Monasteries & Bran Castle

Introduction
Transylvania Romania
The first part of your journey leads up to the ‘Sweet Land if Bucovina’, with its world famous painted monasteries (UNESCO – World Heritage) and bucolic scenery.
The second part tackles you to Transylvania with the Carpathian Mountains, known through Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’ and Patrick Fermors ‘Castles of Transylvania’ are unique with its combination of history, legends, scenery and wildlife. You walk in three mountains: Posavarul, Bucegi and Piatra Craiului. You will pass idyllic alms with shepherds huts scattered around, walk through mountain villages, still unspoiled, and enjoy splendid mountain views.

Accomodation

Accommodations
If one hotel from the list below is not available at the date of the booking, we are using similar hotels (same standards).

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Hotel in Bucharest
Night 2: Guesthouse in Putna
Night 3 & 4: Guesthouse in Sucevita
Night 5: Guesthouse in Manastirea Humorului
Night 6: Guesthouse in Bran
Night 7 & 8: Guesthouse in Magura

Bucharest - Hotel Minerva
The hotel was opened in 1937 in a 6-story neoclassical building and was renovated in 2008. It offers 91 rooms that are cozy and Italian in design, and feature Wi-Fi, a private bathroom, a safe, TV, a fireplace and IDD phone.

Putna - Dana Guesthouse
This charming guesthouse offers 4 simple but comfortable bedrooms. Each room has its own bathroom and free Wi-Fi internet.

Sucevita - Casa Cazac Felicia
The building is surrounded on two sides by a beautiful wooden porch, covered with wooden tiles where, during the summer you can admire the gorgeous landscape while having a delicious meal. The terrace as well as the yard is full of beautiful flowers.
In the afternoon, after 5,30 PM, you can hear from the monastery the "toaca" (a nun is hammering on a board) and the sound of the bells calling the nuns to the evening prayer, and, possibly, this will take your thoughts to the glorious times when the monastery was gathering around the entire village.

Manastirea Humorului - Pensiunea Maridor
Located among fields and rolling hills, this accommodation offers a relaxing environment. The rooms are simply decorated and feature charming antique furniture. Each of the 10 rooms is equipped with a TV and private facilities.
There is no internet connection available at this property.

Bran - Casa din Bran
This beautiful Transylvanian style building, located just next to Bran castle offers 15 elegant guestrooms. All rooms feature private facilities, a TV, air conditioning and internet access.

Magura - Pensiunea Pepino
Surrounded by a charming garden, the guesthouse is located in the village of Magura, and offers en-suite bedrooms. You can also make use of the common living room with satellite TV, or the washing machine or play football, basketball or table tennis on site.


Meals
8 breakfast and 5 evening meals are included in this trip.

The breakfasts are eaten at the accommodations and included evening meals are taken in either the restaurant (if it's a hotel) or in the dining room (if it's a pension).
The style of the food is mainly Romanian.

Special diets and dietary restrictions:
Vegetarians, gluten/lactose free, etc… can be catered for when notified in advance.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding

Itinerary

Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Day 1: Arrival
Overnight in Bucharest.
Meals included: none
Overnight at Hotel in Bucharest

Day 2: Train to the Painted Monasteries
Train journey to Suceava (5 ½ h) and transfer to Putna Monastery. Visit Putna Monastery, the spiritual center of Romania. You may have a short round walk (1 h) to “Chilia lui Daniil Sihastrul”, a small hermitage dug in a rock. In the 15th Century it was inhabited by the hermit Daniil who supposedly predicted to Stephen the Great that he will become ruler of Moldavia. After becoming ruler, Stephen the Great was advised by Daniil to build the Putna Monastery. Accommodation close to the monastery.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Guesthouse in Putna

