Via Transilvanica, the longest hiking route in Romania, has gained major international recognition with its inclusion in The Sunday Times Best New Trips for 2026, which sets out the top recommended holiday destinations for the British public. The 1,400-kilometer route, which crosses ten counties, was selected from a total of almost 700 proposals analyzed, being validated as one of the top 51 destinations globally.
The selection was coordinated by Chris Haslam, travel editor of The Times, and involved consultations with tour operators, airlines, hoteliers and local experts. The evaluation was based on three fundamental criteria: value for money, relevance to current travel trends and a distinctive “quite fancy that factor”. According to the publication, travel trends for 2026 are moving towards experiences that promote longevity, spectacular rail travel and innovative guided tours.
Inaugurated in October 2022 by the non-governmental organization Tășuleasa Social, the Via Transilvanica project connects Putna Monastery in Bucovina with Drobeta-Turnu Severin, crossing seven historical regions and passing through the vicinity of 12 UNESCO sites. The strategic objective of the project, dubbed “the road that unites”, is to revitalize more than 400 rural communities affected by depopulation and economic constraints by connecting them to the eco-tourism circuit. Visitors benefit from an infrastructure that includes detailed guides and a variety of accommodation options, from hostels and hotels to local people’s homes and parish houses, where local gastronomy is promoted.
A unique element of the route is the marking of each kilometer with andesite markers carved by artists, transforming the route into a large-scale outdoor sculpture exhibition. The project’s relevance to sustainable development has been previously confirmed by two distinctions at the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, namely the Citizen Involvement Award and the Public Choice Award.