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 undiscovered yet. 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, and 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, Sighisoara (UNESCO Cultural Heritage) and Fagaras as well as the beautiful medieval Saxon towns of Brasov, Medias and Sibiu the ‘Cultural Capital of Europe 2007’.

Zarnesti: good ***pension, good sized light rooms. Used by other agencies which do walks in the Piatra Craiului mountains.

Fagarasch: ***Hotel/pension. Its fine. Another hotel is coming up in a couple of months, we will compare it.

Sighisoara: the customers will stay in the town castle (Unesco World heritage)) in one of the ***hotels (Casa Wagner, Hotel Sighisoara or Casa Cerbul. In the Cerbul normally Prince Charles has his meals. We also recommend this reasonable priced and good restaurant.). All the hotels are in recently renovated old houses partly with asome selected old Saxonian furniture pieces)

Medias: ***pension/hotel in the center, best place in town close to center, good restaurant, cable tv in room, rooms are small.

Ocna: spa hotel*** with outdoor swimming pools (salt water). Facilities: sauna, jakuzzi, massage, mud packing.

Sibiu: ***Continental hotel, that’s a good hotel chain, or ***Roman Emperor (Franz Liszt, Emperor Joseph II, former German President Rau and carsten stayed there, Emperor Napoleon III dined there)

Day 1: Train (or taxi transfer) to Brasov.
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 on the historic square. Overnight in a ***hotel in the center of Brasov.
Day 2: Bran and Risnov castle (round trip, 45 km/27 miles)
Cycle to Dracula castle with splendid views of the Bucegi Mountains. It served as impressive backstage for Roman Polanskis ‘Dance of the Vampires’ and for Queen Mary of Romania, a granddaughter 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: Fagarasch 58 km/36 miles
Cycle through the Piatra Craiului National 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 to 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 Fogarasch.
Day 4: Fagarasch - Sighisoara 40 km/25miles
Today you cycle through quite a remote area passing numerous villages and fortified churches. 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 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 40 km/25 miles
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 castles of Transylvania (UNESCO Cultural Heritage). Overnight in Biertan.
Day 6: Biertan - Marpod 47 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. Overnight in guesthouse near Marpod.
Day 7: Marpod - Sibiu 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. Over night in a ***hotel in the center.
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast - take train to Bucharest or Brasov.

Subject to change

Packages and Options

Season Year Description EUR ~US$

A 2009 8 day cycling tour €545 $820
- Single supplement €165 $250
  Bike rental €80 $120
  Guided tour options are available (min 6) - supplement €200 $300

The US Dollar Rate is Based on Exchange Rate of 1.53

Transfer Option:

	Description	EUR	~US$
2009	Transfer from Bucharest to Brasov by train approx. - to be paid locally	€ 15	$25
2009	Transfer from Sibiu to Bucharest by train approx. - to be paid locally	€ 25	$40
2009	Transfer by taxi from Bucharest to Basov This is a "Group Rate" - to be paid locally	€ 100	$150

Other Info
Meeting: Brasov hotel
Airport: Bucharest
Transfer: Brasov

Romania has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are cool and pleasant, making May and June, and September and October the best months to visit. Summers are hot from July to August and winters are harsh and very cold between December and March, with snow falling throughout most of the country. Spring and summer are the wettest seasons, but rain can be expected throughout the year.

The climate in Romania is continental temperate with the average temperature i
n the summer of 22- 24 *C (it can sometimes get up to 35 *C especially in the South).
Annual rainfall all over the country is 677 mm, 1000 mm in the mountains.
Due to the continental influences from the East, the summers can be dry with more rain in the mountains.
The hottest month is July with an average of 18- 19 *C (12- 16 *C in the mountains).
Strong winds and storms are rare in the summer, they occur sometimes in the mountains during late autumn. Bucharest, being situated in the South of the country, is hotter.

Note: You should have your luggage packed and ready to be transported by 9.30 in the morning.
You will be supplied with a front bag with a transparent waterproof pocket where you can keep your maps and routenotes for the day (it can be attached on the handlebars), saddle bags, repair kit and one spare tube per bike.

Castles of Transylvania

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Packages and Options

Transfer Option:

Tour Dates

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