This centre-based one week riding program includes three day-rides and one two-day trip with an overnight stay in tents. On one of these days, we learn about the rich history of Transylvania as we travel by minibus through medieval villages and towns. Endless forests and spectacular views are the characteristics of this journey. On one of the evenings, we have the opportunity to watch brown bears from a bear-hide in the forest. The trails lead us through meadows and forests of the Carpathian Mountains and their foothills between 500 and 1,400 m altitude. We ride mainly on grass-covered paths and trails, or on forest roads. Sometimes, we come across tracks or markings of bears, occasionally even of wolves. To protect our horse's joints, we dismount and lead the horses on steep descents.
During the two-day camping portion of the trip we ride through some beautiful Carpathian forests before we reach a mountain settlement, where people still live a very simple life without electricity and running water. In the vicinity of one of these mountain farms, we set camp and spend the evening by the campfire. We ride in groups of up to 8 people and are accompanied by two guides. We cover between 20 and 30 km daily which takes us between six or seven hours, including our lunch break. The rides are a good mix of walking, trotting, and cantering.

Sample Itinerary - Subject to changes.

Day 1: Arrival  
Arrival at the Bucharest airport, where we will be picked up and transferred through the spectacular mountains to our guesthouse in Sinca Noua (ca. 3 hours). You will receive a welcome drink, a local dinner and will spend the evening with your hosts to prepare the week.

Day 2 and 3: Trips into the mountains
After breakfast you will be shown around the farm and introduced to the horses. Soon we take off for a first ride along the meadows at the foot of the mountains. The hills offer a fantastic view over the area and the meadows invite for some first trot or canter. You will be stunned by the variety of wild flowers and we might already come across the first tracks of bears or wild boar. We enter on a forest road into the vast forests of the Carpathians and follow a long valley up into the mountains. Parts of the forests have never been cut and huge beech and fir trees hem our way. After lunch break on a mountain meadow with spectacular view we return in the early evening back to the stable. In the evening you will see a video presentation about the research and conservation project, which your hosts carried out over the last 10 years.
The next day we will ride again through the hills and valleys of the area, pass a more than 100 year old railway viaduct built during the Austro-Hungarian empire, might come across shepherd camps, cow herds and water buffaloes, and should find tracks of bears, boars, red deer, wolves or lynx. There will be lots of possibilities for canters and even gallops over the meadows.

Day 4: Rest for the horses and the history of Transylvania
Today we give the horses a rest and experience the true history of Transylvania. We leave Sinca Noua and drive for about an hour and a half through sleepy villages to the north, until we reach the village of Viscri with its famous fortified church (UNESCO World Heritage Site) from the times of the invasion of Turks. It is just a gravel road, which gets us the last 10 kilometers to Viscri, which has been a settlement of the Saxons, the German minority, for the last 900 years. In 1990, most of the villagers have left to Germany, but a small number of people stayed to continue their traditional life. Although by now a minority in their own village, the people started to build themselves a future where their ancestors lived for centuries. On personal invitation of Prince Charles, who visited the village in 2002, representatives of the village have even participated in a symposium in London. We visit the fortified church, stroll through the village and will be served a traditional Saxon meal with food from own production and home-made wine and plum brandy. In the afternoon we continue to the city of Sighisoara, one of the cultural centers of the Saxons. We visit the medieval center of Sighisoara and arrive back at our guesthouse in Sinca Noua in the late evening.

Day 5 and 6: 50 km round trip through the Transylvania forests
A 50 km round trip leads us through the endless forests of Transylvania, home of the large carnivores. We pass through forests and cross beautiful mountain meadows, will have the possibility for some long canters and arrive in the afternoon in an area, where people’s life has changed little since the middle ages. Their little mountain farms are still being worked with oxen or horses, people lack even facilities such as running water or electricity. Camp is being set for us at one of these farms with a fantastic view around. We will enjoy a rustic dinner cooked at the campfire and have a long evening around the fire to tell stories. The next morning we pack our stuff and ride along forest trails and roads through the wild forests of Transylvania. We can enjoy the spectacular view over the Carpathian mountains and tracks of wolves or bears are commonly found along the trails. In the afternoon, we arrive back at the guesthouse.
 
Day 7: A ride through time
On our last ride for the week, we ride in a large loop around Sinca Noua through wild forests, beautiful meadows, enjoy canters and great scenery, and arrive back at our guesthouse after 6 hours.

Day 8: Time to say good-bye
After breakfast we pack our luggage and are being brought back to Bucharest.

The above sample itinerary is subject to changes at the tour operator's discretion.

Winter
The riding weeks during the winter months will explore the snow capped peaks of the Carpathians on 5 riding days. You will have opportunities to take a sleigh ride and with a bit of luck we will will find tracks of bear, wolf or wild pigs. On one day we will visit the Castle Bran (Count Dracula) and drive to Brasov for a visit.