Self guided Cycling in Romania

Castles of Transylvania

Transylvania (the land “beyond the forest”), known through Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’ and Patrick Fermors ‘Castles of Transylvania’ is one of the great cultural landscapes of Europe still undiscovered yet. The population is an ethnic jigsaw of Romanians, Magyars, Germans and Gypsies. You cycle along the spectacular Carpathian Mountains with splendid views, lowland valleys with medieval looking villages untouched by time, and forests, which shelter deer, boars and even bears and wolves. On some of the days, you meet only oxen drawn carts, horse and cows crossing your way or buffalo cooling off in the rivers. You may bump into a street wedding: German Blasmusik with Romanian texts and Gypsy tunes, and lots of Tuika (plum brandy) which is part of Transylvania as much as the garlic. You may visit some of the numerous German/Saxon church castles with beautiful Renaissance and Baroque altars and pulpits. In most of the cases, you have to get the key from a nearby farmhouse. You will see the castles of Bran, Sighisoara (UNESCO Cultural Heritage) and Fagaras as well as the beautiful medieval Saxon towns of Brasov, Medias and Sibiu the ‘Cultural Capital of Europe 2007’.

ZZ-BKRM01
Rates include 7 nights in ***Hotels and ***guesthouses with breakfast, map, route description, information about the villages, luggage transport during the tour.
8 Days/ 7 Nights   $ 895   Single +275
-- based on  Euro 575 / 180   

2008 DATES : Every Saturday from May to September -  with a minimum of 2 people
Airport: Buchartest 
Meeting: Brasov
Trip ends in: Sibiu

Not included:
Transportation from and back to Bucharest. (can be arranged), bike rental (21 gear with bag)  $95  (Euro 60).

Transport: There are good train connections between Bucharest and Sibiu and Brasov. From Sibiu back to Bucharest you may take the early comfortable IC (dep. 6.32 arr. 11.50).

Tour Profile:  Flat and hilly. You cycle on quite side roads, on two occasions on firm earth/stone roads. Out of Sighisoara, Bran and into Sibiu some more traffic.
 

  see Slide Show

Itinerary

Day 1:  Train (or taxi transfer) to Brasov.
Stroll around the beautiful town square, the ‘Ratsplatz’, surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque patrician buildings. Visit the gothic ‘Black church’ with the world famous Buchholz organ and a rare collection of oriental carpets which Brasovian tradesmen brought back from their trading missions in the Ottoman Empire. In the evening, you may attend an organ concert and have diner on the historic square. Overnight in a ***hotel in the center of Brasov.

Day 2:  Bran and Risnov castle (round trip, 45 km/27 miles)
Short transfer to Zarnesti at the footsteps of the Piatra Craiului Mountains. Cycle to Dracula castle with splendid views of the Bucegi Mountains. It served as impressive backstage for Roman Polanskis ‘Dance of the Vampires’ and for Queen Mary of Romania, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria I., as salon and refuge. Cycle to Risnov castle, where you have marvelous views to the Postavarul and Piatra Craiului mountains.

Day 3: Fagarasch 58 km/36 miles
Cycle through the Piatra Craiului National Park, which has the highest concentration of bears and wolves in Europe, along a beautiful forest valley between two mountains.  Then you cycle with spectacular views to the ‘Transylvanian Alps’ through to former Walachian territory (‘terra Vlachorum’) to Fagarasch. On your way, there should be many opportunities to see rare flowers birds and butterflies. Visit the pretty, recently restored Renaissance castle (and its museum) owned by the Hungarian Woiwodes who ruled Transylvania. Overnight in Fogarasch.   

Day 4:  Sighisoara 59 km/39miles
Today you cycle through quite a remote area passing numerous villages and fortified churches. You may see a street wedding on your way: German Blasmusik with Romanian texts and Gypsy tunes. Very pretty is Trappold castle guarded by a German artist.
The town castle of Sighisoara is the biggest lived-in castle in Europe and part of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage. Have a good Hungarian meal (or maybe game) in the Casa Cerbul, the ‘House with the Deer Antler’ where the Prince of Wales is dining when visiting Transylvania. Overnight in a pretty hotel in the town castle.

Day 5:  Biertan 40 km/25 miles
You have time to stroll through the castle, visit the clock tower with its moving, painted figures, the old fortification walls and towers and the ‘church on the hill’, the ‘Pearl of Transylvania’. Have an ‘Apfelstrudel’ or a ‘Linzer Torte’.  Cycle to the old bishopric of Biertan, one of the most impressive castles of Transylvania (UNESCO Cultural Heritage).  Overnight in Biertan. 

Day 6:  Marpod 47 km
Today you cycle through the remote Harbach valley with beautiful views to the Transsylvanian alps You meet as usual horse wagons loaded with hay, and villages in which the time seems to stand still. The farmers on the fields are still using scythes and sickles. Overnight in guesthouse near Marpod. 

Day 7:  Sibiu 33 km
Cycle to Sibiu. On your way you ma make a detour of Hosman castle with its interesting Gothic sculptures. See the ‘Speckturm’ (bacon tower), maybe the custodian will climb up with you the clock tower and you may have a look to its ancient mechanism. Further on to Sibiu. Stroll through the medieval town squares with beautifully restored medieval patrician houses, Gothic and Baroque churches. In the afternoon you may cycle through the Erlenpark through the ‘Peasant museum’ and have a meal with Romanian specialties in the Hanul Rustic. Over night in a ***hotel in the center. 

Day 8:  Departure
Train to Bucharest and departure or extension (transfer to Brasov)

Accommodations

Bran: ***holiday complex, garden, tennis court, etc.

Zarnesti: good ***pension, good sized light rooms. Used by other agencies which do walks in the Piatra Craiului mountains.

Fagarasch: ***Hotel/pension. Its fine. Another hotel is coming up in a couple of months, we will compare it.

Sighisoara: the customers will stay in the town castle (Unesco World heritage)) in one of the ***hotels (Casa Wagner, Hotel Sighisoara or Casa Cerbul. In the Cerbul normally Prince Charles has his meals. We also recommend this reasonable priced and good restaurant.). All the hotels are in recently renovated old houses partly with asome selected old Saxonian furniture pieces)

Medias: ***pension/hotel in the center, best place in town close to center, good restaurant, cable tv in room, rooms are small.

Ocna: spa hotel*** with outdoor swimming pools (salt water). Facilities: sauna, jakuzzi, massage, mud packing.