Private 8-Day UNESCO Tour Maramures and Bucovina Painted Monasteries

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
BUCHAREST- PELES CASTLE - BRAN CASTLE - BRASOV
2 stops
1
Peles Castle
Our first destination is the tourist town of Sinaia, where Peles Castle is located. Arrive in Sinaia, once an exclusive aristocratic resort, where we visit Peles Castle, the summer residence of the former Romanian royal family. Peles Castle is one of the most beautiful museums in Romania and was built in almost 40 years by King Charles 1.
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission ticket not included
2
Bran Castle (Dracula's Castle)
We continue our trip to the famous Bran Castle. To get there we must go trough Prahova Valley, leaving behind elegant mountain resorts Predeal, Azuga and Busteni which are continuously attracting a high number of Romanian and foreign tourists, on the road that crosses the whirling Prahova River. Breathtaking natural beauty is opened in front of your eyes but the most spectacular view is from Busteni where you can admire the highest peaks of the Bucegi Mountains: Caraiman Peak, Costila Peak and Omu Peak. Also called Dracula's Castle, it is situated at the entrance of Bran-Rucar pass. A remarkable architectural, the monument was built between 1377-1382 on a rock 60 m. After Bran Castle visit, head to a local restaurant for lunch of fresh salads, traditional soups, delicious sarmale, meat, chicken, vegetables and other regional fares (drinks and meals at own expense). Traditional lunch can be arranged in Bran village.
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission ticket not included
Day 2
BRASOV - VISCRI - BIERTAN- SIGHISOARA
3 stops
3
Viscri Fortified Church
Visit Viscri, an authentic Transylvanian village and the oldest fortified church in Transylvania and UNESCO world heritage site. Walking through this enchanting village is like going back in time! Even Prince Charles of Wales, attracted by the beauty of this area, bought a house here a few years ago. Time allocated for taking pictures and walking through the village. Your guide will lead you to the best spots!
1 hour • Admission ticket not included
4
Biertan Fortified Church
Visit Biertan Fortified Church, UNESCO world heritage. Rising sharply above a huddle of Saxon-style buildings, Biertan’s fortified church is a poetic sight surrounded by medieval-themed inns and pastel-coloured houses.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included
5
Centrul Istoric Sighisoara
Visit Sighisoara medieval town - UNESCO world heritage and Vlad the Impaler birthplace. Walking tour in Sighisoara Citadel. So resplendent are Sighişoara’s pastel-coloured buildings, stony lanes and medieval towers, you’ll rub your eyes in disbelief. Fortified walls encircle Sighişoara’s lustrous merchant houses, now harbouring cafes, hotels and craft shops. Visit Sighisoara medieval town including The Clock Tower, The Church on the Hill and the house where Vlad the Impaler was born. Lunch can be arranged in Sighisoara medieval town at Dracula House Restaurant. The rest of the day at your leisure.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
Day 3
SIGHISOARA - TARGU MURES - DRAGOMIRESTI WOMEN OF MARAMURES MUSEUM - BOGDAN VODA - POIENILE IZEI
2 stops
6
The church is one of the most renowned ones in the region, due also to its central position in the valley of Iza, at a crossroads. Unlike most other churches, which stand on hilltops, the church of St. Nicholas is in the middle of the village, in the centre of a flat cemetery yard.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
7
For a long time, it was thought that the present church is that more than 600-year-old edifice, which made it the most famous church in the region. It is now known that marauding Tatars set the initial church on fire in the 17th century, and it was totally destroyed. Two 16th century books found in the present church are proof of the existence of an older church in this place.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 4
POIENILE IZEI - BARSANA - SAPANTA - DESESTI - SARBI - POIENILE IZEI
4 stops
8
Barsana Monastery
Bârsana is one of the bigger communes in Maramureş, and one of the most important villages in the valley of the Iza River. The church, which now stands on a small hill surrounded by an orchard, is one of the eight churches on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
9
Merry Cemetery
The worldwide fame of Sapânta is due to the unique cemetery that has become an important tourist attraction. Some days the throngs of tourists that assault the cemetery with their cameras ready make one wonder if it really is possible to rest in peace here!
1 hour • Admission ticket not included
10
Church of the Holy Paraskeva
Deseşti is in the valley of the Mara River, 41 km northeast of Baia Mare and 26 km south of Sighetu Marmaţiei. Due to the harmonious whole and the well-preserved paintings, the church of St. Paraskeva has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included
11
Sârbi Village is an idyllic Maramures village, famous for its wooden gates and for the 100 years old mill which is perfectly functioning today, with water. Here, a man together with his wife, grinds the corn using rocks, washes the clothes and the old carpets, cuts wood, but also prepares HORINCA - the plum brandy, a traditional alcoholic drink which is stronger and tastier than any whiskey, as the locals say.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 5
POIENILE IZEI - BORGO PASS - GURA HUMORULUI
1 stop
12
Tihuţa Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.201m (3,940ft) above the sea level, located in the Bârgău Mountains, in Romania. The road over the pass is asphalted. It’s called DN17 and is part of the European Route 58. It connects Bistriţa (Transylvania) and Vatra Dornei (Bukovina, Moldavia). On the summit, there’s a hotel, called Hotel "Castel Dracula". It was built in 1974.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 6
GURA HUMORULUI - VORONET - PAINTED EGG MUSEUM - SUCEVITA - MOLDOVITA- MARGINEA- GURA HUMORULUI
3 stops
13
Manastirea Voronet
Also known as the ‘the Sistine Chapel of the East’ due to its splendid frescoes, the church of the Monastery of Voronet was built in just a couple of months, in 1488, by Stephen the Great, the most popular prince of Moldavia, after one of his victories against the Ottoman armies. This was a common practice of the prince who promoted an architecture known as the Moldavian style. Many of the churches built this way are still preserved until today in the regions of Moldavia and Bucovina. Exquisite testimonies of their painters’ talent, the frescoes of Voronet conserve a centuries-old secret. The distinct ‘Voronet blue’ colour is unique in the world, and its composition is almost impossible to replicate today.
