Horse riding holidays in Transylvania
| country: | Romania |
| location: | Transylvania |
| price: | From €950 (6 days) excluding flights. Departs weekly, Apr - Nov, plus tailormade departures. Carriage-driving tours on request, Apr - Nov. Winter programme, Jan - Feb |
description
Enjoy changing foliage, warm hospitality, and great riding among the high meadows and landscapes of Transylvania.
Weekly departures, arriving Sunday, departing Saturday.
The mention of Transylvania conjures images of its most famous character, Dracula. Bounded by the crescent of the Carpathian mountains, little is know outside of Eastern Europe about this beautiful land. Yet Transylvania is Europe’s great undiscovered trail-riding destination. Stunning mountains, quiet and unspoiled, shelter, a land and a way of life that has changed little in generations. Here, working horses still outnumber motor vehicles, providing transportation for people and goods and cultivating fields.
Food is grown and produced locally, using age-old methods. The hardworking, hospitable people gather in close communities where family is the centre of life. A trip to Transylvania is a trip into the past, where you can not only enjoy the best trail-riding in Europe, but experience an authentic, living culture.
Our equestrian centre offers a variety of riding tours and opportunities to learn about the rich history of Transylvania. It is located in the ‘Woodlands’, a region where the Hungarian Szeklers settled 800 years ago and which has been looking very much the same for the last centuries.
Originally owned and operated by Julian Ross, it has been the longest established equestrian centre in Romania, operating year-round with qualified guides and experienced staff. As Julian had to return to the UK in 2008 due to health problems, we decided to take over his horses and riding operation and transferred it all to the ‘Woodlands’ region just north of Brasov.
The centre offers high-quality one week trail riding tours through the beautiful Transylvanian landscape on locally bred horses, including Semigreu, Shagya Arabian, and Hutzul breeds. The Hutzul is a historic breed descended from the Tarpan. Unique to the Carpathian mountains, it is intelligent, tough, and active. The Semigreu is a Lipizzaner-Ardennes cross, kind and reliable, and suitable for heavier riders. The centre’s Shagya Arabians typify the excellent traditional Arabian types bred in Romania.
Carriage tours
For carriage driving enthusiasts, as well as guests who prefer travelling by horse drawn vehicle, we also offer carriage tours. Experienced guests have the opportunity to drive themselves, while those with little or no experience are accompanied by one of our experienced guides.
In addition to these activities, sightseeing opportunities throughout the Saxon and Szekler regions of Transylvania are available. All guides are English speaking and we focus on providing the high-quality service to which visitors are accustomed.
Winter breaks in the Carpathian foothills of Transylvania
Departs in January & February
Visit snowy Transylvania for a memorable winter horse riding break. New budget flights between Gatwick and Bucharest make this trip both convenient and affordable. We offer excellent riding through the beautiful winter landscape of Transylvania. Our quiet, sensible horses are suitable for early riders as well as those with more experience. We offer traditional horse-drawn sleigh rides too. Enjoy good food and hospitality in our comfortable village guesthouse. It is the best season to discover the footprints of bear, wolf and lynx in the fresh snow, and the wolves might be heard howling in cold nights.
This is more than just a riding holiday. Here you can experience the unique culture of a remote Transylvanian village, where most transport is still horse-drawn. Here you can see horses bringing logs from the forest, and experience traditional rural life. You can visit a still functional water mill, or recently unveiled medieval frescoes in local churches. Even in mid-winter, the skies often are blue, and it can be surprisingly warm in the sun.
Weekly departures, arriving Sunday, departing Saturday.
The mention of Transylvania conjures images of its most famous character, Dracula. Bounded by the crescent of the Carpathian mountains, little is know outside of Eastern Europe about this beautiful land. Yet Transylvania is Europe’s great undiscovered trail-riding destination. Stunning mountains, quiet and unspoiled, shelter, a land and a way of life that has changed little in generations. Here, working horses still outnumber motor vehicles, providing transportation for people and goods and cultivating fields. Food is grown and produced locally, using age-old methods. The hardworking, hospitable people gather in close communities where family is the centre of life. A trip to Transylvania is a trip into the past, where you can not only enjoy the best trail-riding in Europe, but experience an authentic, living culture.
Our equestrian centre offers a variety of riding tours and opportunities to learn about the rich history of Transylvania. It is located in the ‘Woodlands’, a region where the Hungarian Szeklers settled 800 years ago and which has been looking very much the same for the last centuries.
Originally owned and operated by Julian Ross, it has been the longest established equestrian centre in Romania, operating year-round with qualified guides and experienced staff. As Julian had to return to the UK in 2008 due to health problems, we decided to take over his horses and riding operation and transferred it all to the ‘Woodlands’ region just north of Brasov.
The centre offers high-quality one week trail riding tours through the beautiful Transylvanian landscape on locally bred horses, including Semigreu, Shagya Arabian, and Hutzul breeds. The Hutzul is a historic breed descended from the Tarpan. Unique to the Carpathian mountains, it is intelligent, tough, and active. The Semigreu is a Lipizzaner-Ardennes cross, kind and reliable, and suitable for heavier riders. The centre’s Shagya Arabians typify the excellent traditional Arabian types bred in Romania.
Carriage tours For carriage driving enthusiasts, as well as guests who prefer travelling by horse drawn vehicle, we also offer carriage tours. Experienced guests have the opportunity to drive themselves, while those with little or no experience are accompanied by one of our experienced guides.
In addition to these activities, sightseeing opportunities throughout the Saxon and Szekler regions of Transylvania are available. All guides are English speaking and we focus on providing the high-quality service to which visitors are accustomed.
Winter breaks in the Carpathian foothills of Transylvania
Departs in January & February
Visit snowy Transylvania for a memorable winter horse riding break. New budget flights between Gatwick and Bucharest make this trip both convenient and affordable. We offer excellent riding through the beautiful winter landscape of Transylvania. Our quiet, sensible horses are suitable for early riders as well as those with more experience. We offer traditional horse-drawn sleigh rides too. Enjoy good food and hospitality in our comfortable village guesthouse. It is the best season to discover the footprints of bear, wolf and lynx in the fresh snow, and the wolves might be heard howling in cold nights. This is more than just a riding holiday. Here you can experience the unique culture of a remote Transylvanian village, where most transport is still horse-drawn. Here you can see horses bringing logs from the forest, and experience traditional rural life. You can visit a still functional water mill, or recently unveiled medieval frescoes in local churches. Even in mid-winter, the skies often are blue, and it can be surprisingly warm in the sun.
price details
Price includes riding, accommodation, meals with wine, baggage transfer, 2 experienced guides, grooming etchow this holiday makes a difference
 Having returned from exile in Western Europe, the owner believes strongly in investing in and respecting the local community and the environment. All our holidays are operated in a manner to provide guests with an outstanding experience that has minimal impact on the environment while providing maximum benefit to the local community. The estate provides year round employment for 30 local people and supports the local economy by purchasing the bulk of its supplies from local farmers and craftspeople. The hay and maize fed to the horses is hand-produced using organic methods. The vast majority of foodstuffs are grown naturally. The heating system uses a renewable energy source, wood, that is purchased from the local foresters who closely guard the mountain forests to ensure proper management of this precious resource. Horses are vital to life in Transylvania and to the livelihood of the estate and we uphold the highest standards of animal welfare. Horses remain with the centre long term (many are bred on the premises) and the staff know the character and special needs of each animal. The centre is active in promoting good horsemanship and guiding skills. The estate’s own horses are shod using natural balance methods, which more closely simulate how the animal’s feet would be without human intervention. |
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