DESTINATION: Transylvania Activity Page

Scroll to the bottom of the page for our printable offerings!

Transylvania is best known as the mysterious land of bloodthirsty vampires and howling wolves.

Some may think it’s fictional, but this central Romanian region is a real place. And it’s pretty special, too.


In Transylvania, food & hospitality are key

Transylvania is regarded as the most important part of the gastronomic heritage of Romania and reflects its rich and twisted past. Transylvania was part of or ruled as an autonomous region by many different kingdoms – the Hungarian Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire, and Austro-Hungary – which all shaped its gastronomic heritage. For our purposes, we have chosen a simpler way to celebrate.

Food & Traditions

BREAD

Bread is ceremonial and the proper respect it demands is almost mystic as the unwritten laws demand certain guidelines and restraints: before cutting bread, the sign of the cross is made in the air, something that Dracula will not appreciate; it must always be placed on a clean white towel, meaning purity; it must never be placed upside down nor must a knife be left in it. 

Never throw out leftover bread or crumbs because the last piece of a loaf resembles luck and power. The most popular and appreciated for its rich sweet taste, fluffy texture, and long life is potato bread. When making the dough, a part of the wheat flour is replaced with mashed potato and the best potato bread you will find is in Sibiu and Făgăraș.

SOUP

Soups are highly appreciated in all their forms sour or sweet, rich or clear, they are like cheese is for the French and pasta is for the Italians.

Potato, Chicken Noodle or Chicken and Dumpling, or Beef Tripe soups are the easiest most popular to make and serve.

Charcuterie plates full of meat also work!


Passport and Stamp

Keep up with all the fun destinations by printing this passport booklet. Each destination will have a stamp the resident can color to cut and glue to the passport.


Virtual Tours & YouTube Links


Transylvania Movie Suggestions

  • Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), R, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Horror
  • Hotel Transylvania Movie Series (2012-2021), PG, Animated, Family
  • Young Frankenstein (1974), PG, Comedy, Mystery
  • Van Helsing (2004) PG-13, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
  • Nosferatu (1922) NR, Fantasy, Horror
  • The Monster Squad (1987) PG-13, Comedy, Action, Fantasy
  • Dracula Untold (2003) PG-13, Fantasy, Action, Drama
  • Dracula (1931) NR, Classic, Fantasy, Horror

Explore Transylvania in a Novel or Memoir

The full list with brief descriptions is listed here.

  • ‘Along the Enchanted Way’ by William Blacker
  • ‘Embers’ by Sandor Marai
  • ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker
  • ‘The Transylvanian Trilogy’ by Miklos Banffy
  • ‘Between the Woods and the Water’ by Patrick Leigh Fermor
  • ‘The Land of Green Plums’ by Herta Muller

Music Suggestions


Here are our Printable Activities and Offerings to help round out your “trip”!