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Cycling
Overview
SelfGuided
Cycling in:
Europe
Canada
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Castles and Saxon Heritage Cycling Tour
Transylvania
Romania
This trip is to introduce you to the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania, known as a mysterious and spectacular land, famous through Bram Stocker’s legend of Dracula and well-known for its verdant forests sheltering so many species of wild animals.
Transylvania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, was a desired land. That is how the Saxons arrived here in the 11th century, to guard the Carpathian Mountains passes between Transylvania and Wallachia against the Tatars and the Ottomans. This is some of the great and long heritage that you will discover during this fun and adventurous trip. In Romania, public transport is not very developed and if you want to visit the little villages or remote areas, bike is a perfect means of transportation. Biking allows you to discover the rural way of life of the country s inhabitants and also have time to admire the beautiful landscapes. Moreover you do not depend on timetables and you will make the trip with the rhythm you want. An exceptional cycling holiday you should not miss!
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Biking Tour
Meeting:
Bucharest
Airport:
Bucharest
Transfer:
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Rates and Dates for 2013
Rates include:
Accommodations - 3 nights in 3* small hotels with private facilities, 8 nights in guesthouses with exceptionally shared facilities. 11 Breakfasts, 7 picnic lunches and 8 dinners, 10 cycling days, all luggage transfers, train tickets, detailed maps and road book, 24 hour emergengy phone number.
| A | 2013 | 12 day cycling tour | 12d / 11n | €900 | $1170 |
| Lodge upgrade, pp | €35 | $45 |
| bike rental | €100 | $130 |
| Single supplement | €100 | $130 |
| Extra-night in Sighisoara | €50 | $65 |
| Extra-night in a 2* hotel in Brasov | €50 | $65 |
| Extra-night in a 3* hotel in Bucharest | €55 | $75 |
Transfer and Other Options:
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2013
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Transfer from Bucharest airport (public transport) included
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| A |
2013
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04/01
- 10/31
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12d / 11n
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12 day cycling tour
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2
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Reserve
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Start day can be any day during the season - minimum of 2.
Rates do not include:
Some meals, drinks, items of personal nature.
Day 1. Arrival in Bucharest Northern Train Station before 2 PM. Train transfer to Zarnesti. Change in Brasov. 2nd train transfer to Zarnesti. Dinner at your guesthouse.
Day 2. Transfer in the morning with your bikes at the starting point of your ride. You will ride at the foot of Fagaras Mountains, the highest of the Romanian Carpathians and also known as the 'Transylvanian Alps'. (BLD, ~55 km)
Day 3. Today you will ride through the Transylvanian plateau till the medieval city of Sibiu, elected “European cultural capital” in 2007. (BL, ~62 km)
Day 4. Free morning so you can visit Sibiu, known also as Hermannstadt. You will discover the three historic squares, the evangelic church, the lower and the upper town, the citadel and so many other charming corners of one of the best-preserved medieval cities. The ride from this afternoon will take you to few villages around Sibiu. In one of them you will spend the night. (BD, ~27 km)
Day 5. You will cycle today forward these beautiful villages from Marginimea Sibiului, vestiges of a glorious past. Then you will continue the cycling day through oak forests till the salty lakes from Ocna Sibiului. Possible swim in a salty water pool. (BLD, ~45 km)
Day 6. You will ride to the medieval pretty town of Medias, with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. There are opportunities for several detours (between 5 and 18 kilometres) to visit Saxon fortified churches. One of them, Valea Viilor, deserves more than the others to be visited. Here the church is frequented by few remaining Saxons in the area. Frau Schneider, the oldest Saxon from the village will be very honoured to show you around. (BL, ~52 km)
Day 7. This cycling day will allow you to discover other treasures from Transylvania. You’re first stop will be Biertan fortified church, part of UNESCO Heritage, which has graced the country for over a half of century. Then you move on to Sighisoara, one of the few medieval citadels in Europe that is still fully inhabited and also included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage. Discover the old town with its famous clock tower, which initially served as the main entrance to the citadel, but also covered stairs, medieval streets, the house where Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad the Impaler known by Bram Stocker’s legend as Dracula, was born (B, 2 rides available: ~48 or 66 km). You can take an extra-night so you can enjoy this beautiful citadel.
Day 8. Today you will cycle through the Transylvanian hills to Apold village which also has a lovely fortified church. Then you will arrive in Soars village where you will spend the night. The country road will take you to remote and bucolic areas where you will surely see shepherds watching over their sheep herds. (BD, ~50 km)
Day 9. You will ride to the South, till a small typical village cold Ohaba where you can enjoy at the end of the day the visit the oldest flour mill in the county powered by a water mill. (BLD, ~34 km)
Day 10. You will ride to Zarnesti along a valley that separates 2 ranges of mountains so close and so different. One is Persani mountains, small charming and hiding traditional villages and scattered houses, the other one are Fagaras Mountains, seen from another angle. (BLD, ~42 km)
Day 11. In your last day of cycling in Transylvania will bring you at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains, a border place between Transylvania and Wallachia. As a protection of this frontier the inhabitants build the Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle. Even if it wasn’t the real castle of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), it belonged later to another famous person, Queen Maria, a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria and of Tsar Nicholas II. Optional ride to visit the Rasnov Castle, around 15 kilometres away from Bran. Night in the same place as the previous night (BLD, ~ 35 km).
