Day 2: Bucharest
Bucharest is known as “Paris of the East” for its wide Parisian-style boulevards and fine pre-World War I buildings. Start the tour with a visit to the Royal Palace, built in the early 19th century and the former seat of the State Council, that also houses the National Art Museum in its South Wing, Next visit Stavropoleos Church and note its arabesque facade with a columned portico carved with delicate tracery. The Patriarchal Cathedral, seat of the Romanian Orthodox Church, is located on a hill overlooking the southern side of the city. See the Palace of Parliament, a colossal building and the third largest in the world. Our tour ends at the open-air Village Museum. The rest of the day is free. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/D]
Day 3: Bucharest, Sinaia, Bran, Brasov
Departure to Sinaia, known as the “Pearl of the Carpathians“ due to its magnificent mountain scenery and Royal Castle. Visit Sinaia Monastery, which was built between 1690 and 1695. The monastery is now home to 20 Christian Orthodox monks. Our next stop is Peleş Castle, a royal palace set in a large landscaped Park. It was built in the late 19th century for Romania`s first monarch, King Carol I, and took 39 years to complete. It has over 100 rooms richly decorated in ebony, mother of pearl and leather, and each room is styled on a particular country. Romania`s first cinema was established in one of the castle’s rooms. Then we visit Pelişor Palace, completed in 1892 and also built in German Renaissance style. After the visit, stop for lunch at a local restaurant and continue to Bran and visit its castle. The Castelul Bran site in Romania embodies the Dracula Castle for many visitors in search of thrills. Between historical facts, literary personage and Slavic legends, this listed monument never ceases to fascinate. Despite being the former residence of Dracula, this building represents a major historic monument in Transylvania. The original wooden fortress was built on a cliff in the 13th century by Teutonic Knights. The current castle was then built between 1377 and 1388 by order of King Louis I of Hungary, and it quickly became a property of the Habsburg dynasty, princes of Transylvania. After the collapse of the empire in 1918, the royal family of Romania settled there for 27 years. Secret passages are then discovered, which nourishes the aura of mystery that surrounds this ancient building from the Middle Ages. Then drive to Brasov, the second most visited city in Romania. Enjoy the walk in the old town and its centuries-old buildings. Some free time to relax before dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 4: Brasov
Braşov, a medieval town with ornate Saxon churches and townhouses, boasts everything from dynamic modern city life to old world charm and fascinating scenery. Here you will visit the 15th century Town Hall, with its quaint Trumpeter’s Tower on top, and the Lutheran Black Church, the largest Gothic church in the country, and its 7-tone bell, the largest in Romania. Inside there are fine hanging Turkish carpets and a huge organ with 4,000 pipes built by Buchholz. Continue to the Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral, which is easily recognized by its black spires. Next to St. Nicholas Church is the First Romanian School (started in 1583), and a statue of Coresi. Nearby is a cemetery, where Ioan Meşotă, Aurel Popovici, Vasile Saftu, and Nicolae Titulescu are buried. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/D]
Day 5: Brasov, Bicaz Gorges
Today we have a long drive to Moldavia to arrive at the Bicaz gorges with walls of more than 985 feet. These whimsical natural stone formations impress with the verticality of their walls that narrow during the winding and picturesque panoramic views of Mount Ceahlau, under which the Bicaz and Bistrita rivers meet. When one least expects it, breaking the tranquility of the beautiful places of the Bicaz gorges, we find stalls along the road selling everything from animal skins, to any type of tourist attraction in the country (ceramics, wooden objects, icons, embroidery, wine, etc.). Despite their perplexity, all tourists end up stopping to browse the displays. At the top of the mountain, after an infinite succession of curves, we reach an esplanade where the Lacu Rosso (Red Lake) is located, a splendid lake that was formed naturally in the 19th century. Checking at your hotel from where you have a fantastic perspective of the lake. Dinner and overnight in Bicaz Gorges. [B/D]
Day 6: Bicaz Gorges, Marginea
After breakfast, we retrace the route through the gorges on our way to northern Moldavia famous thanks to the wonderful exterior frescoes that adorn the walls of its monasteries. We stop en route for lunch before admiring these real masterpieces of art under the Byzantine influence. These monasteries testify to the development of the civilization of Moldavia in the 15th and 16th centuries, under the reign of Stefan cel Mare (Etienne le Grand, 1457 -1504). The brightly colored frescoes that adorn the walls of churches depict biblical and other religious scenes. Their style resembles comics. Originally, they were intended to excite the imagination of men and to educate them in the traditional orthodox spirit. The churches with high pointed roofs are located in the center of the monastic complexes. The sun's rays hardly penetrate them. Explore Sucevita, Moldovita, Voronet and Putna painted churches. Then, continue to Marginea to discover more about the local culture in the village. Dinner and overnight in Marginea. [B/L/D]
Day 7: Marginea, Marmures, Spanta, Sighetu Marmatiei
