You might have read many interesting articles about Transylvania Romania castles including the world-famous novel of Bram Stoker named Dracula.
Some of these stories are real, while others are fiction; but you don’t know what is true and what is not until you don’t see with your own eyes.
Transylvania is a fairytale land with lush vegetation, warm people and really impressive culture, a land you’ll fall in love with from the moment you get there!
There are hidden villages, fortified churches, untamed nature and many amazing and unique castles spread all over the area!
For a complete experience of the Transylvania noble families’ life, I definitely recommend you to sleep in a castle and why not, sit at the same table where royalties used to stay.
Located in the centre of a traditional village, Zabola The Machine House is one of the best places to sleep when visit Transylvania; it is a former mansion still owned by a noble family.
The place has style, has charm and is the perfect choice when speaking about the best places to sleep in Transylvania.
All the mystery and all the stories about Romania are related to these amazing castles located in the central part of Romania!
So, let’s discover together which are the most amazing castles in Transylvania and why you should see them!
Beautiful castles in Transylvania Romania
1. Peles Castle
If we look on the map we can easily see that Peles Castle is not in Transylvania; it is located where Transylvania meets Wallachia, in the beautiful mountain resort Sinaia.
This piece of architecture is also known as the Cantacuzino Castle and was built in the 18th century in Rennaisance style (not art nouveau as many think).
But its unicity and beauty make from it one of the most beautiful castles from Romania which should not be missed.
The castle served as the summer residence for Queen Marie and the Romanian royal family between 1883 to 1947. The whole building is extremely big; it has 160 rooms and was built in the new Renaissance style.
This beautiful castle was the first European castle which was entirely lit by electric current from the moment when it was built.
Peles one of the most beautiful Transylvania Romania castles is hidden between tall trees and lush gardens, right on top of a small hill.
You can visit the castle only with a guided tour and the entrance ticket is pretty pricey; actually, here it is the most expensive entrance ticket from all the Romanian castles.
As you are allowed to visit the building within a guided tour you’ll have to wait a little bit outside until the group is complete and the tour can start.
But don’t worry as the time pass very quickly while you take photos of the construction and the nearby gardens.
Peles has a really impressive collection of pieces of furniture, fine art and extremely valuable objects.
It is one of the most beautiful chateaux I have visited in Romania, a true art monument and a very good place to discover Romanian culture!
2. Corvin Castle
One of the most beautiful castles in Transylvania Romania is for sure Corvin Castle, also known as Hunedoara or Hunyadi Castle a magnificent fortress located in the heart of Transylvania built in the 15th century.
This building has a gothic style structure and is one of the largest fortresses in Europe built in this style.
The imposing fortress lays in the middle of the town known today as Hunedoara and was refurbished a few years ago.
It has one of the biggest interior courtyards from all the Romanian castles and many interesting rooms which are open to the public.
You’ll need about an hour, or even more to visit the entire building; the good news is that there are many informative signs at the entrance or inside each room. The role of these signs is to tell you what was there and the main purpose of that part of the fortress.
There are many legends and stories around this Transylvania Romania castles and if you are curious to find them out you should visit this castle.
By the time you end your tour, I am sure you’ll feel hungry and tired so stop to a restaurant or terrace around the fortress and try Romanian traditional food because it is amazing!
After that, head up to Conacul Archia Deva , a magnificent place to spend your night in the area and to continue your road trip in the following day.
3. Bran Castle
The most famous and one of the most beautiful castles in Transylvania Romania is without any doubt the Bran Castle also known as Dracula castle.
This beautiful medieval fortress is associated with Count Dracula (on the real name Vlad the Impaler) and its position corresponds perfectly with the castle described by Bram Stoker in his novel Dracula.
The most interesting thing is that Dracula, the nickname given to a very cruel Wallachian Emperor never used Bran fortress.
It is believed that here, on this place he was imprisoned for a very short period of time, but nothing more.
Still, outside the fortress, there is a horror house which awaits his guests to terrify them with all kind of scary sound, rooms and experiences.
The Bran chateau is located in a small town with the same name, just 30 kilometres away from Brasov.
The quickest and most comfortable way to get to Bran and to explore its picturesque landscape is by car.
You can rent your car directly from Bucharest airport or take the train to Brasov and rent the car from there.
Get the best price for your car rental today
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Romanian state gave the castle as a gift to the Romanian royalty family who ruled the country on those times.
The castle was open to the public many years ago and is considered to be one of the most visited places from Romania.
Visiting this fortress you will recognise many elements specific to the Gothic style and you will be impressed by the landscape and the location of the castle.
Like the other Transylvania Romania castles, this has a strict opening schedule and an entrance fee which you have to pay if you want to see what is inside.
What I can tell you for sure is that there are many hidden passages, small and intimate rooms with beautiful and unique furniture pieces which create a world of legend.
4. Banfi Castle
Once one of the most important and beautiful castles in Transylvania Romania, Banfi chateau has the chance to come back to the glory and beauty it has many years ago.
The chateau is located very close to Cluj Napoca and today it became the scene of a vibrant music festival.
Because of its architecture and amazing gardens located around the construction, the chateau earned the nickname Versailles of Transylvania.
By the end of the 17th century, the castle was owned by the Banffy family; during their times it was added to the construction fortified towers and ramparts which are visible even today.
When communist got the power by the mid of 20 century, the castle was taken by the state and nobody performed any maintenance working to it until today.
Now, with the money gathered from the music festival, the Foundation Transilvania Trust plan to recondition the building and to give the glory and beauty for which the castle was famous.
5. Kornis Castle
For the 5th on my list with the most beautiful Transylvania Romania castles, we stay in Cluj area.
By the way, it is a great decision to spend your night in Cluj and visit also this amazing town known as the Silicon Valley of Romania.
Find the perfect accommodation for your stay in Cluj Napoca
After a tasty breakfast and good night sleep, it’s time to head up to Manastirea, a small village near Cluj Napoca, home of this picturesque chateau.
Unfortunately, nobody does anything for this castle, so it is in a very advance level of degradation.
Although it is not maintained, this gorgeous Rennaisance style monuments still impress with its imposing tower building and perfect location.
The monument was once known as the Castle of Unicorn after the two unicorns from the entrance gate and which guard the place.
Transylvania Romania Castles
These are just five of the many beautiful castles in Transylvania Romania you should see when exploring this magnificent country.
They are spread all over the Transylvania region, so book enough time to explore them and why not, other monuments located around these castles.
Along the way, you will find many signs showing you fortified churches, hidden villages and beautiful town!
Just keep an eye on them and if you have enough time to go and visit them too because this country has many magnificent attractions!