Departure city
Valencia
Day 1 VALENCIA - BUCAREST
Meeting at Manises Airport at 4:00 a.m. to catch the Lufthansa flight to BUCHAREST, with a stopover in Zurich. Expected arrival at 3:20 p.m. Transfer and check-in at the hotel. We will take a walk through the city center. Bucharest is the cultural and economic hub of the country, founded over five hundred years ago, notable for its eclectic architecture that blends neoclassical, interwar, communist, and modern styles. In the 1930s, Bucharest was also called “Little Paris” due to its wide tree-lined avenues, the architecture of its buildings, and the sophistication of its elites. Accommodation at the hotel and dinner on your own.
Day 2 BUCAREST - SIBIU.
Breakfast. We will explore this fascinating city, beginning with the exuberant 19th-century architecture and the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Bucharest’s “Belle Époque.” We will admire its main churches, the OLD COURT founded by Prince Vlad Tepes, the HANUL MANUC INN, one of the most typical buildings of old Bucharest built in 1808, the Romanian Athenaeum, the city’s most important concert hall in neoclassical style, and the former ROYAL PALACE, now the National Gallery. Our route will continue through UNIVERSITY SQUARE, the political epicenter of the city, where major demonstrations took place during revolutionary periods. At the other end of the square is the PARLIAMENT PALACE, the largest (civilian) administrative building in the world, renowned for its size, cost, and heaviness, covering a total area of 340,000 m². Departure for SIBIU with lunch en route. In the afternoon, visit the COZIA MONASTERY. The harmonious church of this monastery, founded in 1387 by Voivode Mircea cel Bătrân, is characterized by its early Byzantine style, despite being renovated four centuries later by Constantin Brâncoveanu. Its magnificent frescoes are a highlight. Arrival in Sibiu and accommodation at the hotel.
Day 3 SIBIU - SIGHISOARA - TARGU MURES
Breakfast. Surrounded by imposing walls, the original fortifications of SIBIU included 39 defensive towers, five bastions, four gates, and five artillery batteries. First mentioned in 1411 as a grain market, PIATA MARE, the largest square in the city, has witnessed centuries of lively trading, assemblies, and even public executions. Located in the heart of the old walled city, the square has been designated a UNESCO architectural monument and features some of the most impressive buildings in Sibiu. We will continue our visit with the ASTRA OPEN-AIR ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM, the largest in Europe, near Sibiu in Dumbrava. Spanning 96 hectares, it exhibits 340 buildings representing architectural styles from across Romania. It also preserves numerous still-functional traditional techniques: wind and water mills, wine presses, and blacksmith workshops. Lunch on your own. Departure for SIGHISOARA and city visit. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sighisoara is one of the most important medieval towns in the world. Perched on a hill, it is notable for its MEDIEVAL CITADEL, its gates and secret passages, the 14th-century CLOCK TOWER, and the house where Prince Vlad Tepes, known as “The Impaler,” was born. Transfer to TARGU MURES and check-in at the hotel. Dinner on your own.
Day 4 TARGU MURES - RADAUTI - GURA HUMORULUI
Breakfast. Visit of the historic center of Targu Mures, a former Hungarian city that today reflects a blend of the two cultures that have dominated the region: Hungary and Romania. We will see the FORTRESS CATHEDRAL, the oldest building in the city, built by the Franciscans between the mid-14th and early 15th centuries. We will continue with a visit to the TELEKI-BOLYAI LIBRARY, the oldest public library in the country, founded by the Hungarian Count Samuel Teleki in 1802, housing over 200,000 volumes. Our morning visit will conclude with the TOWN HALL and the PALACE OF CULTURE, the best representation of Hungarian Art Nouveau in Transylvania. Lunch on your own en route. Arrival in RADAUTI, the starting point in Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula”, where the Irish novelist located the castle of the famous vampire. Arrival in GURA HUMOROLUI and check-in at the hotel. Dinner on your own.
Day 5 GURA HUMOROLOI - MONASTERIOS DE BUCOVINA - PIATRA NEAMT
Breakfast. We will dedicate this day to visiting the BUCOVINA MONASTERIES, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for their exceptional frescoes, a living picture Bible. We will start with the SUCEVITA MONASTERY, a solid 16th-century stone citadel with the Church of the Resurrection, whose exterior paintings are among the best preserved. Chronologically, Sucevita Monastery is the last and largest monastic complex among all the painted monasteries of Bucovina. It has the appearance of a true fortress, with its towers, buttresses, and patrol routes. It was built in 1581 by Gheorghe Movilă, Bishop of Rădăuți, and consecrated to the Assumption in 1584. On our route, we will also stop in MARGINEA to visit the black pottery workshops. Lunch on your own en route. Next, we will visit the MOLDOVIȚA MONASTERY, where stone-covered walls enclose the beautiful Church of the Annunciation, founded in the first half of the 15th century and fully rebuilt by Petru Rareș in 1532. The frescoes in this monastery are known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East” due to their excellent preservation and complexity. We will continue our journey to PIATRA NEAMȚ, the former capital of Moldavia. Check-in at the hotel and dinner on your own.
Day 6 PIATRA NEAMȚ – RED LAKE – MIERCUREA CIUC – BRAȘOV
Breakfast. Departure towards Brașov, passing through the Bicaz Gorge, a narrow 8 km-long canyon connecting Transylvania and Moldavia, forming spectacular landscapes with walls rising up to 300 meters. We will take a walk around the Red Lake (Lacul Roșu), a stunning mountain lake located at an altitude of 980 meters, covering an area of 90 hectares with a maximum depth of 10 meters. Lunch on your own. Visit Brașov, founded by the knights of the Teutonic Order in 1210. Its geographic location along the central route linking the Ottoman Empire with Western Europe made it one of the most important defensive strongholds in the country. Highlights include the city fortifications, perfectly preserved, and the Council Square (Piața Sfatului), around which the city developed. Of course, we will also visit the imposing Black Church (Biserica Neagră), a famous Gothic-style church begun in 1384 and completed in 1477, which received its current name after the great fire of 1689. Transfer to the hotel, check-in, and dinner on your own.
Day 7 BRASOV - BRAN - SINAIA.
Breakfast. Departure to the town of Bran. This small Transylvanian town became world-famous thanks to its castle, commonly known as “Dracula’s Castle,” as Bram Stoker, author of the novel Dracula, used this castle as inspiration to describe the home of the famed count. Afterwards, we will head to the town of Sinaia for a visit to Peles Castle, the former summer residence of the Romanian royal family. Built in the 19th century by Romania’s first king, Carol I, we will also visit the Sinaia Monastery, founded in 1695 by Mihail Cantacuzino after his return from a trip to the Holy Land. Check-in at the hotel and dinner on your own.
Day 8 SINAIA - BUCAREST - VALENCIA
Breakfast. Transfer to Henri Coandă Airport to catch our 16:10 flight to Valencia, with a stopover in Frankfurt. Estimated arrival at Manises Airport at 23:30. End of the trip.
