Romania

Increasingly popular with independent travellers, Romania is famous for more than just Dracula's real-life ancestor Vlad the Impaler. Tourists are drawn to the melodrama of the medieval castles, the rich ornamentation of churches and monasteries, the charm of unspoilt villages where horse-drawn vehicles remain a common sight, and the magnificence of the Carpathian mountains and the vast Danube valley. In 2003 Romania saw more than 70,000 English-speaking visitors, and that number is expected to increase by 15-20 per cent per annum as more and more travellers explore the countries of Eastern Europe.