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0845 3000 247 +44 (0)1539 531258 |
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These holidays contribute to the resoration of the castle at Miclosoara and support the local community through employment and use of local resources |
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DATES |
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Daily departures 3, 7. 10 & 14 nights Prices from £ 769.00 per week includes flights, taxes, transfers, full-board, activities & excursions. Further discounts on group prices |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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Unspoilt Nature & Traditions Legends of Transylvania History & Culture Brasov & Bran Castle Szekelerland Gelence Frescoes St. Ana Lake Saxon fortified churches Sighisoara & Viscri Carpathian Landscapes Flower meadows Bear-tracking Bird-watching Horses & Carts Walking & Fishing Pied Piper Caves Village Life Winter Holidays |
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FLIGHTS |
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Recommended Flight Schedules British Airways Heathrow 09:45 Bucharest 15:00; Bucharest 15:00 - Heathrow 17:15 Times are local and are subject to change; 2 hour time difference - UK & Romania Alternative quality airlines include |
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In case you wish to stay longer than a week, we offer as an option 3-day (2-3 night) tours by Land Rover to more remote destinations, like the famous painted monasteries of Bucovina. Our British friend and guide, Colin Shaw, of "Roving Romania" will show you around and eventually bring you back to Miclosoara. Tour options: - The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina - Lake Békás (Bicaz) and the Mystical - Mountain of Ceahlau - Carpathian Mountain Passes |
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A TOUCH OF CLASS ADVENTURES 2008
ROMANIA (HOME) INTRODUCTION ACCOMMODATION HIKING PRICES NEW: VISCRI BRASOV REGION SIBIU REGION FLIGHTS CAR HIREThis page is dedicated to the Nature and Culture Activities - please also refer to the separate HIKING page for the new walking programme.
Travel back in time to discover a living history and an unspoilt natural history set amidst the beautiful, tranquil countryside - the mountains, forests and flower-filled meadows of Transylvania.
Updated 7.7.2008
Landscape around Miklosvar (Miclosoara)
CONTACT US+44 (0)1539 531258
Viscri (Deutschweisskirch): Fortified Saxon Church
MONDAY |
The LAND of the SZEKLERS The eastern Carpathians is the traditional home of the Szekely, a people closely related to the Magyars who speak a distinctive Hungarian accent and cherish a special historical identity. During this excursion you will meet a family of woodcarvers and furniture painters who have been handing down their profession from father to son since the 1500s (oldest in Europe), see the totem poles in Fules graveyard, and visit a church in Biborteni (Bibarcfalva) with historic frescoes and sample natural mineral water. In the afternoon, you will visit a Unitarian fortified church in Aita Mare (Nagyajta), before returning to Miclosoara to see the Kalnoky Family Chapel and Crypt. Finally you will be taken to the Hunting Manor, where you will see the restoration work that is taking place. |
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TUESDAY |
THE BIRD WALK Today, you will take a bird walk in and around Miclosoara. Our wildlife guide will introduce you to a wide variety of habitats (forests, wetlands, riparian woods and parklands). These places harbour a multitude of different birds, including the beautiful Golden Oriole, the Great Grey Shrike, the Fieldfare (only found in the Carpathian part of Transylvania), the Little Owl, and Skylark. Black storks also nest here, as well as night-jars, bee-eaters, hoopoes, kingfishers, wall-creepers, corncrakes, and Ural owls to name but a few. Just outside the village, a protected nature reservation can be found; a wetland with important botanical value and a valuable hunting ground for birds of prey, such as the Lesser Spotted Eagle. The bird walk is suitable for anyone with an interest in nature, as well as more serious birdwatchers. |
A CASTLE and a FORT Bram Stoker immortalised Transylvania in his book Dracula, but he never actually visited the region. Castle Bran, which has become synonymous with Count Dracula, towers dramatically on a crag overlooking the village. Our culture guide will help you to sort fact from fiction. There is also a reconstructed village nearby with traditional barns and houses, which provides an insight into rural life in mediaeval Transylvania. After Bran, we will visit Râsnov, where a ruined fort founded around 1225 by the Teutonic Knights, sits high amongst fir-clad forests, commanding a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. |
WEDNESDAY |
