5 Day Medieval Transylvania and Unesco Painted Monateries

Day 1: Day 1 - Bucharest – Cozia Monastery – Sibiu (280 km)

1. Bucharest
   Pass by
   Pick-up from your hotel in the morning.
2. Cozia Monastery
   1h
   After breakfast at the hotel, departure for the beautiful Olt Valley and visit to the Cozia monastery, a magnificent fourteenth century Wallachian monument founded by the great prince and leader Mirco Il the Old and restored in the seventeenth century by a Cantacuzino. We will observe the extraordinary Armenian decorations that embellish the façade and the richly frescoed interiors.
3. Sibiu
   3h
   Visit Sibiu, a beautiful medieval city where Romanians and Saxons have been living peacefully for centuries and where the various religious monuments (Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants) demonstrate this peaceful coexistence. Sibiu was named European Capital of Culture in 2007 and hosts an extraordinary theater festival every year. The city fascinates thanks to its three squares (Big Square, Small and Huet Square ) that transport tourists in a real medieval atmosphere. Its towers and its 15th century bastions, but also its beautiful museums and the famous “houses with the eyes” give the visitor lovely moments. Also in Sibiu you will see one of the largest gothic evangelical churches in Transylvania.

Day 2: Day 2 - Sibiu – Sighisoara – Targu Mures – Bistrita (260 km)

1. Centrul Istoric Sighisoara
   2h
   Visit Sighisoara, with its imposing Clock Tower. This citadel is the best preserved in Europe and, extraordinary, it is still inhabited. Since 1999 the historic center of Sighisoara is a UNESCO heritage site. Here we will admire the church on the hill, reachable after a wooden staircase called the schoolchildren’s ladder. We will also see the statue of the famous Hungarian national poet Petofi Sandor, testifying to the fact that in Sighisoara the Magyar community was in the past numerically important. Next to the statue is the beautiful Catholic church, reserved for the Hungarian community, and the tower of the shoemakers. You can have lunch at the house where Vlad the Impaler was born (not included)
2. Targu Mures
   1h
   Visit Targu Mures, a city in which the baroque style predominates. Targu Mures is dominated by the beautiful Palace of Culture, symbol of the locality, an extraordinary baroque palace. In this transylvanian city, the Hungarian community is still numerous and the architects who have worked on the design of historic buildings are all Hungarians
3. Bistrita
   1h
   Walking tour in Bistrita, whose main monument is the Lutheran church, built in the fourteenth century in Gothic style but remodeled with Renaissance elements in the second half of the sixteenth century.

Day 3: Bistrita – Moldovita – Sucevita – Marginea – Voronet - Gura Humorului (250 km)

1. Manastirea Moldovika
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   Visit to the Moldovita monastery, another famous religious monument, founded by Pietro Rares in the 16th century and whose interior and exterior frescoes enchant the visitor.
2. Sucevita Monastery
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   The last of the painted monasteries that you will have the pleasure of admiring is the Sucevita monastery, founded by the Movila brothers in the seventeenth century. Like the previous two, too, it presents Gothic and Byzantine elements, which merge to form the fascinating Moldovan architectural style. The frescoes on the northern façade of this monastery have remained visible thanks to the protective walls that have never been demolished here.
3. Ceramica neagra Marginea
   30m
   We continue with a visit to the local artisans of Marginea, who perform excellent work with the famous black ceramic, here you will have the opportunity to enter the workshop to closely observe the various working phases of ceramic pots, but you can also buy items typical of Bucovina. At Marginea you can buy not only ceramic vases, but also beautiful painted eggs and decorated with the traditional Romanian technique.

Day 4: Day 4 - Gura Humorului – Piatra Neamt – Bicaz Gorges – Miercurea Ciuc - Brasov (320 km)

1. Piatra Neamt
   15m
   Short stop in Piatra Neamt, a famous ski resort that preserves a beautiful citadel founded at the time of Stephen the Great, in the fifteenth century and an 18th century synagogue. The city has a wonderful geographical position being surrounded by mountains that guard beautiful lush vegetation
2. Bicaz Gorges
   30m
   We will head towards the Bicaz Gorges and then admire a breathtaking landscape. The Bicaz gorges are crossed by a road flanked by a stream and constitute a landscape of strong emotional impact with thrilling cliffs. Along the gorges there is a market with typical handicrafts and souvenirs that make the attraction even more lively.
3. Lacu Rosu
   1h
   Visit of the Red Lake, a natural barrier lake, which was formed following the landslide of a part of a mountain, in fact the trunks of the trees are still present in the lake and this gives a particularly evocative atmosphere. The place is interesting especially for the legends that were born and have spread in reference to the name of the lake. During the visit you will become aware of these legends.
4. Brasov
   30m
   Arrival in Brasov in late evening.

Day 5: Day 5 - Brasov – Bran – Sinaia - Bucharest (180 km)

1. Brasov Historical Center
   2h · Admission ticket not included
   Visit Brasov, a wonderful Transylvanian town, once entirely fortified, an important cultural, tourist and commercial center. Brasov impresses with its typically German architecture, where the Gothic, the Baroque and the Renaissance intersect to give life to an interesting and culturally very lively city. Visit of the First Romanian School, which is located in the oldest district of the city, and which was inhabited exclusively by Romanians, the Schei district, interesting for the entrances into the city that were carried out in medieval times through the Caatherine’s and Schei Gate, quest last of the nineteenth century. In Brasov we will also visit the impressive Black Church, the largest evangelical Gothic church in Eastern Europe, with a 65 meter high bell tower and a length of 90 meters, the church houses the most beautiful nineteenth-century mechanical organ of Romania. We will then admire the palaces and houses of the historic center, recently restored, with the Council Square which now houses a beautiful museum, and the pedestrian Avenue of the Republic.
2. Bran Castle
   2h · Admission ticket not included
   Later we proceed to Bran where we will visit the famous Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle. In the Middle Ages, Bran was exactly on the border between Wallachia and Transylvania, so it was essential for the inhabitants of Brasov to build and preserve a defensive stronghold
3. Peles Castle
   2h · Admission ticket not included
   Visit to the fabulous Peles Castle, the summer residence of the first king of Romania, the King Charles 1 of Hohenzollern, of German origins. The castle was beautifully designed by a Czech architect, and is famous for being one of the most modern castles in Europe at the time of its construction, between the 19th and 20th centuries. Each room is characterized by a unique style, different from the styles of the other rooms. We will also admire the Florentine room, where we will breathe a typically Italian and Renaissance atmosphere.
4. Bucharest
   Pass by
   Arrival in Bucharest in the late evening and drop-off at your hotel.

Pickup details

Pick-up from your hotel.

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
• A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements (ONLY for the monasteries/churches)
• A minimum of 2 participants is required to organise the tour. If the tour it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund