ARRIVAL IN BUCHAREST/ DEPARTURE FROM BUCHAREST

Arrival at Bucharest Airport. Transfer to the hotel, accommodation and time at leisure. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Bucharest.

Breakfast. Guided sightseeing tour in the historic centre of Bucharest: People’s Salvation Cathedral, Palace of Romanian Parliament (House of People), Unirii Square, Romanian Patriarchy, Old Court, Stavropoleos Monastery, Calea Victoriei, Revolution Square, Romanian Athenaeum. Free time at leisure, or optional tour to the Ceausescu House and the museum of the Romanian village “Dimitrie Gusti”. Visit to the former residence of Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu – huge villa with 80 rooms, private residence of the family. From here we continue to the Museum of the Romanian village. This wonderful open-air museum represents hundreds of original houses and churches from all the territory of Romania, giving you a great introduction to Romanian culture and traditions. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Bucharest.

Breakfast. Departure in the morning towards the Carpathian mountains and the famous Romanian mountain resort of Sinaia, where Peles Castle is located. Visit to the castle – residence of the Romanian royal family in the end of 19th – beginning of 20th century, it is impressive with its German Neorenaissance architecture. Departure for Transylvania for a visit to Bran Castle – former border fortification at the frontier between mediaeval Wallachia and Transylvania, it has been fully refurbished under the rule of Romanian queen Mary in the years between the two world wars. Bran Castle is also famous as Dracula Castle, due to the similarity with the descriptions of the castle of Count Dracula in the famous novel of the Irish writer Bram Stoker. Continue to Brasov. Accommodation and optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Brasov.

Breakfast. Sightseeing tour in the city centre of Brasov – Black Church, Old Town Hall, Strada Sforii, medieval fortifications. Departure for the Romanian region of Moldavia. Arrival in Iasi – unofficial capital of the region, in the evening. Accommodation. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Iasi.

Breakfast. Sightseeing tour in the historic centre of Iasi: Palace of Culture, Grand Hotel Traian, Cathedral, Roznovanu Palace, National Theatre. Visit to the botanical garden “Anastasie Fatu” in the northern outskirts of Iasi – spread over an area of 80 hectares, it is among the most beautiful gardens in Romania. Departure for Voronet and visit to the famous monastery, built at the end of the 15th century from Stephen the Great after one of his many military victories. Sightseeing of the complex, nicknamed “Sistine Chapel of the East” thanks to its wonderful murals. Accommodation at the hotel in Gura Humorului. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Gura Humorului.

Breakfast. Visit to the village of Ieud, where you’ll visit one of the oldest surviving wooden churches in Maramures, part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. This charming church, built entirely from wood without the use of nails, reflects the artistry and devotion of local craftsmen. Stop at Barsana Monastery, one of the most beautiful monastic ensembles in Romania. Departure for Sapanta and visit to the Merry Cemetery, one of the most unusual tourist sites in Romania. In the evening – accommodation and optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Sighetu Marmatiei.

Breakfast. Departure for Surdesti – a typical Maramures village famous for its magnificent wooden church, included in the world cultural heritage list of UNESCO as a representative of the local architecture. Visit to the church. Departure for Cluj Napoca. Accommodation. Sightseeing tour in the historic centre: St Michael’s Gothic Cathedral overlooking the city’s central square comes first on our list of attractions for the day, followed by the Banffy Palace, the former mayor’s hall, and the Mirror Street. Optional dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Cluj Napoca.

Breakfast. Departure for Turda and visit to Turda Salt Mine, a huge subterranean cave carved in salt, where you will have the chance to take amazing photos. Your travel guide will take you through the hundreds of meters of galleries open into halls, one of them 118 meters tall, with a lake at the bottom. The sights inside the mine are otherworldly, attracting artists in search of spectacular views. In the afternoon – departure for Rosia Montana and walking tour in Rosia Montana commune – mining landscape included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Mineral resources of the Apuseni mountains have been used since antiquity and form an important part of the heritage of local population. Visit to the local museum of mining with its impressive galleries used since the Roman times. Drive to Hunedoara. Accommodation. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Hunedoara.

Breakfast. Visit to the magnificent gothic-renaissance Corvin Castle. Built in the 15th century by Transylvanian voivode John Hunyadi, it is among the most beautiful Transylvanian castles. Departure for Deva for a visit of the Museum of the Dacian civilization. Housed in an old aristocratic palace, it exhibits the most important archaeological discoveries from the ancient citadels of Orastie mountains. Departure for Alba Iulia, where we will visit the largest fortress in Romania, surrounded by 12 km of walls and built in the shape of a star. The Alba Carolina Fortress was successively a Roman fort, a fortress during the Middle Ages and later a Vauban type citadel provided with bastions. Departure for Sibiu – European capital of culture for 2007. Accommodation. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Sibiu.

Breakfast. Walking tour in the historic centre that triumphantly blends history and multicultural elements. In your city tour, you will explore the Main Square of Sibiu, where you will admire the building of the Brukenthal Museum and the Roman Catholic Cathedral before visiting the Huet Square with its Evangelical Church, and the famous Bridge of Lies. Visit to Brukenthal Museum – oldest museum in Europe, open to the public in 1817, representing magnificent art collections. In the afternoon – visit to ASTRA museum. Located in the outskirts of Sibiu, this is the largest open-air museum in Romania, representing life, customs and tradition of the Romanian villages throughout the country. Optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Sibiu.

Breakfast. Drive through the Carpathean mountains. Arrival at Horezu monastery, included in UNESCO world cultural heritage list. Sightseeing tour of the monastery complex. Established at the end of the 17th century by the Walachian ruler Constantin Brancoveanu, it is one of the best examples of the typically Romanian architectural style Brancovenesc. Here you will witness a mixture of European and Oriental influence typical of the times when the Ottoman empire ruled over most of the Balkan peninsula. In the afternoon – visit to Curtea de Arges Monastery, a stunning religious edifice located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. Departure for Bucharest. Accommodation and optional dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Bucharest.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport and departure.