Transylvania & Romania

http://www.viatransylvania.com/About-Transylvania-visit-romania.html

Romania is Central and Eastern Europe in a nutshell.

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Do you associate Romania more with Italy or Russia? It’s true it is half way between Rome and Moscow but which one influenced it more? It is also true that for 50 years it was under soviet-minded communism but Romania is not a Slavic country, it is actually a Latin “island” in Central-Eastern Europe.  Two millennia ago, Romans occupied ancient Dacia, colonized it and strongly influenced the culture. Since then, being at the crossroads of the Ottoman, Hungarian, Austrian, Russian and Polish empires, each fought to own it, leaving behind a fascinating multicultural heritage.
While Romans left behind the language, Ottomans greatly influenced the southern region, Hungarians reluctantly gave up Transylvania and a populous minority remained and brought German Saxons to settle.  So if you are interested in the Eastern half of Europe, this might be the best place to visit.

- See more at: http://www.viatransylvania.com/About-Transylvania-visit-romania.html#sthash.qG9Qljkf.dpuf