One week in Romania: Best of!

Transfer under own arrangement. Accommodation at your hotel and dinner under own arrangement.

Pick up from your hotel at 08:30, meet the guide and start visit the Romanian capital city. First dated in official documents in the year of 1459, Bucharest became the capital in 1862. Across the years the capital city draw attention to the public with its architecture mix combining the neo-classical, interbellum, communist-era and modern styles. The tour starts with Victoria Avenue, the oldest boulevard in Bucharest, the Arch of Triumph, the place where Romanian army was marching after the ending of the two world wars; continue with Revolution Square where the Ceausescu, the Dictator, kept his last public appearance in December 1989 and where the Romanian Revolution started; walking tour in the old city center with the narrow streets full of coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and in the evening one of the best clubbing area in the South – Eastern Europe; see Romanian Athenaeum, the former Royal Palace and the People’s Palace (exterior) – the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. In the afternoon head to the land of Transylvania. On the way, stop on Oltului Valley to enjoy the visit of Cozia Monastery (XIVth century). Arrival in Sibiu, the European Capital of Culture in 2007, together with Luxemburg, the first city in South-Eastern Europe to receive this title. Even before Romania adhered to the European Union, Sibiu was already being acknowledged as having a European character, from the point of view of its infrastructure, due to the fact that it is a cultural location and because of its European spirit. Accommodation at your hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Enjoy moments of quiet in historical churches and get an amazing view, framed by the snow-capped peaks of the Făgăraș Mountains. Admire the elegant architecture on the Large Square, pass by the charming Renaissance-style Haller House, and see the Brukenthal National Museum in a Habsburg palace. Admire the symbolic Council Tower, take an enchanted walk up the Passage of the Stairs in the Lower Town, and join the hustle and bustle of Cibin Market. Discover the remains of the old city walls and pass by the elegant Thalia Hall, where many of the city's concerts are performed. Be amazed by the Gothic façade of the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral on Huet Square and much more. After an enjoyable sightseeing tour in one of the most beautiful cities of Romania, transfer to a local traditional village. A place where you can visit the Museum of Glass Painted Icons and see how the villagers are living. Enjoy a traditional lunch in a local house. In the afternoon transfer to Sighisoara, located in the heart of Transylvania, this is the hometown of Vlad the Impaler and is considered to be one of the most beautiful medieval citadels in Europe. Though it is still inhabited, you will be amazed by the charm and mystery that surround it. Accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Located in Mures County, in the valley of Tarnava Mare river, Sighisoara, a former Dacian settlement called „the pearl of Transylvania“, was founded by the German craftsmen and merchants known as Saxons, in the second half of the 12th century. The Medieval Fortress, located „high up on a hill“, is surrounded by a strong wall reinforced with fourteen defense towers maintained by the local guilds. You will see the most important attractions: the Clock Tower (entrance included), the house where Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) was born, we will climb the covered stairs to see the Church on the Hill and enjoy the narrow streets of the old citadel. In the afternoon continue to Bucovina area via Borgo Pass. Passing thru the land mentioned by Bram Stocker in his novel, on the borders of three regions: Transylvania, Moldavia, and Bucovina. Late in the night arriving in Bucovina area for accommodation.

Breakfast at hotel. Today you will taste a little bit from the Romanian inwardness. You’ll visit the World Heritage outside painted monasteries, unique in the world: Sucevita – the only one built in the XIV century with high and thick walls like a real fortress, Voronet – the Sistine Chapel of the Orient, founded by the king Stephan the Great in 1487 to celebrate a big victory over the Ottoman Empire, Moldovita – founded by Petru Rares in 1537 with a stunning representation that depicts the Tree of Jesse, representing Christ’s genealogy, a wide-spread iconographical theme in Europe during the Middle Ages. During your incursion thru history and religion you can stop in Marginea to enjoy the local workshops of black ceramics. Accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel and departure to Brasov via Bicaz Gorges, passing near Red Lake. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven walled citadels*, Brasov exudes a distinct medieval ambiance and has been used as backdrop in many recent period films. The location of the city at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and western Europe, together with certain tax exemptions, allowed Saxon merchants to obtain considerable wealth and exert a strong political influence in the region. This was reflected in the city's German name, Kronstadt, as well as in its Latin name, Corona, meaning Crown City (hence, the coat of arms of the city which is a crown with oak roots). Fortifications were erected around the city and continually expanded, with several towers maintained by different craft guilds, according to medieval custom. Stroll around the old Town Hall Square (Piata Sfatului) where you can admire colorfully painted and ornately trimmed baroque structures. Take a peek inside the Black Church (Biserica Neagra), the largest gothic church in Romania. Its name derives from damage caused by the Great Fire of 1689, when flames and smoke blackened its walls. The interior is impressive and well-kept and houses one of the largest organs in Eastern Europe. Accommodation at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Today the journey begins with the visit of Bran Castle. Surrounded by an aura of mystery and legend and perched high atop a 200-foot-high rock, Bran Castle owes its fame to its imposing towers and turrets as well as to the myth created around Bram Stocker's Dracula. Built on the site of a Teutonic Knights stronghold dating from 1212, Bran castle was first documented in an act issued on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel. The fortress built in the 14th century, worldwide known as Dracula’s Castle, due to the American movie directors, Bran served as Royal Residence from 1920 to 1948, a gift of the people of Brasov to Queen Marie of Romania. The castle is now a museum open to tourists, displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie. Continue your journey towards Peles Castle, former summer residence of the Romanian Royal Family. Nestled at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains in the picturesque town of Sinaia, Peles Castle is a masterpiece of German Neo-Renaissance architecture, considered by many one of the most stunning castles in Europe. Commissioned by King Carol I in 1873 and completed in 1883, the castle served as the summer residence of the royal family until 1947. Its 160 rooms are adorned with the finest examples of European art, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls. In the afternoon arrive in Bucharest and transfer to hotel.

Breakfast. Check out from your hotel and transfer under own arrangement depending on your flight schedule.