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Medieval cities and rural landscapes

Transylvania & Wallachia
0/5

Duration

8 days / 7 nights

Group Size

2 people

Category

  • Adventure

Price

€3.220,00

Info Tour

Departure: Bucharest

Arrival: Cluj-Napoca

Transportation: by bus/minivan with an assigned driver and authorized guide, or individually. For that, we can offer a rent-a-car service.

Good to know: You’ll get by with english pretty well

Highlights:

      The History and Authentic Gastronomy of Romania

Overview

Complete Guide and Itinerary

We will assist you with a transfer from the airport to your chosen hotel after your flight has landed. 

According to a legend, a shepherd by the name of Bucur – whose name means “joy” – founded Bucharest on the banks of the river Dambovita. The sound of his flute and a hint of wine in the air dazzled the people surrounding him so much that they named the place after him. 

We are in awe of your skills, Bucur; You Are A Legend!   

We advise you to explore the city for the remainder of the day; take in the fascinating architecture, gaze at the many attractions, and have dinner in the historic city center while sipping on a fine glass of wine. 

In the evening, receive a special dinner at a restaurant in the center of the capital, Casa Doina. 

 

In the morning, the guide will accompany you for a city tour. You will have the opportunity to visit the Palace of the Parliament, the Athene, Spring Palace (home of the former president of Romania – Ceausescu) and the old center. 

You will spend the first half of the day in Bucharest, then we leave the capital behind and head to a very beautiful vineyard, a 5* resort in the Prahova area. 

You will stay in one of the 16 luxury bungalows, each named after a type of wine. 

Before dinner, we recommend a wine tasting with a sommelier, accompanied by a cheese platter. 

Slow morning on the vineyard, coffee and snacks. Walk through the domain park and next to the lakes. After that you leave for Brasov, and on the way you visit the most emblematic castles of Romania. 

 

Peles Castel 

Between 1873 and 1914, the Peleș Castle was constructed by Carol I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, the first king of Romania. It was a summer home by the time it was inaugurated in 1883. The castle was altered and expanded between 1890 and 1914 under the direction of the Czech architect Karel Liman, who is recognized as the principal architect.

The decoration in the German Neo-Renaissance style offered stylistic supremacy in the first shape (1883), with the Neo-Ottoman and Neo-Rococo styles serving as the two exceptions. The castle was modified to fit the stylistic pluralism of Historicism during the second stage (1890–1914), which involved significant adjustments to the volumes, façades, and interiors. 

 

Bran  

One of the most significant trans-Carpathian routes, the Bran Gorge, has a colorful past. The two main elements of its history have been the commerce routes that passed through its crossroads and the repeated military incursions that made use of them.

Vlad Țepeș, also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracul, was a Wallachian prince with a now-destroyed castle in the Principality of Wallachia. He is frequently mistaken for Dracula. Bran Castle is referred to as Dracula’s Castle across the world since it is the only castle in all of Transylvania that genuinely corresponds to Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle. 

On the road from Brașov to Sighișoara you will cross what is called Haferland, a string of Saxon towns rich in history and traditions. The first stop will be in Vicri, where you will visit the fortified church and have lunch at the local gastronomic point. After that, you will continue your journey to Saschiz, where you will make a stop at the teahouse in the village. In the afternoon you arrive in Sighisoara. 

 

Viscri  

Viscri is best-known for its white fortified church, first mentioned in 1400 as Alba Ecclesia. Like most monuments of the time, the church went through different construction phases. The local Szekler population was the first to build a small church on the site in the early 12th century. Decades later, the German colonists took over control of the land and started a new chapter in its history.  

During the 13th century, they built the main tower on the west side and enlarged the nave of the church towards the east. Its fortification started later, during the 15th century, and is partially preserved until today. Parts of its fortification elements were demolished after the Ottoman threat disappeared or were used for more peaceful purposes like storage rooms and kindergarten space.

 

Saschiz  

Village Saschiz in Transylvania is home to an impressive Saxon Fortified Church a – World Heritage Site – as well as to several artisans whose workshops (carpentry, pottery and wood-painting) are open to visitors. 

The locally-produced blue pottery has been much appreciated since it was born, in Saschiz, in 1702. Saschiz Evangelical Church (late-Gothic architecture) was built between 1493 and 1496 by Saxon colonists. 

Its sheer size and the way the fortifying elements have been adapted to the shape of a church building are unique in Transylvania. 

The Church’s original frescoes have been covered during early Calvinism yet the interior is impressive in its austere simplicity. The Altar was brought from Vienna in 1735.   The 1788 organ is one of the largest in Transylvania. 

From the outside, the church appears to be a bulwark, but its defensive features are surpassed by the beauty of its gothic elements: huge arches, massive buttresses and decorative stone and brick aspects. 

 

Sighișoara 

Sighișoara is regarded as the most magnificent and well-preserved inhabited citadel in all of Europe because of its distinctive medieval architecture. The Lower Town is located in the valley of the Târnava – Mare river, while the medieval stronghold was constructed on top of a hill. 

