Walking & Bears

DAY 1 Fly to Bucharest, transfer to Magura

On arrival of the group flight at Bucharest Airport we are transferred by minibus to our private guesthouse at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains (approx. 3 hours). Food and refreshments will be served during the transfer. Our guesthouse is situated in the quaint village of Magura at 1020m and within the boundaries of the Piatra Craiului National Park.
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: dinner

DAY 2 Day walk visiting Kalibash

After breakfast we spend the day walking around the area surrounding the unique Kalibash villages of Magura and Pestera, where the houses are built along the mountain ridges with deep ravines and valleys in between. We visit these traditional houses and learn about the history of the settlements, which were built against the mediaeval invasions of Mongols, Tartars and Turks. Near Pestera we visit a bat cave, home to five separate species of bats (though not found year-round). Make sure to bring a good torch with you!  
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast  lunch  dinner

DAY 3 Horse drawn cart & hike

Today we travel the traditional way as horse-drawn carts take us into Barza Valley, a long valley stretching along the Barsa River. As we make our way slowly through the valley we can enjoy the spectacular view to Piatra Craiului Mountain and the dispersed settlement of Poiana Marului. We leave the horse-drawn carts and hike through the hay meadows uphill to a hermitage in the rocks where we have lunch and enjoy the tea made by monks from herbs picked in the meadows.

This evening, those who want can take the opportunity to go Brown bear watching. A forester will take us to a safe hide deep in the forest. The hides are managed by the forestry commission and access is dependent on their permission which is why it is organised and paid for locally. Not being able to get access to the hides is extremely rare.
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast  lunch  dinner

DAY 4 Hike through alpine pastures to Coja & Pestera

Setting off from Magura, we hike up to the alpine pastures. From here we can see the 25km ridge of Piatra Craiului as we enjoy the calm of the area. The silence is broken only by the bells of cows and sheep that are brought to these high pastures in summer to graze. We return to Magura in the afternoon.
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast  lunch  dinner

DAY 5 Walk along a high alpine trail

Today we explore the second biggest mountain in the region, Bucegi. After driving to Busteni we take a cable car up to Babele (which means ‘the old woman’) at 2,216m. Nearby, an odd rock formation has been named ‘The Sphinx’ due to its resemblance to the Egyptian monument. From here we start our high alpine trail heading for Omu, the highest peak of the Bucegi Massif at 2,505m, and enjoy breathtaking vistas as well as a large variety of alpine flowers en route.

We have lunch at Cabana Omu before returning to Babele along a different trail.

Please note that at times the cable car may be closed due to high winds and the road may be closed. In this case, we will hike along an alternative high alpine trail in the region.
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast  lunch  dinner

DAY 6 Visit Dracula's Castle & Brasov

Today we uncover Transylvanian culture at its best!

After breakfast we drive to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle. This impressive fortress was built on the border to Wallachia where Vlad Tepes (also known as Vlad the Impaler), the Duke of Wallachia, once ruled. Vlad, also known as Dracula, was a brutal tyrant and provided inspiration for Bram Stoker’s famous vampire story. Vlad himself never went to Bran Castle, but Bram Stoker saw an image of it and felt it was the perfect setting for his gothic tale.

After Transylvania had become part of Romania in 1920, the castle was donated to the Romanian royal family. It became the summer residence of Queen Maria, a granddaughter to Queen Victoria.

From Bran Castle, it is less than an hour’s drive to the region's culture and economic heart, Brasov. This mediaeval town has been a melting pot of nations ever since its foundation in the 12th century. We have a guided tour of the town before having some time to explore at leisure. In the late afternoon, we join staff from the Brasov University as they take us to a lake area just outside of town to discover some of the local birdlife.

In the evening we visit a traditional Romanian restaurant in Brasov for dinner (at own expense).
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast  lunch

DAY 7 Visit Brown bear sanctuary, hike to Vulcan

We head down to the valley and visit Libearty, Europe's largest Brown bear sanctuary. Set in 70 hectares of oak and hazel forests, the sanctuary is home to nearly 100 rescued bears, many of whom suffered over years in captivity as dancing bears or in circuses.

From the Brown bear sanctuary, we go on a gentle hike across meadows to the village of Vulcan. This region, around Brasov, is closely related to the history of the Transylvanian Saxons, settlers who emigrated 800 years ago from the Rhine‐Moselle valleys. Their strong fortified churches have attracted international attention and some of them are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites. Vulcan derives its name from the Slavonic word 'valc', meaning wolf. In Vulcan we will be welcomed with coffee and tea in the yard of the fortified church. The churches in Transylvania were strongly fortified during the Middle Ages when the region was raided a number of times by Mongols and Tartars.
Villa Hermani Guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast  lunch  dinner

DAY 8 Transfer to Bucharest; fly to London.

Meals included: breakfast