RURAL MARAMURES & the SAXON HEARTLAND of TRANSYLVANIA
7 days (7 overnights), from EUR 895
You are about to discover amazing sceneries, the Saxon civilization and the fortified churches in the south of Transylvania, and, in the far north - the Romanian peasant culture and wooden churches of Maramures. Join this 7-day tour with overnights in the old medieval citadels of Sibiu, Sighisoara and Brasov, in the booming cities of Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest, and two overnights at a traditional cottage in the magical village of Breb - Maramures.
1,500 EURO per person in a 2 persons group
1,190 EURO per person in a 3-4 persons group
895 EURO per person in a 5-6 persons group
Included
– private car with driver
– private guide in English
– 7 nights accommodation in double-room occupancy, 3* and 4* hotels/guesthouses, breakfast included
- two traditional meals in Breb village, Maramures
– all admission fees
– all transport costs
– all driver and guide’s expenses
Not included
– meals other than the ones mentioned above
– photo fees
– flight tickets
1Bucharest – Cozia Monastery – Sibiu
SIBIU
Day 1. We meet at the airport in BUCHAREST and start our guided tour by car, through the scenic Olt River’s Valley.
Our first stop is Cozia Monastery, erected in 1388 by the grandfather of the notorious Vlad the Impaler.
We arrive in SIBIU by noon. After lunch, we have a guided tour of the old town: the Council Tower, the Bridge of Liars, the most famous Sibiu plazas: the Grand Square, the Small Square, and the Albert Huet Square, the Orthodox Cathedral and the impressive Evangelical Church.
You could enjoy a lovely Transylvanian evening at one of the numerous restaurants and bars of the Old City.Overnight in SIBIU. https://bit.ly/3cej9s0 - 280 km, 5h drive
View from Sibiu's Council Tower
2Sibiu – Alba Iulia fortress - Cluj-Napoca
CLUJ-NAPOCA
Day 2. The second day of our guided tour takes us on the traces of a great medieval hero John Hunyadi (Corvin), regent of Hungary, and of his son, King Matthias Corvinus. A Hungarian brilliant military commander of Romanian ancestry, John Hunyadi stopped in Belgrade, in 1456, the offensive of the Ottomans emboldened by their takeover of Constantinople three years earlier.
John Hunyadi's tombstone in Alba Iulia
We visit the Alba Iulia fortress (Alba Carolina) where John Hunyadi was laid to rest in the impressive, ancient Saint Michael Cathedral (the construction started in 1004). We also pay a visit to the Orthodox Coronation Cathedral and to the ruins of the Roman castrum of the elite 13th Gemina Roman Legion.
Then, we visit then the spectacular Turda salt mine (VIDEO).
Next stop is Cluj-Napoca. A short tour of the city always ends at one of the restaurants or bars near the house where one of the greatest kings of Hungary was born - Matthias Rex, the son of John Hunyadi.
Overnight in CLUJ-NAPOCA.
https://bit.ly/2yBq93A 185 km, 3h30min. drive
John Hunyadi's tombstone in Alba Iulia
CASA RAȚIU (Turda)
Over the last century, Casa Rațiu has become a symbol of resilience and service of a family which played a crucial role in defending the rights of the Romanian nation in Transylvania.
3Cluj-Napoca - Breb
BREB
Day 3. From CLUJ-NAPOCA we are heading north towards Maramures, one of the last remaining bastions of traditional peasant culture in Europe.
We stop in the village of Surdesti, amazed by the local wooden church (UNESCO World Heritage monument). Built in 1766, the Greek-Catholic church of Surdesti has been until recently the tallest wooden church in the world.
Around noon we check-in at a traditional cottage in the village of Breb which will host us for the following couple of days. We take our time to enjoy a pleasant afternoon and the traditional home-cooked dinner by our hosts.
Overnight in BREB.
https://bit.ly/2A2ZNaV 165 km, 3h drive
4Breb – Sapânta – Bârsana – Breb
BREB
Day 4. We dedicate this day to discovering the Romanian peasant culture of Maramures – this corner of Europe that miraculously preserved centuries-old customs and traditions.
We have the opportunity to see a watermill at work, to visit Desesti wooden church (UNESCO monument) and the famous Merry Cemetery of Sapânta.
We visit the Memorial to the Victims of and the Resistance against Communist Dictatorship, organized in the dreaded Communist prison of Sighet.
We return to Breb for a traditional Romanian evening, with home-cooked food and a famous local brandy called palinca or horinca.
Second overnight in BREB.
https://bit.ly/2L8uT3d 125 km, 2h30min. drive
5Breb – Ieud – Biertan – Sighisoara
SIGHISOARA
Day 5. From the core of the Romanian rural Maramures, we head south, to the Saxon heartland of Transylvania. It is a long drive. We have a short stop at Ieud village, with two traditional wooden churches. The ”church on the hill” (Orthodox, XVII century) is an UNESCO World Heritage monument. As for the ”church in the valley” (Greek-Catholic), its slenderness and well-balanced proportions earned it the fame of the "The Wooden Cathedral". the fame of the "The Wooden Cathedral".
We visit Biertan fortified church – which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Biertan village was for centuries the seat of the Lutheran bishops and that is why the local church is protected by impressive fortifications.
We end our day at the medieval citadel of Sighisoara – UNESCO monument – and spend the late afternoon and evening visiting the citadel: the Clock Tower, the Church on the Hill, the Stairs, the fortifications and their towers.
Sighisoara is the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler.
Overnight in SIGHISOARA.
https://bit.ly/3frLqNH 320 km, 6h drive 
6Sighisoara - Saschiz – Viscri – Brasov
BRASOV
Day 6. This day is mostly dedicated to discovering rural Transylvania.
On our way from SIGHISOARA to Brasov we enjoy our lunchtime and traditional, organic food at a household in Viscri, the remote village Prince Charles fell in love with.
We are going to visit Viscri fortified church - UNESCO World Heritage monument, and also catch a glimpse of another such monument - Saschiz fortified church, and of Rupea and Rasnov fortresses.
Once in BRASOV, we go for a short walk at the foot of Mount Tâmpa: the fortifications, bastions and towers of the medieval fortress, the curious Rope Street (one of the narrowest in Europe) and, of course, the impressive Black Church – a 14th-century Gothic monument and symbol of the city. In the evening, you could enjoy dinner and one of the best Romanian ice-creams at the restaurants bordering the Brasov’s City Council Square.
Overnight in BRASOV.
https://bit.ly/3ft6aoa 145 km, 2h45min. drive
7Brasov – Bran Castle – Peles Castle (Sinaia) – Bucharest
BUCHAREST
Day 7. We leave Brasov for the Bran Castle, identified with Count Dracula legend, and enjoy the breathtaking scenery at Bran Pass over Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountains.
At Sinaia mountain resort, we visit the flamboyant Peles Castle, built at the end of the 19th century by the first king of Romania – Charles I.
In the late afternoon, we arrive in Bucharest. After check-in, you can take your time to allow your Transylvanian impressions to settle down. In the evening we have a guided tour of Bucharest. We would not miss the elegant Stavropoleos Church – a monastery in the heart of the city.
Overnight in BUCHAREST.
END OF OUR SERVICES.
https://bit.ly/2xNgc2I 250 km, 5h drive