Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Murfatlar vineyard makes the oldest wine in Romania (more than 2000 years) appreciated all around the world, with an amazing perfume and taste. The Murfatlar vineyard was first mentioned in the writings of the Latin poet Ovid, but actually was acknowledged since 1907. These wineries, with total capacity of processing and storage over 350.000 hl wine/year, are famous thanks to the joining of the valuable grape varieties: Riesling, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Neagra, Muscat Ottonel, Babeasca, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot with the modern equipment and technology, plus the professionalism of the specialists.
- Departure from Bucharest
- Transfer Bucharest – Murfatlar (3h)
- Wine tasting program and visit to the Murfatlar vineyard
- Optional, lunch
- Transfer Murfatlar – Constanta city (1h)
Day 2: Histria, whose name derives from the ancient name of the Danube - Istros, was founded by Greek colonists (merchants and sailors) come from Milet (a city situated on the western coast of Asia Minor in today's Turkey).
Sarica Niculitel vineyard lies in the northern part of the Tulcea County. It is renowned for its red wines, whereas the white wine of Aligoté is considered to be the best of its kind in the country. It is a high quality wine, dry, strong and properly acidulated; it has a pleasant taste and a special bouquet. This region is one of the pearls of the Romanian wines where the climate is a factor determining the successful vine growing and high quality of the noble wines.
Niculitel Basilique was built at the end of the 4th century during the rules of the emperors Valens-Valentinian the 2nd, according to a Christian Roman layout, with protruding semicircular apses, wide in comparison with its side, with rectangular nave divided in three by independent pillars which supported within the vertical space of the building a wooden two-sided roof, covered with burnt-earthen shingle.
- Breakfast Best Western Savoy Hotel
- Transfer Mamaia resort – Histria (1h)
- Visit Histria ruins of the Greek and Roman ancient harbour
- Transfer Histria - Niculitel vineyard, passing through Tulcea (3h)
- Wine tasting program and, optional lunch at Niculitel vineyard
- Visit to Niculitel Basilique
- Transfer Niculitel – Focsani (3h)
- Accommodation in Vrancea Hotel 3* in Focsani
Day 3: Odobesti vineyards one of the largest and oldest in Romania. Vine-growers in the area have drawn old distillates of varieties like Mustoasa de Maderat, Feteasca regala and Galbena de Odobesti. It is renowned for its table wines. Odobesti vineyard, with an area of almost 7.000 hectares is the oldest vineyard in our country, being considered a Dacian vineyard.
Panciu vineyard - This is the only place in Romania where the wine is processed after Champagne method. Panciu vineyard, with an area of 8.100 hectares, was and remains a permanent attraction for those who want to know the wealthiest, beauties and traces of these places. In the past, the vineyard was famous for its traditional wines like Plavaie, Galbena, Babeasca Neagra, Feteasca Alba and Feteasca Neagra. Subsequently, other wines have taken the lead like: Feteasca Regala, Italian Riesling, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon; that allowed obtaining wines with controlled origin names and the birth of sparkling wines, who made the vineyard famous.
- Breakfast at Vrancea Hotel
- Wine tasting at Odobesti vineyard
- Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Panciu vineyard
- Transfer to Iasi city (4h)
- Accommodation in Astoria Hotel 3* in Iasi
Day 4: The Palace of Culture. It represents the last and the most Eastern manifestation of the European neo-gothic style, expression of Romanticism in the 'official' architecture specific to the end of the century. It houses 'Moldova' National Complex of Museums, represented by the four national museums (Moldavian History Museum, The Art Museum, The Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia and The Museum of Science and Technique), the Regional Restoration-Conservation Laboratory and the Office for the National Cultural Patrimony.
