| Departures | | From April to the end of October. |
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| TRANSYLVANIA : CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS, CASTLES AND SAXON HERITAGE | price from 509 € | | Romania - Leisure cycling - 9 days |
This trip is to introduce you to the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania, known as a mysterious and spectacular land, famous through Bram Stocker’s legend of Dracula and well-known for its forests sheltering so many species of wild animals.
Transylvania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, was also a desired land. That is how the Saxons arrived here in the 11th century to guard the Carpathian Mountains passes between Transylvania and Walachia against the Tatars and the Ottomans. This is the heritage that you will discover during this entire trip. An exceptional holiday is waiting for you!
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Day 1 Reception in Bucharest
Welcome at your arrival in Bucharest before 12.30. Transfer to the train station and then to medieval city of Sibiu (around 5h of train), elected as European cultural capital in 2007. Arrival at 8.57pm. Guesthouse in Sibiu. |
Day 2 Sibiu and its villages
Free morning to visit Sibiu, one of our highlights, known in German as Hermannstadt. You will discover the three historic squares, the evangelic church, the lower and the upper town, the citadel and so many other charming corners of one of the best-preserved medieval cities. A warm-up ride in the afternoon will bring in the villages around Sibiu where you will spend the night. (BD, ~25 km) |  |
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Day 3 Marginimea Sibiului
You will cycle today forward these beautiful villages from Marginimea Sibiului, vestiges of a glorious past. Then you will continue the cycling day through oak forests till the salty lakes from Ocna Sibiului. Possible swim in a salty water pool. (BLD, ~45 km) |  |
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Day 4 Hidden fortified churches
You will ride forward to arrive in the medieval pretty town of Medias, with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture (~ 65 km). Several times you can make a detour (between 5 and 18 kilometres) of a few kilometres to visit hidden fortified churches. One of them, Valea Viilor, deserves more than the others to be visited. Here the church is frequented by the only German still living in the village, Mme Műller for which it will be a pleasure to show you the citadel. (BL, ~60 km) |  |
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Day 5 The citadel of Sighiosara
This shorter cycling day will allow you to discover the treasures that you will visit. You’re first stop will be Biertan fortified church, part of UNESCO Heritage, which has graced the country for over a half of century. Then you move on to Sighisoara, one of the few medieval citadels in Europe that is still fully inhabited and also included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage. Discover the old town with its famous clock tower, which initially served as the main entrance to the citadel, but also covered stairs, medieval streets, the house where Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad the Impaler known by Bram Stocker’s legend as Dracula, was born (B, ~45 km). |  |
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Day 6 Bucolic Transylvania
Today you will cycle forward the Transylvanian hills through Apold village which also has a lovely fortified church. Then you will arrive in Soars village where you will spend the night, through remote country track where you will surly see shepherds watching over their sheep or cows. (BD, ~50 km) |  |
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Day 7 Transylvanian Alps
You will ride to the South, at the foot of the Fagaras Mountain, the highest from the Romanian Carpathians and also known as the 'Transylvanian Alps'. You will see on your way why we call them like this, beautiful landscapes are waiting for you. Night in a town at the foot of Piatra Craiului Mountains one of the best preserved in Romania, sheltering bears, wolves and lynx. (BLD, ~78 km). |  |
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Day 8 Bran castle
Our last day of cycling in Transylvania will bring you at the foot of the Bucegi’s Mountains, which represented an important place to protect the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. With that end in view was built the Bran castles, also known as Dracula’s Castle. Even if it wasn’t the real castle of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), it belonged later to another famous person, Queen Maria, a granddaughter of Queen Victorias’ and of Tsar Nicholas’ II. Optional ride to visit the Rasnov Castle, at around 15 kilometers away from Bran. Night in the same place and the night before (BLD, ~ 35 km). |  |
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Day 9 End of the trip
Departure for Bucharest after the breakfast. End of the trip. |
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| Details | Starting point
Bucharest airport or Bucharest train station.
End
Bucharest airport or Bucharest train station.
How to get there
By plane: Otopeni or Baneasa airports in Bucharest.
By train : Bucharest train station.
Accommodation
8 nights with double occupancy from which 3 in 3* small hotels and 5 in guesthouses.
Number of people
Minimum of 2 people.
Level of difficulty
9 days of which 6 and 1/2 of cycling. Medium level (from 35 to 78 Km/day, with usually gentle climbs).
Carrying
Luggage will be transferred from one guesthouse to the other.
Options
- Bike rental : 75€
- Single supplement : 79€
- Extra night in Bucharest (double room with 2 breakfasts included) : 115€
Included
The nights, meals (8 breakfasts, 4 picnics and 5 dinners to our guesthouses), roadbook, maps, luggage transfer, permanent local assistance.
Not included
Bikes rental, transfer to the meeting point and to the drop off point, insurances, drinks, and personal expenses.
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