Carpathian Mountains Ride

Introduction
Transylvania Romania
Transylvania is a land made for the adventurous horseback rider and there truly is no better way to explore the endless hills, meadows, and medieval villages it has to offer. The ride starts at the Southern edge of Transylvania and travels through the Southeastern corner of this mystical land. Journey 110 miles through the lush hills and medieval villages in a big arc back to Sinca Noua from which you begin. See and experience some of the most rural areas that Europe still has hidden, with tens of thousands of sheep grazing traditionally in the hills. Many of the beautiful and famous fortified churches of Eastern Europe along the way are 800 years old! Sinca Noua lay at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and is from which the ride ventures towards the plains of the Olt River valley. Many long canters make the riding exhilarating for even the most advanced riders among us. Splash across the Olt River and visit Ticusu Veche, an old Saxon village then ride towards the town of Selistat while observing the continuous beautiful Romanian landscapes.  You are likely to see colorful Bee-eaters, the crowned Hoopoe, and the Lesser Spotted Eagles! Journey over the hills to Viscri, famous for its fortified church, the village restored by the Mihai Eminescu Trust (under the patronage of Prince Charles) to its original setting. Have an evening to explore the village and its 1100 AD church, designated a World Heritage site in 1993 by UNESCO. In the village of Jibert stay in a newly constructed log-house and enjoy a great dinner and bonfire party! With stunning scenery and many chances for strong canters all along the way, the horseback riding and culture available on the Carpathian Mountains holiday is phenomenal and not to be missed!
 

Accomodation


Accommodation
This is a progressive ride so you will be staying in different locations each night.

Description
During the trail, overnights are in guesthouses or with local people on the way.

Attention: We are in rural Romania and the standard and comfort varies. The tranquility and slow pace of life in these villages is a special treat and makes up for any possible discomfort.

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Guesthouse at the Riding Center
Night 2: Local family house in Halmeag
Nights 3 & 4: Farmhouse in Cobor
Night 5: Accommodation in Viscri
Night 6: Cabin in Jibert
Night 7: Guesthouse at the Riding Center



Guesthouse at the Riding Center
The guesthouse has 9 double rooms, each with a bathroom. Downstairs, there is a nice dining room and there is a large veranda outside where guests can sit in the summertime. An extensive living room with open fireplace and bar is inviting for relaxing evenings. We heat our guesthouse with a modern wood central heater and treat our sewage with a reed bed for biological cleaning. There is now good cell phone coverage and wireless internet access at the farm. It is possible to do your laundry for a small fee.

Farmhouse in Cobor
This lovely farmhouse offers accommodations to visitors in a recently renovated building, mixing perfectly traditions with comfort. There are 6 bedrooms (total of 14 beds), all equipped with private facilities. Guests are also welcome to relax in the old stables (now a living room) and in the yard. There is free Wi-Fi access in common areas.

Cabin in Jibert
This charming chalet has been built completely out of wood and is surrounded by nature (very quiet). It has 11 bedrooms, all equipped with a heater and a private bathroom. There is no internet connection at this accommodation.

Room Occupancy
If we are unable to find another rider to share the room with you, the single supplement fee does not apply.
Single rooms are not available at every location based on availability.  Where available and applicable, the single supplement is paid locally.



Meals
All meals are included with this trip and wine is served with dinner.

We use mainly locally produced food in our kitchen. People in Sinca Noua generally don't use pesticides or artificial fertilisers, and the livestock is still kept the old way, that is, outside on the pastures. Our own vegetable garden delivers fresh onions, salad, zucchini etc. Other food such as milk, potatoes, lamb, and veal is bought from the farmers in the neighbourhood. We support the village on their way certifying their whole agriculture as being organic.
The farm in Cobor also uses many organic and locally produced ingredients. The other locations serve local food.

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to most dietary restrictions with advance notice.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


A HARD HAT IS MANDATORY FOR ALL RIDERS, NO EXCEPTIONS!

Riding Experience
This ride is tailored to strong intermediate riders and above. Participants have to be competent in all speeds and able to fully control a horse at a canter. Every day, we will have opportunities to canter and even gallop!
We ride mainly on grass-covered trails and across pastures, and occasionally come through oak and hornbeam forests.
We recommend that you are physically fit as well as riding fit for the possible long hours in the saddle.

Pace
The pace is dictated by the terrain with plenty of opportunities for faster riding. The rides are rather fast with a good mix of walking, trotting, and cantering.
We cover around 24-39km a day and spend approx. 4 to 7 hours in the saddle per day (incl. lunch break).
In total, we cover more than 200 km in 6 riding days.

Horses
With an assortment of horses to choose from there is a suitable horse for everybody, from calm horses for the lesser experienced, to fast and fiery horses for the demanding rider. All horses have stamina, are fit and are used to the mountains.
Our stock of over 40 horses is a good mixture of pure and half-bred horses, mainly breeds of Hungarian origin such as Shagya-Arabian, Kisberi, and Gidran. All these breeds are characterized by an outstanding willingness, endurance, beauty and good nature and proof their qualities again and again on all our rides.
Our horses live in two groups in open stables with sand paddocks, that allow them to move freely and complies with their need for social interactions with members of the same species. In addition, they are regularly turned out on large pastures.
The upper stables cover approximately 300 m2 and hosts about half of the horses (as well as our donkey Maja), which have the possibility of moving around freely. The horses have an open stable with two large boxes (50 m2 and 35 m2) and approximately 1,000 m2 of paddock. Furthermore, we have a separate box (18 m2) for horses that we want to temporarily separate from the herd (e.g. for fowling), and a box for a stallion with 16 m2. The lower stables also consist of an open stable for the remaining horses and the other animals.

