A fascinating trip through the Romanian medieval history but also through its modern culture and lifestyle. Includes the most important cities of Transylvania: Cluj Napoca, Alba Iulia, Sibiu, Brasov and Sighisoara - part of the UNESCO patrimony. It is the only medieval fortress in Europe still inhabited. You will see the fortified churches in Sebes, Calnic, Saliste and Cristian and witness an extraordinary blend of Romanian, Hungarian and Saxon architecture, not to mention the picturesque landscapes and the warmth of the Romanians.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Meeting the tourists in Cluj Napoca, checking in at the hotel, tour of this old representative Transylvanian city with the Orthodox and Reformist Cathedrals, the statue of Matei Corvin, King of Hungary, Tailor’s Tower, Botanical Garden and the Village Museum. Dinner
Day 2: After breakfast we head to Turda where we visit the salt mine that has been exploited from the times of the Roman conquest of Dacia. We go then to Aiud to admire the 14-th century fortress with the 6 towers still intact. We then take a secondary road to the 600 years old Rameti Abbey, surrounded by wonderful landscapes.
We continue our road to Alba Iulia, with its 18-th century fortress. The wall was built with stones taken from the old Roman fortress. We have lunch in this peaceful city and continue to Sibiu. We stop on the way to visit the fortified sites in Sebes, Calnic, Saliste and Cristian. We have dinner and spend the night at a hotel in Sibiu.
Day 3: After breakfast we visit the city of Sibiu, first mentioned in written documents in 1191. The city will be Europe’s cultural capital in 2007. The medieval city is the biggest in Romania that was preserved to our times. You can see numerous towers, stairs and passages, old buildings and cathedrals from the Middle Ages. Crossing the legendary Bridge of Lies we admire the beautiful houses in the old markets of the city and then we visit the Bruckenthal Museum, a representative baroque building.
After lunch we visit the Ethnographic Museum near town, then we head to Medias. The saxons that came here in the 14-th century contributed to the development of crafts and trading. We visit the old fortress with its towers then leave for Sighisoara. We stop at the Danes Inn to have dinner here in a special natural environment. The inn has also a small zoo with domestic and wild animals. We reach Sighisoara and check in at the hotel.
Day 4: We have breakfast and then we wander the narrow streets guarded by watch towers of the fortress. Sighisoara is part of the UNESCO patrimony. It is the only medieval fortress in Europe that is still inhabited. Visiting it it’s like entering a magic realm or going back in time. Only the antiques shops make us realize it’s the 21-st century…We can buy special souvenirs from here. We visit the Vlad The Devils House and have lunch, then we leave this beautiful city and head for Brasov. We stop to visit the fortresses of Rupea, Viscri and Hoghiz.
The Rupea fortress is built on a basalt rock near the road that connected the three old Romanian provinces. It is an old dacian fortress rebuilt by saxons in the 14-th century. From the top of the hill the view is unforgettable. Due to its withdrawn position, the are of Viscri has the best preserved traditional outfit. In Viscri we will see the well preserved and picturesque saxon fortress that contains also one of the few romanic churches of the 13-th century. In Hoghiz there are some beautiful architectural monuments: the Orthodox and Reformed Churches and the Kalnoky Castle (13-th century). We arrive in Brasov where we check in and have dinner.
Day 5: Breakfast. Visit of Brasov with its impressive medieval monuments: the historical center of the town, The Black Church, The Weavers’ Tower Museum, The Council Market. We leave then for Rasnov where we stop to visit the fortress and the impressive panorama. The fortress was built by the Teutonic Knights on a limestone rock 150 m high. The outer walls were 5 m tall and the fountain inside the walls is 75 m deep and took 15 years to dig. Then we head for Bran where we visit the legendary Dracula’s castle and shop for souvenirs. We have lunch in Bran then we drive along the beautiful Prahova Valley to Sinaia, where we will spend the night. There is still time for a stroll before dinner.
Day 6: Breakfast. We will then visit the Peles Castle, former royal residence. The castle is impressive through style, refinement and surroundings. Next we visit Sinaia Monastery founded in the 13-th century and representing the starting point in the birth of the future city. After lunch we leave for Targoviste, one of the old capitals of the Muntenia province. The 27 m high Chindiei Tower harbors an exhibition named "Vlad Tepes-Dracula. Legend and historic truth". We finally arrive to Bucharest, the final destination of our trip.
Day 7: Tour of medieval and modern Bucharest. The capital of Romania, also called “The Little Paris”, has numerous attractions: from the residences of the rulers and kings of Romania throughout the ages to the enormous People’s House, built by former dictator Ceausescu, second largest building in the world in terms of surface after the Pentagon. Elegant restaurants for all tastes expect you, and you can also do some great shopping (quality merchandise at great prices). In the evening we have more options:
- to take the train back to Cluj Napoca
- to continue the tour with the wonderful painted monasteries of Moldova and wooden churches of Maramures or
- to prepare for leaving the country from Baneasa International Airport.
Prices: depending on the accommodation
Notes:
Price vary with the accommodation you choose.
Price Includes:
- Lodging,
- 3 meals,
- Transportation,
- Guidance and entrance fees.
Also see tour packages in:
Hiking and walking outfitters
Europe
Romania
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