Continue the journey through the landscapes and tastes of the Saxon villages, this time heading towards Sibiu, with a stop at Biertan to visit the fortified church. The next stop is at Richis, where the host from Vila Rihuini will prepare a Saxon lunch with wine tasting from the guesthouse’s cellar. The host has many stories and curiosities to share with the guests who cross his threshold. 

In the evening you arrive in Sibiu, a city tour in the sunset light will be a wonderful experience. 

Of course, we cannot cover all the rural life of Romania in 8 days, that’s why today we visit the most beautiful open-air museum, dedicated to the Romanian village. 

 

Astra Museum  

The ASTRA Museum of Folkloric Traditional Civilization is situated in the Dumbrava Forest, at a distance of 4 kilometers from the city. 

The museum functions since 1963 under the name of the Museum of Folkloric Technique and stretches over 96 hectares and an exhibition circuit of 10 kilometers in length. 

The museum hosts original monuments representative for the values of the Romanian village. Dwellings from various parts of the country, interior decorations preserved in the original form, peasant industrial installations, traditional means of transportation etc are displayed here. 

All the domains such as agriculture, rising animals, apiculture, fishing and hunting are illustrated by means of characteristic households such as sheepfolds, wine cellars, small factories, etc. 

The museum is structured in five large sectors including the related thematic groups. 

Besides these sectors, there also exists a modern wood sculpture exhibition stretching over 3 hectares, comprising the works of renowned Romanian and foreign artists, inspired from the realm of the traditional village. 

 

Due to its new thematic concept, this museum in Sibiu became a true “museum of the traditional folkloric civilization in Romania”. The name “ASTRA” is due to the continuation, in all fields (heritage, exhibition, educational), of the valuable traditions of the first historical-ethnographic museum of Romanians in Transylvania, founded in Sibiu in 1905 and closed in 1950, because of “ideological” reasons. 

Its heritage (transferred in 1950 to the Brukenthal Museum) was included within the “ASTRA” National Museum Complex in 1990, at the present being composed of 35 240 objects and forming the basis for the future “ASTRA” Museum of Transylvanian Civilization, with a modern, innovative and interdisciplinary concept. 

Even if it is the last day of this trip, there are still many places to see. For example, today you will be visiting the Alba Carolina Citadel, the largest citadel in Romania, which has been standing for more than 300 years. The fortress is the place where you can go back in time, over two millennia, among the remains of three fortifications, from as many different eras. In other words, each citadel built here incorporated the old one: the Roman Citadel, the Medieval Citadel and the Alba Carolina Citadel. 

If time alows, on the way to Cluj Napoca, we’ll make a stop at Salina Turda. 

 

Turda Salt Mine  

Salina Turda is one of the main tourist attractions of Transylvania, representing a true museum of salt mining in Transylvania, a modern leisure base and, at the same time, a treatment base. The age of the salt deposits in Transylvania is approximately 13 million years, the Turda salt deposit being part of the same alignment as the Ocna Dej, Sic, Cojocna, Valea Florilor and Ocna Mureş deposits. 

 

It is assumed that the first stages of salt exploitation began in the Roman era, but the first testimonies regarding activities related to its extraction date from the 11th century when a document issued by the chancellery of the Hungarian kingdom mentions the establishment of a salt customs house in Turda. Starting with 1918, the role of Salina Turda declines due to the extraction technology and the development of the mines at Ocna Dej and Ocna Mureş. It was closed from 1932, being used during the Second World War as an anti-aircraft shelter, then as a cheese warehouse, and after 1992 it was opened to tourists. 

You will spend the last evening in Cluj-Napoca, and if you quickly fall in love with this city, we will help you extend your vacation with great pleasure. 

Included/Excluded

  • Transport in a modern car
  • Transfer from airport to hotel and return
  • Transfer from Cluj Napoca -> Otopeni on 12th Jun for return flight
  • 7 nights of accommodations with breakfast included
  • English speaking guide during the whole trip
  • Entrance to all sights: The Parliament, Spring Palace Bucharest (Ceausescu Mansion), Peles Castel, Bran Castel, Viscri Fortified Church, Saschiz Fortified Church, Biertan, Astra Museum, Black Church Brasov.
  • Wine tasting of 3 varieties of wines, presented by the sommelier, accompanied by a cheese platter – at Casa Timis
  • Special dinner at Casa Doina - Bucharest
  • Flight tickets
  • Other meals not mentioned in the program
  • Medical insurance
  • Inside guide at the castles, additional taxes: photo, skip the line.
  • Tip for guide and driver (2 euro/pers/day for each – optional)

Tour Tags

Family friendly
Favourite

Durations

8 days/7 nights

Tour Location

Transylvania
Wallachia

Category

Adventure

Tour's Location

Transylvania & Wallachia

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