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Some people assume Transylvania is an invention of Bram Stoker, ripened by bloodthirsty Hollywood directors. However the ‘land beyond the forest’ – as the Latin name translates – is genuine enough. This region, three times the size of Wales, is located right in the heart of one of the EU’s members, Romania. Inside the Carpathian Arch the Romans called it Trans-Sylvania. The territory that includes Transylvania, Banat, Crisana and Maramures is called Ardeal in Romanian, Erdely in Hungarian and Siebenburgen in German. The latter translates as seven fortress towns, and hints at the significance of Saxons shipped in during the 12th century from Flanders and the Moselle Valley to defend the sparsely populated region from repeated invasions. The medieval Principality of Transylvania is now spread over 10 counties :

Alba County
Brașov County
Bistrița Năsăud County
Cluj County
Covasna County
Harghita County
Hunedoara County
Mureș County
Salaj County
Sibiu County