MARAMURES
DAY 1 TARGU MURES- CLUJ NAPOCA
Wellcome to Romania. After landing in Targu Mures you will be transferred to
a nice restaurant for lunch and then we will start our journey towards Cluj Napoca.
The name Cluj comes from Castrum Clus, first used in the 12-th century as the name
near the city. Clus means “closed” in Latin and refers to the hills that surround the
city.
German merchants, who arrived here in the 12th century, rebuilt the medieval
earthen walls of Clus in stone after the Tartar invasion of 1241. Cluj became Cluj
Napoca in the 1970s, when the communist regime added the name of the old
Roman settlement to emphasize its Daco-Roman origin.
With one of the most vibrant economies in the country and a population of
around 400,000, Cluj, is today a vibrant cultural and educational city. The six state
and several private universities located here also make Cluj Napoca the city with the
largest percentage of student population in Romania.In the evening you will have the
pleasure to discover on your own the beautiful city.
DAY 2 CLUJ NAPOCA – BANFFI – BAIA MARE – SURDESTI –
SIGHETUL MARMATIEI
In the morning, after breakfast we leave Cluj and continue our journey with a
short stop at Banffy Castle in Bontida. Bánffy Castle is a baroque monument
situated in Bonţida, a village in the vicinity of Cluj-Napoca. It was owned by the
Bánffy family.
ALIS HOLIDAYS
Cluj Napoca, P-ta Mihai Viteazul nr.14/20
office@alisholidays.ro, www.alisholidays.ro
tel./fax : 0264 432033
0753080061
The castle was destroyed during World War II by German troops and
neglected by the communist regime in Romania; it is currently being restored by the
Transylvania Trust, with founds from the European Union, Romanian Ministry of
Culture, Getty Grant Programme, World Monuments Fund, NKA (Hungary), etc. An
apartment is being prepared for the use of the Count’s family.
Our next stop will be in Baia Mare, the regional capital of Maramures county.
This city was settled in the early Middle Ages on the initiative of the local leaders and
was an important scenery for many battles. Besides the old city center, the
Mineralogy Museum, one of the largest in Europe, is recommended.
Continuing our journey we will stop in Surdesti, where on a hill by a stream in
the middle of a fruit tree orchard stands the tallest wooden church in the world. Its
tower measures 54 meters, the total height from the ground is 72 meters. The
reason for a high tower of a church is symbolic for the belief that prayers could reach
up easily Heaven. The church dates from 1721, after the last massive invasion of
Tartars that ravaged the country and it is made entirely of wood (oak) that is no iron
nails were used in its construction.
DAY 3 SIGHETU MARMATIEI- SAPANTA
Shortly after leaving the hotel we are going to visit “The Memorial of the
Victims of Communism and of the Resistance” a museum which is located nearby to
our accommodation. Here you are going to find out the drama of the romanian
political and cultural elite who was imprisoned and killed here during the communist
regime. Because of the cultural mosaic of this city, we visit also the Memorial House
of Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor.
Our next stop will be in Sapanta where we will visit the Merry Cemetery that is
a cemetery famous for its colourful tombstones with naive paintings describing, in an
original and poetic manner, the persons that are buried there as well as scenes from
their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist
attraction.
The tradition of the merry cemetery began 70 years ago when a local artist
decided to carve a gravestone for an old man. He decided to paint lively colors and
write a funny poem on it. Beginning from that moment, all crosses would be painted
in lively colors and some would have funny things written on them.
Dinner and accommodation.
ALIS HOLIDAYS
Cluj Napoca, P-ta Mihai Viteazul nr.14/20
office@alisholidays.ro, www.alisholidays.ro
tel./fax : 0264 432033
0753080061
DAY 4 “MOCANITA” – ROZAVLEA- BARSANA- ONCESTI- SIGHETU
MARMATIEI
Today you will have a surprise for you. You will discover the Vaser Valley. We
leave the bus to have a nice trip on the steam train. Mocanita from Viseu de Sus is
the most famous narrow gauge train using a steam engine in Romania and the only
one in Europe still performing forestry (logging) jobs on a daily basis. Mocanita
provides the only way to access Vaser Valley, a mountainous area, with century old
forests, amazingly beautiful and untamed due to a complete lack of transport
infrastructure and human settlements. An old steam locomotive is going to draw your
„Mocăniţa“ along the water valley. Untouched nature, wonderful photo opportunities,
but also your fascinating transportation are going to accompany you throughout the
day. You are going to reach the highest point, where you are going to enjoy an
outside lunch. By train you go back to the station.
You leave the city and head east into the Iza Valley, another pristine area.
Despite the modernization of the past decade, almost every house has still its
wooden gate, a loom and a bench outside the fence where people gather in the
evening to chat or to play cards. We will visit Ieud churches that gives us the
impression of monumentality with its tall tower and its sharply pitched roof and
double eaves.
