​ The Mountains of Romania by Janneke Klop, which is a new guidebook by Cicerone, describes 27 short treks in the Romanian mountains.

Romania is a southeastern European country known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains.

Its preserved medieval towns include Sighişoara, and there are many fortified churches and castles, notably clifftop Bran Castle, long associated with the Dracula legend.

Also included is an ascent of Moldoveanu, Romania's highest peak at 2544m.

The routes showcase Romania's stunning, diverse landscapes and offer an insight into the country's rich history and traditional rural life.

There is advice to help you plan a trip and organise the logistics of the walk or trek

Some routes take advantage of the network of mountain huts and others the chance to camp in wild locations.

The graded routes, mostly on waymarked trails, take in rolling hills, craggy karst peaks, glacial lakes and Europe's last virgin forests, with other highlights including Transylvanian castles, wooden churches and the Sapte Scari (Seven Ladders) and Turda Gorges.

Historic towns such as the medieval Saxon towns of Brasov and Sibiu and the spa resort of

Vatra Dornei offer easy access to the mountains; other routes visit remote villages that have changed little over the centuries, and where self-sufficiency is still very much the way of life.

Janneke Klop has been exploring Romania since 2005 and writes about her Romanian adventures at www.roamaniac.com

www.cicerone.co.uk

Useful links

​ www.romaniatourism.com