Countries of Eastern Europe

By Kerry Kubilius, About.com Guide

Romania is so often associated with the real Dracula legend that it can seem like this Eastern European country has little identity beyond as the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. However, Romania is a place of haunting beauty, centuries-old traditions, and hidden surprises - for those who have the patience to seek them out.

• Map of Romania

Romania's culture dates back to Roman times, when the Dacians inhabited the region. Archeological sites reveal information about the earliest Romanians and offer clues to modern Romania's origins.

Romania today preserves much from the past in countryside life and traditions and in its castles, churches, and historic towns.

• Romania's Castles
• Bucovina's Painted Monasteries

Book Flights and Hotels for Bucharest

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Moldova

Moldova is its own country though it is sometimes wrongly thought to be a part of Romania due to geographic proximity and its similar culture and language. The capital of this tiny country is Chisinau.

Explore the other countries of Eastern Europe by clicking on the following links, which will take you to photos, maps, and travel information about each country:

Russia | Czech Republic | Poland | Hungary | Croatia | Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia | Slovenia | Slovakia | Bulgaria | Ukraine and Belarus | Serbia | Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia

Book Flights and Hotels for Chisinau

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