Romania

Best-known for Dracula and the region of Transylvania, Romania is a spectacular location for Jewish heritage tours.

Today, Romania’s Jewish population consists of around 8,700 members, but Jewish people have been in Romania since 1367. Romania was home to some Jews who had fled Spain during the Inquisition, and later it also became home to many Hasidic communities. Most spoke Yiddish.

They led an often complicated but sometimes prosperous existence in Romania, but when antisemitism began increasing in the 1920s and 1930s, it led to violence against the Jewish population.

Many Romanian Jews perished in the Holocaust, but the buildings and spaces where they spent their time still exist in this spectacular country, and it’s easy to explore them on a Jewish heritage tour of Romania.

See the Dorohai synagogue, covered in beautifully patterned rugs and painted in a celestial blue, or the Falteceni synagogue, its ceiling covered in stars.

Along the way on your Jewish heritage tour, visit Bran Castle and Corvins’ Castle. Step back in time and discover medieval Romania, or visit the artsy and beautiful city of Sibiu.

A Jewish heritage tour to Romania is more than just history–it’s sweeping views, ancient castles, and an exploration into a complicated past.