Romania revealed

Arrive in Bucharest, meet your guide, and settle into the avant-garde Hotel Berthelot, filled with amenities and located right in the heart of the capital.

Right away, you’ll have the opportunity to explore a vast array of historical landmarks. In Bucharest, French architecture coexists side by side with monumental edifices inherited from the time of Romanian dictator Ceausescu; elegant residential areas are juxtaposed with stark, Soviet-style apartment buildings; and brand-new glass-and-steel office buildings contrast with treasured surviving churches to complete the capitol’s modern incarnation.

Take a panoramic city tour with your guide, and get an insider’s glimpse into the life and character of this remarkable, vibrant city.

*should you travel to Bucharest on a flight that arrives late in the afternoon or evening, the city tour can also be done the next morning

The medieval Transylvanian city of Sibiu is your destination today. Along the way, stop at the 16th-century Curtea de Arges Cathedral, a surreal feat of architectural engineering and one of the most spectacular churches in all of Romania.

Next, visit the dizzying heights of Poenari, the epic ruin of Vlad the Impaler’s main fortress. Legend has it that he forced the labor for its restoration from enslaved nobility arrested under charges of treason. Few survived to see the castle completed; its precipitous location prevented their escape or rescue.

En route to Sibiu, you’ll take one of southeastern Europe’s most famous roadways: the Transfagarasan Road, a high military route built during the Communist regime. Your passage across the magnificent Carpathian Mountains will reach an altitude of 2054 m (over 6000 feet), and the scenery is some of the most breathtaking in existence. It’s easy to understand why the BBC Top Gear team declared the Transfagarasan “the best road in the world.”

In the afternoon, you’ll arrive in Sibiu and check into your hotel. Follow your guide on a walking tour of the medieval Historic Center, and explore the most elaborate and developed of the seven Saxon cities. As a crucial trading post and Transylvania’s most important German settlement, Sibiu was often attacked; seven concentric walls encircled and protected the city throughout the Middle Ages.

*please note the Transfagarasan road is open only between June and September. If your tour takes place outside this period, you will travel on the road going along the Olt river valley

Today, you’ll diverge from the beaten path and travel deep into wild Transylvania, heading west toward the Hunedoara region.

Explore the 15th-century Hunyad Castle, a Gothic fortress complete with bastions, towers, and a real dungeon. According to legend, Vlad the Impaler spent a few years here as a prisoner after he was overthrown in 1462. Later on, visit the spectacular 7th-century Densus Church, a truly ancient site of worship built atop a Roman temple.

In the afternoon, drive to Alba Iulia, seat of the Roman Catholic diocese in Transylvania. The union of Transylvania with the rest of the country was proclaimed here on December 1, 1918 (Romania’s National Holiday). The town’s most impressive feature is its fortress, beautifully restored in recent years.

Today, you’ll proceed toward Maramures, where the landscape, local traditions, craftsmanship, and culture have remained nearly unchanged since the Middle Ages. On the way, stop in the small town of Turda to visit the incredible salt mines. Salina Turda, one of the oldest mines in the area, features soaring, cavernous chambers filled with fabulous acoustics, underground lakes, and giant, illuminated machinery.

Your next stop is the city of Cluj Napoca, one of Transylvania’s major urban centers. It boasts one of the best universities in Romania and a youthful, vibrant street atmosphere. Join your guide for a stroll in the central area of Cluj.

Afterwards, arrive in Maramures to view the famous wooden architecture and hand-carved gates, all surrounded by undisturbed forest, abundant wildlife, and vast, primeval woodlands. Visit the church of Surdesti (UNESCO World Heritage Site), until recently the tallest wooden church in the world.

Spend a full day exploring Maramures, starting in Vadu Izei, where you’ll learn about the culture of the area, uninterrupted since medieval times. Visit a plum brandy distillery and see a “vâltoare”, a manmade whirlpool still used by locals for washing their wool carpets.

Mingle with local people and sample exquisite traditional delicacies at a traditional open-air market before moving on to the Merry Cemetery in Sapanta. Since 1935, colorful wooden crosses painted in the naïve style have encrusted this landmark. Hand-painted imagery and brutally honest epitaphs describing the lives of the deceased impart a lighter view of death that may trace its lineage all the way back to the Dacians. Visit a woodcarver still working at his trade to learn all about this unique, generational art form.

Later on, stop at the tallest wooden structure in the world: the church at Peri. Recently built in a manner meticulously faithful to the old style, it stands as testimony to the extraordinary level of craftsmanship handed down through the centuries.

Drive on to the nearby city of Sighetu Marmatiei and visit the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. Learn how the Communists, beginning in the late 1940s, carried out a reign of terror over common citizens, who were tightly controlled and could be punished for “thought crime.”

In the evening, you’ll enjoy a rare opportunity: an exclusive folkloric show! The performers are real villagers, singing and dancing to songs passed down through generations.

