Welcome to Hooked on Cycling Holidays and our cycling holiday in Romania. Our biking vacation in Romania visits the fabulous castles and churches of Transsylvania region more common to us as Count Dracula country! The scenery is superb, the castles are breathtaking and still Romania is little explored by he tourist. Now is the time on this self guided level 2 cycle tour to explore this wonderful country before the crowds hunt it out. Transylvania (the land “beyond the forest”), known through Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’ and Patrick Fermors ‘Castles of Transylvania’ is one of the great cultural landscapes of Europe still yet undiscovered. The population is an ethnic jigsaw of Romanians, Magyars, Germans and Gypsies.You cycle along the spectacular Carpathian Mountains with splendid views, lowland valleys with medieval looking villages untouched by time, forests which shelter deer, boars and even bears and wolves. On some of the days, you meet only oxen drawn carts, horse and cows crossing your way or buffalo cooling off in the rivers. You may bump into a street wedding, German Blasmusik with Romanian texts and Gypsy tunes, and lots of Tuika (plum brandy) which is part of Transylvania as much as the garlic. You may visit some of the numerous German/Saxon church castles with beautiful Renaissance and Baroque altars and pulpits. In most of the cases, you have to get the key from a nearby farmhouse. You will see the castles of Bran, Risnov, Sighisoara (UNESCO Cultural Heritage) and Fagaras as well as the beautiful medieval Saxon towns of Medias and Sibiu/Hermannstadt, the ‘Cultural Capital of Europe 2007’
Day 1 Arrival Bucharest airport.
On arrival at Bucharest transfer to Brasov for your first night by train or private transfer at the foot of the Piatra Craiului Mountains. Stroll around the beautiful town square, the ‘Ratsplatz’, surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque patrician buildings. Visit the gothic ‘Black church’ with the world famous Buchholz organ and a rare collection of oriental carpets which Brasovian tradesmen brought back from their trading missions in the Ottoman Empire. In the evening, you may attend an organ concert and have dinner at the historic square. ( Last train 21:24)
Day 2 Brasov to Bran to Brasov 28 miles 45 km
First a short transfer to Zarnesti at the footsteps of the PiatraCraiuluiMountains. Cycle to Dracula castle with splendid views of the BucegiMountains. It served as impressive backstage for Roman Polanskis ‘Dance of the Vampires’ and for Queen Mary of Romania, a grand daughter of Queen Victoria I., as salon and refuge. Cycle to Risnov castle, where you have marvelous views to the Postavarul and Piatra Craiului mountains.
Day 3 Brasov – Fagarasch 57 km / 36 miles
Cycle through the PiatraCraiuluiNational Park, which has the highest concentration of bears and wolves in Europe, along a beautiful forest valley between two mountains. Then you cycle with spectacular views to the ‘Transylvanian Alps’ through former Walachian territory (‘terra Vlachorum’) to Fagarasch. On your way, there should be many opportunities to see rare flowers birds and butterflies. Visit the pretty, recently restored Renaissance castle (and its museum) owned by the Hungarian Woiwodes who ruled Transylvania. Overnight in Fagarasch
Day 4 Fagarasch –Sighisoara 59 km / 39miles
Today you cycle through quite a remote area passing numerous villages and fortified churches (Rotbach, Henndorf, Jakobsdorf a.o.). For the castles you have to get the keys in some of the farmhouses. You may see a street wedding on your way: German Blasmusik with Romanian texts and Gypsy tunes. Very pretty is Trappold castle guarded by a German artist.
The town castle of Sighisoara (Schässburg) is the biggest lived-in castle in Europe and part of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage. Have a good Hungarian meal (or maybe game) in the Casa Cerbul, the ‘House with the Deer Antler’ where the Prince of Wales is dining when visiting Transylvania. Overnight in a pretty hotel in the town castle.
Day 5 Sighisoara – Biertan 25 miles 40 km
You have time to stroll through the castle, visit the clock tower with its moving, painted figures, the old fortification walls and towers and the ‘church on the hill’, the ‘Pearl of Transylvania’. Have an ‘Apfelstrudel’ or a ‘Linzer Torte’.
Cycle to the old bishopric of Biertan, one of the most impressive church castles of Transylvania (UNESCO Cultural Heritage).
Day 6 Biertan – Marpod 29 miles 48 km
Today you cycle through the remote Harbach valley with beautiful views to the Transsylvanian alps You meet as usual horse wagons loaded with hay, and villages in which the time seems to stand still. The farmers on the fields are still using scythes and sickles.
Day 7 Marpod to Sibiu 19 miles 33 km
Cycle to Sibiu. On your way you may make a detour of Hosman castle with its interesting Gothic sculptures. See the ‘Speckturm’ (bacon tower), maybe the custodian will climb up with you the clock tower and you may have a look to its ancient mechanism. Further on to Sibiu. Stroll through the medieval town squares with beautifully restored medieval patrician houses, Gothic and Baroque churches. In the afternoon you may cycle through the Erlenpark through the ‘Peasant museum’ and have a meal with Romanian specialties in the Hanul Rustic.
Day 8 Your tour is now complete
Transfer to train station early in the morning ( 6:32) and train to Bucharest and transfer to airport or take our optional private transfer to Bucharest
What is Included
- 7 Nights Bed and Breakfast
- 3 star Hotels and Guest Houses
- Information Pack
- Routes and Maps
- Luggage transfers on cycle tour
- Day 2 Transfer by car to Zarnesti
