Horse riding holidays in Transylvania
| country: | Romania |
| location: | Transylvania |
| departures: | Riding departures weekly from April to November, plus special trips to individual client requirements. Carriage-driving tours available on request during April to November. Winter programme of activities in January and February. |
| price: | From £15 - £645 (1 day - 7 days) excluding flights. Price includes riding, accommodation, meals, baggage transfer, experienced guide etc. |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Enjoy changing foliage, warm hospitality, and great riding among the high meadows and beautiful mountains of Transylvania.
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: visit the medieval Saxon citadel town of Sighisoara and the Byzantine Painted Monasteries (protected by UNESCO); see fine Austro-Hungarian architecture and Roman remains; visit a working sheepfold; and enjoy local food, music, and crafts.
Owned and operated by Julian Ross, we are the longest established equestrian centre in Romania, operating year-round with qualified guides and experienced staff. A native of England, Julian was the first non-Romanian rider to be licensed by the Romanian Ministry of Tourism as a specialized equestrian guide, a legal requirement in the country.
The centre offers high-quality one and two week trail riding tours through the beautiful Transylvanian landscape on locally bred horses, including Lipizzaner, Semigreu, 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 centre’s Hutzuls hail from the historic Lucina stud, which was breeding horses for the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great in the 15th century. Lipizzaners have been bred in Romania for over 200 years and most are chestnut and bay rather than the more familiar white. The Semigreu is a Lipizzaner-Ardennes cross, kind and reliable, and suitable for heavier riders. The centre’s Arabians belong to the El Sbaa line and 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 Romania 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 Mountains of Transylvania
Departs in January & February
Visit snowy Transylvania for a memorable winter horse riding break. New budget flights between Luton and Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania make this trip both convenient and affordable. We offer excellent riding through the beautiful winter landscape of Tranylvania. 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.
This is more than just a riding holiday. Here you can experience the unique culture of a remote mountain village, where most transport is still horse-drawn. Here you can see horses bringing logs from the forest, and experience a traditional rural market. You can visit a rural distillery, and listen to traditional musicians. Even in mid-winter, the skies often are blue, and it can be surprisingly warm in the sun.
Flight schedules allow visitors to enjoy 2, 4, or 6 days in the Transylvanian mountains. We arrange transfers by train or by car between Cluj-Napoca airport and the riding centre.
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: visit the medieval Saxon citadel town of Sighisoara and the Byzantine Painted Monasteries (protected by UNESCO); see fine Austro-Hungarian architecture and Roman remains; visit a working sheepfold; and enjoy local food, music, and crafts.
Owned and operated by Julian Ross, we are the longest established equestrian centre in Romania, operating year-round with qualified guides and experienced staff. A native of England, Julian was the first non-Romanian rider to be licensed by the Romanian Ministry of Tourism as a specialized equestrian guide, a legal requirement in the country.
The centre offers high-quality one and two week trail riding tours through the beautiful Transylvanian landscape on locally bred horses, including Lipizzaner, Semigreu, 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 centre’s Hutzuls hail from the historic Lucina stud, which was breeding horses for the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great in the 15th century. Lipizzaners have been bred in Romania for over 200 years and most are chestnut and bay rather than the more familiar white. The Semigreu is a Lipizzaner-Ardennes cross, kind and reliable, and suitable for heavier riders. The centre’s Arabians belong to the El Sbaa line and 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 Romania 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 Mountains of Transylvania
Departs in January & February Visit snowy Transylvania for a memorable winter horse riding break. New budget flights between Luton and Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania make this trip both convenient and affordable. We offer excellent riding through the beautiful winter landscape of Tranylvania. 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.
This is more than just a riding holiday. Here you can experience the unique culture of a remote mountain village, where most transport is still horse-drawn. Here you can see horses bringing logs from the forest, and experience a traditional rural market. You can visit a rural distillery, and listen to traditional musicians. Even in mid-winter, the skies often are blue, and it can be surprisingly warm in the sun.
Flight schedules allow visitors to enjoy 2, 4, or 6 days in the Transylvanian mountains. We arrange transfers by train or by car between Cluj-Napoca airport and the riding centre.
hearing from us after making an enquiry
Our experienced staff and guides provide each group of riders with their full attention. Because of this, during the main season (April through the end of October) the centre may not be able to respond to enquiries during the working week (Monday through Friday). Rest assured that you will receive a response as soon as possible, but should you need to contact us urgently, you can do so using the mobile phone number that appears on the screen after sending your enquiry.travellers' tales
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how this holiday makes a difference
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Having relocated from England to found the equestrian centre, Julian 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 centre provides year round employment for several 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 centre’s potatoes are fertilized, cultivated, and harvested using its own horses. 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 centre 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, working in conjunction with the Romanian Ministry of Tourism to train and examine 15 new equestrian guides. The centre also supports farriery training, providing local people with knowledge of the latest shoeing methods as well as a marketable skill. The centre’s own horses are shod using natural balance methods, which more closely simulate how the animal’s feet would be without human intervention. Finally, the centre provides its guests with the ability to offset the carbon emissions necessary to travel to Transylvania. For a relatively small sum, guests can purchase energy-saving light bulbs, which the centre then makes available to its neighbours in the local community. By this method, a visitor’s carbon emissions will be offset over the lifetime of the light bulbs, while the local community uses less energy (and enjoys lower energy costs). It is a small thing that makes a big difference. |
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