of you who want to experience the calm side of the city.
If you want to see more of the capital, then be sure to check out the tours below:
- Half-Day Bucharest Sightseeing Tour
Following a four-hour sightseeing itinerary, we will show you the most interesting attractions of Bucharest with an inside, guided visit to the Parliament Palace – the world’s second-largest administrative building after The Pentagon and The Village Museum – the charming open-air museum which reunites original houses that belonged to the Romanian peasants - Bucharest City Tour and Wine Tasting
Romanian wines are some of the best in Europe and the world. Wine Tasting tour from Bucharest is the perfect trip for those who want to learn more about the story of the millenary tradition of winemaking in Romania. Hear about different grape varieties used to produce the wines in Romania, the fermentation process, and get expert tips on wine-tasting techniques.
If you are looking for an extraordinary travel through Europe this fall, see the Countryside of Romania
People may visit Romania for the Legend of Dracula, yet they’ll remember it for its beauty. If you want to truly experience Romania in all its glory, the private Bucovina & Transylvania Tour in Romania from Bucharest offers you the opportunity to discover two fascinating Romanian regions. After all, authentic Romania begins with rural landscapes and villages.
This tour aims at taking you on a journey far away from the bustling atmosphere of the Romanian cities and getting you closer to the traditional lifestyle. Not only that, but you will get the chance to experience life as it was back in the olden days – you will be a guest in the traditional village mansions, try traditional dishes, and get to see old customs upfront.
Through this tour, you will get to admire the beautiful lands of Transylvania and Bucovina. You will get to explore the country’s forlorn villages and get a firsthand witness of some of the most culturally rich regions of the entire country. In the rural parts of these regions, it’s as if time stood still, meaning you can be more in tune with nature and far away from the burdens of modern life.
You still don’t know what to visit on your travel through Europe? We help you with some tourist landmarks in Romania, which you can visit in the pleasant autumn months.
If you want to see the entirety of Transylvania during your visit, then our Transylvania Break is exactly what you have been looking for. This tour will take you around the mountain roads of the Carpathians and into the heart of Transylvania. On the way, you can get the chance to see the facets of traditional Romania, unspoiled by the vices of our times.
You can see herds of sheep or cattle which are grazing peacefully in the cool autumn weather or peasants who are working tirelessly in their farmhouses.
The highlights of the tour consist of Sinaia and Brasov on the first day, where you will get to see Peles Castle and the beautiful cobblestone alleyways of Brasov.
On the second day, the trip will continue through Sighisoara, with the aim to experience more of the wonders this medieval city has to offer. Afterward, the final destination of the tour consists of a visit to Bran Castle.
If you want a more in-depth experience, you can embark on the Magic Transylvania tour, which takes you on a 4-day trip around Transylvania.
Romania Villages in Transylvania: Transylvanian Hillocks and the Saxon villages
Saxon Heritage and Their Fortified Churches are one of the most popular and traditional attractions in Transylvania. If you want to discover a fairy-tale destination and also find out more about Romania’s rich cultural heritage, you need to visit this area.
Viscri, Malancrav, Copsa Mare, Crit, Cisnadioara, Biertan or Saschiz are just some of the most beautiful villages you need to visit in the area. In these villages, you will find the purest rural life and admire the unique architecture. What’s amazing about these villages is you can actually sleep in an authentic Saxon guest house and eat some tasty food prepared by the locals with all natural ingredients.
Transylvania is also well-known for its magnificent hillocks. The villages located in the area are genuine ecomuseums. Transylvanian Highlands is an ecotourism destination and here you can find seven natural areas protected at the European level, one protected area of national interest, and two others of local interest.
Transfagarasan and the Medieval City of Sibiu
The first leg of the tour consists of a trip to the Curtea de Arges Monastery, which is a beautiful example of Byzantine architecture. The monastery is also surrounded by one of the most intriguing myths you will ever hear. It is said the builder had to sacrifice all which was dear to him in order to finish the monastery.
