Flights to Romania from $516*

Air France flights to Romania

Romania, the largest country in south-eastern Europe with a population of around 20 million, can trace its independence from the Ottoman Empire back to 1878. Many political changes later, it is now a member of the European Union and NATO, with its capital, Bucharest, being one of the most populous cities in eastern Europe (2.1 million inhabitants). The country essentially has a continental climate, featuring hot summers and cold winters and relatively little rainfall. The local currency is the Romanian Leu. Air France flights to Romania from Toronto take around 12 hours, including a connection in Paris.

Romania: paradise for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts alike!

Romania boasts a tremendous number of well-preserved sites and buildings of real historical value and significance. From its time as the Roman province of Dacia we have the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie mountains, complete with exceptionally well-preserved sacred precincts, paved roads and solar discs. Also on the UNESCO list are a series of eight exquisite Orthodox churches in northern Romania, dating from the 15th and early 16th centuries, some with remarkable painted outside walls depicting Bible stories. A very different style of church can be seen in the region of Transylvania. These are the famous Saxon fortified churches built by German settlers in the 13th to 16th centuries and designed to defend villagers against Ottoman and Tatar attack.

Larger towns and cities boast their own landmark-built heritage. Bucharest is famous for its blend of Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus and modern buildings. Outstanding examples include the Coltea Hospital, the CEC Palace, the Athenaeum (also a marvellous place to listen to live music) and the absolutely monumental ‘Palace of Parliament’, which is often described as both the heaviest building in the world and the world’s largest parliament building, with 1,100 rooms. If you want to start exploring Bucharest as quickly as possible, then we suggest booking an airport transfer.

Beyond the capital, the town of Sighișoara has a beautiful walled old town boasting innumerable picture-postcard perfect towers, churches and 300 year-old houses; Iași, Romania’s second-largest city, boasts the marvellous neo-gothic Palace of Culture, which is beautiful in itself and houses no fewer than four different museums. Two other much-loved sights not to be missed are Sibiu’s Piata Mare (Grand square) and Peleș castle in the Carpathians.

Romania – the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities of all kinds

With a population density that’s amongst the lowest in Europe, Romania is the ideal place to get back to nature. The country is bisected by the Carpathian mountain range, which features peaks of over 2,500 metres in height. If you want to see brown bears and lynxes, this is the place. Hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter are favourite activities, with the Bucegi Mountains near the popular tourist town of Brașov being a popular venue for both.

Romania has the largest expanse of virgin forest in Europe outside of Russia. Beautiful beechwoods like those at Nera Springs and Sinca Veche teem with wildlife and centuries-old trees. The Turda Gorge in the country’s northwest offers more walking possibilities amidst beautiful karst landscape.

Finally, where the mighty Danube River meets the Black Sea, the Danube Delta has been formed. Europe’s best-preserved river delta, this watery habitat draws birdwatchers galore thanks to charismatic species such as Osprey, Eagle Owl, Great White Pelican and Purple Heron.

Now that you’ve an idea of your itinerary, why not browse hotels with the help of Air France’s booking pages?

Once you’ve booked your flight to Romania, plan your trip with these useful online resources

Use these websites to smooth your journey to Romania:

• ottawa.mae.ro/en
• romaniatourism.com/
• cic.cdep.ro/en
• whc.unesco.org/en/list/588 (information on the Danube Delta)
• peles.ro/ (this website is not translated but contains an English language video)