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Transylvania ( Romanian: Transilvania or Ardeal; Hungarian: Erdély; German: Siebenbürgen or Transsilvanien, historically Überwald, also Siweberjen in the Transylvanian Saxon dialect) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania.
- 100,390 km² (38,760 sq mi) (106th)
- Cluj-Napoca
Transylvania, historic eastern European region, now in Romania. After forming part of Hungary in the 11th–16th centuries, it was an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire (16th–17th century) and then once again became part of Hungary at the end of the 17th century.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Dracula is real (sort of) Bram Stoker’s 1897 vampire novel was inspired by centuries-old superstition and the real-life exploits of Vlad Dracula. Known by his murderous moniker, Vlad Ţepeş (the Impaler), the 15th-century Wallachian nobleman was said to have skewered up to 80,000 enemies on long spikes.
- It’s like stepping back in time. While it’s hard to avoid the creepy count, you’ll also find hardwood forests, lush pastures and wildflower meadows. Travelling around Transylvania, described as ‘the last truly medieval landscape in Europe’, feels like you’ve gone back 100 years.
- A Hungarian phrasebook comes in handy. Tongue-twisting Hungarian is the default language in eastern Transylvania. It’s also widely spoken in cities such as Miercurea-Ciuc, Târgu Mureş and Cluj-Napoca and the counties of Covasna and Harghita.
- The Saxons made their mark. German merchants arrived in the 12th century to help defend the region against the Tatars and Turks. Over the next few centuries, they built seven fortress towns, known as the Siebenbürgen, and hundreds of fortified churches.
Due to its varied history, the population of Transylvania is ethnically, linguistically, culturally and religiously diverse. From 1437 to 1848 political power in Transylvania was shared among the mostly Hungarian nobility, German burghers and the seats of the Székelys (a Hungarian ethnic group).
Transylvania. Romania, Europe. Transylvania’s forested valleys and Gothic castles are forever embedded in the popular imagination. Even before arriving, most visitors can picture this land of dark fairy-tales, where fog drapes like cobwebs over the Carpathian Mountains. 01 / Attractions.
Location: Central Romania. Transylvania is surrounded by the arc of the Carpathian Mountains: the Transylvanian Alps, to the south, Eastern Carpathians to the east and northeast and Western Carpathians (the only non-continuous range) to the west. Area: 22,319 sq miles (57,807 km 2) Population: 5.1 million.
Transylvania is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains and to the west the Apuseni Mountains. Broader definitions of Transylvania also include the western and northwestern Romanian regions of Crișana and Maramureș, and occasionally ...
