Discover Medieval Transylvania Small Group Tour – 7 days

Accommodation: Guesthouse/Hotel 3*

Meals: Dinner

Transfer Bucharest airport – Sibiu city  (280 km, about 4 hours driving). Accommodation at a 3* guesthouse/hotel.  Declared for Cultural capital of Europe Sibiu was once the king of the  Transylvanian Saxon towns, serving as capital and dominating cultural  activity. Sibiu is home to the first hospital in Romania (1292), the  first pharmacy (1494) and the oldest museum in Romania, the Brukenthal  Museum, opened in 1817. Welcome dinner!

Accommodation: Guesthouse/Hotel 3*

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We drive to Hunedoara (130 km, about 2  hours driving). We visit Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle or  Hunedoara Castle (Romanian: Castelul Huniazilor or Castelul Corvinilor),  a Gothic-Renaissance castle. It is one of the largest castles in Europe  and figures in a list of the seven wonders of Romania. It is great and  breathtaking, provides the feeling of medieval times. We drive back to  Sibiu. Lunch. In the evening we visit Sibiu by night! Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Short drive to visit Astra Open Air  Village Museum - the second largest open-air museum in Europe (250  acres) is located in the middle of a dense forest and surrounded by a  beautiful lake. It features more than 300 buildings as well as  watermills and windmills, and other structures representing village  architectural styles from many parts of Romania.
Drive to Biertan (70 km, about 1 hour driving). Biertan is one of the  most important Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania,  having been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1993.  Featuring late-gothic architecture with heavy doors and double exterior  walls, the church boasts the largest Transylvanian multi-paneled wooden  altar and a remarkable wooden door which once protected the treasures in  the sacristy.
We continue the tour to the remarkably well-preserved town of Sighişoara  (30 km, about 30 minutes driving), so rich in history that the entire  old city center is a UNESCO site. Hear about the medieval town’s  legendary former resident Vlad the Impaler, a Wallachian prince and  warlord who inspired Bram Stoker’s fictional character Dracula. Discover  the only city in Romania which looks exactly the same way as in the  XVIth century.
Lunch and dinner. Accommodation at a 3* hotel.

Accommodation: Guesthouse/Hotel 3*

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We drive to Viscri about 1 hour. As we  approach, admire the impressive whitewashed walls and red-roofed towers  that surround the village, designed to protect early inhabitants from  invading Turks. Wander the rustic streets of the town and visit its  UNESCO World Heritage-listed church. Prince Charles, who owns a house in  Viscri, says "Transylvania is in my blood".
Visit a remarkable fortress - Rupea - with three rings, dating from the  14th century, built on a basalt rock. Inside the fortress there is a  well 60 m deep. The water is still drinkable.
We continue the tour to Brasov (90 km, about 90 minutes driving). Lunch  and dinner. Accommodation at a 3* hotel for 3 nights. Brasov walking  tour by night.
Fringed by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains and  resplendent with gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture, as well  as a wealth of historical attractions, Brasov is one of the most visited  places in Romania. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an  ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven walled  citadels, Brasov exudes a distinct medieval ambiance and has been used  as backdrop in many recent period films.

