“The Central European country has been fascinating for centuries. Luxury travelers finally understand why”

In March, 34 years after the fall of communism, Romania joined the Schengen Area, meaning that EU citizens traveling there by air or sea will no longer need a passport. The reasons to visit extend beyond the picturesque Saxon villages, the beautiful mountains and the legendary house of Dracula. (Bran Castle was mistakenly linked to the fictional vampire.) Romania now appears as an unusual luxury jewel, writes Bloomberg.

To see the top sights, you’ll need five to seven days, says Raluca Spiac, founder of custom travel agency Beyond Dracula. Add a week if you want to reach the northeastern region of Maramureș, famous for its wooden churches, or Bucovina, home to painted monasteries from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The idea, says Spiac, is not to rush: Romania is a place for those who understand luxury as the possibility of taking it easy. Here is a sightseeing itinerary.

Start in Bucharest

Young Romanians used to yearn for other urban centers in Europe, but many of them now want to live in Bucharest, a city that benefits from infrastructure investment. A tech community is also blossoming, with companies such as Oracle, Google and Romania-founded Bitdefender planting their flags here.

Where to stay: In the city center, called Centrul Vechi, where the Autograph Collection’s Marmorosch Bucharest hotel occupies a 19th-century bank – the bar is in a former vault. The 217 rooms (starting at 163 euros or $174 a night) include Art Deco suites with balconies. By September, the Corinthia Bucharest will also be inaugurated, with 30 apartments, with golden ornaments and an outpost of Sass’ Café, a stylish nightclub in Monaco.

Where to eat: For the best introduction to Romanian cuisine, Spiac recommends Caru’ with beer. It attracts as many tourists as locals for the fried polenta topped with aged cheese and smoked sausage.

Do not miss: The Museum of Recent Art (MARe) has a collection of post-war Romanian works that range from religious to satirical. Herăstrău Park, where locals gather for picnics and boating, is just a 10-minute walk away. Don’t forget to get to Nouă, which offers a creative approach to Romanian regional dishes; the seven-course tasting menu costs about $70.

Take a walk: On day 2, go with a guide to the Văcărești Nature Reserve, 5 km from the capital. A thriving urban park and wetland, it is home to more than 90 protected bird species, including Eurasian egret and great-crested heron.

Hiking in Transylvania

Three hours north, red-roofed medieval towns contain Gothic churches, castles and views of the Carpathian Mountains.

Where to stay: In the village of Criș, Bethlen Estates (rooms from €350 per night) is a collection of five restored, centuries-old villas served by a small restaurant – all owned by a local family.

Do not miss: From the hotel, it’s a two-hour e-bike ride to Sighisoara, a Saxon town known for its UNESCO-protected pastel-colored buildings. There, the highly rated Joseph Haydn House is open for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Saschiz, another 45 minutes’ walk from Sighisoara, has a renowned tradition in woodworking and painting and is surrounded by fields of wildflowers where Buckingham Palace gets its honey. (Britain’s King Charles III has a vacation home in the area.) Spiac can arrange tastings with the beekeepers who handle the production.

Don’t bother with Dracula

A five-hour drive east, the green valleys and forests of western Transylvania turn into dramatic granite peaks.

Where to stay: Matca recently opened, with 26 rooms and villas (starting at €445 per night) on the edge of a tamed forest. Enjoy mountain views from the spa’s heated pool before lunching on Romanian rosé at Stup, the on-site restaurant.

Do not miss: Cycle along the Bucegi Mountains or join Romanian Orthodox monks to play the semantron – a centuries-old percussion instrument used in the “toaca” call to prayer.

You may miss: Bran Castle might be the one and only tourist trap in Romania, so ditch the tour. Instead, break up the three-hour journey back to Bucharest with a lunch in the Saxon city of Brașov.