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Private tours in Romania
Transylvania & Maramures Tour.
Period: 10 days.
Distance: 1589km.
Tariffs
Day 1.
Otopeni Airport - Bucharest
Your tour starts in Bucharest but any other modifications can be done upon request.
Once in Bucharest, you’ll be transferred to your hotel. On the way you’ll attend a short presentation of your tour. The rest of your day is at leisure.
In the evening your guide will take you to a traditional dinner.
Day 2*.
Bucharest – Targoviste – Poenari fortress – Olt Valley – Sibiu
After breakfast you’ll head toward Sibiu.
First stop of the day will be Targoviste, the former capital of Walachia. Here you’ll visit the Princely Court and the Sunset Tower built for the first time during Vlad Impaler’s (Dracula) reign.
The tour continues toward the Poenari fortress, the real castle built by Vlad the Impaler (Dracula). The fortress can be reached only after you have climbed 1480 stone stairs. This path through the forest used to be surrounded by hundreds of impaled people, the image being terrifying for the enemies of Vlad.
You’ll be taken back to Curtea de Arges and further on you’ll admire the beautiful valley of the Olt River.
On the way you’ll stop to visit Cozia monastery. Mircea the Elder, prince of Walachia and grandfather of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), built the monastery in the 14th century. Here you’ll have a first contact with the painted frescoes. On the entrance wall of the church you’ll see an impressive “Last Judgment” fresco.
Finally, you’ll reach Sibiu.
Day 3.
Sibiu – Sebes – Alba Iulia – Turda – Cluj Napoca
After your breakfast you’ll start to visit Sibiu, a German city with a very important cultural influence over the country.
Brukenthal, governor of Transylvania, had a major role in Sibiu’s development as a major cultural center. He opened the first museum of Romania in 1817, seven years before the National Gallery in London, exhibiting his vast art collection.
Sibiu, Europe’s cultural capital in 2007, is also known for its medieval architecture, passages, alleys, churches and towers. Sibiu boasts Romania’s first cast-iron bridge, which has an interesting legend regarding its name. You’ll visit places such as Large Square, Small Square, Huet Square, Goldsmiths’ Squareand Passage, Staircases’ Passage, the Evangelic Church, the Orthodox Cathedraland the Catholic Church.
The tour continues with a stop in Alba Iulia, the most important urban center during the Roman occupation and capital of Transylvania between 1541 and 1690. It was here Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul) unified for the first time, November 1st, 1599, the all three Romanian provinces, Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania.
Here you’ll admire the walls of the fortress built in Vauban type. The Reunification Cathedral was built between 1921and1923, a grandiose building which was the place where the Romanian monarchs were crowned. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in the 13th century, is considered to be an important monument of early Transylvanian medieval architecture. It harmoniously combines Gothic and Romanesque style elements. It is here Inacu by Hunedoara, the father of King Corvinus ofHungary, rests for eternity.
In Turda you’ll visit something quite different from the rest of the stops in
this trip. This place is known for its salt deposits. Discovered first by the Romans, the Turda salt mine became an important exploitation center during the Habsburg’s control of Transylvania. Here you’ll be astonished by the very long access corridor, which has almost 1km and by the huge salt galleries.
Driving on the roads of the Transylvanian hills you’ll reach the city of Cluj Napoca.
After your check in, you’ll visit the beautiful town’s old center, where you can admire the St. Michael Cathedral and the Orthodox Cathedral.
Day 4.
Cluj Napoca – Bontida – Dej – Baia Mare – Surdesti – Vadu Izei
After your breakfast you’ll drive toward Maramures, a place where the purity of nature blends with the beauty of the old villages, a place where the locals kept untouched their traditions, where the carved wood represents a
common way of building.
On the way to Maramures you’ll be taken to Bontida, once a place famous for the castle of Bannfy family, an important Hungarian noble family of which Miklos Bannfy was part. He was minister of the internal affairs of Hungary and the writer of the Transylvanian Trilogy.
Passing through Gherla, Dej you’ll reach Baia Mare. Here you’ll take the lunch and then you’ll enjoy the old center built in the 14th century. Baia Mare was once famous for its painting school. It is here where a series of local artists developed their skills. Therefore, you’ll visit the local Art Museum where many works of the local artists can be admired.
After Baia Mare you’ll have a first contact with a wooden church, Surdesti church. Built in 1724, this church, made of evergreen oak beams, impresses because of its very high steeple of 54m.
Crossing Gutai Mountains, you’ll reach Desesti village famous for its wooden church. Built in 1780, the wooden church amazes with its beautiful frescoes made by Radu Munteanu, a local painter.
Further on, you’ll stop at the outskirts of Berbesti village to admire Rednic wooden Calvary, the oldest wooden crucifix in Romania, 300 years old.
