Any advice on Budapest & Romania?

[onager]

Next month I'm due for another quarterly vacation from my job in Egypt. I'm seriously considering a few days in Budapest, then into Romania to see Dracula's castle. (I don't believe in vampires, but am a serious History Geek.)

Anyone ever been there? Tips on what to see (or avoid)?

Thanks!

[comrade snarky]

1. Skip Bran Castle

Unless it's for kitch value. Bran is a tourist trap Vlad (I call him Vlad cause we're close) probably never stayed in. The real one in Poenari Castle. On second thought I'm glad I went because now I can have an opinion!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poienari_Castle

My wife and I tried to go when we were there but an unusually early snow fall stopped us. The roads had signs advising chains and it's like 1400 steps up the side of a mountain.

Rasnov fortress was cool, like a giant adult playground. That one goes back to Roman occupation.

Brasov was a great little town and a fine jumping off place for nearby sights. We stayed at the Bella Musica hotel. Highly recommended along with the attached restaurant. Seriously good food. A nice hot Hungarian goulash and a bean soup appetizer server in a bread bowl that I still dream of.

Wonderful people as well. Not a lot of English spoken but enough to get by. We didn't get to spend enough time there and cant wait to go back. It's a gem. Still mostly untourised though I expect that will change as Europe discovers it.


On Edit -
Shoot, this post was from months ago. I have to read the travel forum more often!

So, how was your trip?

[onager]

2. Heh! I don't come here too often myself!

In the end, Romania was too much of a stretch and I only went to Budapest.

I hope the "only" didn't sound too diminutive. Budapest was great. Loved it. Especially when I found the street with a giant bookstore every few feet.

Stayed at the Marriott, which is right beside the Danube. The Executive Lounge is on the top floor, with an outdoor patio great for taking photos. Incredible views, especially at sunset.

Took some tours of rural Hungary.

But one of my favorite tours--because I'm weird--was "Statue Park." When Communism fell, Budapest took some of its mammoth Commie-Era statues and moved them outside town. And turned them into a tourist attraction.

My tour guide was a great Hungarian woman in her early thirties who grew up under the old regime. She was a former member of both the "Little Drummers" and the "Young Pioneers." Hearing her memories was interesting.

[comrade snarky]

3. I loved Budapest!

That was the stop before heading into Romania. My wife and I "splurged" and stayed at the Gellert Hotel for the hot springs. I say "splurged" because while it was gorgeous from the outside the inside had been gutted and redone in about 1965 soviet ugly.

It's a crime against humanity

We didn't have time to see that much because it was only a brief stop before Romania. Statue park was high on my go and photograph list but we just couldn't make it without peeling a day off Romania. I love that stuff too.

I know we'll be back though. Lot's of cities call themselves the Paris of where ever but Budapest held up to the title. There was history around every corner but it wasn't a museum. It felt like a living city.