Romania holiday, Discover Romania
| country: | Romania |
| location: | Transylvania |
| departures: | This trip can be tailored to individual requirements with flexibility on dates |
| price: | From Guide £1150 c 1300 euros (8 days) excluding flights. Flights from the UK and ATOL cover can be arranged. Price includes donations to Carbon Offsets Ltd and to The Travel Foundation |
| more info: | Price based on two traveling together – shorter and less expensive options available – price depends on exchange rate. Significant reductions for groups of more than two. Price will vary with exchange rate. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Romania holiday, Discover Romania
You are picked up from the airport at Bucharest, driven to Brasov, ancient gateway to Transylvania, where you tour Bran Castle – of Dracula fame, before visiting the wonderful Saxon villages and heading north to see the fabulous painted monasteries of Bucovina ending with an overnight train to Bucharest and a tour of the capital.
All accommodation and meals, except lunch and one dinner, are included, as well as entrance to a range of attractions. Activities such as horse riding, hiking, and skiing can also be arranged.
All accommodation and meals, except lunch and one dinner, are included, as well as entrance to a range of attractions. Activities such as horse riding, hiking, and skiing can also be arranged.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival. You will be picked up from the airport and transferredalong the Prahova Valley to Brasov for dinner and accommodation at a pension in the old city centre. . |
| Day 2 | Brasov and surrounds. Explore the old town of Brasov (Kronstadt) in the foothills of Mount Tampa. Brasov is one of the seven cities founded by the Saxons in Transylvania in the 12th century to guard the mountain passes. You will stroll through the medieval streets of Brasov, visit the Black Church, Europe’s most eastern Gothic church, and its famous Council Square which is part of the legend of the Pied Piper. In the afternoon drive to the outskirts to visit Prejmer with the best preserved Saxon Transylvanian 'fortified churches'. Look for a kind of early Gatling gun - set into the defensive wall! Overnight accommodation in Brasov. |
| Day 3: | Visiting Sibiu. – Founded by the Saxons in the 12 century, this is the most German of towns of Transylvania. It has rugged houses with thick walls and steep red-tiled roofs. The walls are painted in bold colours and their dormer windows are shaped like eye slits. For the Habsburgs, Sibiu was the most important garrison east of Vienna. Things to see include the Big and Small square, the Old Town Hall Tower, and the Citadel where you will see the impressive old fortifications. Return to Brasov. |
| Day 4: | Bran - associated with Dracula. Drive south to visit the impressive Rasnov fortress, following the old trading route that connected Wallachia and Transylvania - historical provinces of Romania. Rasnov (Rosenau to the Saxon inhabitants) was founded around 1225 by German Teutonic Knights. Travel on to Bran to visit 'Dracula's castle'. The castle is built on top of a 60m peak in the centre of Bran village. The glory days of Bran began in the 13th century, when a fortress was erected to protect the commercial route connecting the area to the town of Campulung. The castle was used in the 20th century as a summer royal residence by Queen Marie of Romania, the granddaughter of Britain's Queen Victoria. Return to Brasov for overnight at the pension. |
| Day 5: | Viscri and Sighisoara. Head north – through villages, some with vestiges of the original Saxon population remaining, clinging on to age-old traditions. UNESCO and organizations such as the Mihai Eminescu Trust (founded with the help of HRH Prince Charles) have been instrumental in establishing restoration projects to ensure the survival of the unique architecture and treasures of the fascinating “lost world” of the Saxon Transylvanians. Highlights include Viscri village, included in 1999 on the UNESCO list of World Monuments as an example of a medieval village and fortified church in close relation with its surrounding landscape. After visiting the church you will enjoy a traditional Transylvanian lunch in the village before driving further north to Sighisoara (Schaßburg), one of the best preserved mediaeval citadels in Europe. Here, you will have probably the only opportunity in Europe to walk the streets of a genuine still inhabited medieval town. Things to see include Vlad the Impaler’s house (alias Dracula) where he was born. Overnight accommodation at Casa Saseasca pension in the old city centre. |
| Day 6: | Bucovina. Continue driving north crossing the Bicaz Dam and around the east side of Lake Bicaz with one of the most stunning views in Romania – the lake with the ‘magic mountain’ Ceahlau Mountains in the background. Following the Golden Bistrita River we head over the Tarnita Pass into the Bucovina region. The first Painted Monastery to be visited will be Voronet - actually the most famous on account of its blue hues and a vast external mural depicting the Day of Judgement. Maria is our host in Humor Monastery village an she and her friends weave beautiful rugs in traditional colours. |
| Day 7: | Painted monasteries and the train to Bucharest. Visit Humor Monastery, famous for its red colours and the oldest paintings in Bucovina. Then we drive north on country lanes via Solca to visit the black pottery at Marginea, which uses ancient firing techniques to produce a distinctive black glaze. Next stop is at Sucevita Painted Monastery – built in 1586 and by far the largest of the 'Painted Monasteries'. The monastery is known for the stunning green hues of its paintings, and for its 'Jacob's Ladder' mural on the well-preserved north wall. Drive to Suceava for dinner at the Conacul Domnesc restaurant and then continue to the train station for the overnight train to Bucharest. |
| Day 8: | The Capital, Bucharest. Early morning you will be transferred to the Hotel Residence for breakfast and then you will have a tour by car of Bucharest before being transferred to the airport for the flight back home. |
traveller reviews for Romania holiday, Discover Romania
There were 3 distinct parts to the holiday - first the Saxon Villages & Churches in Transylvania (staying in Viscri was a highlight), then to beautiful Maramures with the wooden Churches (Popica Farm was another memorable place to stay) & finally to Bucovina with its stunning painted monasteries. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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We are committed to playing our part through caring for the places and communities that we visit. We will continue to work with our suppliers to deliver a responsible product and quality performance.
We are helping to minimise the effects of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases on the global climate from the transport that we use (aircraft, buses and cars) by contributing to Carbon Offsets Ltd. This contribution is equivalent to some £1.50 per customer and will be invested, for example, in renewable energy schemes in less developed countries. We will continue to do this until governments bring in alternative ways in which to address the climate change impact of transport. We are contributing 50p per customer to The Travel Foundation– a British based charity that is implementing tourism projects and practice around the world to deliver long term caring. We will contribute also £5 per customer to a community project in Romania. Our customers are asked to make suggestions, based on what they see in Romania, about suitable projects to support. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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