Transylvania & Bucovina Tour
Discover the treasures of Romania: Transylvania, the land of the medieval towns & Bucovina, the land of outdoor painted Orthodox monasteries
HIGHLIGHTS
- Itinerary: Bucharest - Targoviste - Curtea de Arges - Poenari Castle - Olt valley - Sibiu - Biertan Fortified Church - Sighisoara - Targu Mures - Bistrita - Borgo Pass famous for Dracula Castle - Vatra Dornei - Campulung Moldovenesc - Bucovina monasteries - Targu Neamt - Moldavian Monasteries - Piatra Neamt - Brasov - Bran - Sinaia - Bucharest
- Tour type: individual or small group by car/ minibus
- Accommodation: 3* hotels in the city center with breakfast
- Duration: 7 nights/8 days
- Language: English speaking guide (other languages available with an additional fee)
Sightseeing Bucharest including panoramic view of the most important buildings and squares: The Arch of Triumph (the same architecture of Arc de Triomphe in Paris), The Romanian Athenaeum (Bucharest's most prestigious concert hall and home of George Enescu Philharmonic), The former Royal Palace, Opera house; Squares: Victoriei, Romana, Revolution, Universitatii and Unirii. Visit of Parliament`s House (6 Euro/person-standard tour), the world’s second-largest building in surface area (after the US Pentagon) and the third largest in volume (booking in advance).
Optional Lunch at Hanul lui Manuc. Before lunch a pleasant walking of the old historical center, including Lipscani District, with old buildings, pedestrian streets full of restaurants, bars, clubs, shops with antique or artistically handmade souvenirs products; Curtea Veche Church, the oldest church in Bucharest, located in Old Historical Center, preserves its original shape and grounds. Manuc's Inn (Hanul lui Manuc) in Old Historical Center is the oldest inn in Bucharest.
In the afternoon, visit of The Village Museum (3 Euro/person-standard tour), outdoor museum, one of the main tourist attraction in Bucharest, showing a unique collection in Eastern Europe of old villages, peasant houses from all the regions in Romania, old furniture and tools. If weather doesn`t permit, the visit will be replace with The Romanian Peasant Museum, indoor museum showing collection of textiles, icons, ceramics and other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. Return to the hotel for fresh up.
Optional Dinner with show at “Caru cu Bere” Restaurant in Old Historical Center - the oldest beerhouse in Bucharest, a traditional place and impressive architectural building, where you can taste culinary recipes or drink homemade beer. Return at the hotel. Overnight in Bucharest.
Breakfast. Departure to Sibiu with stops at:
Targoviste, former capital of Walachia, where Vlad the Impaller had his court. Due to him the Chindia tower stands still and over-watches over the town (museum is closed on Monday).
Curtea de Arges, the former second capital of Wallachia and visit the Episcopal Monastery Church which is a recreation of the original built in 1512-1517 by prince Neagoe Basarab – if time permits.
OPTIONAL: near Curtea de Arges there is Poienari Castle, the true castle of Vlad the Impaler. The ruins of the castle are standing on a cliff where you can get climbing its 1400 steps (aprox. 1 hour). The Impaler`s wife flung herself out from the window declaring that better this way than captured by the Turks, who were besieging the castle. Legend has it that Vlad himself escaped over the mountains on horseback!
Tour continues to Sibiu along Olt river and an amazing landscape with green mountains.
In the evening, arrival in Sibiu known as Hermannstadt in German language, was the largest and wealthiest of the citadels built in the 12th century by German settlers known as Transylvanian Saxons. Due to its important cultural life, Sibiu was designated a European Capital of Culture for the year 2007.
Overnight in Sibiu.
Breakfast. In the morning, pedestrian tour of the old historical town (UNESCO) and the major highlights: The Large Square, The Small Square, The Huet Square, Defense Towers. City walls, The Bridge of Lies.
Departure to Biertan village and visit of Biertan Fortified Church (UNESCO), one of the first and most important Saxon villages and fortified churches in Transylvania. If fortress is closed due to Monday program, visit will be from outside!
Trip continues to Sighisoara (UNESCO), the best preserved medieval citadel in Europe. Pedestrian sightseeing tour of Sighisoara of the center of this old city certified first in 1191 and built on the site of a Roman fort. Here you will discover its Clock Tower, Weapon Museum – next to Vlad the Impaler’s birthplace, Covered Staircase, the Evangelic Church on the Hill and the cemetery.
