Area: Romanian Mountains: Apuseni Mts

Level rate: Moderate

Dates of departure: November – March, on demand

Nr. of team members: 2 – 12

Trip duration (days): 8

Required gear: Backpack, food, spot light (preferably front lamp), good boots, waterproof and warm changing clothes, water can, sweets.

On the way, we pass by Pitesti, Ramnicu Valcea city and by Sibiu Medieval City.

Accomodation: guest house in Rasinari 2^ND DAY SUNDAY
Visit Sibiu medieval city, transfer by coach to Vartop village, Apuseni Mountains

Rasinari Village, the one that gave to Romania 7 members of Romanian Academy conserves unalterated the winter traditions and a traditional lifestyle. Visit Sibiu, one of the nices medieval citadels in Romania and, for 2009, the European capital of culture. Sebes -> Alba Iulia -> Campeni -> Arieseni Having dinner in Vartop

Accommodation: hotel in Vartop

Leisure time at Arieseni (horse slaid)

Visit a part of Apuseni Mountains in a horse-driven slate.

9:00: have breakfast in the hotel.

9:30: transfer to Pestera Ursilor (Bears’ cave) in Chiscau Village (100 km). Visit the Cave, joined by a guide. The cave, the finest cave in Romania is suitable for guided tourists’ visit. In this cave were found traces of the bear cave (Ursus spelaeus), the biggest bear that lived in the Ice Age.

14:00: Short hike (30 minutes) to Groapa Ruginoasă (Redish Hole), the most spectacular geological reserve in Romania, containing a a small scale canyon, an early canyon that is being formed on sedimentary roks. You can see with your own eyes how a canyion is formed.

20:00: Dinner in Hotel in Vârtop

Accommodation: hotel in Vârtop

4^TH DAY TUESDAY

Caving in Carpathian Mountains

Getting in touch with the Romanian traditions and the villagers day by day style of life – traditional way of life, cooking, milking 9:00: breakfast at Vartop

9:30: optional transfer to Garda, typical mountain village, the main gate to Apuseni cave system (10 Km)(30 EURO)

10:00: horse slide visit to Poarta lui Ionele cave and Scarisoara cave glaciar – the biggest underground glacier in Romania – , local museum at Scărişoara

20:00: Dinner

Accomodation: hotel in Vartop

5^TH DAY, WEDNESDAY

Leisure time in Apuseni mountains

9:00: breakfast

9:30: optional program: – ski on Vartop slope ( 800m length, easy level); – visit local woodcrafts man in Garda ( 5 EURO); – traditional cooking in the village; – visit a local farm;

20:00: having dinner in Vartop

Accommodation: hotel in Vartop

6^TH DAY, THURSDAY

Transfer to Sighisoara Medieval Citadel Arieseni Village.

We are following Aries spectacular valley, until we reach Turda’s gorges (the most spectacular in Romania) just 1.8 Km long bur very dramatic landscape. The town of Turda is famous by it’s salt mine (“Salina”) with traces of roman exploatation. Optional: visit the salt mine (~ 5 EURO/pers)

Câmpia Turzii – the place of a dramatic moment in Romanian history: the assassination of the first Romanian leader, Mihai Viteazul (Michael the brave), that unified all the three teritories lived by the romanians for the first time, at 1600. He was the defeater of the great Turkish military leader Sinan Pasa.

Târgu Mureş city – the third important city in Transylvania, an important trade city on the Mures river banks, with a vivid history, a nice stronghold well preserved. The city is important for the commerce beetwin Transylvania and Moldavia, and has a big number of hungarians leaving toghether with the romanians. Centuries ago on the Mures River rafts and water mills could be seen.

Sighişoara medieval citadel. Spending the evening in the medieval atmosphere in Sighisoara.

Accommodation: guest house in Sighişoara

7^TH DAY, FRIDAY

Transfer by coach to Bucharest, capital city

Visit Sighişoara in the morning, the only citadel in Europe still inhabited since the middle ages. Leaving Sighişoara, heading for Brasov City.

15:00 visit Brasov, an old city, conserving the biggest gothic cathedral in Eastern Europe – the black church.

Predeal Resort, nice view over Bucegi Mountains

Evening walk in Bucharest, visit Bucharest by night.

Having dinner in Bucharest

Accommodation: *** hotel in Bucharest

8^TH DAY, SATURDAY

Transfer by coach from Bucharest to the Intl. Airport

Schedule according to the flight’s departure timing

Transfer to Piatra Caiului Mountains

Welcoming you at the Otopeni Int. Airport , transfer thru the mountains: Sinaia – Predeal – Zarnesti

Accommodation at a mountain lodge, in the middle of the forest

2^ND DAY SUNDAY

Deep into the forest, looking for wildlife.

9:00 AM Breakfast

10:00 AM visit the Carpathians’ brown bear habitat. Romania is known for sheltering more than a half of Europeans’ big wildlife population. Watching the brown bear in freedom is definitely a spectacle. Special program with the National Forest Service.

A forester will join the group for the day.

Optional: visit the spruce and firs forest. The forest is a natural reservation, one of the three reservations in Romanian Mountains, the trees being not only old but also having impressing sizes. A two hours walk will take us to this magnificent fir-trees forest.

