Romania

Arriving in Romania's countryside, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd fallen into a fairytale. Rugged mountains are sprinkled with tiny, traditional villages. Medieval castles with dark, fascinating legends, are dotted across the picturesque landscape, hinting at the country's long and turbulent history.

In contrast, urban Romania has modern, cosmopolitan cities with international and traditional foods. And, the Black Sea coast is lined with seaside resort towns, very different from the old salt mines and painted monasteries of the north.