Compare Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe by Exodus Travels vs On top of Romania’s Two Highest Peaks, in Transylvanian Alps by Alpine Adventure Romania
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 3 days |
| Price From | $ 2,175 | $ 338 |
| Price Per Day | $ 272 | $ 113 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | All breakfasts, six lunches and six dinners are included during our stay. Meals are a mixture of local produce and Romanian/Transylvanian specialties. Breakfasts usually consist of a small buffet including an egg dish, cold cuts, cheeses, boiled eggs, vegetables, spreads, bread, yoghurt, cereals, jam, juice, herbal teas and coffee. Lunches included on this trip will include the following – a picnic lunch provided by a local farmer on one day, traditional soups, and self-made sandwiches that you can choose your own fillings from the buffet in the mornings. Each evening there is a choice of a meat dish or vegetarian option. If you are vegetarian or have special dietary requirements please let us know at the time of booking. One night we will have dinner in a traditional Romanian restaurant in Brasov, this meal is not included and you should allow approximately 100 Romanian lei (€20) – without drinks – for this. |
2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch and 2 Dinners |
| Description |
Transylvania – the name alone conjures images of craggy mountains, gothic castles, horse-drawn carts and forests filled with hibernating bears. The reality is not that far off. Crisp winters add an extra dimension to this small corner of Europe as snow blankets the pastures, farmsteads and woodlands. Spend a week exploring this region, hiking or snowshoeing to small villages, into gorges, through valleys and up mountains as we also take time to visit a local bear sanctuary and, of course, one of the most famous castles in the world, Bran Castle, the fictional home of Dracula. From our comfortable guesthouse in the small village of Magura, we head out to uncover the region’s treasures on foot. Snow conditions will dictate whether we hike or snowshoe; either way, we get into the wilderness. On our travels, we meet local people who still live a traditional lifestyle, learn about the regional folklore and history, enjoy the mountain scenery and, with a bit of luck, see traces of the local wildlife including wolf or bear prints in the snow.Mountains, woodlands, pastures and villages all covered in snow and waiting to be explored in Romania |
This tour takes you in just two days on Romania’s highest peaks:
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Day 1 Start Magura, Transylvania
The trip starts in the village of Magura at about 3,410ft (1,040m), within the boundaries of Piatra Craiului National Park in Transylvania. However, as the guesthouse is 103mi (165km) from Bucharest Airport, we strongly recommend you join the group transfer (3hr 30min), which will take you to the guesthouse from the airport. Dinner on arrival will consist of a cheese and continental meat platter with bread. Our hosts at our guesthouse, Villa Hermani, are very hospitable and enjoy stopping to chat over a glass of local plum brandy. Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 2 Walk to a local bat cave and the village of Pestera
Heading out on foot, our first destination today is a local cave, which is a hibernation roost for a number of bats including lesser and greater horseshoe bats. Remember to bring a torch (flashlight) with you for the visit. We then continue to the nearby village of Pestera (which translates as ‘the cave’) witnessing the winter rural life of these mountain communities. After lunch at a local pub, we return to Magura. Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 3 Explore Kalibash villages
Magura is one of a number of villages known as the Kalibash villages. The Kalibash once fled Walachia to this remote area which, at the time, was under Austro-Hungarian rule. Here, houses stretch along hilltops like pearls on a string. Starting at our guesthouse, we hike up to Dealul Magurice (4,265ft/1,300m) where we may spot wolf, lynx and bear prints in the forest snow. Later, as we make our way back to Magura, we stop by a farm to share a hot tuica (homemade plum brandy) with the farmer. Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 4 Snowshoe or walk between Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountains
This morning, we walk up to a high plateau between Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountains. In winter, this plateau is uninhabited, everything is still and a quiet serenity permeates the air giving a sense of truly being in a remote and special area. In the afternoon, we return to the guesthouse. Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 5 Visit Libearty bear sanctuary, the village of Vulcan and Brasov
