HEADLINES OF THE WEEK WITH LONELY PLANET / When Is The Best Time To Visit Romania? / Lonely Planet Editors / Publisher Lonely Planet

Rising from sun-soaked Black Sea beaches to snow-covered ski slopes in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania is a year-round destination. And while it’s growing in popularity, this nation at the edge of Europe still feels like the continent’s last undiscovered corner.

While some European countries heave with visitors year-round, Romania feels wide open and refreshingly uncrowded. It’s traditionally a “two-season” destination – summer brings holidaymakers to the Black Sea shore while trekkers head for the mountains as higher-elevation trails clear from ice; in winter, it’s all about skiing in the Carpathians.

Romania has a continental climate, meaning warm summers that are great for spending time on the beach, with temperatures rising to 30°C (86°F) on the hottest days. Winters are cold, with snow in the mountains, while the weather in spring and fall is mild and pleasant.

If this is your first time visiting, spring and fall offer the best conditions for exploring the country, with moderate temperatures, smaller crowds and good weather for exploring Romania’s charming cities and natural landscapes. May and September are optimum months for a visit.

A week in Romania is an ideal timeframe to experience both cities and nature, but even a long weekend can give you a rewarding taste of the country.

Whether you’re drawn here by the culture, the beaches or the skiing, here are the best times to visit Romania.

Eggs are decorated with intricate designs as part of the Easter celebrations in Romania. Silviu Matei/Shutterstock

Spring and autumn are best for outdoor activities and smaller crowds

Most travelers to Romania gather in summer for the beaches, or in winter to enjoy the ski slopes, but spring (March to May) and fall (September to October) are the best times to beat the crowds and enjoy temperatures that are well-suited to spending time outdoors. These seasons are also great times to visit lively cities such as Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu when prices are lower.

Romania’s festival season kicks off on March 1 with Mărțișor, marking the start of spring. On this day, women are offered small trinkets bound with red and white string, traditionally thought to bring good fortune. From here on, the festival calendar just gets busier.

The Transylvanian city of Brașov holds its biggest annual celebrations during and following the Orthodox Easter, which is the high point of the religious calendar.

You’ll find Easter markets everywhere around the country at this time, and Brasov’s Junii Brasovului horseback parade on the first Sunday after Easter is a popular spectacle. During the Easter festivities, look out for the colorfully painted eggs known as pâsări.

Wine lovers will want to hit up the Revino Bucharest Wine Show in May, where you can give Romanian wine the respect it deserves. Come September, Oktoberfest sees Brașov go full-on Bavarian, with giant beer steins, traditional music, and enough sausages to make you wish you had a second stomach.

The spring and fall are great times for hiking in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. Gaspar Janos/Shutterstock

The pleasant spring and fall weather is also ideal for hiking, which is a favorite national pastime for Romanians. Most of the action takes place in Transylvania, in the high-ranging Carpathian Mountains. The most popular areas are the Bucegi and Făgăraş ranges, accessible from Braşov.

Other fruitful hiking areas include Retezat National Park, the highlands around Păltiniş near Sibiu, the less-visited Rarău and Ceahlău mountains in Moldavia and the lofty trails of Piatra Craiului National Park.

Wildlife watching is another adventure well-suited for fall and spring. Romania’s Danube Delta is a world-class destination for birders; nearly the entire global population of red-breasted geese winters here, alongside pelicans and white-tailed eagles.

Romania is also home to around half of Europe’s brown bears, most of them residing in the mountains of Transylvania.

Your chances of spotting a wild bear idling along the Transfăgărăşan Road are pretty good, and local companies offer structured bear- and wildlife-spotting trips.

Romania’s Black Sea beaches draw crowds of sunseekers in summer. hecke61/Shutterstock

Summer is best for enjoying the Black Sea beaches

Whether you’re looking for all-day basking, all-night clubbing, or something more relaxing, you’re sure to find a patch of sand to your liking along the Black Sea coast, shared between Bulgaria and Romania.

