Rates Note:

Transfer Option:

Day 1 (Sunday)—Arrive at Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyorgy, Saint George) in the afternoon at Hotel Park, where your guide will welcome you and you will enjoy a hearty dinner, followed by a night’s rest at the hotel.

Day 2 (Monday)- Transfer to the riding centre at Valea Crisului (Sepsikorospatak, “Round Brook”), 7km by car. The ride starts climbing slowly onto a ridge, where we are heading north on high pastures with magnificent views stretching to the high Carpathian Range. We leave the villages of Kalnok and Zalan to our right below us down in the valley, meet shepherds and their flocks on the pastures and at the end of the day we descend through the forest to reach Malnas Bai (Malnasfurdo, “Raspberry Baths”), where the riders stay for the night as guests of a local hunter’s family (bathrooms might have to be shared). Once a thriving spa with plenty of mineral water springs, this village has typical wooden turn-of-the-century Transylvanian spa architecture, although now in a rather rickety shape.
Riding time: 5 hours.

Day 3 (Tuesday)—We climb back north-westerly into the deep forests of the Hatod region, where 6 villages share the same woods (hatod = “one sixth”). We travel along a quiet forest track, alongside which bear traces are sometimes to be found. We descend on gentle grassy slopes to the Batanii villages (“Big Bacon and Little Bacon”) to reach our accommodations in village houses at lovely “Little Bacon” where we shall have common dinner. The villagers here are known to be especially hospitable and friendly, and before dinner will take pride at showing you their still functioning watermill and traditional looms. Riding time: 4 hours.

Day 4 (Wednesday)—We head northwest through the village of Herculian (Magyarhermany), then through forests and farmland, to climb up to Szep Arca (“Pretty Face”) hill on the southern slopes of the Hargita Range. Wide views open out on distant Barot and Olt Valley. We descend northwest into the Kormos (“Sooty”) valley, where Romania’s ex-Dictator Ceausescu had his private hunting villa. The river is teeming with trout, the wet meadows have beautiful wild flowers. Ceausescu’s villa is now the ‘Kormos’ hunting lodge where you will be accommodated and have dinner (or in the neighboring forestry’s house during hunting season). 5 double rooms en-suite with French beds (no twins).
Riding time: 5 hours.

Day 5 (Thursday)— We turn south down the Kormos Valley on a long ride along the lower slopes of the hills, passing the villages of Filia/Erdofule (“Forest’s Ear”) and Biborteni/Bibarcfalva where we will have a refreshing sip of sparkling mineral water which is bottled there. We continue on the slopes offering many a chance for cantering, into the valley of the river Olt to reach our Miklosvar guesthouses.
Riding time: 6 hours.

Day 6 (Friday)— From Miklosvar, we return to Korospatak crossing the hills and brooks. This trip was very common for many a generation of the Kalnoky family who had to ride often between the two villages, where their two manors are. This part of the region is particularly rich in game as there is no road or village for 25km. Arriving at Korospatak, you will be transferred back to Miklosvar by car for your last night at our guesthouse.
Riding time: 6 hours.

Day 7 (Saturday)— Depart after breakfast, or adding on a few days of relaxation and tours based at Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouses in Miklosvar
subject to change

Food in rural Romania is often organic and, to the Western visitor, surprisingly full of flavor. Food has not tasted this good in the West for many years. Produce is usually locally grown. At our home, meals include produce grown on our land, fertilized and ploughed by our horses.

Breakfast can include eggs, cheese, cold meat, bread, toast, butter, jam, choice of milk (which is often straight from the cow!), tea or coffee. On riding trips, lunch is generally a picnic with sandwiches, biscuits, fruit and mineral water to drink. Dinner usually includes soup, (a strong point of Romanian cooking), a main course (which will sometimes include regional specialities such as peppers stuffed with meat or vegetables, seasoned minced meat wrapped in cabbage or vine leaves, spicy meatballs), followed by cold pudding or fruit.

Vegetarian cookery is good, not surprisingly given that many Romanians observe the various religious fast periods when meat, eggs, fish, etc are not eaten.

