Self Guided Bike Tour in Transylvania - 12 Days

Arrival in Sibiu (by Plane, Bus or Train). According to the arrival time you will have the chance to do some shopping in the European Cultural Capital of 2017, or you can just enjoy a Coffee in the feisty streets of Sibiu. Shortly after, transfer to shepherd village Rasinari at the base of the Cindrel Mountains, our camp for the first travel day. Accomodation for the next four nights in a small and friendly family Guesthouse.

From Rasinari we will be cycling along the southern Carpathians to the closeby village of Sibiel, well known for its glass icon Museum and orthodox Church.Gentle village tourism has developed here at a early time. Here we will have the chance to have lunch at a local family and do a roundtrip of the village by a horse-drawn cart. After lunch we will cycle back to Rasinari crossing a few more villages of the area.

Todays tour takes us the village of Cisnadie, where you can visit a fortified Church, build by the transylavanian Germans. On the way to Cisnadie you will pass also through Cisnadioara, which was once known for its extended fruit orchards.Cisnadioara is a typical transylvanian saxon village, with huge gardens hidden behind big gates, a evanghelic Church and a roman Basilica on the Castle hill. A short break at the “ half stone ” in the narrow valley called Sibertalbach, will be the perfect place to cool down on a summer day. Later in the afternoon we will be cycling back to Rasinari.

All the way through a beautyfull deciduous forest and along the Astra open-air museum we will cycle our way to Sibiu, where you will see the exemplary renovated old city in a guided CityTour. Here you will have the chance, to visit a typical farmers market, or to visit the collection of paintings in the Brukenthal museum. After spending some more time in the big square, small square or huet square we will be cycling back to Rasinari.

Today you will leave the Sibiu area. You will be going by train from Sibiu to Dumbraveni. You will get back on the bikes and cycle to the closeby village of Biertan, which has one of the best preserved and impressiv fortified Churches (UNESCO world cultural heritage). We will be cycling to the Accomodation, a Guesthouse within the walls of the Church, followed by the visitation of this impressive building. Later on we will explore the village and suroundings by foot.

From Biertan, you first cycle to the neighboring village of Richis (Reichesdorf). This place has formerly brought it to a considerable wealth through viticulture. The terrace landscape of the surrounding hills and the proud houses stil tell us about it today.With some luck we will meet up with the sexton of the evanghelic Church, one of the last remaining saxon of the area, who will proudly talk about early times. From here we will be cycling to Mosna, where you have the chance to visit a bio farm and strengthen during a snack. If you are in a good mood, you can continue cycling to the city of Medias (visit Marienchurch with a beautiful 15th-century winged altar). The shorter version takes you to Alma Vii, another dreamy village once inhabited exclusively by the Saxon Saxons. In the evening back to Biertan.

Passing along numerous fortified Churches, today's stage leads through the lonely Harbach valley to Altina (Alzen). On the way we often encounter horse-drawn carts on the way to the fieldwork. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Center in Altina and cycle back to Biertan via Barghis and Pelisoar.

Todays stage takes us over Copsa Mare to Dumbraveni. On the way there we will be seeing beatiful Churches and forest cabins. The city has been one of the two centers of Armenian culture since the Middle Ages in Tranylvania. On hot days, you can take a bath here before you cycle back to Biertan passing through Atel. Lunch break with snack at a cabin in the woods.

Transfer to Sighisoara, probably the most beatiful city of Transylvania. The Middle Aged center of this town is well preserved and is registeres in UNESCO as a world heritage site. A CityTour will expose the most important landmarks like the Clock Tower and the Church on the Hill. In the afternoon transfer with the train to Brasov. CityTour through the old town: beautiful buildings from the renaissance and barock times are stamping the citycenter of one of the most important commercial city’s of Transylvania. After the CityTour follows a transfer to the close by village Bran where you will be spending the next two days.

At the base of the imposing Mountains of the Carpathians you will be cycling all the way to Zarnesti. Visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary and you will have the chance to take a hike in the national parc. Lunch will be served at a mountain hut, before cycling back to Bran.

Close to the accomodation is the well known Casle Dracula. We will be visiting the castle with its museum, this way you will notice that the castlle is not as scary as presented. You are cycling further to Rasnov from where you will hike to the beautiful castle of Rasnov. Whoever wants to challenfge himself will have the chance to cycle uphill to Poiana Brasovului, one of the main ski resorts of Romania. We will be picking you up in Poiana Brasov and drive back to Sibiu where you will be spending the last night of the trip.

According to the flightschedule you will be able to do some shopping in Sibiu before the transfer to the Airport.