Conservation Contribution
We ask all our visitors for a donation of 40 Euro per week for our regional conservation and development fund, which supports sustainable projects in and around Sinca Noua. Furthermore, we are personally involved in a number of conservation projects.

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary - subject to changes.

Note: non-riders can join the tour with mountain bikes (rented separately or bring your own) and follow the horses on the trails or go and explore on their own. The area is very nice for mountain biking on trails and country roads.

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival 
Arrival in Bucharest (please make sure you arrive by 4:15 pm at the latest) and transfer by minibus from Bucharest to Şinca Nouă. Overnight at the guesthouse, dinner and evening introduction to the ride.  (Single rooms available on request)
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at a Guesthouse near the Riding Center

Day 2 (Sunday): Ride to Halmeag
After being introduced to the horses, we will leave Sinca Noua (pronounced Shinca Noah) and ride along the valleys and over the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains towards the plains of the Olt River.
We pass several Romanian Villages, have our first long canters through the fields and cross the Olt River just before we arrive at our destination in Halmeag, where we will stay for the night.  (Single rooms available on request)
Riding: ~6 hours (29 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Family homes in Halmeag

Day 3 (Monday): Halmeag to Cobor 
We will ride along the Olt River from Halmeag to Sona, where we will enter into the hills of Transylvania. We ride along a beautiful ridge with marvellous views to the Fagaras Mountains. Our goal of the day is Cobor, an old Hungarian village in the middle of the Saxon area.
In Cobor, our hosts run a conservation project, which includes the development of an organic farm with emphasis on biodiversity conservation. (Single rooms available on request)
Riding: ~5.5 hours (26 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Farmhouse in Cobor

Day 4 (Tuesday): Ride around Cobor 
Full-day ride around Cobor with stunning views, fast canters, and rich birdlife: We are likely to see bee-eaters, hoopoes, great grey shrikes, stone chats, or lesser spotted eagles. In the late afternoon we are back in Cobor and can chill out in the old stables or in the cellar bar. (Single rooms available on request)
Riding: ~6 hours (31 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Farmhouse in Cobor

Day 5 (Wednesday): Cobor to Viscri
Full-day ride over the hills to Viscri, our destination for the next night. Viscri is probably the famous most Saxon village in Transylvania with a stunning fortified church, and the UK based Mihai Eminescu Trust (under the patronage of Prince Charles) has restored the village in its original setting. We stay in the old farmhouses, which are transformed into little guesthouses, and enjoy the traditional Saxon cuisine. In the evening there is time to explore the village. (Single rooms available on request)
Riding: ~7 hours (39 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Guesthouse in Viscri

Day 6 (Thursday): Viscri to Jibert
In the morning we explore the fortified church in Viscri, visit the local blacksmith (who still works by hand with old bellows and a charcoal fire), and have a lunch before we go. In the afternoon, we ride over the hills to a log-house on a big meadow in the forest near the village of Jibert. Stunning scenery and great canters all along the way. Today is a rather fast but shorter ride. We have a great dinner and will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the Transylvanian countryside. (Single rooms available on request)
Riding: ~3.5 hours (24 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Cabin in Jibert

Day 7 (Friday): Ride back to the stables
Today is our last day, but there are again plenty of canters over the hills and through the forests. Eventually we arrive in the Olt Valley, have a beautiful ride along the ridge through ancient oak pastures and descend from there through the forests towards Halmeag, where our ride ends. Here we enjoy a barbecue and a bus takes us back to Sinca Noua and also our horses get a transport back home. Surprise dinner in the evening. (Single rooms available)
Riding: ~5 hours (34 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at a Guesthouse near the Riding Center

Day 8 (Saturday):  
After a last breakfast, the minibus takes us back to Bucharest for our flights.
Meals included: Breakfast



Non Riders
Non-riding companions are welcome to join this trip. It is best to have a car in order to do some sightseeing while the rest of the group explores on horseback. 

Rates and Dates for Carpathian Mountains Ride

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Sinca Noua
Airport: Bucharest
Transfer: Bucharest

Climate:
                                                Brașov area

• Comfortable riding trousers
• Riding boots (well broken in) or ankle-high multi-purpose ride/walk boots which work well when worn with half-chaps and can comfortably be worn for walking too
• Hiking boots for the virgin forest hike (can also be used for riding)
• T-shirts (bring many during summer)
• Long sleeved shirts (cotton polo necks are good for layering)
• Hat – You need to bring your own hard hat, they are obligatory!
• Comfortable footwear for general walking and travelling (well broken-in)
• Torch with spare batteries (Maglite or similar)
• Gloves - Your hands will be particularly exposed to the elements for long periods
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Water bottle (we provide 0.5 l plastic bottles)
• Casual clothes for the evening
• Camera
• Washbag - A nail brush will be particularly useful after a day in the saddle
• Any medication you regularly take (if you take any unusual medicine it is advisable to carry a doctors certificate confirming)
• Travel insurance documents (including the emergency number of your insurance company)
• Jumper, fleece or similar jacket
• Rainproofs – jacket and possible trousers (should not flap around while riding)

• Swiss army knife
• ‘Wet-ones’ or similar travel wipes, tissues
• Tracksuit pants or comfortable walking trousers for optional hikes and relaxing at the centre and for the day off
• Reading material