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included
14
Moldovita Monastery
Moldovita Monastery is one of the eight painted churches included on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all masterpieces inspired by the Byzantine art of the 15th and 16th centuries. Their distinctive element – the external walls covered with frescoes representing complete religious cycles – makes them unique in the myriad of churches built anywhere in the world in that time. Their spiritual function was supported by their political and educational role that aimed to defend and strengthen the Orthodox Church in a time when both Protestantism and Islamism were at the borders of the medieval Romanian provinces.
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included
15
Sucevita Monastery
Few religious monuments are as inspirational and mesmerizing as Sucevita Monastery, one of the eight painted churches from Bucovina included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. A masterpiece and ‘a testament of Moldavian art’, Sucevita Monastery marks the end of an era, a time in which medieval religious art reached new levels of innovation and creativity in this part of Romania.
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included
Day 7
GURA HUMORULUI - NEAMT CITADEL - BRASOV
3 stops
16
Neamt Fortress
Neamt Fortress is one of the most important medieval monuments in Romania and the symbol of the most glorious period of its eastern part, Moldavia, under the rule of Stephen the Great (1457-1504). The history of the fortress is related to the development of the Moldavian state in medieval times when enemy attacks were a constant threat. The fortress witnessed some crucial fights and survived harsh sieges like the Ottoman attack in 1476 and the Polish attack in 1691. Built-in the 14th century, the fortress was first mentioned in 1395, in a document issued by the Hungarian King Sigismund of Luxemburg. Located at 480 meters altitude and named after the nearby river Neamt, the fortress had a strategic position for defending the territory of Moldavia. It was substantially reinforced during the rule of Prince Stephen the Great, highly praised for his heroic victories against the Turks and the many churches and monasteries he founded, including today’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket not included
17
Bicaz Gorges
Bicaz Gorges are without a doubt one of the most breathtaking natural attractions in Romania, especially if you decide to leave your car behind and explore its many trails on foot. Crossed by the road that links the historical regions of Moldavia and Transylvania, these gorges are one of the most popular summer destinations in Romania. In this park, you’ll also see the most popular natural dam lake in Romania, Red Lake, the Ghilgos Massif (1,378 meters), the Altar’s Stone (1,154 meters) and the peak Hasmasu Mare (1,792 meters). But keep in mind that you have to go off the beaten and crowded track to enjoy the best experience nature has to offer in the picturesque Bicaz Gorges.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
18
Red Lake
Visit the Red Lake, a natural barrier lake formed by the landslide of a portion of a mountain; the trunks of the trees are still present in the lake, giving it a particularly evocative atmosphere. The location is fascinating, particularly because of the legends that arose and spread in relation to the lake's name. During your visit, you will learn about these legends.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 8
BRASOV - PREJMER - HARMAN - BUCHAREST CITY
2 stops
19
Peasant Fortified Church at Prejmer
Prejmer Fortified Church was conquered only once but went through 50 sieges during its hundreds of years of existence. A remarkable success for this historical monument now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a must-see of any itineraries through medieval Transylvania. Located only a few kilometers from Brasov, one of the seven citadels founded by the Saxon colonists starting with the 12th century, the fortified church of Prejmer had from the beginning a challenging mission. The most eastern Saxon village from Transylvania, close to Buzau Pass, Prejmer was often in the front line of enemy attacks which could only mean that the fortified church had to endure more sieges than most similar constructions from the region. A task for which Prejmer Fortified Church was strengthened for centuries, starting with its founders, the mythical Teutonic Knights.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included
20
The fortified church from Harman is one of Transylvania’s must-see medieval monuments and one of the best-preserved fortifications used by the Saxon colonists centuries ago when enemy attacks were a constant threat. The church is located only 10 kilometres from Brasov, in the village of Harman, known as Honigberg in German and Mons Mellis in Latin, translated literally as the Mount of Honey. The history of Harman goes back many hundreds of years, to the early 13th century when the Teutonic Knights were given the area of Brasov by the Hungarian King Andreas II. Their rule ended abruptly in just a few years and, in 1240, Harman was donated by the Hungarian king, along with other churches, to the Cistercian Monastery of Carta. The donation document represents the first written mention of Harman and of its church that dates from the 13th century. Like most of the villages from the south and east of Transylvania, Harman witnessed many Ottoman attacks and sieges during the medieval centuries, even more given its location at the border of the region. The main defensive solution was in this case also the fortification of the village church that began in Harman in the 15th century.
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Peles Castle is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. When is closed it can be seen only from outside. For more info please visit peles.ro.

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