BRASOV, HARMAN (Honigberg) & PREJMER (Tartlau) On the way to Brasov, you will be able to visit the amazing fortified churches in Harman (Honigberg) and Prejmer (Tartlau). These buildings were used to house the populations of entire villages during invasions by the Turks, and contain numerous storerooms to hold a sufficient amount of food to survive a siege. Brasov is one of the seven major Transylvanian Saxon towns. Here you will find a plethora of architectural delight and lush colours, which contrasts perfectly with the green wooded hills that surround it. In the company of our cultural guide you will stroll around the beautiful Town Hall Square and visit the famous Black Church, take the cable car to the top of Tampa Mountain and have a coffee in the panoramic restaurant. |
VALLEYS, FORESTS & WETLANDS Today, you will explore the beautiful landscape of Transylvania in the company of our wildlife guide. This nature tour is not set in stone and the guide will discuss your particular interests. You may, for example, be taken by land rover through the spectacular Aita Valley, where you will cross the river more than ten times! You will visit the charcoal burners who continue to use a process perfected during the Middle Ages. They will provide us with charcoal, which will be used to grill meat or vegetables at the picnic on the banks of the Aita stream (with opportunities for swimming). You will be able to go for a short hike up the side of the valley where wild flower meadows and a panoramic view await you. After the picnic, we will then continue our journey through the valley where you may catch a glimpse of a Lesser Spotted Eagle or a Black Stork.. |
THURSDAY |
FOSSIL TRAIL and FOREST HIKE This walk will leads to famous fossil sites rich in Ammonites, Belemnites and different molluscs as well as beautiful countryside, secluded forests and panoramic views. It starts from Ormenis (Ürmös), the village situated o pposite Miklósvár, on the other side of the River Olt. Here you can observe the Saxon influence on local architecture. At the edge of the village there is a famous fossil site in cretacic sandy marls rich in shells and ammonites. Next, you will walk through hay meadows until you reach well-preserved woodland pastures with mature oak trees. The total length of the trip is around 20 km, but it can be shortened depending on your fitness level. This nature tour is not set in stone and the guide will discuss your walking preferences and particular interests. |
THE SAXONS Viscri is one of the most impressive of the Transylvanian old Saxon villages and is on UNESCOs World Heritage List. The fortified church on top of the hill dates back to 1230, the fortified walls were added in 1525 and an assortment of towers in the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries. The village was saved from destruction with the help of the Mihai Eminescu Trust with the support of the Prince of Wales, who owns a house in the village. You will have lunch in the courtyard of a local Saxon family. There is also the opportunity to walk through wild flower meadows after lunch. On the return journey, you will stop to visit the fortified church in the Saxon village of Homorod (Hamruden). |
FRIDAY |
SHEPHERDS With a horse and cart you will be taken to the higher pastures to meet the shepherds and their flock of sheep. The guide will explain the shepherds lifestyle, as well as the methods used to protect their livestock from predators. There might be an opportunity to hear some of their tales about close encounters with bears and wolves, often only slightly exaggerated. You will also see them milking and making cheese. Returning to the lower pastures, we will have a picnic and explore the beautiful wild flower meadows before returning home to Miklósvár. |
THE VOLCANIC LAKES After breakfast, we will drive through spectacular mountainous scenery to reach the summit of Mount Ciumatu. Here you will discover St. Anas lake, the only intact volcanic lake in Europe. A small chapel is situated close to the lake. Our culture guide will explain the legend of St. Ann and its association with the lake. The rare Tinovul Mohus peat bog can also be found at this site (situated in a secondary crater, with glacial relics such as Drosera insectivorous plants). A local guide will accompany you to explain the unique flora and fauna, which is found in the area during your walk. There is also the possibility to visit the remarkable sulphur caves. |
SATURDAY |
VILLAGE LIFE IN MICLOSOARA You will spend the day with the people in Miklósvár, who will welcome you into their homes and introduce you to local activities. You will visit the local bee-keeper, make some of that lovely honey, and of course taste it. For those with a culinary interest, a lady who also lives locally will be happy to show you how to make the traditional Szekler pastry KürtRskalács, which will then be served after lunch. See the blacksmith at work and give him a hand in the afternoon and return to the guesthouse with a handful of new skills. In the evening you can sit outside the main guesthouse on a bench and watch the cows come home alone to their |