After an early breakfast, a lonag drive to Maramures with a stop en route. After lunch Then, marvel at the charm of the wooden churches of Poienile Izei, Barsana and Budesti. Admire Vadu Izei, famous for its immense carved wooden gates that illustrate the social status of the inhabitants and continue to the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta. After visiting this unique cemetery continue to Sighetu Marmatiei for dinner and overnight. [B/L/D]
Day 8: Sighetu Marmatiei, Nicula, Bontida Cluj-Napola
After breakfast start your 3-hour drive to Nicula to visit the Nicula Monastery, an important destination for pilgrims and famous for its icons painted on glass and wood.by the priest Luca of Iclod in 1681. The monastery owes its success to the "miracle" that took place in 1699 when the icon of the Mother of God began to cry for 26 days straight. It is believed that those tears were a warning of the difficult period which was to befall the monastic life and the Orthodox Church of the whole of Transylvania in 1700. Stop for lunch at a nearby restaurant and continue to Bontida to tour the imposing Banffy Castle, considered the largest castle in Transylvania and a pearl of Baroque architecture. Known to revelers because every year the Electric Castle music festival takes place there, this castle is also a place that fascinates fans of ghost stories. Prince Charles himself fell in love with it. Then, reach Cluj-Napola with some time to relax before dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 9: Cluj-Napola, Turda, Sighisoara
Breakfast at the hotel before taking a 45-minute drive to the Turda Salt Mine that is now a veritable museum of the history of the exploitation of salt. The excellent condition of the mining compartments and of the equipment used to transport the salt, as well as the care with which the mine was fitted out for tourism, transformed it into a legendary place. Continue your drive into the heart of Transylvania and arrive in Sighisoara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to explore the best preserved and continuously inhabited medieval town in Europe. Even today, its cobbled streets, its intact city wall and 9 towers and bastions also perfectly preserved. still give it a medieval appearance. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon enjoy a panoramic tour of the town before visiting the Sighisoara Citadel that makes you feel like floating through another time and space. This hilltop citadel built in the 13th century was founded by the Saxons of Transylvania, who were mainly craftsmen and merchants, and founded Sighisoara where they lived for 850 years. Free time for you to discover the town. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/L/D]
Day 10: Sighisoara, Biertan, Sibiu
This morning we drive to Biertan, a superb town situated at the top of a hill, built around a 500-year-old fortified church, erected by craftsmen from Nuremberg and Vienna and defended by 3 walls with towers and bastions. Like any typically Saxon locality, the old houses are arranged around the central square which is dominated by its imposing church. You can stroll through its charming hundred-year-old streets, their medieval arcades and you can also admire the street fronts and its facades with ornaments of Baroque influence. Continue to Sibiu, European Capital of Culture in 2007 to enjoy the historic center, dating from the 12th century. Free time before dinner and Overnight at the hotel. [B/D]
Day 11: Sibiu
Start the day exploring Sibiu, which combines styles of the late Renaissance, Gothic, Classical and Transylvanian Baroque architecture. Discover Sibiu through its different historic stages: the little Saxon community established on the bank of a river, the little fortress with no more than one hundred inhabitants, the best fortified citadel in Transylvania, the medieval town, the greatest trade center in Transylvania, the best developed town in the Eastern part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Visit various churches, the famous Brukenthal Museum, towers, bastions, walls of fortification, old buildings, narrow streets, dark and mysterious inner yards. In the historic part of the city you can visit some of the churches of different denominations: Roman-Catholic, Evangelical, Reformed, Orthodox, Greco-Orthodox and Franciscan in addition to a Synagogue. Free time to relax or to continue the visit on your own. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. [B/D]
Day 12: Sibiu, Cortea de Arges, Ciocanesti, Bucharest
En route to Bucharest, stop at Curtea de Arges, to visit the Episcopal Cathedral, made from polished white stone resembling a very large and elaborate mausoleum, built in Byzantine style with Moorish arabesques. Early lunch at a local restaurant and continuation to Cionesti. Having won the first prize in the national contest of the most beautiful villages in Romania, the small town of Ciocanesti is unique in Romania: the facades of its houses are decorated with traditional multicolored patterns, which can be found on folk costumes or on painted eggs. Declared "museum village", this charming little traditional village perched on green hills is rich in its still intact folklore: its premises and its craftsmen who want to keep alive this unique tradition, its wooden monasteries and its beautiful hilly pastures make it an idyllic picture of Romanian rural life. A short drive will bring us to Bucharest to enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Bucharest. [B/L/D]
Day 13: Bucharest
Breakfast at the hotel. At the appointed time you’ll be picked-up and transferred to Bucharest airport to board you flight back home. [B]
[[B] = Breakfast | [D] = Dinner | [B/D] = Breakfast and Dinner | [B/L/D] = Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