Departure to Targu Mures, known as city of roses; it combines influences of both cultures Romanian and Hungarian.
Overnight in Targu Mures.
Breakfast. In the morning, pedestrian tour of Targu Mures visiting Old Prefecture Building, Teleki Librari, St. Michael Wooden Orthodox Church, Targu Mures Fortress.
Bistrita – stop for panoramic sightseeing of the old medieval town including merchants` houses from 15th and 16th centuries, the remains of the 13th century fortress walls.
Departure 50km further in Borgo Pass (Pasul Tihuta in Romanian) which connects Transylvania region to the Bucovina one. These places even if both are full of history since Neolithic age, became famous due to fictional Dracula novel by Bram Stoker. For instance, visitors can eat the exact meal Jonathan Harker (main character from the novel) ate at The Golden Crown in Bistrita.
Lunch at Castle Dracula Hotel, built no so long ago on the Borgo Pass at the approximate site of the fictional Count’s castle.
Trip continues to Bucovina. Overnight in Gura Humorului.
Bucovina is the land of outdoor painted Orthodox monasteries with rich mural frescoes like Voronet, Humor, Arbore, Moldovita, Sucevita, Patrauti, Probota or Suceava, all belonging to UNESCO World heritage.
Bucovina is a historical region situated in the north-eastern part of Romania, where history, tradition, local tasty food and drinks are still well preserved.
- Voronet, the most famous and stunning of the painted monasteries, widely known as "the Sistine Chapel of the East" due to its wall paintings of an intense shade of blue commonly known as “Voronet blue”.
- Moldovita with the predominantly gold and deep blue paintings on the exterior walls.
- Sucevita, the last of the 22 painted churches of Bucovina and has the largest number of painted images; it was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery.
- Arbore, the highlight of this small church is a scene from Genesis.
- On the way, you can stop and visit the pottery center – Marginea.
- Suceava, once the capital of Moldavia has some highlights like: Saint George’s Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Bucovina Ethnographic Museum, the remains of the Princely Court.
- Patrauti, is the oldest surviving religious site founded by Stephen the Great, with mural paintings.
- Humor, it is a small with a variety of frescoes dating from 1535, including one illustrating the Return of the Prodigal Son and one with a “humorous” depiction of the devil as a woman.
Dinner and ovenight in Gura Humorului.
- Neamt Fortress – one of the most important medieval monuments of Romania and the symbol of the most glorious period of Moldova, under the rulee Stefan cel Mare.
- Secu - this monastic complex looks like a medieval city with thick walls of stone and defense towers.
- Agapia painted by a famous Romanian painter-Nicolae Grigorescu, is a true architectural jewelry which combines characteristics of the byzantine style with the neoclassic style and the Romanian art.
Optional lunch in Piatra Neamt, a small and picturesque town in Moldova, surrounded by mountains.
Departure to Brasov along the mountains with a beautiful scenery. Brasov, known as Kronstadt in German language, is the most visited medieval and mountain resort city in Transylvania due to its values: the old historical center with Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture very well preserved, great food and amazing scenery.
Dinner and overnight in Brasov.
Breakfast. Early in the morning, around 08:30 pedestrian tour of the old historical center including the fortifications and the old city walls, the bastions, White/Black Tower, the Black Church, Town Hall Square, The Rope Street (the narrowest street in Europe).
Tour continues to Bran village and visit of Dracula`s Castle which owes its fame to its imposing towers, narrow corridors in a mysterious labyrinth as well as to the legend created by Bram Stocker about Vlad The Impaler-Count Dracula.
Trip continues through Prahova Valley along the Carpathian Mountains to Sinaia mountain resort.
Optional Lunch in Sinaia.
Visit of Sinaia Monastery and Peles Castle, former Royal Residence.
Dinner and overnight in Bucharest.
Free time at your disposal. Transfer to the airport. End of the program
TOUR INCLUDES
- English speaking guide
- Transport by car/minibus
- Transfer to/from airport
- 7 nights accommodation in double room with breakfast in 3* hotels
Not included: Entrance fees, meals (except breakfast), optional trips, Festive dinner Caru cu Bere (depending on the menu)