THE PIED PIPER'S CAVE Around 25 km north of Miclosoara is the Almasch cave in the gorge of the Varghis river, a system that continues for 7.3 km on four levels and where the Pied Piper legendarily surfaced with the children of Hamlin (who became the Saxons colonists of Transylvania). This is one of Transylvanias most important speleological sites. After traversing the river, we will enter and explore the cave, with its impressive halls populated by colonies of bats. Our guide will explain the history and unique structure of the cave and the habits of these fascinating animals. For those interested in hiking, it is possible to climb the summit and walk through wild flower meadows with panoramic views of the gorge. |
SUNDAY |
BRANDY DISTILLERY You will be taken by a horse-cart to a neighbouring village and have the opportunity to visit one of the most famous brandy distilleries in the area, the Köpecbánya Distillery, proudly owned by Mr. Dénes. About 20 years ago when the coal mine closed down the brandy he makes became his only source of income. In a reed-roofed shack you will discover how Szekler brandy (Pálinka) is made, maybe lend a helping hand to make it, and be able to sample it before returning home to Miklósvár. As a hobby Mr. Dénes also manufactures brooms and his son is a bee-keeper.. |
NEEDS TO BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE OF YOUR VISIT
SIGHISOARA
In the company of our cultural guide, you will visit Sighisoara and learn about the history of the Saxons in Transylvania. Sighisoara is one of the seven major Saxon towns dating back to the 13th century and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is also the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, The Impaler. The old town or citadel dominates the newer quarters from a rocky massif. During this tour you will visit the Citadel, the Clock Tower, the Monastery Church, some of the fourteen Guild Towers, and climb the Scholars Stairs to reach the newly restored Church on the Hill and the atmospheric Saxon cemetery. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant in the cobbled town square.
CUTURAL ACTIVITIES
NATURE ACTIVITIES
Additional Activities
If you would like to do something, which you cannot find in the programme, please ask, as we will endeavour to assist. For example if there is somewhere you would like to visit in the region which is not on the list, or if you have a relevant specific interest which is not covered we will try to accommodate you. We have recently organised special trips to visit the steam forestry railway at Covasna-Comandau, and to Peles Castle at Sinaia. These may cost extra and will depend on availability of transport and guides - special requests are more easily fulfilled outside the busy season of May - September. Bird ringing programmes are also available from time to time please ask for further details and dates, and for comprehensive lists of bird species observed in the region. We have also catered for special events such as birthdays, anniversarys or for honeymoons. A candlelit meal or party cand be arranged in advance at most times of the year, or we could adapt a programme for a small group.
We can also add on extra days in other parts of Romania such as the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, or the mediaeval town of Sibiu for example. Perhaps you would like to spend a day shopping on your own in Brasov, we can request transfers for you. Please ask us for ideas or a quotation.
Sighisoara (Schässburg) - the clocktower
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Fruit Blossom, Miklosvar (Miclosoara); Street in Viscri; Swallowtail Butterfly
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Cart ride in the Olt Valley; S potted Eagle (Robert Zeitz); Vargyas Canyon
One or Two day riding programmes are now available
covering the beautiful, untouched region of the former Kalnoky Domains
Riding between the Kalnoky summer castle at Miklosvar (Miclosoara) and the family seat, the castle at Kalnok (Calnic)
Please enquire for further details
EURO 35.00 per day payable locally
STOP PRESS: FULL ONE WEEK RIDING PROGRAMMES NOW AVAILABLE
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR DETAILED PROGRAMME
Winter Holidays
Winter is one of the most beautiful seasons in the village. It usually lasts from the end of October to the beginning of April. You not only feel to have been transferred into a fairytale, but also have the impression of time standing still. During the day you can ski at Poiana Brasov resort, situated at 1900 m altitude with an average annual snowfall of 70 cm, a variety of slopes, cable cars and lifts. Alternatively you may prefer animal tracking in the snow or a romantic sleigh ride equipped with a fur blanket and muffs to keep your hands and knees warm. A rather special excursion is o the Pied Pipers cave, reached by crossing the river on the ice. In its entrance hundreds of ice stalagmites resemble the transparent-blue shapes of children. Snowshoes are available to help you discover our fairytale, winter wilderness before returning to the warmth of a roaring log fire!
Transylvania uncovered
is a Division of BCD Meetings & Incentives
1 Atkinson Court, Fell Foot, Newby Bridge, Cumbria, United Kingdom LA12 8NW
Tel. +44 (0)1539 531258 or UK local rate: 0845 3000 247; Email. [email protected]
ATOL 3319 - IATA 91267691
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Copyright © 2008 Transylvania Uncovered - the Romania Travel Specialists