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12 Days UNESCO Heritage Route in Romania, private tour 2022: Horezu, Maramures, Bucovina, Transylvania

How it is organized

• 11 Overnights: Bucharest - Sibiu - Cluj Napoca - Baia Mare - Bistrița - Gura Humorului - Sighișoara - Brașov - Bucharest - Tulcea - Bucharest

• Itinerary: Bucharest (the capital) - Horezu Monastery (UNESCO) - Sibiu (European Capital of Culture 2007) - Alba Iulia (star-shaped citadel) - Turda Salt Mine (an underground world) - Cluj-Napoca (" the capital of Transylvania ") - Baia Mare (important regional town) - Maramures (the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta and the Wooden Churches) - Bucovina (the Painted Monasteries) - Gura Humorului (regional centre) - Sighișoara (UNESCO medieval town) - Prejmer (UNESCO fortified church) - Brasov ("Crown city") - Bran (Dracula's Castle) - Sinaia (Peles Castle) - Bucharest (the capital) - Constanta (on the Black Sea Coast) - Danube Delta - Bucharest

• The tour has 11 overnights and 12 days: 2 days for arrival & return and 10 days of program with activities such as city tours, free time, visits along the route, and excursion.

Short description

Concept:

• 12 days in total and planned to take place from Wednesday to Sunday. It can be adapted to your flights and preferred dates while taking into account the visiting hours of the attractions included in the program.

• The program can be slightly customized to match your preferences and ideas, or it can be the draft for a tailor-made trip made from scratch. To calculate travel times, take into account an average speed of approx. 50 km / hour (except highways).

 

Custom-made:

• Adapt: it can be easily reduced to 10 days if the Danube Delta is removed from the program

Program

Day 1 of 12. Arrival in Romania
Bucharest ☾

Bucharest by night

Program: transfer and free time (if possible)

Arrival at Bucharest Airport and meeting with Santiago Tour’s guide or driver.
Transfer to the accommodation.
Depending on the arrival hour, free time in the city (without driver or guide). You can stroll around the old town where the capital is recovering its "belle époque" charm: the Central Bank, CEC Palace, Macca-Vilacrosse Covered Passage, and its medieval identity: the Prince Court of Vlad Tepes "the Impaler", the Old Court Church or Stavropoleos Monastery.

Day 2 of 12. A UNESCO monastery and arrival in Transylvania
Bucharest - Horezu - Sibiu ☾. 365 km

Sibiu

Program: visit Horezu Monastery and free time in Sibiu

Breakfast. We leave Bucharest heading to a more traditional region of Romania: Oltenia. Here we visit Horezu Monastery, a masterpiece of the Wallachian style, also called “Brancovenesc”. It is a refined synthesis of Byzantine, Ottoman, late Renaissance and Baroque elements in a simply beautiful and unique art and architecture. Later we continue along the Olt River Valley, with a brief stop to admire Cozia Monastery and its remarkable old church. We cross the Southern Carpathians and arrive in Sibiu, the European Capital of Culture in 2007. Overnight accommodation and free time in the city.

Day 3 of 12. A star-shaped citadel and an underground world
Sibiu - Alba Iulia - Turda Salt Mine - Cluj Napoca ☾. 180 km

Program: visit Alba Iulia and Turda Salt Mine; free time in Cluj Napoca

Breakfast. In the morning, a walking tour of Sibiu, whose eye-shaped dormers give charm to a beautiful Central European architecture. While strolling, we encounter: the fortifications, the Large Square, the Small Square, the Evangelical Cathedral and the Orthodox Cathedral. Afterwards, we leave Sibiu heading toward the north of the country and arrive in Alba Iulia, the city of the union between Transylvania and Romania. Brief stop to admire the impressive star-shaped citadel, named Alba Carolina, whose splendor has been recovered after a recent restoration. We continue the route arriving at Turda Salt Mine, a former salt exploitation and the most important tourist attraction of its kind, after an investment of € 6 million - European funds. Visit and continue to Cluj-Napoca, the second largest city in the country, an important bicultural economic and university town (Romanian and Hungarian), which still maintains a certain aristocratic air. Overnight accommodation and free time.

