The answer is: In the central part of the country surrounded by the Carpathians, which rise in a great arc across Romania. One of the main cities, Cluj-Napoca, stands on the plateau, while Brasov and Sibiu are in the foothills of the southern Carpathians. The medieval city of Brasov is picturesquely situated right up against forested hillsides. It is both fascinating in itself and at the center of Transylvania's major mountain resort area with first class hotels. Look for its old Saxon architecture around the 14th century Black Church, the ruins of the citadel and the 15th century Old Town Hall.
 

A favorite excursion from Brasov is to the castle of Bran, supposed to have been the home of Prince Vlad Tepes, on whom the novel and movies Dracula were based. Equally, don't miss the castle of Peles, fancifully constructed in 1883 on a mountainside for King Carol I, in Sinaia. This resort was first made popular by the King and is well worth a stay either in summer for its glorious mountain scenery , hiking and riding, or in winter for skiing, not to mention health cures. 

Sibiu, also Saxon in origin, is a very pretty town, with cobbled streets and pastel colored houses. The open air Museum of Folk Technology in woodland by a lake is a must to visit, as is the Brukenthal Art Museum, while the town is well plaed for excursions to mountain villages, such as Sibiel, where there is a fascinating Museum of Icons. Further away, near Deva, stands Corvin Castle, rebuilt in the 15th century in gothic style by the national hero John Hunyadi, who gave it a sumptuous Knights Hall and towers and buttresses that remind one of a chateau on the Loire. 

Originally a Roman town, Sighisoara is one of the greatest medieval cities left in the wrold, with a walled citadel on the hilltop, secret gateways and passages, a 14th century clock tower and the house where Prince Vlad Tepes was born. 

Wherever you go in Transylvania, you will discover rural traditions that are an actual part of everyday life. Sheperds produce large round cheeses which you will see for sale by the roadside. The doors of local houses are intricately and lovingly carved. Colorful traditional costumes are worn on Sundays and for weddings and festivals. And speaking of festivals, you will find these in full swing from Easter onwards through the year. In sum, both in the summertime and in winter, valleys and mountains of Transylvania are refreshingly unspoiled and welcoming, an area where you can genuinely &quotget away from it all". 

This southwestern corner of the country has a drier, more Mediterranean climate then most of Romania and is also culturally a little different. Habsburg rule until 1918 gave it Art Nouveau architecture, while 1,800 years earlier the Romans established a spa at Baile Herculane that is still one of Romania's most fashionable. Nearby Mount Domogled is a 60,000 ha. national park, while the Semenic Range has several ski centers. Finally, the capital of the Banat region, Timisoara, was where the liberation achieved by the 1989 Revolution began.

Known as &quotthe city of parks and gardens", and Romania's third largest city, Timisoara became a watchword for freedom during the 1989 revolution. Protests against the ruthless dictatorship of Ceausescu began there on December 15th and, within a week, he was overthrown. Local people are immensely proud of belonging to "Primul Oras Liber" (the first free town). So this distinction is added to a history that had given it ancient ramparts and a castle, a baroque town architecture, and a noted university. 

The fierce individuality of the Maramures mountain valleys in the northwest of Transylvania is legendary. Their inhabitants are of Dacian descent and their independence as a state reached its peak under the emperor Decebalus during the first century AD, before the Roman conquest. Wave after wave of invasions followed.

Nonetheless, the villagers here continued to fight for their customs and their folklore with such tenacity that they were called the &quotwolf people" during the middle ages. Today you can visit and admire their unique lifestyle in peace and, one hopes, with respect. Few other parts of Europe have preserved so distinctive a rural culture.

The lifeblood of existence in the mountains has always been agriculture and local traditions reflect this with festivals in April, May, August and December. The one in December is held at Sighetu Marmatiei with carnival parades and revelers wearing animal masks.

Woodcarving skills are the dominant feature of Maramures crafts. Particularly characteristic of the villages are wooden churches with tall towers and shingled roofs, some dating as far back as the 14th century. Highly developed, also, is the embroidery of traditional costumes. On Sunday afternoons, both women and men often parade and dance as they have for centuries. Women wear gay headscarves and flowered skirts with black sheepskin jerkins; the men black trousers and white jerkins. The Easter festivals are a particularly good time to see them.

At the center of the region is Baia Mare in the &quotnew Maramures", not the &quotold Maramures" of the mountains. Its modern hotels make it the departure point for many tours. A favorite local expedition is to Surdesti, which has the tallest of the region's wooden churches. Another is to Sapanta, famous for its &quotmerry cemetery", where carved headboards and humorous epitaphs commemorate the dead. 

Sighetu Marmatiei is the main town of old Maramures and notable for its markets, peasant costumes and lively atmosphere. The Museum of Maramures has many carnival masks among its exhibits. From here, it is an easy drive to the mountain resort of Borsa and such villages as Bogdan-Voda and Rozavlea, renowned for their wooden architecture.