ROMANIA: HUNGARIAN AND SAXON TRANSYLVANIA 4 - 11 MAY 2020 FROM £2,385 PER PERSON Tour Leader: Gillian Craig EXPLORE CHARMING SAXON VILLAGES AND BEAUTIFUL UNSPOILT LANDSCAPES This captivating tour to Romania focuses on Transylvania, at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe, where horses still work the fields in a countryside largely unchanged by time, a region rich in history and known for its beautiful Carpathian landscape. We will visit Szekely Land, an autonomous region from Medieval time until 1876. Inhabited by the Szekely, Hungarian people leading a traditional way of life in the valleys and hills of the Eastern Carpathians. Their villages are distinctive, with houses set apart from each other and defended by huge oak-carved gates, and small, whitewashed churches. We will also visit Saxon villages, inhabited by people of German ethnicity who settled here from the 12th century. The Saxons formed distinct communities, maintaining ethnic traditions, their villages dominated by fortified churches and characterised by a specific, compact settlement pattern for protection. We will explore the beautiful countryside of one of Romania’s least known and largely unspoiled regions and taste a variety of regional dishes and wines. We begin in Saxon Brasov founded in the 12th century, and go on to visit the Szekely frescoes at the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Dajiu, and the wooden Szekely gates at Satu Mare. We continue to the beautifully preserved Medieval Saxon town of Sighisoara with its ancient crooked houses and alleyways, followed by the gypsy village of Brateiu, ending in Bucharest, once known as ‘Little Paris’ due to its charming fin de siècle buildings and boulevards. Sighisoara -The Clock Tower, Saxon Transylvania Hungarian Transylvania Fagaras fortress, Saxon Transylvania 8-DAY ITINERARY, DEPARTING 4 MAY 2020 4 May London / Bucharest / Brasov your journey to the village of Talisoara Continue exploring Szekely churches and check into Hotel Castel Daniel at Mugeni and Darjiu – a UNESCO Suggested flight (not included in the where three nights are spent. Some of World Heritage Site. The Calvinist cost of the tour) British Airways BA886 the rooms in this beautifully restored church at Mugeni is famous for its 14th departing London Heathrow at 11.40 manor house still preserve 17th century century frescoes. Some of the frescoes hrs arriving Bucharest at 17.00. old frescoes. At dinner. enjoy a cooking illustrate the Saint Laszlo legend, On arrival, transfer along Prahova demonstration where a local lady will the king’s battle with the Cumanian valley into Transylvania to the town of cook the famous Kurtos Kolacs – the chieftain. Darjiu is one of the only Brasov and check into the charming ‘chimney cakes’. two Szekely historical sites UNESCO 4-star Belvedere Hotel where one night World Heritage status. This was is spent. Dinner at the hotel. granted mainly because of the fresco 6 May Talisoara / Odorheiu Secuiesc / of the legend of Saint Laszlo showing Mugeni Arjiu / Talisoara scenes of the battle with the Cumanian 5 May Brasov / Talisoara This morning visit a local blacksmith chieftain to save a Hungarian maiden. This morning depart (with luggage) and in the village at his amazing workshop. Return to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel. explore Brasov in the foothills of Mount An artist who restores much of the Tampa. Brasov is one of the seven cities hardware of the nearby churches, founded by the Saxons in Transylvania including the Black Church in Brasov. 7 May Talisoara / Miercurea Ciuc / in the 12th century to guard the Travel north along the spectacular Racul / Carta / Talisoara mountain passes. Stroll through Ocland Pass at 800m with a stop This morning head eastwards to the the medieval streets, visit the Black en-route at the reformed Calvinist small village of Satu Mare to admire Church, Europe’s most eastern Gothic church with beautiful architecture the beautiful wooden Szekely gates. church, and its famous Council Square in the village of Varghis. The church Cross Vlahita Pass at 987m altitude which is part of the legend of the Pied was built in 1997 by the Hungarian and head to the town of Miercurea Piper. The Black Church houses an architect Imre Makovecz on the site of Ciuc, where 82% of the population is impressive collection of Ottoman rugs an older 13th century church. Continue Hungarian, and which is considered which arrived in Transylvania through driving towards the town of Odorheiu, to be the unofficial capital of Szekely trade with the Turks. Today there are settled on an ancient Roman military Land. Visit the late Renaissance- 380 Ottoman ‘classical’ carpets in camp. The town developed as a small style Miko Castle with its four corner Transylvania from 15th – 17th century. craft town during the reigns of the bastions. The original castle, which was Together they comprise the most Hungarian Arpad kings. In the 15th far more ornate than today’s building, important