Driving down into the valley, we make our way to the largest rescue facility for brown bears in Europe: Libearty. Founded in 2005, the rescue centre is home to nearly 100 bears, most of which suffered years in captivity as dancing bears or in circuses. The walk around the bear sanctuary will last approximately one hour. We drive to the village of Vulcan, which derives its name from the Slavonic word valc meaning wolf. This region is closely related to the history of Transylvanian Saxons who immigrated here 800 years ago from the Rhine-Moselle valleys. They built fortified churches, some of which have been designated Unesco World Heritage sites. Upon arrival in Vulcan, we are greeted with warm coffee and traditional cake in the yard of the fortified church. From Vulcan, we drive to Brasov for a tour around town and free time to explore. We then take our evening meal in a traditional Romanian restaurant and later return to Magura by minibus. Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 6 Walk to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's castle
Today we hike from tranquil Magura towards busy Bran where we visit Bran Castle. It’s easy to see why Bram Stoker picked this castle to be the residence of Count Dracula. The character himself was based on Vlad Tepes, aka Vlad the Impaler, Duke of Walachia and a brutal tyrant. Though Vlad himself never went to Bran, Stoker saw an image of the castle and thought it the perfect setting for his dark tale. After, we stop by Dracula’s market where we can pick up vampire-inspired souvenirs. Later, we meet the minibus and return to Magura. Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 7 Snowshoe through Zarnesti Canyon to Piatra Craiului Mountains
This morning, we walk through a spectacular canyon, a gorge formed during the Jurassic period. We continue towards Curmatura Cabin just beneath the rocks of Piatra Craiului Mountain. The cabin is open year-round and we can relax here before going back to our guesthouse. Altitude gain: We first walk down to the gorge 655ft (200m), then hike up 2,300ft (700m) to Cabana Curmatura, walk down again 2,300ft (700m), and hike up to Magura 655ft (200m). Accommodation: Villa Hermani
Day 8 End Magura, Transylvania
Our adventure comes to an end today. Bid farewell to Villa Hermani and start your return journey home. Clients booked on the group transfer will be transported (3hr 30min) back to Bucharest Airport.
Day 1
We depart from Bucharest at 18.00 and head, by car, towards West passing by the city of Pitesti and then Curtea de Arges. Half an hour after Curtea de Arges we will be on “the most beautiful road in the world” and soon on the most spectacular dam in Romania. We must stop to see it, the vertical drop is huge.
We head then north following the “most beautiful road in the world”. We will spend the night at one of the guesthouses on this road.
Day 2
In the morning, as early as we can but no later than 8.00, we continue on this road (opened only from June to September) getting dizzy from time to time because of the sudden steep bends of the road and passing through 1Km tunnel we end up on the North side of the mountain at Balea Glacier Lake. Now you should be cold and the only way to warm up is to start the hike.
We are now in Fagaras. This is the biggest, highest and probably most sought mountain massif in Romania in the summer months, while in winter it becomes a challenge. The range it is not called for nothing the Transylvanian Alps. And we are going to have a go for its second highest peak, Negoiu – 2535, following the ridge trail.
The first hour is tough. The second is a pleasure following the ridge. The end of the third one will find us having a short meal just beside Caltun glacier lake. At this point Negoiu is overpowering us and you must wonder which is the way through these vertical walls. But some chimneys, one of them called the Devil Chimney, solve the problem for us. In five hours since we started we should be breathless both because of the effort and of the view from the peak of Negoiu, the last one being simply spectacular in all directions.
We return to Balea on slightly different route which follows a trail underneath the ridgeline.
We will stay at the same guesthouse, as in the previous evening.
Day 3
8.30 AM is our departing hour. We return a little bit to the South and then enter a mountain road which we follow about 18 km.
At the junction of two rivers we leave the car(s) and start hiking. The path is steep and heads directly towards Romania’s highest peak – Moldoveanu (2544m). We stand on top of it after 4 tough hours.
All of Transylvania will be at our feet with its low plain of Fagaras and its rolling hills. The ridge of Fagaras itself seems never to finish and only Negoiu, far in the distance, the second peak of Romania that you climbed the day before, blocks the view.
We take advantage of the good hour and we return to our car(s) by other route. This time we will follow a little the spectacular ridge of the Transylvanian Alps up to Podul Giurgiului Glacier Lake.
We estimate to arrive in Bucharest by 22.00, depending on the traffic.