Next off, the tour continues along Transfagarasan Road, which is a must-see for anyone visiting Romania. While traveling along the road, you will stumble across some of the most picturesque scenery to ever set your eyes upon.
The last destination of this tour is the city of Sibiu, which managed to fit modern infrastructure and medieval, post-war architecture in one place.
Wine tasting at a wine cellar in Transylvania
When you plan to travel through Europe in the fall, it is mandatory to put Romanian wineries and wine tasting tours on your list of objectives. You can find lots of excellent wineries all across Romanian territory. We have divided them by region, so it will be a lot easier for you to decide which way you want to head to.
A wine tasting at a wine cellar starts with a tour of the vineyard– not all of it, of course since some areas are huge. It is long enough however so you can see the grapes ripe and thrive into the sunlight with a touch of morning dew slowly evaporating. You will be introduced to the grape types grown, their distribution around the vineyard, the treatment and care required, ripping timeline and challenges faced.
Here we present you some special places in Transylvania, where the wineries happily await tourists, and the wines are excellent.
- Liliac Winery – amazing types of wine: Neuburger, Ice Wine, Sauvignon Blanc
Address: Batos, Mures, Romania; Contact: +40 21 539 90 92; City nearby: Targu-Mures, Sighisoara
- Jidvei Winery – amazing types of wine: Ana Sauvignon Blanc, Eiswein Jidvei, Nec Plus Ultra Roze
Address: Jidvei, Romania; Contact: Jidvei 0258 881 666; City Nearby: Alba-Iulia
- Villa Vinea – amazing types of wine: Gewurztraminer, Kerner, Zweigelt
Address: Mica, Mures, Romania; Contact: Villavinea +40365 – 505107; City nearby: Targu-Mures, Sighisoara
Find out all the history of Romanian wine, the steps for a wine tasting and the Top 3 Romanian wineries by regions, in the article of our blog Discover Romania’s Famous Vineyards and Memorable Wine Tasting Tours.
Bucovina secluded forests and its monasteries
Bucovina is situated in the North-East of Romania and it’s surrounded by mountains, green hills and rivers. This region has centuries of culture and traditions and its secluded forests on top of the mountains add to the scenic views. Bucovina also has some forest reservations you can visit, such as:
- The Juniper and Swiss Pine reservation
- Slatioara secular high forest
- Sarul Dornei oligotrophic swamp
- The Dragomirna Beachwood
- Poiana Stampei oligotrophic swamp.
Aside from the forests, one of the most appreciated Romanian fall destinations in this area are the painted monasteries. The exterior walls of these monasteries are painted with elaborate 15th and 16th-century frescoes. The paintings mainly represent portraits of saints, scenes from the life of Jesus, angels and demons and heaven and hell.
Sucevita, Voronet, Arbore, Humor, Moldovita are just some of the most beautiful painted monasteries you need to visit in Bucovina and are a one of a kind architectural site in Europe.
Maramures villages, the best travel destinations for autumn in Europe
If you want to discover another face of Europe in autumn, travel to an authentic destination of Romania, such as Maramures. The villages in this area are well-known for its wooden architecture and beautifully crafted doors. There’s also a lot of craftwork happening here, so you can actually see how people weave, how they make clay pots, hats or baskets.
When you visit Maramures, you have to be prepared to eat a lot of fantastic food. Hosts welcome their guests with homemade bread a small glass of horinca. It is a traditional double-distilled local brandy made out of fruit.
It’s considered bad luck for the host if the guest doesn’t eat and drink everything they’ve been offered. Learn more about this magical fall destination in Europe in our story Maramures Region: The Ultimate Slow Tourism Destination In Romania!
Take Advantage of These Amazing Fall Destinations in Europe
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t take at least one week off work and visit these amazing fall destinations. If you’re worried you don’t know where to go first or what to visit, then you can count on us and book one of our private yours.
We’ve made sure to include Bucharest, Transylvania, Maramures and Bucovina on the list so you won’t miss out on these amazing places. If you need more details about our tours or have any questions, contact us at 40 735 525 710 or reservations@travelmaker.ro and we will help you with the booking procedure.