Brasov

Brașov is one of Transylvania’s gentlest cities on a budget: the medieval old town is free to wander on foot, and the Tâmpa ridge that looms over it rewards anyone who skips the cable car fare with a marked switchback trail that climbs to the same summit view for nothing. Step into the Gothic Black Church to see over a hundred Ottoman-era carpets draped from the walls, then base yourself here cheaply for the day trips that fan out: Bran Castle, the cliff-top Râșnov fortress, and the painted citadel of Sighisoara all sit within reach by bus or shared ride. Romanian prices keep food, beds, and local transport well below Western European levels, so two or three nights here stretches further than almost anywhere else in Romania.