Visit Timișoara

Houses with eyes in the roofs, the Bridge of Lies and a Saxon centre that was Capital of Culture in 2007.

Moldavia's old capital: the Palace of Culture, the Three Hierarchs church carved like lace and the oldest university in Romania.

The ruined Art Nouveau casino on the Black Sea, a Roman mosaic and the beach resort of Mamaia.

Neo-Renaissance royal retreat in the Carpathian foothills at Sinaia.

Visit Cluj Napoca, the unofficial capital of Transylvania in Romania. Explore the Gothic St. Michael's Church (one of the largest in Romania, with a 76-meter tower), wander through the historic Union Square (surrounded by colorful Baroque buildings), and see contemporary art at the National Museum of Art Cluj-Napoca (housed in a former 18th-century palace). Don't miss the Central Park (with a lake and the iconic Casino building) and try local dishes like varza a la Cluj (cabbage rolls) at a traditional restaurant.

A Saxon walled town under Mount Tampa, the Black Church and Bran castle down the road.

The birthplace of Vlad the Impaler inside the best-preserved inhabited medieval citadel in Europe.

Visit Zalipie, a village in southern Poland known as the 'Painted Village' for its tradition of decorating houses with colorful floral motifs. See the House of the Women Painters (Dom Malarek), a museum showcasing the art and history of the custom, admire the painted church of St. Joseph, and explore the annual Painted Cottage Competition held in June, where residents compete for the most beautiful decorations.