Finally, you’ll reach Vadu Izei village renowned for its craftsmen: woodcarvers, weavers and painters.
You’ll stay overnight in a traditional and clean guest house with all modern facilities and you’ll gain some weight after the tasty dinner.
Day 5.
Vadu Izei – Sighet – Sapanta – Vadu Izei
In the morning you’ll head off to Sighetu Marmatiei, a border town of 40 000 people. Here you’ll have to visit the local vivid market where the simple famres sell their fresh products. You can interact with them or taste their cheese or vegetables.
Further on you’ll find out something about the horrors of the communist regime. You’ll visit a prison where during the communist years many important Romanian leaders but also, common people who were against the regime, lost their lives.
Optionally you can visit Ellie Wiesel’s house, awarded with the Nobel Prize for peace. In 1944, Ellie Wiesel, together with other 38 000 Jews from Maramures, were sent by the Nazis to different concentration camps. In his many books, Ellie tells different stories about these moments.
After the lunch you’ll be taken to Sapanta village to admire the Merry Cemetery. Here the carved crosses are painted in bright colors, the dead person being represented during an important moment of his life.
In the same village you’ll stop to admire the highest wooden structure in the world: Peri Convent, recently rebuilt.
On the way back to Vadu Izei you’ll have the chance of seeing on the side of the road many local women sewing traditional clothes or other different things.
Before the dinner you’ll take a stroll in the village. You’ll visit a local distillery, used by the locals to prepare tuica or palinca, a sort of plum brandy. Not far from the distillery, you’ll see how the locals are washing their carpets in a way like 100 years ago.
You’ll continue your walking tour on the streets of the village admiring the wooden gates, the wooden houses, the local architecture and the locals.
Back to Vadu Izei for another tasty meal.
Day 6.
Vadu Izei – Barsana – Dragomiresti – Bistrita – Targu Mures – Sighisoara
At 8 o’clock you’ll serve your breakfast.
Today the journey is long and beautiful.
First, you’ll visit Toader Barsan’s
house, a local wood carver who took part at the Smithsonian World Festival in Washington. In the same village, you’ll visit one of the highest wooden churches in the world, Barsana church. Dedicated to the Twelve Apostles, the church was built in 1992.
The last visit in Maramures is the Museum of the Peasant Women in Dragomiresti village. It is a traditional wooden house which belonged to a woman never married.
After this last stop in Maramures you’ll reach the City of Bistrita where you’ll enjoy a short walking tour and a good lunch.
In Targu Mures you’ll visit the beautiful Palace of Culture. It was built between 1911 and 1913 in Secession style. The palace owns its fame mainly because of the Mirror Hall. The two parallel Venetian windows and the 12 stained-glass windows are the main attraction of this marvelous hall.
You’ll reach Sighisoara in time for the dinner.
Day 7.
Sighisoara – Crit – Mesendorf – Viscri – Miclosoara
The day starts with a stroll on the streets of Sighisoara, the only inhabited medieval citadel in the world. With its narrow alleys, medieval houses, towers, ramparts and legends about Dracula, Sighisoara is a world-wide attraction for tourists. You’ll visit the symbol of Sighisoara, the Clock Tower, Casa Vlad Dracul (the house where Vlad the Impaler was born), School’s Staircase, Church on the Hill and the defense towers. Here you’ll receive more information about the real Dracula (Vlad Tepes in Romanian).
Further on, the day is dedicated entirely to the forgotten world of the Transylvanian Saxon villages.
The day will start with a stroll on the roads of Crit, a remote old Saxon village, now a place of the Romanians and Gypsies.
Next, you’ll visit another remote Saxon village, Mesendorf, located not far away from Crit. Here you’ll enjoy this little quiet place and its old fortified church.
But when it comes about remote and amazing old Saxon villages, then Viscri is one of the best places. It is here Prince Charles of Wales owns a traditional house. Viscri is known also for the well-preserved peasant fortress which surrounds one of the few Romanesque churches in Romania. The Teutonic Knights built the citadel in the 12th century on the site of an existing church. The village was mentioned in documents for the first time in 1400, under the name “Alba ecclesia”. Being a UNESCO heritage site since 1990, the fortress has huge walls with watching towers, the main tower being 10m high. The villagers used the fortified church as a hiding place when the Tartars attacked them.
Finally, you’ll reach the village of Miclosoara, Miklosvar in Hungarian. It is here, in this fairytale place, a Hungarian count took his estate back and transformed it into probably the best accommodation in Romania.
In the evening you’ll take a stroll on the quaint dirt roads of the village admiring the old traditional houses, their tall wooden gates , the horse-drawn carts, the locals and the beauty of this forgotten village.
