Explore Village life in Transylvanian Carpathian Mountains - 9 days

Description Explore Village life in Transylvanian Carpathian Mountains - 9 days

A perfect way to explore the real life in the mountain villages from the bottom of Piatra Craiului National Park and Bucegi Natural Park.

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Rates:

• 2 persons: 989 euro/person
• 4 persons: 879 euro/person

The package includes:

• 8 nights accommodation at 2/3 star pension or guesthouses with private facilities on BB (breakfast included), twin or double rooms
• maps and route notes
• all transfers per itinerary with a car
• 1 welcome lunch
• luggage transfers
• Brasov walking tour (without entrance fees), Brown Bears Watching program, 7 Ladders Canyon half day trip, Sighisoara day trip

Not included:

• lunches and dinners (can be provided at the places of accommodation – in the mountain villages homemade dinner to the guesthouses – about 15 - 20 euro/person)
• entrance fees for Piatra Craiului National Park (2 euro/person), Bran Castle (12 euro/person), flight tickets, drinks, personal expenses

Tour highlights:

♦  Piatra Craiului National Park - with its narrow and saw-like ridge the mountains are considered to be one of the most beautiful in Carpathian Mountains range

♦ Bucegi Natural Park is Romania's best-kept secret, rivalling Slovakia's Tatra Mountains and the Alps when it comes to trekking. Their glacial valleys, canyons and caves offer a wealth of natural beauty, history and adventure.

♦ Brasov - 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. Stroll around the old Town Hall Square (Piata Sfatului) where you can admire colourfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Take a peek inside the Black Church (Biserica Neagra), the largest gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul. The interior is impressive and well-kept and houses one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe.

♦ Bran Castle is no doubt one of the milestones when traveling in Transylvania. Towers, narrow corridors, hidden premises - the castle offers many interesting facts and stories, mysterious enough to incite the legend lovers.

♦ Peles Castle - one of the most beautiful Royal Castles in the World. 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.

♦ The remarkably well-preserved Sighişoara, so rich in history that the entire village 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. Enjoy free time to explore Sighişoara’s cobblestoned streets, bell tower and citadel on your own, and visit a café to purchase lunch if you wish.

 

Day 1: Transfer Bucharest airport – hotel 3* Bucharest. Accommodation.

 

Day 2: Breakfast. Transfer Bucharest – Brasov about 3 hours (the most important touristic city of Romania and an important former medieval city of Transylvania). Accommodation at a 3* guesthouse centrally located (eg. Casa Timar). Welcome lunch. Brasov walking tour. In the evening we have the Brown Bears Watching program.

 

Day 3: Breakfast. Guided day trip to Sighisoara, Viscri and Rupea Fortress. Transfer to Magura village. Accommodation 2 nights at a guesthouse in Magura Village.

Day 4: Breakfast. The heart of Piatra Craiului National Park - Pestera Village – Curmatura chalet (1470 m) - Magura village. From the guesthouse you continue the trek to the next mountain village Pestera, about 2 km. You reach to a junction and from here you turn to the right and continue the trekking to (ur on the red cross sign, about 1 – 1 ½ hour, to the "La table" point (this is a cross point where 8 trekking routes meet). From here you follow the same sign, red cross, follow nice and large meadows, hardwood and pine forest to the bottom of the Piatra Craiului Mountain ("Rock of the King" or "King's Stone") for about 30 minutes. The road now is a forest one. You reach to a junction in about 30 minutes, you turn to the left and follow the forest road that climbs into the forest. After 20 minutes with no signs, you see 2 signs, red and yellow triangle which go to the Curmatura chalet (about 1 hour). So, from the guesthouse to Curmatura chalet you supposed to walk between 3 and 4 hours on a medium route. You can have lunch to the chalet and then you continue the trek to Zarnesti town, the main gate to the National Park, following the yellow dot (2 hours of descending – easy). At some point you reach to a small metal bridge (on your right), you cross the spring and walk up about 30  minutes to the guesthouse in Magura village. (6-7 hours, medium effort, uphill/downhill walk: 500 m/ 700 m, appr. 16 km).

Day 5: Breakfast. Today you trek crossing the most authentic and beautiful mountain villages from the bottom of the National Park Piatra Craiului - Magura - Pestera - Sirnea (the first touristic village of Romania) - Fundata, meeting the locals (4-6 hours, easy to medium, uphill: 1083 m, downhill walk: 890 m, appr. 16 km). At the end of the tour you walk about 1.500 m on national road to the guesthouse (no other way). Accommodation at a 3* guesthouse for 3 nights.