Today, take a drive to Bucovina, famous for its exquisite painted monasteries. Along the way, discover the lovely monastic complex at Barsana. Stop for a visit at the workshop of the most famous woodcarver in Maramures. His gates, revered for their deeply intricate patterns, are the pride of the region. His art is well-known abroad, and examples of his work can be found as far away as the United States.

Next, stop at the oldest wooden church in Maramures (dating back to 1364) in the village of Ieud.

Cross the eastern Carpathians over the Borgo Pass (home of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel) and start your descent into Bucovina. Your first stop will be the village of Ciocanesti, where the locals lovingly maintain their beautiful houses, heavily ornate with floral and geometric motifs.

Enjoy a full-day exploration of the UNESCO World Heritage painted monasteries. After breakfast, set out to discover Romania’s famous painted monasteries, each renowned for a specific fresco and color.

Start the day by visiting the monasteries of Humor and Voronet. Humor is famous for its vivid frescoes, with red as the predominant color, while Voronet, the “Sistine of the East,” is known for its Last Judgment.

Stop off for a visit of a museum established by a world-renowned egg-painting artist. Egg painting is one of the traditional art forms in Bucovina, and it is one of the most expressive mixtures of secular art with religious symbolism and tradition.

In the afternoon, visit the remaining two monasteries at Moldovita and Sucevita. At Moldovita, the predominant color is yellow, and the most famous fresco depicts the Siege of Constantinople. The monastery at Sucevita, dating to 17th century, is the largest, and boasts an impressive fortification system.

Today, your destination is southern Transylvania, and you’ll travel on a spectacular route through the Bicaz gorges. The view is utterly breathtaking, and you’ll have the chance to do some souvenir shopping at fascinating local shops.

Before departing Bucovina, you’ll have the chance to visit the extraordinary Nicolae Popa Ethnographic Museum, located in the Naïve sculptor’s beautiful home. It is one of Romania’s hidden treasures, and features an exhaustive array of original works of art and traditional folkloric objects.

Along the way, take time for an unparalleled experience in a Roma (Gypsy) village. Visit the home of the Gabor family, and learn more about their intriguing, often misunderstood culture. It is exceedingly rare for Gypsies to open their homes to strangers, but you will be invited in. Discover their culture, history, and traditional attire (you can even try it on!). Feel free to engage in conversation over a glass of homemade brandy; all of your questions about the Gypsies will be answered.

In the incomparable city of Sighisoara, the fortification system of the upper town remains largely unchanged since medieval times. Enjoy a guided walk through the Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site), visit the History Museum inside the 800-year-old clock tower, and enjoy the magnificent view from the top. Sighisoara was the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, source of inspiration for the main character of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The house where he was born in 1431 is still standing, and is now home to one of Sighisoara’s excellent restaurants.

Continue on to the Biertan fortified church (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The Saxons used “peasant fortified churches” like this one, constructed and maintained by locals, for shelter in case of attack.

Before noon, depart for Viscri, where you’ll experience firsthand Transylvania’s gift of living heritage and incomparable rural charm. The village was virtually unknown to the outside world until Charles, Prince of Wales, bought an 18th-century house there in 2006. He continues to work toward the preservation of the traditional Transylvanian way of life.

Upon arrival in Viscri, explore the famous 12th-century Gothic fortified church in the village (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and then, during the afternoon, step back in time to discover a very special, rare and diverse range of traditional crafts passed down through the generations. Watch a village blacksmith famous for his iron chandeliers work at his forge, then enjoy a horse-cart drive to the outskirts of the village, where you will meet brick-makers living close to the forest in the old way.

This morning, you’ll depart Viscri for the city of Brasov, inhabited since Neolithic times. On the way, visit one of the most famous sights in Romania, Bran Castle (built in 1377 and famously linked with Dracula in the Transylvanian popular psyche). Take your time time sifting through the wares of souvenir vendors around the castle and try the local delicacies available here: delicious cheeses, pálinka (plum and pear brandy), and traditionally-prepared meats.

In the afternoon, join your guide for a leisurely walk in Brasov’s Old Town. Discover the Black Church (the largest Gothic cathedral in southeastern Europe) and the Old Town square, surrounded by the beautiful houses of wealthy merchants of the past. Visit the ancient city walls, the bastions, and the first Romanian school, a site of national importance for all Romanians.

The afternoon is free. You may choose to engage in additional exploration on your own; your guide can suggest additional sites.

Depart Brasov and set out for the wild, unspoiled mountains of Transylvania, arriving in Sinaia. Visit Peles Castle, the astounding 19th-century residence of Carol I, Romania’s first king. The interior represents the height of luxury and decadence of the age, with Carrara marble, Murano chandeliers, Venetian mirrors, and exquisite walls carved in forty types of wood.

Discover the Sinaia monastery, a lovely complex dating back to the 17th century, named after Mt. Sinai in Egypt.

Over a hearty lunch at Azuga Rhein Wine Cellars, discover some of the best wines Romania has to offer. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cellars first became one of the official wine suppliers of the Romanian Royal Family, a privilege they recently regained in 2006.

After lunch, drive to Bucharest, arriving in the late afternoon.

Your tour ends; transfer to the airport for your flight home.