The Romanian section of the shoreline has beautiful, unspoiled beaches in the Danube Delta and north of Constanţa. By June, the waters of the Black Sea have warmed up enough for comfortable swimming, and the beach season lasts through to September.

The Romanian resort of Vama Veche, the southernmost point on the Romanian Black Sea coast, is the place for fun in the sun and long nights of partying on the beach. For something calmer, ride the ferry to the island of Gura Portiței to enjoy its long sandbar and crystal-clear waters, with fewer people around to disturb the mood.

“Vama” itself is where aging hippies and hipsters mingle, with plenty of guest houses and upmarket accommodation to choose from. Beachside bars and dance clubs, a nudist beach at the northern end of the resort, and plenty of summertime dance festivals help the resort retain a whiff of counterculture rebellion.

Other popular beach resorts include Mamaia, a thin strip of beach north of Constanţa, and Efordie Nord, famed for its spas and sapropel mud, sourced from nearby Lake Techirghiol, which is believed to have healing properties.

Romania’s lively folk festivals showcase traditional costumes and pagan customs. ELEPHOTOS/Shutterstock

In recent years, the remote beach running between the villages of Vadu and Corbu has become a pilgrimage spot for outdoorsy types looking for wild camping and a quieter, less-commercialized seaside experience.

The fact that the villages are hard to find – and even harder to reach (via partly sandy, one-lane roads) – contributes to the charm. The relatively remote beaches around Sfântu Gheorghe are also (mostly) devoid of big resorts and free from rampant commercialization.

In summer, colorful medieval festivals take place around the country in locations such as Suceava and Sighișoara, as towns and cities cram as much festivity as they can into the warmer months.

The Midsummer celebrations around the solstice are also manic fun, with events linked to the pagan-era festival of Drăgaica (Sanziene) and the ancient belief in fairies. The Untold Festival near Cluj-Napoca in August also draws huge crowds and top international DJs for an unforgettable party.

Winter is best for skiing and Christmas markets

The short, cold winter season is all about skiing and snowboarding, and things get busy, so pre-book accommodation at ski resorts such as Poiana Brașov as far in advance as possible.

Snow is pretty much guaranteed in mountainous areas of Romania from November through until April (and for longer at higher elevations). There’s also plenty of snow around at lower elevations, although when and how much is far less predictable.

When it comes to resorts, Poiana Braşov near the city of Braşov is the go-to spot for skiing, snowboarding, and fun cold-weather activities such as sledding and horse-drawn sleigh rides, with the best snow conditions from December to March.

For something more challenging, Sinaia calls out to experienced skiers, with wide bowls at its summit that funnel to thrilling gullies and half-pipes – often rated as the country’s best ski routes. There are 16 certified runs, extending to over 25km (15 miles), and with the high altitude, the season here often lasts longer than at other resorts.

There are lots of options for snowboarders and cross-country skiers. The Predeal Ski Area is popular and well-equipped, and around half of its pistes are suitable for intermediate skiers and snowboarders.

Poiana Braşov, Sinaia and Predeal all have ski schools and outfits renting gear.

Christmas markets fill public squares in big cities such as Bucharest and Sibiu. ecstk22/Shutterstock

About 35km (22 miles) southwest of Sibiu, Arena Platoș Păltiniș is a popular year-round mountain resort. In winter, six ski runs, aimed at beginners and intermediate skiers, draw big crowds, especially on weekends. A separate chairlift, known as the Statie Telescaun, operates throughout the year, providing access to summertime hikes and mountain biking routes.

December kicks off with Romania’s National Day on the 1st, a festive celebration marked by the opening of the atmospheric Christmas Market by Bucharest’s Palace of Parliament. Other seasonal markets pop up all over the country in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, filling city squares with twinkling lights, mulled wine and holiday treats.

After the festive rush, the under-explored Wallachia region falls asleep, often under a blanket of snow, making this a quiet and picturesque time to experience Romania’s winter charm in the countryside around the capital.