Drinks include the locally-distilled plum brandy (tuica, also called palinka), which is traditionally strong. Good beer is also brewed in the region, and there are pleasant local red and white wines. 

Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouses in Miklosvar

Count Kálnoky's guesthouses date back to the 1800’s, although parts of them are much older, as indicated by the presence of medieval shooting embrasures.   The buildings have been carefully restored in order to preserve their original Transylvanian charm and character. The guesthouses are situated within spacious gardens, with storks nesting on nearby rooftops.
The guesthouses are beautifully furnished with antiques in the Transylvanian Szekler and Saxon style.  To ensure that our guests have a warm and comfortable stay, we have enhanced the original heating system (wood stoves). The bathrooms are luxuriously equipped and decorated. A sauna and a billiard room are also available for the guests to use. Children are very welcome and the guesthouses are suitable for all ages. Miklósvár is a remote village with little infrastructure, therefore we cannot (and do not wish to) claim technical perfection.  There may be an occasional electricity failure; however, these are normally brief and rarely affect the enjoyment of our guests. The village streets remain unpaved and pot-holed, so can become dusty in the sun and muddy after the rain. There can be no denying the rustic charm and original Transylvanian character of the village, which offers an opportunity to step back in time.

Bedrooms
The guestrooms are furnished exclusively with antique Transylvanian furniture, including most of the textiles.  All rooms have double beds with specially manufactured mattresses of pure wool and duvet covers.   In order to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, the rooms do not have television or radio; instead, you will find plenty of interesting books on the shelves.  Each room has an electric kettle, with tea and coffee provided.

Bathrooms
The bathrooms respect western standards of comfort (hairdryers, floor heating, softened water) and are beautifully conceived.  All bathrooms are private, most are en-suite (although the old Transylvanian village cottages were conceived without bathrooms).  The sauna has been built by incorporating a vast old bread oven.  

Common Areas
Depending on the weather, lunch and dinner is served in the wine cellar or under the vine arbour in the garden.  Other rooms for the use of all the guests include a billiard room (lower guesthouse) and a drawing room (main guesthouse), where you can enjoy local brandy (Pálinka) seated in comfortable armchairs in front of the fireplace. Breakfast is served in a picturesque summer kitchen, where the food is prepared, or in the main guesthouse.

Wine Cellar
The wine cellar, with its massive oak beams, stoves and central fireplace, dates from the 17th century.   Local wines in high wooden racks line the walls.  Meals are eaten by candlelight.  Guests dine together in a scene reminiscent of a page from a 19th century novel. 

Food
Vegetables are mainly produced in our kitchen garden or within the village (and are free of agro-chemicals).  Milk products and meat mostly come from animals bred and reared in Miklósvár. Meals, based upon traditional local Transylvanian recipes, are prepared in the summer kitchen, located in the garden of the main guesthouse.  We are happy to accommodate special dietary needs, such as vegetarianism.  Normally you will eat breakfast and dinner at the main guesthouse.  During tours, lunch is provided at a restaurant or in the form of a picnic (if you are in the countryside).

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Non riders are welcome: we can arrange activities such as walking, cycling, bird watching and traveling by horse-drawn carriage. Specialist guides can be provided for walking and cycling. Riders and non-riders stay in the same overnight accommodation, and on some days meet for lunch.

Tack:		English / some Australian
Horses:		Purebred Shagya Arabs and Huzul, Lipizzaner, Romanian
Pace:		Moderate with canters - about 5 hours daily. | Walk | Trot | Canter | Gallop |
Level:		(3 to 5 out of 5)    Intermediate
Riders:		Min 2 riders	Max 8 riders

Non riders are welcome: we can arrange activities such as walking, cycling, bird watching and traveling by horse-drawn carriage. Specialist guides can be provided for walking and cycling. Riders and non-riders stay in the same overnight accommodation, and on some days meet for lunch.

Passports
Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for the following lengths of visit:
(a) nationals of EU countries for a three-month period (those intending to stay for a longer period than three months must apply for a registration certificate issued by the Romanian Authority for Aliens); 
(b) 2. nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for touristic stays of up to three months.
Visa Note
Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements