Romania

Bucharest: Little Paris with Big Energy

The capital earned its nickname for a reason. Belle Epoque mansions line grand boulevards, chic cafes spill onto tree shaded terraces and the art scene crackles with a confidence that surprises first time visitors. The enormous Palace of the Parliament, second only to the Pentagon in floor area, stands as a slightly bewildering monument to communist ambition, yet it sits oddly at ease alongside rooftop bars, a booming tech quarter and some of the sharpest contemporary galleries in Eastern Europe. Bucharest rewards aimless wandering more than most cities on the continent.

The Danube Delta and the Black Sea Shore

Where the Danube finally meets the sea it fans into a labyrinth of channels, reed beds and lagoons that shelter over 300 bird species, including pelicans in improbable abundance. The delta is a Unesco World Heritage site and one of Europe's finest wildlife destinations, best explored by traditional wooden boat as herons fish the shallows and white tails wheel overhead. Down the coast, long sandy beaches at Mamaia and Vama Veche draw a lively summer crowd, while the ancient port of Constanța holds Greek and Roman ruins just metres from the shoreline.

Painted Monasteries and Transylvanian Towns

Northern Moldavia hides a chain of Orthodox monasteries whose exterior walls are covered floor to ceiling in vivid frescoes dating to the 15th and 16th centuries, painted in colours that centuries of rain have done little to dim. Voroneț blue has become a shade all its own. Further west, Sibiu and Brașov offer immaculate Saxon squares, fortified churches and easy access to ski slopes and hiking trails that rank among the most dramatic in Central Europe. Romania repays slow travel and generously rewards those who venture beyond the obvious itinerary.