The Monastery of the Three Saint Hierarchy - The most beautiful foundation of Prince Vasile Lupu, a real symphony of arts in prayer, the church of the Three Hierarchs was built between 1637-1639 and was consecrated by Metropolitan Varlaam on the 6th of May 1639. From an architectural point of view, the church assumes the traditional Moldavian style, with the well-established structure of the interior: vestibule, pronaos, naos and altar.
The Metropolitan Cathedral - It is a monumental building from the XIX-th century, situated within a perimeter filled with evidence of the seat of the Metropolitans of Moldavia. Mother of all churches and Mother of the country, as it was affectionately named by its first founders, the today Cathedral, has three feast days (Saint Paraskeve, The Presentation of the Lord, Saint George) and houses the holy relics of Saint Paraskeve.
Cotnari wine yard comes from history, like a ship from far away, from the horizons of the sea. Sometimes, a wave raises it, making it visible, at other times big and foamy waves let us imagine the rowers' and steersman's life-and-death fight. If we could go back in time approximately 2500 years ago, we would find a strong Thraco-Dacian stronghold on the Catalina hill, protecting the surroundings. On the inside of the stronghold, on a surface of about 5 hectares there were the dwellings of the tribe chief and his close ones. Downhill lived the common people, who cultivated the lands. The discoveries from inside Catalina stronghold have brought arguments proving that in Cotnari the culture of the vine dates back to Burebista's time. This richness of the Dacians, represented by the Cotnari wine, brought about envy. Burebista imposed the destruction of the vine plantations.
- City tour of Iasi, visiting The Palace of Culture, Three Hierarchs Monastery and The Metropolitan Church
- Optional lunch
- Transfer Iasi - Cotnari (2h)
- Wine tasting at Cotnari vineyard
- Transfer Cotnari – Gura Humorului (1h20’)
- Accommodation in Best Western Bucovina Club de Munte 4* in Gura Humorului
Day 5: Voronet Monastery, nicknamed the 'Sixtine Chapel of the East' was built by Stephen the Great in 1488 and the vibrant colors of its frescoes were added later. An interesting point is that the archangels’ trumpets take the shape of the local shepherds’ horn or 'bucium' and the souls doomed to hellfire wear the turbans of the Turkish enemy.
Red Lake is an all-season health and holiday situated in N central Romania, in a depression surrounded by the Suhard, Tarcau, Hasmas and Giurgeu Mountains (Eastern Carpathians), on the shore of the natural storage lake called Lacu Rosu. The main draw of the resort is the natural storage lake (Lacu Rosu), the only one of this kind in the country, which formed in 1837 when the Ghilcos peak of the Suhard Mountains slided and barred the river Bicaz upstream. The lake is 10.5 m deep and 12.6 hectares in area. The name of Lacu Rosu (red Lake) comes from the reddish alluvial deposits in the lake by its main tributary - Piriul Rosu (Red Creek).
- Breakfast at Best Western Bucovina Club de Munte
- Visit Voronet painted Monastery
- Transfer to Lacu Rosu (The Red Lake) resort (1h) crossing over the Eastern Carpathians through the spectacular Gorges of Bicaz
- Optional lunch at Lacu Rosu resort
- Transfer Lacu Rosu - Poiana Brasov resort (4h)
- Accommodation in Casa Viorel Hotel 4* in Poiana Brasov resort
Day 6: Dealu Mare vineyards is a dense wine-growing area extended on 65 km around the sub-Carpathian arch, ranging from Ploiesti until the opposite outer side of Buzau, 14500 ha in total. Baksic, a Bulgarian monk, wrote in the mid XVII-th century: the most important vineyards in Valahia are those from Dealu Mare, near Ploiesti.
- Breakfast at Casa Viorel in Poiana Brasov
- Transfer to Dealu Mare vineyard (2h)
- Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Dealu Mare vineyard
- Arrival in Bucharest
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Car/van/bus transportation
- Accommodation in 3* or 4* hotels in double rooms on B&B basis
- English speaking guide/driver
- Entrance fees at the museums
- Wine tastings
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