The Countryside of Romania Tour,5 Days
There is no doubt Romania starts where the asphalt ends. The “Romania Countryside Tour” takes you in the most remote areas of the country where the life looks like it’s frozen in time, where cars must avoid the cows walking slowly on the road, where the locals will be happy to have you as a special guest and friend. This tour of Romania starts in Bucharest and then continues in all other amazing rural areas.
Day 1
Bucharest (40min Drive)
Arrival in the capital of Romania. You’ll be transferred from the airport to Bucharest. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Overnight in Bucharest: 4-star hotel
Day 3
Bucharest – Targoviste – Horezu (4h30min Drive)
Leave Bucharest in the morning and head off to Targoviste – the former capital of Wallachia and more recently known as the execution place of the Ceausescu couple. It is here where you can discover the ruins of the Princely Court. Besides the ruins, you can admire the former church with its beautiful frescoes and the elegant Sunset Tower built for the first time during the reign of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula.
Horezu will be the next stop. Here you can discover one of the most beautiful monastic places of Romania, a great UNESCO site. The architecture is breathtaking and the frescoes very well preserved. It was built in a beautiful area surrounded by a forest. The founder, Constantin Brancoveanu had a tragic end being executed by the Ottomans together with his four sons and one son-in-law.
In the afternoon you’ll reach a village known for its 19th century massive fortified mansions. You’ll be able to visit them and find out more details about the life of the nobles who built them.
In the end, you’ll enjoy the beauty of a quiet village and gorgeous accommodation, one of the highlights of the tour.
Overnight in a quiet village: traditional mansion, en-suite rooms
Day 5
Sibiu – Sighisoara – Sibiu (3h30min Drive)
Today you’ll be taken on several back roads where you’ll discover the real beauty of Transylvania. Passing through several hidden villages built hundreds of years ago by the Saxon colonists, you’ll reach a Gypsy town where you’ll discover the magic world. Meet a local coppersmith gypsy family and see how they live in a globalized world.
Further on you’ll be taken back to the hidden roads of Transylvania and you’ll get to admire the UNESCO site of Biertan. When the German colonists arrived in Transylvania 800 years ago they realized they are under constant threat of different invasions. That’s why they built hundreds of fortified churches. The one from Biertan was built in the 16th century and even today guards the village.
Not far away lies one of the best preserved medieval citadels of Europe. Sighisoara, UNESCO site since 1999, consists of massive walls, tall towers, cobblestone streets and medieval houses. Some of the historians believe that Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula, was born right in the citadel. The Clock Tower is the symbol of the Sighisoara. Climb its stairs and enjoy the panoramic view over the town.
Get back to Sibiu taking again forgotten roads. Pass through several Saxon villages and admire their traditional architecture or old fortified churches.
Overnight in Sibiu: boutique hotel or superior guest house
Day 2
Full-day Tour of Bucharest (1h 30min drive)
After breakfast, full day sightseeing tour of Bucharest including the visit of the famous Parliament Palace. The walking tour includes the Revolution Square and the bustling old center of Bucharest. You’ll admire as well The Village Museum and famous boulevards and neighborhoods of this interesting city.
The settlement of Bucharest was first mentioned in 1459 and, ever since, the town went through a series of continuous changes, representing the central scene of Romania’s political, artistic, university, financial and cultural life. Between the two world wars, due to the elegant architecture and to the elite living in Bucharest, the city was nicknamed “The Little Paris”.
During the tour of Bucharest, you’ll stop to visit the Romanian Parliament, the largest administrative building in Europe. The building is located in the historical and geographical center of Bucharest and it was built on a hill. The building, whose works were started in July 1984, includes a huge combination of monumental sculptures, gilded ornaments, decorative flooring, laced ceilings, brocade curtains, heavy carpets and tapestry, all in a succession of chambers, galleries, lavish vast rooms, and halls. It’s the perfect image of a regime detached from the reality, a regime which didn’t care at all about the real needs of the Romanian society.
Located in a green area of Bucharest and inaugurated in 1936, The Village Museum is one of the most beautiful and most interesting museums in the country. It boasts old and original houses brought from different parts of the country. In The Revolution Square, you’ll get the story of the anti-communist revolution from 1989 and you’ll find out more about the hardships an entire nation had to suffer for 45 years. The day ends with what became the most bustling area of Bucharest, The Old Center. Once, the place of princely families and nobles, later an area of the craftsmen, the old center became today the Mecca of bars, restaurants, and quaint cobblestone streets.
Overnight in Bucharest: 4-star hotel
Day 4
Horezu – Sibiu (5h Drive)
Leave the province of Wallachia and cross the Transylvanian Alps into the famous Transylvania. You’ll take the famous Transfagarasan Highway. Built in just 4 years, the highway is the second highest road in Romania. The landscape is stunning and you’ll stop several times for pictures. Once on the top of the mountain, you’ll admire Balea Lake. (Between November 1st and June 30, Transfagarasan Highway will be replaced with the road along the Olt Valey).
Sibiu, the European Cultural Capital in 2007, is the most beautiful city in Romania. Founded by the Germans about 800 years ago, Sibiu boasts the largest Saxon-like squares in Romania, impressive medieval architecture, quaint passageways and cobbled streets. You’ll be taken to the old center, you’ll roam through its squares, you’ll visit the Catholic Church or the Orthodox Cathedral. You’ll be shown the old medieval towers, bastions, and walls. You’ll be taken to the oldest parts of Sibiu and you’ll find out much more about the Bridge of Lies. In the end, you’ll climb the Town Hall Tower from where you’ll have a lovely view over the town and beyond.
Overnight in Sibiu – boutique hotel or superior guest house