Day 4 of 12. The capital of Transylvania and arrival in Maramures
Cluj Napoca - Rohia - Surdesti - Baia Mare ☾. 155 km.

Program: visit Cluj-Napoca, Rohia Monastery and Surdesti Church; free time in Baia Mare

Breakfast. City tour, discovering: Union Square - around Saint Michael Catholic Church, the tallest gothic building in Romania (80 m); the birthplace of the famous Hungarian king Matías - located in the old town, near Museum Square; the monumental Romanian Orthodox Cathedral and the Theater built by Helmer & Fellner. Afterwards, we leave Cluj-Napoca heading north and visiting Rohia Monastery on our way. At the top of a hill and surrounded by nature, this monastery is a spiritual center related to Nicolae Steinhardt, a cultural figure who wrote one of the most read books in Romania: "The Diary of Happiness." Time to have lunch en route and we arrive to visit Surdesti Church, the highest in the world among the old wooden churches (72 m), of an interesting hybrid cult, called Greek-Catholic. This day’s program ends in Baia Mare, departure point to explore Maramures the next day and the most important city in this region. Overnight accommodation and free time.

Day 5 of 12. Maramures, a fairytale region
Baia Mare – Sapanta – Barsana – Bistrita ☾. 235 km

Cementerio Alegre

Program: visit the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta, Barsana Monastery and Bogdan Voda Church

Breakfast. We begin exploring Maramures, a region almost isolated by mountains, where the life of some people still continues according to ancestral rhythms. We first visit the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta, among the famous in the world for its attitude towards death and its aesthetics. A multitude of modeled crosses with traditional decoration and bright colors on a blue background, followed down by a naive and representative painting of the deceased - his daily activity, circumstances of death, his passion - and a comic epitaph. We continue along the Iza Valley, discovering slender Wooden Churches in a pure Maramures style, recognized by UNESCO. We visit Barsana, a new orthodox monastic complex that has renewed the tradition of carving wood, and Bogdan Voda Church, old but well preserved, with remarkable mural paintings. Time to have lunch and follow the route through the Eastern Carpathians. In the afternoon we arrive in Bistrita, a city in Transylvania famous for its appearance in the novel "Dracula". Overnight accommodation and free time.. 

Day 6 of 12. Bucovina and the Painted Monasteries
Bistrita - Moldovita - Sucevita - Voronet - Gura Humorului ☾. 235 km.

Moldovita Monastery

Program: visit Moldovita, Sucevita, and Voronet monasteries; visit the Painted Eggs Museum

Breakfast. A day to explore Bucovina, a splendid mountainous region dominated by the green of its firs and pastures, famous for the Monasteries painted on the outside - unique jewels of Byzantine religious art. Brief stop on the way, at the “Borgo Pass” and its mysterious "Dracula's Castle" hotel, and then we arrive to visit Moldovita monastery. The convent church stands out for its impressive exterior scenes such as the Tree of Jesse and the Siege of Constantinople, all on a red and ocher color background. Time to have lunch en route and we continue with the visit to Sucevita Monastery, solid stone fortification that protects the best preserved church, with frescoes on a green and dark blue background just like the colors of a deep sea. Also during the day, we discover the popular art of Bucovina and its character through a visit to the Painted Eggs Museum, understanding the technique and admiring the artist's collection, and by stopping at Marginea Black Pottery Workshop, where they use the technique of "oxygen reduction". Later in the afternoon, we visit the Church of Voronet Monastery, called "The Sistine Chapel of the East" for the monumental composition of the “Last Judgment” and the value of its “Voronet blue”, recognized in international art catalogs. This day’s program ends in Gura Humorului, a regional centre and tourist town. Overnight accommodation and free time.

Day 7 of 12. Surprising nature and the medieval “postcard” town
Gura Humorului - Red Lake - Sighișoara ☾. 300 km.