7:00 PM Dinner

Accommodation at Gura Bârsei lodge

• Easy – Moderate hike.
• Hiking time – ~ 5 hours
• Sightseeing objectives: the brown bear, the spruce forest in the reservation

3^RD DAY MONDAY

Watching wild life (chamois)

9:00 AM Breakfast

10:00 AM 4-6 hours medium hike

For this day’s program we’ll have to climb the steep slopes of Piatra Craiului. Near the ridge a local guide from the forest service will show us the places where the chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra ) lives. The chances of seeing chamois in their natural habitat are quite big.

7 PM Having dinner

Accommodation at Gura Bârsei mountain lodge

4^TH DAY TUESDAY

Moderate to difficult hike on the Piatra Craiului Mts Ridge (8 -10 hours)

9:00 AM Breakfast

10:00 AM 8 -10 hours hike. The path fallows Spirla Valley, climbing few hundreds meters on a narrow foot-path in the forest, in light ascend, then on the wide path in moderate ascend. The path leaves Spirla Valley to the right ascending steadily in the near by a spring and in windings it comes out of the forest in the glade with Spirla Refuge. The path turns to the East – South- East, towards the steep slope and gently passes through several glades. In short time the path turns left, comes out of the forest and, across an area with scree, ascends steadily to “La Zaplaz”, at the foot of the rocky steep slope. Crossing to the left, ascends a step and then continues to the right through a narrow path endowed with chains. After that we reach a calm place at the level of several holes carved in the limestone rock. Farther upwards the route continues through a wide ravine with several rocky steep steps, endowed with chains, this part is called “La Lanturi” (The Chains); then the path crosses Braul de Mijloc and reaches the main ridge in Saua Grindului (Grind Saddle).

Not far from here there is the highest peak on the massif: La Om or Piscul Baciului 2238m / 7234ft

8 PM Dinner

Accommodation at Gura Bârsei lodge

5^TH DAY WEDNESDAY

Transfer to Sighişoara medieval town

9:00 AM Breakfast

10:30 AM Visit Bran castle

12:00 Pm Visit Râşnov castle.

2 PM Visit Brasov old City (Council square, Black Church – the largest Gothic building in SE Europe, Rope street – the narrowest in Romania)

On the way to Sighisoara the road is passing by nice Transylvanian villages with tall walls, hiding large yards and house keeps. Also we pass by fortified churches and small castles, Rupea ruins and Feldioara being the most spectacular.

7PM: Dinner in the house where Dracula was born.

Accommodation in 3*guest house in the old town.

6^TH DAY THURSDAY

Transfer to Răşinari Village

9:00 AM Breakfast

On the way to Sibiu the road crosses Transylvania from East to West, many villages with typical houses with tall walls and large gates that are closing the yard almost like a citadel. In the town of Medias Vlad Dracul (Dracula) was kept prisoner for a short time. At Slimnic can be seen a stronghold from the defensive system of Sibiu .

City of Sibiu is one of the largest in Transylvania and the largest medieval city in Romania . Visit city of Sibiu ( Main Square , The Small Square, City hall’s tower, Lairs Bridge )

7 PM Dinner

Accommodation in *** guest house in Răşinari

7^TH DAY FRIDAY

Transfer to Bucharest

9:00 AM Breakfast

10:00 AM visit Răşinari village.

Răşinari is a typical Romanian village in Transylvania , with influences of the German style. The streets are narrow; the houses have tall walls, hiding the yard and the house. Large gates allow the wagons and still running horse-driven carriages to enter inside, and nearby there is a small door for people. Rasinari is the village where two of the greatest Romanian writers where born: Octavian Goga and Eugen Ionescu, the last being the founder of the absurd theatre. He lived the last part of his life in France , at Paris , being adopted by the French culture under the name Eugen Ionesco.

The road fallows Olt River to the South by its narrow path cut into the Carpathians, dividing Southern Carpathians: at East Făgăraş Massif and Cozia Mountains and at West Parâng Goup (Lotru and Capatânii Mountains.).

At the end of the narrow path on the right side of Olt river there can be seen the ruins of a Roman military camp. A few miles down there is Cozia Monastery erected in 1386 by Mircea the Great. The church has on top a golden cross. During World War II the soviet army tried to steal it but they could not.

South of Cozia the road takes us through some famous spas in Romania : Caciulata, Calimanesti. The spas are famous for them mineral waters; tourists from allover Europe c o me here every year for different medical treatments. Calimanesti hosts a palace that was built by Napoleon the 3 rd , the king of France as a summer residence. Nowadays the palace hosts Central Hotel.

Râmnicu Vâlcea is the capital City of Valcea County. The city is a typical small one having few objectives to see.

Pre Carpathian Hills are a region famous for the fruit trees, being covered by huge orchards.

Pitesti is the capital city of Arges county, also called The city of Tulips is a trade center situated on the banks of Arges river, being at the contact of Pre Carpathian Hills and Romanian Plain, two reach regions.

Bucharest city tour.

Accommodation at 3* Hotel in Bucharest


8^TH DAY SATURDAY
Breakfast

Transfer to Bucharest International Airport .

Planning upon flight schedule.