Romania

The capital, Bucharest, has its critics, but the blend of grotesque communist monuments and purposefully hidden-away cathedrals makes for fascinating exploring. Excellent hiking, biking, and skiing are found all over the Transylvanian Alps (Carpathian Mountains), which curl across central Romania. Many visitors, lured by bloodcurdling tales, make trips out of Transylvania’s castles and lovely medieval Saxon towns like Sighişoara, where the ‘real Dracula’ (Vlad Ţepeş) lived.