Following the Iza valley you are going to visit one of the most recently built
wooden monasteries, Bârsana. The church in Barsana village is one of the eight
churches on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Built in 1720, the wooden church in
the village of Barsana (tracing its name to barsani, the local shepherds who breed
long-haired sheep) features some impressive interior frescoes with baroque and
rococo influences painted by Toader Hodor in 1806. Originally part of the Barsana
monastic complex was abandoned and destroyed in 1791and the church was
moved in the middle of the village until 1937 whet the firs thought but it could’t be
realised until 1989 when they decided to buit another monastery on the place of the
old one.
We are invited for dinner in a typical, rustic family pension in Oncesti were we
are going to taste freshly baked bread and other delicious local products.
ALIS HOLIDAYS
Cluj Napoca, P-ta Mihai Viteazul nr.14/20
office@alisholidays.ro, www.alisholidays.ro
tel./fax : 0264 432033
0753080061
DAY 5 SIGHETU MARMATIEI – CLUJ
After breakfast we will continue along with our tour heading to Cluj Napoca so
you can discover the beautiful places that are found here. In the following hours, you
are invited to dicover Cluj, named by the Saxon The last attraction of the day is ClujNapoca / Kolosvar / Klausenburg. Throughout history, the city witnessed everything:
from Roman evolution to the communist era, from the religious wars to today’s
ecumenical freedom, from one of the first catholic schools in Eastern Europe to one
of the greatest multicultural universities in the World. Discover ancient Roman sites,
old gothic churches – built in the early medieval eves and burned down during wars,
knight tales, legends and love stories of the old citadel. We also want to introduce
you to the 21 Century modern city of Cluj. It is a survivor of the communist changes,
with over 350.000 inhabitants, one of the biggest cities in Romania, an important
economic, financial and cultural center.
After the city tour you are welcomed to have some free time and to enjoy this
beautiful city.
DAY 6 CLUJ NAPOCA- TURDA SALT MINE – SIGHISOARA
We continue with the salt mine in Turda. Because of the limestone soil
composition, the landscape is extremely spectacular, customary deep caves, wild
keys or ice pails. One of the most spectacular mountain landscapes is Turda Gorge
National Park. In the Middle Ages the city was very rich due to the salt mines that
were to be found here. Ever since Roman times, these mines were exploited, the salt
produced here, being taken to Rome. Later, the mines were to become prisons for
the most feared bandits. Few people managed to come out alive from the “prison”,
the majority being condemned to work here their whole lives. With massive
ALIS HOLIDAYS
Cluj Napoca, P-ta Mihai Viteazul nr.14/20
office@alisholidays.ro, www.alisholidays.ro
tel./fax : 0264 432033
0753080061
investments, the salt mine was transformed into an interesting museum and
multipurpose center.
Afterwards we will visit Sighisoara, the only medieval citadel in Transylvania,
which is still being inhabited today. Founded by Transylvanian Saxons during the
12th century, Sighisoara still stands as one of the most beautiful and best-preserved
medieval towns in Europe. Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this
perfectly intact 16th century gem with nine towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses
and ornate churches rivals the historic streets of Old Prague or Vienna for
atmospheric magic. It is also the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad
Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), ruler of the province of Walachia from in 15 th century . It
was he who inspired Bram Stoker’s fictional creation, Count Dracula.
DAY 7 SIGHISOARA- BIERTAN-SEUCA- TARGU MURES
In the morning after leaving Sighisoara we invite you to an interesting day that
combines history and pleasure. Returning to Targu Mures we will have a stop at
Biertan. It is considered to be one of the most important fortified churches in
Transylvania. It used to be “the wedding prison”, in which married couples who
wanted to divorce were locked. They were given only one bed, one chair, one spoon,
one fork and one plate, but no knife, and held like this for many months. Legend has
it that in four hundred of years, there was only one couple that still wanted to
separate after this… After climbing the stairs to the church we will have a splendid
panorama view over the whole Transylvanian village…
Before arriving to Targu Mures our last sop will be in Seuca for a session of
Transylvanian wine tasting and lunch.
In the evening we return to Targu Mures.
DAY 8: Transfer from the hotel to the airport.
PRICES
479 euro/ person in double room
779 euro/ person in single room
ALIS HOLIDAYS
Cluj Napoca, P-ta Mihai Viteazul nr.14/20
office@alisholidays.ro, www.alisholidays.ro
tel./fax : 0264 432033
0753080061
Included services:
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Accomodations in 3 and 4 star hotels in Cluj Napoca, Sighetu
Marmatiei,Sighisoara, Cluj Napoca and Targu Mures
Bus transportation
Guide
Half board
All entrance fees
ALIS HOLIDAYS
Cluj Napoca, P-ta Mihai Viteazul nr.14/20
office@alisholidays.ro, www.alisholidays.ro
tel./fax : 0264 432033
0753080061