Sighisoara

Program: time at the Bicaz Gorges and the Red Lake; visit and free time in Sighisoara

Breakfast. We leave for Transylvania arriving in the Bicaz Gorges - a narrow and spectacular pass in the Carpathians - followed by the unusual Red Lake, originated by a natural dam. Free time to enjoy nature and maybe a Hungarian lunch, typical of this enclave region. We continue the route to Sighisoara, the “postcard” town with an unforgettable collection of medieval buildings, declared a World Heritage Site. Walking tour around Citadel Square, framed by buildings such as The House with the Stag, the Venetian House or the Clock Tower. Overnight accommodation in the city.

Day 8 of 12. Dracula's Castle, a Teutonic church, and a city in the heart of the country
Sighisoara - Prejmer - Bran - Brașov ☾. 200 km..

Brasov

Program: visit Prejmer fortified church, Bran Castle and Brasov

Breakfast. Leaving Sighisoara behind, we follow the route to Prejmer, visiting the UNESCO Fortified Church - the most complete and best preserved in Transylvania. Afterwards, the itinerary takes us to Bran and we discover “Dracula's Castle”, where the myth of the Count-Vampire enfolds in mystery a great historical fortress. Time for lunch and then we continue to Brasov, a charming town located at the foot of high mountains. Walking tour admiring the Council Square and its unique buildings, the Black Church, an imposing Lutheran church, and the beautiful Catherine’s Gate. Overnight accommodation and free time.

Day 9 of 12. A royal castle and the capital city
Brasov – Sinaia – Bucharest ☾. 170 km

Dracula's Castle - Bran

Program: visit Peles Castle and Bucharest

Breakfast. In the morning we go to Sinaia mountain resort, visiting Peles Castle, the last royal residence in Europe built in neo-Renaissance style. Afterwards, we follow the itinerary to Bucharest. Arrive in the capital and visit the city: the Village Museum, an open air display of the country's rural architecture; Revolution Square with the Romanian Athenaeum - one of the most iconic buildings, the Art Museum - former royal palace, and the balcony of the former Central Committee - where dictator Ceausescu delivered his last speech; Constitution Square, just in front of the Palace of the Parliament (second largest building in the world); Patriarhiei Church and the Palaces of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarch. Time for lunch, during the visit, overnight accommodation and some free time in the afternoon.

Day 10 of 12. The Black Sea Coast and getting close to the Delta
Bucharest - Constanta - Tulcea / Danube Delta ☾. 355 km.

Program: visit and free time in Constanta; visit the Delta Museum and its Aquarium in Tulcea

Breakfast. We leave Bucharest and take the A2, also called the “Sun highway”, to Constanta - ancient Greek and Roman settlement of Tomis, an important port city nowadays with a small old town having a charm of its own and a certain Balkan atmosphere. Short visit walking from Ovid Square (the great Roman poet exiled here, AD 8) to the seafront, admiring Carol Mosque, the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Casino. Free time and continue to Tulcea, the “gate to the Delta”. Visit the Delta Museum, a modern center with a very interesting exhibition about the Danube Delta and an attractive Aquarium that includes all types of sturgeons plus many other fish species. Overnight accommodation and free time.

Day 11 of 12. The Danube Delta and return to the capital
Tulcea - Murighiol - Bucharest ☾. 335 km.

Danube Delta

Program: excursion in the Delta and return to Bucharest

Breakfast. Boat trip through the channels of the Delta, exploring this fantastic territory that is home to 25 ecosystems with various types of flora and fauna, fish, and more than 400 species of birds - local and migratory. It is the newest land area of ​​Romania, in continuous expansion, the largest wetland in Europe (5,200 km2) and a Biosphere Reserve. Duration: approx. 2 to 3 hours. After the excursion, the option of having a typical lunch and return to Bucharest. Overnight accommodation and some free time in the afternoon.

Day 12 of 12. Return
Bucharest - Airport ✈

Program: free time (if possible) and airport transfer

Breakfast. Free time in the city depending on the flight and transfer to the airport. End of Santiago Tour’s services. Thank you!

 

 

€1254
from €1254 / person

Your consultant

Your consultant | Cristian Calcisca

Cristian Calcisca

Founder and manager of Santiago Tour since 2010. Tour guide in Romania from 2004, specialised in English speaking tourism as well as Spanish. Studies in UAB Barcelona.

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