6 Best Sights in Romania

In the town square, this clock tower dates to the late 18th century, during the Ottoman occupation, when the 72-foot structure was built to keep an eye on the town's goings-on. From 2005 to 2007 it underwent a thorough restoration, so what you see today is not truly the original, but standing beneath it, surrounded by modernity, you can try to imagine what the Ottomans saw when they looked down nearly 300 years ago—and how the brave inhabitants of the town felt looking up.

In the commune of Comana, 45 minutes' drive from Giurgiu, this Romanian Orthodox monastery has a long history. The original building, from the mid-15th century, was built by Vlad the Impaler as both a fortress and a place of worship, and he's believed to be buried here. In the late 16th century, when the monastery was falling apart, the future prince of Wallachia (Romania), Radu Serban, built a new monastery, which was later restored and is what you see today. The monastery is still in use, and is in fairly good condition, its facade a crisp white and its interior frescoes still relatively vibrant. There's a little museum within and, in the back, a small garden.

Southern Romania's largest protected area is in Comana, a commune of five small villages. The park covers more than 60 acres and its management has done a great job catering to families and outdoors enthusiasts. Bike trails run through the forest (bicycles are available for hire), and there are tennis and basketball courts, a pick-your-own garden with herbs and vegetables, a few restaurants serving local cuisine, and an adventure park where kids (and eager adults) can climb trees and a rock wall, ride horses, and practice archery. You can fish, kayak, and canoe within the park and watch birds in the protected bird area. Weekends are quite crowded; come early.

In the city of Alexandria, about an hour and 15 minutes' drive from Giurgiu, is this once Romanian Orthodox cathedral (it became Episcopal in the late 1990s). The Cathedral was built of wood in the early 19th century, then from 1869 to 1898 was re-built into what you see today. Its impressive entrance hall has Corinthian columns, its candelabrum came from Vienna, and its 33-foot Gothic-style iconostasis and the pews were hand-carved. The marble floor was installed at the end of the 19th century. The beautiful paintings you see within are the works of then very well known Romanian artists Constantin Pascaly, Constantin Artachino, and Stefan Luchian. Within the cathedral is the tomb of Alexandria's founder, Prince Alexandru Ghica.

In 1994, during the celebration of 160 years from the foundation of the town, Prince’s Alexandru Dimitrie Ghica sarcophagus, made from Carrara marble, was brought from Bucharest, from the Ghica Tei Church and deposed on the right, at the entrance of the Cathedral.

In 1997 the Cathedral of Saint Alexander became an Episcopal Cathedral, here is the bishopric of Alexandria and Teleorman, and the first bishop was His Holiness Galaction Stanga.

With a beautiful architectural style, an impressive, monumental building, with beautiful interior, dominated by a veil of distinguished paintings by Stefan Luchian and Constantin Artachino, the Cathedral from Alexandria is a attraction that honors the city and the county of Teleorman.

At first glance, this fortress appears to be little more than a pile of stones, but it was once an important defense structure, and, if its walls could talk, oh, the stories they'd tell. It dates to the late 14th century and was seized and then regained from the invading Ottoman several times over. Giurgiu lso suffered terribly during the Crimean War, when it was occupied by the Russian and Turkish armies, and again during the War of Independence, when it was bombed by the Turkish army. In 1916, the city was almost completely destroyed when the Allies fought back against Central Powers. Given the turmoil, it's remarkable that ruins of the once grand fortress managed to survive at all for so many centuries.

Take a stroll from Romania across the Danube to Bulgaria on one of just two bridges connecting the two countries. (The other runs between Calafat, Romania, and Vidin, Bulgaria). The bridge is about 3 km (2 miles) long, but the distance between the centers of each town is a little over 10 km (6 miles). Still, it's not a difficult trip and, as you stroll across the bridge, you can watch the boats on the river below. Don't forget to bring your passport. It's also easy enough to hitch a ride across.