Accommodation: Guesthouse/Hotel 3*

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we visit Bran Castle (a.k.a.  Dracula's Castle) - Rasnov Fortress - Peles Castle. Lunch and dinner. We  drive about 45 minutes to Sinaia town for visiting Peles Castle. The  expansive, Bavarian-style Peleș Castle was built among a lush forest to  house Romania’s royalty in the 19th century and is among the most  beautiful in Europe. A guide will lead you through many of its  immaculate, ornate rooms, still adorned with luxuriant furnishings and  décor. You’ll also have the chance to tour the neighbouring Pelișor  Castle, a smaller royal residence decked out in art nouveau finery.
We continue the tour from Sinaia (about 60 minutes) to Bran Castle, also  known as ‘Dracula’s Castle’ — a hilltop estate that conjures up visions  of howling wolves and bats fluttering in the moonlight. Wander the  castle’s Gothic chambers and learn about its ties to Bram Stoker’s  undead antihero. Enter if you dare and wander through the castle’s many  well-preserved rooms and chambers. Gothic furnishings and details help  set the scene for ghastly legends of all that happened here, including  the imprisonment of Vlad the Impaler. This 15th-century prince was  notorious for his bloodthirsty campaigns against invading Turks and is  said to have inspired Stoker’s malevolent Count Dracula.
We drive about 30 minutes to Râșnov, situated among the stunning Bucegi  Mountains. Learn about the storied history of Râșnov Fortress, a walled  stone compound designed to ward off attacks by the fierce Tartars and  used as a refuge for local villagers during medieval warfare. Explore  the time-worn courtyards, ramparts and well of the 13th-century fortress  built by the Teutons. A short drive back to Brasov.

Accommodation: Guesthouse/Hotel 3*

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overview:

Experience the traditional Transylvanian  way of life on a small group tour from Brașov to the rural villages of  Pestera and Magura. We may visit Bran Castle a.k.a Dracula's Castle,  also. We do a walking tour in the area visiting the Bat Cave enjoying  the landscapes and village life, interacting with the locals (3 - 4  hours, easy to medium, up to 12 km). Now, the Bat Cave is a national  natural monument, part of the National Park “Piatra Craiului”. Cave  entrance is through a narrow corridor, followed by a grotto and a  gallery. You can admire the Jurassic limestone formations, formed over  centuries, including so-called "tears of the earth". The cave is not  electrified, in order not to change the natural habitat of the bats. Visit the oldest guesthouse in the National Park, taste several  varieties of handcrafted cheese, than we have a farm-fresh cuisine. With  a flexible pace and the personalized attention of your guide, it’s a  unique and authentic way to experience the Romanian countryside.

Highlights

• Small group day trip to the authentic Romanian mountain villages of Pestera and Magura from Brașov
• Discover the culture of the villages, nestled in Transylvania’s Piatra Craiului National Park mountain
• Take a trek into the forests and meadows to see wild flowers and go inside of Bat cave
• Savor lunch made from fresh, simple ingredients at one of the guesthouses in the area
• Enjoy a flexible itinerary and the undivided attention of a guide on this small group tour
• In these 2 villages the people never  died because of cancer or heart attack - they live an healthy life:  working the land, taking care of animals (sheep and cows), preparing and  eating home made food from their small farm (meat, eggs, milk),  drinking fresh water from the spring and home made alcoholic drink  called "tuica" made from different fruits: apples, plumps, pears!

What You Can Expect

Sample traditional Romanian cheese on a small group day trip to Magura and Pestera.

Nestled in the Piatra Craiului National  Park Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, the villages of Pestera an  Magura offer an authentic glimpse into rural Romanian life. Your  immersive, full-day tour begins in central Brașov, where you’ll meet  your local guide and board a private vehicle for the 45-minute drive to  the village. Along the way, let your guide know if you have any specific  interests so he or she can customize the day’s itinerary.

Learn about the history of the villages,  where the traditional industries of sheep farming and cheese making are  still practiced by many of the village’s. Visit the Bat Cave about 10  minutes. Next, set off into the surrounding hills and meadows of Magura  village for a moderate guided hike for 2 to 3 hours. Let your guide know  if you prefer to hike for longer or shorter, and go at a pace that’s  comfortable to you.

Make a stop to the oldest guesthouse in  the National Park. Meet some of the farmers, and sample two-three  different kinds of cheese.

After working up an appetite, we have a  hearty lunch. Savor simple Romanian cuisine homemade from local  farm-fresh ingredients including eggs, vegetables or pork. Purchase beer  or wine to top off your meal. From the guesthouse we have a walk in  Pestera Village back to the car, about 1 hour. We can visit also the  local church.

Relax on the scenic return drive to Brașov.