People often ask how I ended up in Romania, and I have trouble finding the words because my brain is flooded with all the reasons . There isn't one main reason or one moment that decided our direction. It was a long process of research, noticing what felt solid and what kind of future felt possible. Romania revealed its welcoming charm and promise of a dream through a lot of curiosity and thorough questioning. A Landscape That Felt Familiar Before It Felt Foreign The Carpathi

There are cities that decorate for Christmas, and then there is Brașov — a place that seems to exhale winter enchantment from its medieval soul. As December settles over the Carpathians, the old town begins its transformation. Lights unfurl across rooftops, garlands drape between centuries-old walls, and the entire landscape takes on the soft glow of a fairytale. Romanians put serious, loving effort into creating a festive world, and you can feel that intention in every illum

In the heart of Brașov’s old town, framed by the Carpathian foothills, stands a monument that has watched over centuries of change: wars, fires, reformations, and rebirth. Locals call it Biserica Neagră — The Black Church. Its stone walls rise like memory itself, weathered and immovable, carrying the spirit of a people who refused to vanish. A Church Born of the Saxons Construction of the Black Church began around 1380, when Brașov, known then as Kronstadt, was one of the mos

Walk through any Transylvanian town and you’ll find echoes of another world such as fortified churches, cobbled squares, pastel guild houses, Latin inscriptions, and names like Kronstadt, Hermannstadt, and Schäßburg. These are traces of the Transylvanian Saxons, the German settlers who came nearly nine centuries ago and shaped the cultural heart of the region. Arrival of the Saxons The story begins in the 12th century, when the Hungarian kings invited German colonists to sett

Perched above the Târnava Mare River, the citadel of Sighișoara has never been only a Saxon fortress. Its towers, stairways, and houses carry stories that linger as strongly as the scent of woodsmoke in winter. Beyond the pastel facades and watchtowers, folklore has shaped the way this medieval town is remembered. Vlad Dracul and the Birthplace of Vlad Țepeș One of the most enduring legends is tied to the yellow house on Citadel Square, known as the Vlad Dracul House. Traditi

Perched on a rocky outcrop at the edge of the Carpathians, Bran Castle looks as though it was built for legend. Its towers and courtyards rise out of the cliffs, watching over the mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. For centuries, it stood as a sentinel of trade and defense — but today, it is most famous for the shadows it carries, the stories of vampires, queens, and secrets carved into stone. The Shadow of Dracula No legend clings more tightly to Bran than tha

Sighișoara rises from the Târnava Mare valley like something pulled from a medieval manuscript — pastel houses pressed close, cobbled streets spiraling upward, towers with sharp tiled roofs watching from above. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is one of the last still-inhabited citadels in Europe. Life hums inside its walls even now: laundry flutters from windows, children chase each other up steep alleys, bells echo from the hilltop church. But beneath the daily rhythm, the

Every city carries its stories, but in Brașov, legends feel as present as the cobblestones beneath your feet. Nestled in the Carpathians, this medieval city has long been a crossroads of culture — and with it, a crossroads of myths. To wander Brașov is not only to see towers, gates, and churches, but to hear the whispers of centuries. The Crown of the Carpathians One of the oldest legends says that the mountains above Brașov once shimmered with a radiant crown of light. No on

Here are just a few of the amazing things that make Transylvania the hidden gem that it is: 1. A Living Medieval Town Sighișoara is one of the last inhabited medieval citadels in Europe. Families still live, work, and raise children inside the fortress walls, surrounded by towers, cobbled streets, and pastel houses. 2. Vampires Without Dracula Bram Stoker, author of Dracula , never actually visited Transylvania. His depiction was pieced together from secondhand accounts. Loca