For many people the words Romania and Dracula are synonymous and if you happen to be a fan of gothic tales of nocturnal terror it's certainly a reason for paying this fascinating country a visit.

But Romania's not all hovering bats, flashing fangs and screaming maidens. In fact, once you leave behind the dilapidated cities and venture out into the spectacular mountain scenery, you'll find that the mixture of folklore, rugged wilderness and fairytale villages give the country a bite all of its own.

First impressions of Romania's capital Bucharest make a grim imprint on the memory but look beyond the crumbling fin-de-siécle buildings, the traffic choked streets and the rundown suburban apartment blocks and you'll still catch glimpses of the city that used to be known as 'the Paris of the East'. Indeed, the scars inflicted by earthquakes, World War II bombings and the Communist stranglehold of the Ceausescu era make it a place of living history which nonetheless remains home to the country's commercial and cultural life.

At the city's heart lies the gargantuan and grandiose Palace of Parliament, a 12-story monument to Communist fervour which was only piped to the post in its aim to be the world's biggest building by the Pentagon.

For a more colourful insight into Romania's past glory, head to the medieval splendour of Brasov. The town's main square, the Piata Sfatului is rumoured to be the place where the Pied Piper took the children who followed him after they vanished from Hamelin. But if local legends aren't your thing you can still marvel at the jagged edges and pristine interior of the Black Church.

From here, it's a short jaunt into the infamous realm of Transylvania, home to medieval castles with majestic turrets guarding over wild forests and guaranteed to make you feel like you've just stepped into a fairy tale - or a nightmare if you fervently believe in the Dracula myth.

There are a number of Dracula tours prepared to feed you raw steak whilst bleeding the vampire myth to death but if this fails to please then it's definitely worth a trip to the notorious Bran castle of Vlad the Impaler fame. This whitewashed vision is perched majestically above the village of Bran but houses Romanian art items rather than a blood sucking hermit. And for those who really want to recapture childhood dreams as a fairytale princess/knight then head to the renowned gothic Corvinesti castle near Hunedoara and let your imagination go into overdrive.

For a chance to get back to the heart of nature and maybe even befriend the odd bear, stag, chamois or eagle, the wild Carpathians should prove just the trick. The stretches of rugged wilderness in the Bucegi, Fagaras, and Retezat ranges along with the Padis plateau should satisfy the cravings of the most die-hard hiking fanatic. Skiing enthusiasts can head for the pistes of Poiana Brasov for some of the cheapest snow action in Europe.

For a taste of bygone days Romanian style, the Danube Delta has been virtually untouched by the hand of modern civilisation with houses constructed of reeds and villagers very much celebrating their own distinctive customs and festivals.

Rural Romania also holds a wealth of gems in the form of the painted monasteries of southern Bucovina depicting cartoon-style frescos of biblical episodes for those on a cultural pilgrimage.

Romania is yet to become awash with package tours so there's still time for the independent traveller to uncover its gems. But it's not the easiest country to travel with little English spoken and with the journey to the country's far flung reaches giving a much greater insight into all things Romanian than the most informative of tourist brochures.

But if a few chance encounters with hospitable locals, not-so-friendly wild bears and the occasional gypsy sounds more appealing than an all inclusive deal on the country's crowded Black sea resorts then you could stand to gain more than a 'Dracula woz ere' T-Shirt from your trip to a country rooted in folklore yet striving for modernity.