DISCOVER ROMANIA
October 26: Welcome to Bucharest
Arrive in Bucharest where meet with your guide and be transferred to the hotel Crystal Palace ****.
October 27. Bucharest city tour
Today you get acquainted with the Romanian capital, once nicknamed "Little Paris". Your tour you include
Parliament Palace, the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. Your tour brings you also to the
Romanian Athenaeum, famous concert hall where every second year the George Enescu music festival takes
place. The Opera House, the Military Academy and the National Theatre, University Square, are only some of the
highlights of today's tour. Accommodation at Crystal Palace**** hotel.
October 28: Bucharest – Curtea de Arges – Poienari – Sibiu
After breakfast, departure towards Transilvania, taking the old route on the Olt Valley to cross the Carpathians.
On the way, stop in Curtea de Arges, a former capital town of Vallachia in the 14th century, visit the beautiful
Episcopal Church built in 1517 and listen to its sad legend. The church was used by the first two royal families of
Romania as their necropolis. Then you will drive to Poienari and will climb 1,400 stairs to Poienari Castle, erected
around the beginning of the 13th century, the ruins of the castle where Vlad Tepes (Dracula) lived. On the way to
Sibiu, visit Cozia Monastery built in 14th Century by the ruling prince of Valahia, Mircea the Old. Arrival in Sibiu,
one of the most important Saxon citadels of the Middle Ages. Overnight at Imparatul Romanilor*** hotel.
October 29: Sibiu – Alba Iulia – Cluj
In the morning we will have walking city tour and visit the Bruckenthal museum, the first art museum in Romania
donated by the former governor of Transilvania - Samuel Bruckenthal, before departing Sibiu toward Alba Iulia.
Here we stop for lunch and a visit to the famous citadel. We arrive to Cluj in the early afternoon. Upon arrival we
enjoy a tour of the city, including its baroque and renaissance style squares and buildings, Pita Unirii, The
Reformed Church, Tailor's Bastion and the Orthodox Cathedral. Overnight in Cluj at Transylvania *** hotel.
October 30: Cluj – Baia Mare
Today we travel to the northern province of Maramures - Romania ultimate cultural destination. Here small
villages boast traditional wooden houses with elaborately carved details. Especially famous are the wooden
churches. We leave Cluj and drive north. Our first stop is the village of Surdesti, boasting one of the country's
most beautiful and largest wooden churches. On via the inspiring Gutai Pass through the magnificent village of
Mara into the Mara Valley. Accommodation in Baia Mare, at Mara ***hotel.
October 31: Maramures
Full day tour in Maramures, the land of wooden churches and carved wooden gates. Visit some of the most
representative wooden churches of Maramures, placed under UNESCO protection: among them Barsana with its
beautiful architecture, Rozavlea with its gorgeous and well preserved exterior paintings. Visit of Merry Cemetery
in Sapanta Village. A local woodcarver created colorful, beautiful, personal and sometimes funny wooden
tombstones. Each is different and depicts a unique aspect of the deceased. Return to our host family for dinner
and overnight in village. Accommodation in Baia Mare at Mara *** hotel.
November 1: Baia Mare - Maramures – Gura Humorului
Drive through scenic Prislop Pass to Moldova and leave Maramures behind, the land of wooden churches and
carved wooden gates, unique folk costumes and traditions. Today get ready for the tour of the famous painted
monasteries of Bucovina: Sucevita Monastery - the best preserved of all with imposing walls and defensive
towers, and Moldovita Monastery where the Golden Apple award given to the monastery in 1975 by UNESCO
affiliated journalists organization and Humor Monastery with the best preserved inside frescoes. Accommodation
in Best Western Bucovina hotel *** / Gura Humorului.
November 2: Painted monasteries tour
Today you will visit Voronet Monastery, the "Sistine Chapel" of Eastern Europe so famous for the blue color used
by the artist as background for its frescoes and Humor Monastery with the best preserved inside frescoes and
Marginea black pottery center. Drive back to Gura Humorului. Accommodation at Best Western Bucovina hotel
***.
November 3: Gura Humorului – Sighisoara
From Gura Humorului visit Agapia monastery, drive through the Bicaz Canyon, one of the most spectacular
limestone formations in Romania to Lacu Rosu (Red Lake). Then continue accompanied by the beautiful sceneries
of the Eastern Carpathians to Sighisoara. Discover the wonderful old town of Sighisoara, walk through the old
cobbled streets and let yourself filled up with the medieval spirit of this city. Accommodation in Sighisoara
hotel*** inside the walled town.
November 4: Sighisoara – Biertan – Sighisoara
Half day to explore Sighisoara. Visit the famous Clock Tower Museum and the Torture Room, the Evangelical
Church and the Armour Room. Visit the house in which Dracula-Vlad the Impaller was born and have a tour of the
fortress including the Church on the hill. Drive to Biertan, World Cultural Heritage site that hosts the largest wing
altar in Romania and also used to be used for more than 300 years by the Transilvanian bishop as his residence.
The church is famous for it's 3 wall rings and also for one of its locks, which has been decorated with gold at the
International Technical Fair from Paris in 1901. Return to Sighisoara. You will have the afternoon free at leisure to
enjoy the wonderfull middle age town of Sighisoara. Dinner and Accommodation at Sighisoara Hotel ***
/Sighisoara.
November 5: Sighisoara – Brasov – Bran – Sinaia
After breakfast drive towards Brasov, another old German town situated at the border between Transilvania and
Wallachia. Comprehensive city tour including entrances to the Black Church - one of the largest gothic
constructions in South-Eastern Europe. After that drive to Bran village and visit the local castle, famous also as
Dracula's castle, build in the 14th century on a 60m high rock by the merchants of Brasov to protect the border
between Transylvania and Wallachia. In the afternoon drive to Sinaia, also known as "the pearl of the
Carpathians" In Sinaia, visit the Sinaia Monastery - beautiful example of the Valahian - Byzantine architectural
style and the first building in Sinaia. Accommodation at Sinaia hotel ***/Sinaia.
November 6: Sinaia – Constanta
After breakfast visit the Peles Castle, former summer residence of the the Romanian Royal Family. Depart through
the scenic fields of southern Wallachia towards the Black Sea Coast. Start your tour in the old town the former
Greek colony at the Black Sea, visit the harbor, the Casino, see also the Roman-time mosaic (3-4th century), the
Archaeology museum, the Mosque. Accommodation at Rex hotel ****in Mamaia.
November 7: Constanta – Bucharest
After breakfast, drive to Bucharest. Inspection tour to Athenee Palace Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental hotels.
Accommodation at Crystal Palace **** hotel.
November 8: Departure towards home
After breakfast you have some time at leisure until the departure transfer to the airport for your flight home.