Day 3: Putna to Sucevita
From Putna you take the old monastery path to Sucevita Monastery. In summer, the forest is full of berries and wild mushrooms. The undercoat of emerald green on which the superb frescoes are painted (1596) gave the monastery the name ‘a Poem in Green and Light’. The iconostasis is supposed to be the most beautiful one in the country. Sacherverell Sitwell wrote in 1938: “The first view of the painted church of Sucevita is among the most impressive revelations of the Byzantine world”. The little museum houses the most precious collection of medieval art in Moldovia, including medieval embroidered portraits and an epitaph with 1000 pearls.
Approx. 5.5 hours walking (17.5 km / + 450 m / - 450 m)
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Overnight at Guesthouse in Sucevita

Day 4: Moldovita and round walk Sucevita
A car takes you over the Ciumarna pass with astounding panoramic mountain views. Visit Moldovita Monastery, famous for its warmth and brilliance of its frescoes. The blue undercoat for its tree of Jesse gave the monastery the name ‘a parchment dipped in blue color’. Very beautiful is the Ladder of Paradise, which has the ascetical mystic of John Klimakos as a theme and the depiction of the ancient philosophers. Maybe you meet Sister Tatiana (she speaks some English) who will show you around. The little museum contains, besides a priceless silver-cased Evangelistary presented by Catherine the Great of Russia, valuable icons and miniatures. Back in Sucevita you may have a round walk and enjoy the bird’s eye view upon the impressive, fortified monastery.
Approx. 2.5 hours walking (5 km / + 110 m / - 110 m)
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Overnight at Guesthouse in Sucevita

Day 5: Voronet to Humor
Transfer to Voronet Monastery. “Voronet-Blue” is the key word. Its superb frescoes gave it the name ‘the Sistine Chapel of the East’. Architecturally it combines Gothic and Byzantine features. Petru Comanescu still holds its truth: ”…here in the clear mellow light of those parts of the walls of the church seem to have stolen the sparking blue of the sky, the green of the trees and the pastures, the gold of the sun and the red of the flowers growing in the peasants gardens”. Walk up to the Objina with good views over a valley and villages scattered around till you reach Humor. Humor monastery, which exudes friendliness and tranquil charm, is painted in warm blues, greens and reddish browns (from oriental madder pigment).
Approx. 4.5 hours walking (15 km / + 370 m / - 350 m)
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Overnight at Guesthouse in Humor

Day 6: Private car transfer to Bran
Today you’ll cross the Carpathians to Transylvania through the spectacular Bicaz gorge, drive into Hungarian villages and further on to Bran where you’ll stay overnight (5 – 6 h by car). One night in a guesthouse next to Dracula’s Castle.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight at Guesthouse in Bran

Day 7: Bran Castle and Magura village
Visit the Dracula castle. It served as backstage for Roman Polanskis film ‘Dance of the Vampires’ and in former years, it was the refuge of the Romanian Queen Mary of Hohenzollern, the Granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Walk, up to the “kalibash” village of Magura (from coliba - shepherd’s hut) in the Piatra Craiului Mountains, one of the highest settlements in Romania. Farms and old wooden houses are scattered over beautiful pastures and meadows covered with wildflowers. 
Approx. 3 hours (10 km / + 360 m / - 360 m)
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Overnight at Guesthouse in Magura

Day 8: Magura Walk
Go on a loop walk to the mountain village of Pestera. On your way, you can explore the Pestera Lilecilor (Bats cave). Then, your walk brings you high up to a ridge from where you have spectacular views to the main ridge of the Piatra Craiului massif, which looks like the back of a dragon. You walk over pastures and meadows covered with wildflowers.
Approx. 3 hours walking (10 km / + 360 m / - 360 m) or 2.5 hours walking (7 km / + 310 m / - 310 m)
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Overnight at Guesthouse in Magura

Day 9: Departure
Transfer to the airport and departure.
Meals included: Breakfast

Rates and Dates for Monasteries & Bran Castle

Dates Note: Daily departures during season.

Other Info
Meeting: Bucharest
Airport: Bucharest
Transfer: Bucharest Hotel

Climate:
                                                Suceava area