About Sirnea village: in order to develop the village and attract as many tourists as possible, Professor Nicolae Fruntes initiated two feasts: "The measure of milk and the meeting of the village sons" held every June and "Winter at Sirnea", aimed at presenting the customs of the villagers, both during summer and winter. Launched in 1969, the feast "Winter at Sirnea" entails a skiing race with torches in hands, sleigh rides and parties organized at the Cultural Centre.

Day 6: Breakfast. Today you have a walk in the village of Fundata (3 - 4 hours, easy to medium, uphill/downhill walk: 300 m/300 m).

Surrounded by the Bucegi Mountains and the Piatra Craiului Mountains, Fundata's altitude of 1360 m makes it the highest commune in Romania. In August 1916, when troops from the Romanian Old Kingdom entered Austria-Hungary, the first village they took was Fundata, also capturing their first prisoners there and suffering their first battle death.

Day 7: Breakfast. Transfer from the pension to the starting point of the trekking tour in Bucegi Natural Park (about 45 minutes of driving). You follow the yellow triangle sign, on a wide forest road, for about 1 – 1 ½ hour. After that you cross a small river and start to climb a steep part, with forest, for about 20 minutes, and you reach in a nice meadow. Stop for a rest and then continue the route, now much easier, till in a big meadow with a former sheep farm on the right side. Optional: from this point in about 1 hour, round trip, you can visit, following the red cross sign, the "Devil mill waterfall". Back in the meadow you follow the metal poles with blue triangle sign, crossing the meadow from left to the right, in diagonal, uphill. You go mainly up from here and in about 1 hour you reach to a forest road and then to a sheep farm. You can make a stop and taste the cheese made here (from June to September) for a small extra cost or cigarettes. From the sheep farm you follow the red triangle sign from the rocks or metal poles. At some point, after 1 km from the sheep farm, you see a big rock with the sign on it. You follow the sign, pass nearby a former Hunting house, now in ruin, and in about 1-1 ½ hours you reach to the main forest road, for the meeting point. Transfer back to the guesthouse for accommodation - about 40 minutes of driving. (5-6 hours, medium effort, uphill/downhill walk: 800 m/ 800 m, appr. 14 km). Today, in the morning, you can visit Bran Castle (Monday is opened at 12:00).

Moeciu de Sus is located 35 km from Brasov, in the beautiful and wild Bucegi mountain area, at the edge of the Bucegi National Park. The village is appreciated for its amazing nature and its tradition in preparing delicious cheeses and sheep wool products.

Day 8: Breakfast. Transfer about 1 hour to Brasov. Today we have our guided tour to the Epic 7 Ladders Canyon. Accommodation in Brasov at a 3* hotel centrally located (eg. Casa Timar).

Day 9: Breakfast. Transfer to the airport about 3 hours.

Details about trekking tour:

- optimal time: May - October

- transportation - car

- mountain tour requires a good physical shape, with resistance to medium effort but for long duration

- "7 Ladders Canyon" is closed Monday and because of weather conditions (thunderstorms, heavy rains)

- accommodation in Brasov is done at 3* guesthouses located at 10 - 20 minutes walking distance from the old city center; 20-30 euro/night/person for accommodation to a 3* hotel located nearby or in the old city center.

Good to know:

♦ How the tour runs: You will be met at the hotel by our local supporting agent. After accommodation in Brasov you will have an info meeting for discussing all details regarding the trek and receiving your maps and route notes. On each day, excepts day 4 to day 6, you will be transferred to the starting point of the trek and meet at the final point and transferred to your accommodation
♦ Routes and waymarks: You follow very well marked routes on clear paths that are part of the Carpathian hiking network, except day 5^th (only from Pestera village to Sirnea Village). Most common waymark symbols are colored stripes, triangles, circles, etc
♦ Terrain: You follow mainly forest and meadows paths and dirt roads with gradual gaining of elevation. The “7 ladders canyon” (day 8) includes walking on steel ladders and bridges in a very narrow and spectacular gorge and might seem difficult or dangerous for some hikers and can be skipped.
♦ Luggage transport: luggage transfer will be provided

Necessary equipment: day pack (20-30l), hiking shoes, breathable clothes, waterproof gear, headlamp or torch, sun glasses.

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Map of visited POI's:

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