19 Things to know before you go to Transylvania
A local’s guide to Romania’s largest region, from local beer and palinka to night-life, and the the correct way to enjoy meaty stews.
Transylvania may be Romania’s best-known region—and perhaps for the wrong reasons, thanks to some dubious vampire-related lore. But Transylvania—Romania’s largest region—is rich with mountains and undisturbed forests, medieval villages, hearty food, and a welcoming, generous social life, all with only a handful of larger cities, such as the cosmopolitan university town, Cluj-Napoca, 2015’s European Youth Capital.
After Nicolae Ceausescu came to power, succeeding Romania’s first Communist leader, he ruled the country under a highly repressive dictatorship, from 1965 until he was overthrown and executed in 1989. I grew up in the center of Transylvania, in a small town called Miercurea Ciuc. I’ve heard many stories from my grandparents and my parents about those grim years. The export of most of Romania’s agriculture resulted in widespread food shortages. The press was censored or blacked out completely. Those decades took their toll on Transylvania and the country, and as nearby European countries prospered, Romania stagnated. Romania joined the European Union in 2007, and there has been some mixed progress on the political and economic fronts.
