The capital, Bucharest, lies between Transylvania's Carpathian Mountains and the Black Sea. Once known as "Little Paris", it had entire neighbourhoods designed by French architects. Some of these gems are now slightly obscured by more drab post-Stalinist buildings, but nonetheless a Byzantine-style chapel is not too hard to come by.
With its rich folkloric heritage, picturesque villages such as Maramures, have carefully preserved the culture and traditions of the old Romania. Visitors should be prepared to travel back in time to enjoy the medieval homes and beautiful handmade traditional costumes.