Transylvania hotels

Transylvania (Romanian: Ardeal or Transilvania; Hungarian: Erdély; German: Siebenbürgen (help, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian Basin, in present-day central Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historic Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, since 1920 the term sometimes encompasses all the territories that belonged to Hungary before World War I: not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crişana and Maramureş (see also Partium), and (Romanian) Banat. Before 1918/1920 the term was sometimes used in "lesser" Romania to denote the eastern part of Greater Hungary with a significant Romanian population.

Transylvania is an ancient land, once the nucleus of the powerful Kingdom of Dacia. After 106 AD the Roman Empire conquered the territory and its wealth (gold and salt) was systematically exploited. After the Romans' withdrawal in 271 AD, it was subject to various temporary influences and migration waves: Visigoths, Carpians, Huns, and Gepids Slavic peoples. Starting with the 10th century Magyar tribes slowly subdued Transylvania, which became part of the Kingdom of Hungary (11th–16th century). As a political entity, Transylvania is mentioned from the 11th century (after the Hungarian conquest) as a voivodeship, part of the Kingdom of Hungary. After the battle of Mohács in 1526 it became an autonomous principality, ruled mostly by Calvinist Hungarian princes under the Ottoman Empire's suzerainty; from 1711 to 1867 the province was officially attached to Habsburg-controlled Hungary and subjected to the direct rule of the emperor’s governors; again part of the Kingdom of Hungary (within the newly established Austria-Hungary) in 1867, and a part of the Kingdom of Romania after World War I.

Outside Romania, it is strongly associated with the novel Dracula, while within Romania and Hungary the region is known for the scenic beauty of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history.

Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia

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