4. Maramureș and Transylvania Tour

Departure from Cluj-Napoca or Brașov.

See the best of Maramureș and Transylvania in 3-7 days, including several UNESCO sites. Discover its extraordinary culture mix, castles, villages, crafts, people. Taste the Romanian, Saxon, Jewish and Hungarian cuisine…

Itinerary proposal for the 6-day tour option:

Day 1. Meet in Brașov. See the Council Square, Catherine’s Gate, and the narrow Rope Street, and walk on the pedestrian Republicii Street, with its restaurants, shops, and outdoor cafes. Visit Brașov’s large Gothic Black Church, featuring a collection of precious Anatolian rugs. At choice: see Prejmer, the strongest village fortress of Romania, a UNESCO site, or one of the best horse farms of Transylvania. Overnight in Brașov.

Day 2. Visit Bran Castle (the so-called „Dracula Castle”), really impressive from outside… You can also see, somewhere else, the virtually unknown place where Bran Castle’s original furniture and royal collections are kept today… Discover Peleș Castle in Sinaia, the residence of King Charles I of Romania, one of the most beautiful and luxurious summer royal palaces of Europe. Optionally, visit Libearty Bear Sanctuary, home for over 100 rescued brown bears. Overnight in Brașov.

Day 3. See Viscri village, famous for its connections with King Charles III. Enter in the fortified church, included in UNESCO. Optionally: instead well known Viscri, visit the off-the-beaten-path last truly Saxon village left in Romania. Arrival at Sighișoara, another UNESCO site and a lovely inhabited medieval citadel, the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler („Dracula”). Walk around the Citadel, climb the Scholars’ Staircase, and the massive Clock Tower, with its astronomical clock and museum. Overnight in Sighișoara.

Day 4. Quite a long day, towards Maramureș. Once arrived there, meet special craftspeople, in Săcel, then, a UNESCO-recognised vegetal-dyed rug weaver. Great scenery. Walk around beautiful Bârsana Monastery, a Maramureș landmark, then discover a great wood carving workshop (where the skilled workers create everything from wooden gates and furniture to wooden churches). Overnight in Breb or Sighetu Marmației.

Day 5. Visit the local food market, the Memorial of the Victims of Communism (a political prison in the ancient regime, one of the main memory sites of the continent), or Elie Wiesel Memorial House (the Jewish museum) – all from Sighetu Marmației. See the unique „Merry Cemetery“ of Săpânța, where the painted wooden crosses carry stunning epitaphs about the deceased’s life. Then, on Cosău Valley, visit an alcohol distillery, watermills, and whirlpools (still used by the local women to wash heavy wool blankets or to press the wool felt). At the end, discover the wood shingle makers, and meet a special person in Breb. All over the place, you can get in touch with craftspeople and traditional farmers at their places, or out in the fields. Overnight in Breb or Sighetu Marmației.

Day 6. Visit Desești wooden church (a UNESCO site, with well-preserved paintings) and Mara trout farm, with its wood architecture and a waterfall. Stop in Baia Mare, where you can stroll around the medieval Old Square with the St. Stephen Tower (from the 14th century). Drive to Cluj-Napoca, with its Gothic St. Michael Church, and the street in the mirror (where the buildings on the right side are the reflection of the ones on the left side. The tour ends in Cluj-Napoca.

Option 1. From Cluj-Napoca you can go back to Brașov on your own, by car (rental or Uber), train or bus, or go to Bucharest (by train or plane), or fly anywhere else from CLJ Airport.

Option 2. Book an extra day, and I will drive you back to Brașov, either by the fastest route (4 hours drive), or slower, with different sightseeing stops along the way.

The tour includes the accommodation, the guiding fee, the transport, and all entrance tickets.

You can choose another itinerary or tour length (from 3 to 7+ days), pick up another starting/ending place, and fix various accommodation and meal options.

For price, dates and more information, please fill out the form or contact me by WhatsApp or email.