retiredmartin

May 2026. Medias. Transylvania.

Our 7 night, 5 city trip round the heart of Romania had taken in a few of the less obvious stops, a bit like adding nights in Mansfield and Rotherham to your big Yorkshire tour.

“Most people who visit Medias, Romania, come there by accident. Located right in the center of the Transylvania region, Medias is an important travel hub, and chances are you will end up there as well when exploring this popular area of Romania.” writes MyWanderlust in possibly the definitive article on this light industrial (gas, glass, car components) town of 40,000.

As always, the population chronology is instructive, showing that post-Ceausescu slump;

So why had Medias got more than thirty (30) entries on Booking.com ?

We picked the top-rated one to find out.

“Pleasant but deserted” your initial impression,

though Trattoria Roma (Margherita for a fiver) in the main square always seemed busy,

so my decision to head for the modern Brasserie 15 for an inedible slab of gloppy schnitzel that made a Parmo in Stockton seem a healthy option is a matter of personal regret.

“Heart attack on a plate” says Mrs RM, agog at my determination to finish it.

Medias makes no great claims for the international tourist, but with its fortress church of St Margarets intact there’s a smattering of signs to guide you round the highlights.

That little fella is the bugler, also commemorated on the Trumpeter’s Tower in the church courtyard.

In truth, it’s not as smart a place as the colours suggest,

and the lack of tour groups also means a lack of cute coffee shops and craft beer bars,

though I doubt the residents resent the complete absence of Untappd check-ins.

There’s proper shops, and mannequins, good coffee at The Bean, and plenty of pleasant restaurants.

But the outdoor market is far from artisan,

and the mysterious dish at Sc. Irina & Mirela’s canteen may not match your haute cuisine expectations.

If the fortress villages in the hills remind you a bit of Herefordshire and the Marches, then Medias is more Leominster than Ludlow,

and that’s OK with me.