Ffestiniog Travel

UK’s Leading Specialist Operator to Romania

Saturday 14 September to Wednesday 25 September 2013

Harvest time in tranquil rural Romania.  Stay in family run “homestay” accommodation, enjoy locally grown produce and immerse yourself in local life. Visit remote Saxon villages with their fortified churches and ride three narrow gauge railways.

Day 1   Flight to Cluj Napoca

Flight from London to Cluj for overnight hotel stay.

Day 2   Saxon Villages

Morning train from Cluj to Medias arriving in time for lunch (included). Visit Saxon villages by private minibus and stay for 2 nights in homestay accommodation (all en suite) in one of the villages. Dinner at the accommodation.

Day 3   Biertan, Richis and Malancrav

We continue our tour of the Saxon villages, visit fortified churches and have lunch with a village family. Lunch and dinner included.

Day 4   Sighişoara medieval fortress

The beautiful fortified citadel of Sighișoara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthplace of Vlad the Impaler (better known to us as Count Dracula). We have a few hours here and then continue into Eastern Transylvania where we find several former Hungarian villages with their distinctive white Catholic churches. Accommodation with dinner in a Hungarian village. (2 nights)

Day 5     Sovata narrow gauge steam railway

This line reopened in 2010 and we take the train from Sovata to Campu Cetatii and back. We also have time to explore the spa village of Sovata and nearby Corund. Dinner included at accommodation.

Day 6   Onwards to Maramureş

We cross the mountains into the district of Maramureș, a remote region where life has remained almost unchanged for centuries. We stay for one night in a guest house in Viseu de Sus, centre of the logging industry. Lunch and dinner included.

Day 7   Steam on the Forestry Railway

There is no road access to the Vaser Valley and so the timber is removed by train. We take a ride along the 20km route behind steam and, of course, have the opportunity to see the logging trains in action. Picnic lunch provided. In the afternoon we drive to our next homestay in Hoteni. Here the family have carefully preserved their traditional Maramureș wooden buildings and have adapted them to comfortable accommodation without losing any of their character. Dinner at our accommodation included.

Day 8   Merry Cemetery

We visit the famous Merry Cemetery where the gravestones have been painted by local artists to depict the lives of those who have passed away. We have lunch in Sighet (included) and then take an afternoon tour of some of the local villages before returning to Hoteni for overnight. Dinner at accommodation.

Day 9   The Prislop Pass and Bucovina

Today, being Sunday, the local people wear their colourful traditional dress. We have a short visit to Barsana Monastery, much of it recently built but in the traditional wooden style, then continue over the Prislop Pass into Bucovina. We will take a picnic lunch – the summit of the pass makes an ideal spot if the weather is favourable. Dinner at our accommodation also included.

Day 10   Painted Monasteries

Visit the Painted Monasteries of Sucevita and Moldavita and ride another former forestry line with steam loco. Lunch with village family and dinner at accommodation.

Day 11   Return to Cluj

Morning visit to a local market at Gura Homorului plus Voronet Monastery. Afternoon train across the mountains to Cluj.

Day 12   Cluj to London

Transfer to airport for flight to London.

Please be aware that Romanian railways still have the traditional low European platforms and high trains. It is therefore more than ever essential that you travel with luggage which is easily manageable.

Due to the limited number of rooms in “homestay” accommodation, this tour will be limited to 12 persons.