MOLDAVIAN MONASTERIES AND FORTIFIED CHURCHES

Arrival in Bucharest-Otopeni and reception by the Romanian tour guide. Drive north through the Prahova Valley to Predeal . Predeal is a ski area in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains. The city has around 30,000 inhabitants and is a popular recreational area in both winter and summer. With an altitude of 1093 meters, it is also the highest city in Romania.

 

In the morning visit to the Sinaia Monastery , which was built by monks from the Sinai Peninsula and which later gave the city its name. Afterwards visit to Peles Castle , the summer residence of the royal family of Hohenzollern. In the afternoon drive to Transylvania to Bran Castle , which is also called Dracula Castle . From Bran continue via Risnov to Brasov. The city was founded in the 13th century by the knights of the Teutonic Order and for centuries was an economic and intellectual center of the Transylvanian Saxons. City tour and visit to the most important sights: the Black Church with its Buchholz organ and the largest collection of oriental carpets, the medieval city wall around the historic old town with stylish late medieval town houses, the town hall square , the unique Rope Street , the Catherine’s Gate and the small hidden Orthodox church . Dinner in the “Cabana Trei Brazi” restaurant, with specialties from Romanian cuisine and Romanian gypsy music.

 

Drive through the eastern part of Transylvania, through the Szeklerland , where the majority of the population is of Hungarian descent. Along Lacu Rosu (Red Lake) passing through the Bicaz gorge , we arrive to Bucovina . On the way visit to the Agapia Monastery , one of the largest nunneries in Europe (with over 1000 nuns and novices). 

 

The monastery tour starts at the Moldovita nunnery . Explanation of the wall paintings and an introduction to the world of the Orthodox faith by one of the nuns. Drive over the Obcina Mare mountain to the Sucevita monastery , the only monastery in Bucovina where the painting on the north wall is still undamaged. Nearby is the Marginea ceramics center , where black ceramics are still produced using the ancient techniques. In the afternoon visit to the Voronet Monastery , also known as the “Sistine Chapel” of Romania. Dinner with folklore program in Campulung Moldovenesc .

 

The Carpathians are crossed again over the Tihuta Pass , past the Dracula Hotel. Here is the area where, according to legend, Count Dracula is said to have lived. Drive to  Bistrita and visit the Protestant Church , which was built by the Transylvanian Saxons in the 14th century. Bistrita is one of the seven castles that gave the province its name. Afternoon drive via Reghin to Targu Mures. Here you can visit the Orthodox Cathedral , the largest in Romania.

 

Drive to Sighisoara, the most beautiful and best preserved medieval town in the rural Gothic Renaissance and Baroque style in this part of Europe. The high density of architectural monuments, public buildings, ramparts, defense towers and apartments  give the castle the appearance of a unique, well-assembled complex of buildings of inestimable historical value. The most important sights are: the Church on the Hill, the house where Dracula was born , as well as the church of the former St.Mary’s monastery and the Clock Tower . Continue to Biertan and visit the largest fortified church in Transylvania, which was the seat of the evangelical bishops of Transylvania for centuries. Continue through the Kokel Valley to Medias and visit the Sf.Margaret Church , which has the highest clock tower in Romania. In the afternoon drive through numerous Saxon villages, the most important of which are Axente-Sever and Slimnic, to Sibiu . Before dinner at the mountain farmers' home in Sibiel, the glass icon museum is visited.

 

In the morning sightseeing in Sibiu. Most of the German-speaking minority in Romania still lives here. The sights in Sibiu are the Catholic Church , which was built by Maria Theresa, the Evangelical Parish Church , the seat of the bishops of Romania, and the Brukenthal Palace , where the most valuable art collection in Romania is exhibited. In the afternoon drive over the Red Tower Pass to Wallachia, to Bucharest . On the way visit to the Cozia Monastery , one of the oldest in Romania. Dinner in Bucharest on a terrace.

 

In the morning city tour and visit of the most important sights of the capital: The Patriarchal Church , the Village Museum , the Palace of the Parliament , the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. At noon, drive to Otopeni airport and flight home .

 

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