Day 12. Departure to Bucharest after the breakfast. End of the trip. (B)
B= Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner
Subject to changes
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Meeting:
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Bucharest
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Airport:
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Bucharest
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Train station:
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Brasov train station
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Transfer:
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Our partner will join you at the SNCFR train station in Bucharest at 2pm.
Bus leaving at END OF TRIP 2.30pm. (train or bus time could change )
All transfers are by local buses or trains.
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Level:
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Easy to Moderate
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Medium+ level (from 27 to 66 Km / day, with some climbs).
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Participants:
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Min
2
participants
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LENGTH & LEVEL
9 days of which 6 ½ are with cycling.
Medium+ level (from 35 to 74 Km / day, with some climbs).
We supply:
-Technical description of the itinerary
-Map with itinerary traced out
-Contact listing, technical sheet and vouchers
-Our Road Book which includes: restaurants, museums, craftsmen, where to find a bank machines… -24-hour emergency phone number
Passport and Visa Requirements:
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. Not required by all natio. more
Romania has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring
and autumn are cool and pleasant, making May and June, September
and October the best months to visit. Summers are hot from July to
August and winters are harsh and very cold between December and March,
with snow falling throughout most of the country. Spring and summer are
the wettest seasons, but rain can be expected throughout the year. The climate in Romania is
continental-temperate with the average temperature in the summer of 22-
24 *C (it can sometimes get up to 35 *C especially in the South).
Annual
rainfall all over the country is 677 mm, 1000 mm in the mountains.
Due
to the continental influences from the East, the summers can be dry
although with more rain in the mountains.
The hottest month is July with an
average of 18- 19 *C (12- 16 *C in the mountains).
Strong winds and
storms are rare in the summer, they occur sometimes in the mountains
during late autumn. Bucharest, being situated in the South of the
country, is hotter.
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… this list is only a guideline
for you |
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Hidden Trails Travel Documents and
Trip Voucher (contains important local tour contact info.) |
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Flight tickets |
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Passport |
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Visa (check with your consulate) |
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Gear
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Cycling Gear |
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Rucksack/day pack |
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Warm pullover/jumper |
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Waterproofs |
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Water bottle |
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Insect repellent |
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Sunglasses |
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Sun Hat |
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Sun block/cream |
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Compass |
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Torch |
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Mobile Phone |
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Container for sandwiches |
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First Aid Kit |
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Towel and small bar of soap |
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Personal Toiletries |
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Personal medications |
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Sore cream (for an emergency) |
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Adapter for electric appliances |
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Camera and extra film or batteries |
Sorry, no video is currently available for this tour.
*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
** No trip reports found
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LODGING
Double occupancy:
- 3 nights in 3* small hotels in Sibiu D1, Medias D4 and Sighisoara D5 w/ private facilities
- 5 nights in guesthouses, exceptionally nice shared facilities.
MEALS
8 breakfasts, 4 picnics and 5 dinners in our guesthouses. Not included - Drinks!
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Tack:
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--
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Horses:
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--
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Pace:
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Medium+ level (from 27 to 66 Km / day, with some climbs).
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Level:
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(2
to
3
out of 5) Moderate
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Riders:
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Min
2
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LENGTH & LEVEL
9 days of which 6 ½ are with cycling.
Medium+ level (from 35 to 74 Km / day, with some climbs).
We supply:
-Technical description of the itinerary
-Map with itinerary traced out
-Contact listing, technical sheet and vouchers
-Our Road Book which includes: restaurants, museums, craftsmen, where to find a bank machines… -24-hour emergency phone number
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
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
1 |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No/2 |
| Canadian |
No/2 |
| USA |
No/2 |
| Other EU |
No |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
No |
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Castles and Saxon Heritage Cycling Tour
Tour Code:
ZZ-BKRM02
12 days /
11 nights
~$1,170.00
Dates: Apr-Oct
Level :
Difficulty Levels Explained
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1. |
Easy
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Easy pace and an average-to-sedentary level of fitness. You should be in good health and fit enough for full day of normal sightseeing and walking.
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2. |
Easy to Moderate
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An average level of fitness or some experience with the featured
activity is recommended.
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3. |
Moderate
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Requires you to have performed the featured activity regularly, with
some periods on challenging terrain. Activities are mandatory and
you may be traveling at high elevations. You need to be in good health and physical condition to enjoy these trips, with adequate muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance.
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4. |
Demanding
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You must be extremely physically fit and are expected to hike or
ride four to six hours over steep or more rugged terrain. |
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5. |
Strenuous
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Prolonged hiking/biking on moderate to difficult terrain (five to nine hours a day).
May include high altitude, rugged terrain etc.. |
Introduction
Day to Day Itinerary
Rates | Dates
Accomodation
Airport:
Bucharest
Activities:
Cycling, sightseeing, culture
Location on Google Map
Image Gallery
Image Slide Show
Climate
What To Bring
Download tour PDF
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