The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Romania:
Transylvania
The name Transylvania (Latin for "across the forest") conjures up B movies filled with bloodthirsty vampires, Gothic castles, and the walking dead. But many of Transylvania's Dracula-related tourist attractions are well-preserved towns in their own right, easily reached by rail on the route from Budapest to Bucharest. The ominous Bran Castle, where Count Dracula earned his reputation as "Vlad the Impaler," draws visitors to Brasov. The Hungarian stronghold of Cluj affords a glimpse of Magyar culture, and the old fortified Saxon settlements at Sibiu and Sighisoara are impressive legacies of the considerable economic power once wielded by German settlers. Aside from these medieval towns, most of Transylvania remains undeveloped: Bleak industrial complexes are the exception rather than the norm.
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