Beyond the jagged landscape of the Carpathians (crossed by means of vertiginous routes like the Transfagarasan and the Rucar-Bran corridor) lie Wallachia's gentle hills, planted with fruit trees benefiting from the southerly climate. With villages tucked away in valley bottoms, this is the place to see rural Romania. A rich history is evident at Târgoviste and Curtea de Arges, fiefdoms of Wallachian princes, and religious sites include the monasteries of Tismina and Horezu.