corpus of Turkish textile century King Mathias Corvinus granted was built by an advisor to Transylvanian art still surviving in Eastern Europe. Odorheiu Secuiesc ‘free royal town’ ruler Bethlen Gabor in the first half of Then travel to the eastern part of status enabling its many different the 17th century. The castle was largely Transylvania into Szekely Land. The craft guilds to host commercial fairs. destroyed by the Tatar raids of 1661, Szekely are a Hungarian-speaking See one of the oldest architectural and it was only at the beginning of the people. Their most important duty was monuments in Transylvania - The 18th century that it was rebuilt by an to defend the borders of Transylvania Chapel of Jesus - from the 13th century. Austrian general in the simple style from Turks. In return they enjoyed The little chapel gained its name from seen today. Now it is the home to the the privilege of self-government like the war cries of Szekely warriors who Csiki Szekely Museum that also has a Russia’s Cossacks, free from serfdom built a chapel on the battlefield to lavish folk exhibition. In the grounds and foreign military service. commemorate their victory. of the castle there is an open-air Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue Lunch at a traditional restaurant. exhibition, which consists of Csik style 020 3411 4595 | [email protected] | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK Racul, Hungarian Transylvania Sinaia - Peles Castle Gornesti, Teleki Castle wooden gates and some Csik houses. of Romania. Explore the small town 9 May Targu Mures / Medias / Lunch at a local restaurant. Drive of Gheorgheni, home to the largest Sighisoara Armenian community in Transylvania. north to visit two fortified churches in This morning enjoy a short stroll in Visit the Armenian Catholic church, Racul and Carta. Racul has unusual the city. The town is famous for the built in 1733. Travel south-west towards 15th century frescoes covering the Art Nouveau buildings in the main the town of Targu Mures passing the walls of the church tower that show Roses Square. The Old Town Hall and impressive gorges of the Mures river. scenes from the everyday folk life and the Palace of Culture are the best- Visit, along the route, Kemeny Castle, they were restored in 2004. Carta is known buildings of the town. Both in the village of Brancovenesti. Time the best-preserved fortified church were built as part of mayor Gyorgy permitting, make a short stop along the in Csik region from the 15th century. Bernady’s town development project at way in the village of Gurghiu to visit The Catholic church is surrounded by the beginning of the 20th century and the derelict 18th century Bornemisza an eight-metre-high defensive wall, they were designed by the era’s top Castle. Also. explore the botanical complete with arrow slits and a wooden architects, Marcell Komor and Dezso garden behind the castle to see the balcony. The chancel is Gothic, while Jakab, in a distinctive folk-influenced old-world elegance of the beautifully the main nave has been remodelled Art Nouveau style. Visit the Palace of carved wooden pavilions and the in Baroque style and it has beautiful Culture and the Teleki library. stained-glass windows that date from memorial stone to Franz Joseph’s wife Lunch in Targu Mures. Continue the 1912. Return to Talisoara village. Dinner Sissi. journey back into Saxon Transylvania. at the hotel. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue Travel southwards to visit the town heading south to the village of Gornesti. of Medias. See the Evangelic Church Visit Teleki Castle, which was recently 8 May Talisoara / Gheorghni / “St. Margaret”, or the “Castle” which given back to its owners. Gornesti was Brancovenesti / Targu Mures represented the core around which the seat of the Teleki family and their This morning depart (with luggage) the citadel gradually developed. See castle, set in the middle of parkland, and drive to the town of Odorheiu the medieval centre of the city which is among the most beautiful examples Secuiesc and continue the journey has a particular charm, with narrow of Transylvanian Baroque architecture. towards the north to the small village winding lanes, centuries-old houses Time permitting, continue to the of Corund where the age-old craft of and a large square towards which countryside to see the belfry in Ceuasu pottery remains the mainstay of the converge the main streets of the town. de Campie, considered one of the village today. Local artisans sell their Visit the Furriers’ Bastion (1641), most beautiful in Transylvania. Szekely wares which today embrace everything the Blacksmiths’ Tower (1641), the Land has numerous wooden belfries from handwoven rugs to sheepskin Wheelwrights’ Tower (17th century), the built separately from their churches, jerkins and knitted sweaters, from Knife-Makers’ Bastion (15th century), but this particular one is believed to open-air stalls set up in the centre the Gate’s Tower (16th century).