The best places to see spring flowers in Romania

Despite the late winter episode this year, the calendar spring has officially settled in and the first small buds already opened up, bringing with them the sight of nature’s renewal. For a richer experience, why not head to some of the flower destinations Romania has to offer? Meadows of sweet smells and beautiful sights await those who venture outside the city limits. Some suggestions below. Snowdrops in Vârtoapelor Plateau

The Vârtoapelor Plateau, in Hunedoara county, is where 10 hectares of snowdrops can be admired each spring, from mid-March until the beginning of April. The snowdrops are called by locals “rich” ones. Their Latin name is Leucojum vernum and they look a bit like the lily of the valley as the while flowers have greenish marks near the tip of each tepal. A visit to the plateau starts from the Orăştioara de Sus commune, where several Dacian and Roman landmarks can also be visited. Nearby is Sarmizegetusa Regia, the capital of the Dacians prior to the wars with the Roman Empire, located only 13 km away. Peonies in Zau de Câmpie, Comana, Pădurea Troianu

The Zau de Câmpie commune, in north-central Romania’s Mureș county, is home to the only fernleaf peony reservation in the country. Here, the peonies grow at altitudes of over 450 meters, throughout an area of 3.5 hectares. The flowers can be seen in bloom beginning May. The fernleaf peony was first signaled in the area in 1846, when the flower was included in a Vienna presentation of the Transylvania flora. The reservation itself was established in 1932, by academician Alexandru Borza, who is also considered the founder of the Romanian school of botanic. Several restaurants and accommodation options await tourists going to the area, where the Calendar Castle is also located. The site can be reached following the county road DJ151, on the route Luduș - Roșiori - Tăureni - Zau de Câmpie. Closer to Bucharest, the forests of Comana also see peonies bloom in May. Since there are only 38 kilometers between Comana and Bucharest, this can make for a perfect one-day trip. In southern Romania, in Teleorman county, the Pădurea Troianu Nature Park is home to a reservation of local peonies (Paeonia romanica peregrina