You are going to stay in a room decorated in the old style with original furniture, with a traditional stove, with a modern private bathroom and you are going to enjoy a traditional dinner in a cellar. It is here where you’ll be able to see Transylvania like 100 years ago. It is a step back in time.
Day 8.
Miclosoara – Prejmer – Bransov – Bran – Sinaia
After your breakfast you’ll drive toward Brasov. On the way you’ll visit Prejmer fortified church. It is the biggest of its kind in the southeastern Europe being built in the 13th century, first by the Teutonic nights and then by the German settlers of Transylvania. The circular fortress has walls 3-4m thick and 12m high, fire holes, bastions, iron gates, deep moats and drawbridges.
Next stop is Brasov, a city founded by the Saxons, who colonized Transylvania in the 12-13th centuries. Here you’ll visit the old center, where you’ll admire the beautiful buildings such as the astonishing the Black Church which was built in Gothic and Renaissance style. You’ll enjoy a walking tour of the old medieval citadel and you’ll admire its walls protected by towers, the old square and the narrowest street in Romania, Rope Street.
After lunch you’ll be taking a scenic road and you’ll reach the Bran Castle built 700 years ago and famous for the Dracula legend.
Driving on the beautiful Prahova Valley, you will have an astonishing view over Bucegi Mountain, especially over the craggy Caraiman Massive with its Heroes’ Cross built in the memory of the soldiers who died in the First World War.
In the end you’ll reach Sinaia, a famous mountain resort.
Day 9.
Sinaia – Ploiesti – Bucharest
The first visit is Sinaia where you’ll admire the Peles Castle, the most beautiful castle of Romania, residence of the former royal family.Sinaia Monastery was the first building of this town, and is located not far away from the castle.
You’ll reach Bucharest in time for lunch. After that, you’ll be given a driving and walking tour of Bucharest.
In the Revolution Square you’ll stop to admire the Romanian Athenaeum built in 1888 in Neoclassical style, the Central University Library and the Art Museum, the former RoyalPalace. Also, you’ll get explications about the anticommunist revolution.
Next stop is the Parliament House, the largest administrative building in Europe, second in the world. Built between 1984 and 1989, right in the former historical center of Bucharest, The Parliament Palace, better known as The House of People, is the most grandiose administrative construction in Europe.
The last visit of this tour is the old center of Bucharest where you’ll visit the Old Princely Court with its church – the oldest building of Bucharest, the Manuc’s Inn, the Stavropoleos church and the quaint old streets, alleys and buildings.
The entire tour ends with a farewell dinner.
Day 10.
Transfer day
Breakfast in the morning.
You'll be transferred to the airport according to your schedule.
Day 2*.
Bucharest – Targoviste – Curtea de Arges – Poenari fortress – Transfagarasan Road – Sibiu
Option:
During July, August and September months, we’ll use Transfagarasan road, instead of Olt Valley. The tour of the day is changed accordingly:
After your breakfast, you’ll start your day heading toward Sibiu, a Transylvanian city built by Saxons about 800 years ago.
First stop of the day will be Targoviste, the former capital of Walachia. Here
you’ll visit the Princely Court and the Sunset Tower built for the first time during Vlad Impaler’s (Dracula) reign.
On the way you’ll stop to visit Curtea de Arges Monastery, one of the most beautiful monasteries of Romania.
At the beginning of the Transfagarasan Road, Vlad the Impaler built Poenari fortress on top of a mountain. The fortress can be reached only after you have climbed 1480 stone stairs. This path through the forest used to be surrounded by hundreds of impaled people, the image being terrifying for the enemies of Vlad.
Vidraru Dam was constructed on this road, being impressive through its size: 166m high and 305m long.
Further on, you’ll drive on the Transfagarasan road, the most picturesque road of Romania. After the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Ceausescu - the former dictator, being afraid of a Soviet invasion, ordered the building of a strategic road, in
this way being able to transfer troops and munitions from one side to the other of the Carpathian Mountains. The construction of the road took more than 4 years, since March 1970 till 20th September 1974. The road, inaugurated by the dictator, uneconomic for goods transportation, is a fascinating tourist route, representing throughout summers the most impressive and spectacular way of crossing the Carpathians.
Finally, we reach Sibiu, also a German city with a very important cultural influence over the country throughout the history.
You’ll stay overnight in Sibiu.
| group of 1 person |
group of 2-3 person |
group of 4-7 person |
| 1744Euros/a person |
974Euros/a person |
855Euros/a person |
Single Supplement: 150 Euros
The tariffs include:
- car with A/C
- Fuel for the entire trip
- Transfers from/to airport or train station
- Accommodation in 3-4 stars hotels or guest houses
- Breakfast each day
- 2 dinners in Vadu Izei
- English speaking guide/driver
- Entrance fees for tourist objectives
- Parking tickets
- Info folder & detailed map of Romania
- VAT, hotel taxes
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