If you're in Târgu Mureș and in the mood for a day trip, you're lucky: within just an hour’s drive, you'll find places that seem frozen in time. Castles with love stories, old churches hidden among the hills, mysterious Roman sites, and breathtaking landscapes, all part of the Attractive Romania routes. These places are not only worth visiting but they will make you wonder how you hadn’t discovered them sooner. Don’t miss the chance if you’re nearby!

With a long and fascinating history, Ugron Castle in Zau de Câmpie is best known in the area for its unique “calendar-castle” design, which incorporates architectural elements representing the measurement units of time. Its story brings to life a glimpse of the glory days of the Hungarian noble families.

István Ugron, the man behind the castle’s name, was an influential politician and an avid art collector. At one point, the castle housed highly valuable artworks. The castle’s very construction is tied to his personality—there’s even a romantic legend claiming it was built out of love for a distant princess. Like many such monuments, its more recent history has been far less romantic. Over the past decades, it served as a grain collection center, a primary school, an agricultural vocational school, and a child placement center. Today, local authorities are working hard to prevent its further deterioration and to restore the castle’s former charm and elegance. Read the full story here.

Right in the heart of the country, the village of Pădureni feels almost enchanted. Here, nature’s beauty has always united the locals and visitors alike. Picture the rolling green hills, fertile fields and the nearby lake. You’re standing in the courtyard of the Reformed Church of Pădureni, built of stone in the 13th century. Rebuilt several times, the church bears the marks of the community's long journey through the history of faith. Each era brought changes, and by 1887, the church had reached the current form we see today after major reconstruction work.

Though the church’s interior walls were once adorned with frescoes depicting the legend of Saint Ladislaus, these were covered up during the Reformation and faded from memory. We now know they featured Saint Ladislaus and Saint Stephen of Hungary (977–1038) thanks to watercolors and sketches made by József Huszka in 1891. Based on these, fragments of the frescoes have been recovered from beneath the whitewash. At the organ gallery level, you can still see part of the “Departure from the City” scene of Saint Ladislaus and an image of Saint Michael. After soaking in the history, take time to explore the nearby mountains with 17 hiking trails, bathe in the healing waters of the local spring, or visit the contemporary earthen refuge at the village’s edge. You won’t regret it! Read the full story here.

Perched on the hill above the small village of Ozd in Bichiș commune, Pekri Castle proudly rises—a living treasure of Renaissance architecture. With Baroque features, the castle is filled with stories of the Hungarian nobility who lived here. Few people know that the now-imposing fortress was once home to the famous Hungarian poetess Kata Szidónia Petrőczy, who wrote many heartfelt and emotional poems within its walls.

With over 400 years of history, the castle changed hands between the Radák and Pekri families. It was destroyed by fire and completely rebuilt in 1732. During its heyday, it was home to Count Lőrincz Pekri and his wife, Kata Szidónia Petrőczy, one of the earliest poets of the Hungarian Baroque. In her husband’s many absences, she focused on Reformed ecclesiastical literature and wrote numerous poems about death and human suffering.

Today, the castle is owned by a Christian foundation dedicated to restoring its former beauty. In 2004, Baroness Maria Jude donated the castle and its buildings to the Bonus Pastor Foundation, which has since managed to completely renovate the roof. Read the full story here.

After the conquest of intra-Carpathian Dacia and the pacification of the region, it was vital for the Romans to protect and monitor the road along the Niraj Valley, which linked eastern Transylvania’s Barbaricum (Salt Land, Ciuc Depression, and Giurgeu Depression) with the inner parts of the province.

Among the fortifications built parallel to the Eastern Carpathians in the early 2nd century AD to defend Dacia’s eastern frontier and the Niraj Valley route was the auxiliary Roman fort of Călugăreni, located at a place known as Cetatea Sânzienei or the Old Fortress. Archaeological evidence shows that the garrison stationed here was Cohors I Augusta Ituraeorum Sagittariorum, an auxiliary unit of archers originally recruited from the Itureans, a people from the areas now known as Lebanon and Syria.

Today, the Călugăreni archaeological site is the most extensively studied Roman site in Mureș County and the best documented in archaeological literature. The most representative monuments preserved include the stone fort, the baths, the civilian settlement, and the Roman road network. Read the full story here.

From the moment you enter the landscaped park surrounding Teleki Castle in Gornești, you feel the grandeur and elegance of its noble past. Today, the estate patiently waits to share the stories of its ancestors—those who shaped both local life and great history.

The story of the Teleki Castle is intertwined with that of the Teleki family, a lineage that left a lasting mark on Transylvania’s history through its political and intellectual contributions. Generation after generation, the Teleki heirs shaped the Gornești estate into a reflection of the free and intellectual spirit of their times.

The Teleki family produced leaders, scientists, researchers, and philologists, and the castle and park were built and refined over centuries in the style of grand Austro-Hungarian estates. Over time, the castle housed expensive furniture, art collections, and a notable library—remnants of the Teleki legacy. Visit the “Treasure of Mureș” and step into the world of Transylvanian Hungarian nobility. Read the full story here.

In the heart of the town of Sângeorgiu de Pădure lies a surprise you wouldn't expect: the story of a direct ancestor of the British royal family—Countess Claudia Rhédey. This small town near Târgu Mureș is home to a fully restored neobaroque castle built in the early 19th century.

The castle now hosts three permanent exhibitions, with professional guides, showcasing the story of the Rhédey family, the now-submerged village of Bezidu Nou, and the inventor of the musical fountain of Târgu Mureș, Péter Bodor. The largest part of the castle is dedicated to a multimedia exhibition about the captivating Countess Claudia Rhédey, her love story with Alexander von Württemberg, and her tragic early death. Her story comes alive in the mirrors of each castle room. One of them even features a message from King Charles III of the United Kingdom, sent at the inauguration of the exhibition dedicated to his great-great-great-grandmother. Let yourself be guided through the castle rooms and discover Claudia Rhédey’s touching love story. Read the full story here.

The church in Sânvăsii is one of the most remarkable architectural achievements in the region. Alongside its well-known and valuable relics, the church still hides many archaeological vestiges that may bring us closer to understanding early medieval events in Transylvania. It is believed that the original church—on whose foundations the current one was built—was erected around 1192, the year of King Ladislaus’ canonization. The village’s name, Nyárádszentlászló (Saint Ladislaus of Niraj), comes from the church’s dedication to this knightly king.

According to legend, at the edge of Sânvăsii flows a stream called the King’s Fountain, where it is said that King Ladislaus once stopped to rest and drank from its waters while hunting. Read the full story here.