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0845 3000 247 +44 (0)1539 531258 |
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These holidays support the local community through employment and use of local resources and by sustaining and promoting traditional farming techniques |
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DATES |
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Daily departures from May 2008 3, 7. 10 & 14 nights Prices from £ 949.00 per week includes flights, taxes, transfers, full-board, activities & excursions. |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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Unspoilt Nature & Traditions Legends of Transylvania History & Culture Saxon fortified churches Sighisoara Carpathian Landscapes Traditional hay meadows Local cuisine Bird-watching Horses & Carts Walking & Fishing Village Life Winter Holidays |
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FLIGHTS |
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Recommended Flight Schedules British Airways to Bucharest Heathrow 06:20 - Bucharest 11:40 Bucharest 15:50 - Heathrow 17:15 Malev to Târgu Mures Heathrow 07:50-Budapest 11:20/ Budapest13:10-Targu Mures 15:05 Târgu Mures 15:50-Budapest 15:50/ Budapest 18:50-Heathrow 20:35 Transfers provided Alternative quality airlines include |
TOUCH OF CLASS - VISCRI 2008
including flights, transfers, fullboard and activities from May 2008
Prince of Wales' Guesthouse in the village of Viscri (Deutschweisskirch)
HRH the Prince of Wales has close connections with Transylvania. The tomb of his great, great grandmother, Countess Rhedey, is in the village of Sângeorgiu de Padure (Erdoszentgyorgy) , between Sighisoara and the spa of Sovata. Since the Revolution of 1989 he has supported restoration projects In Transylvania. These have included projects in several Saxon villages and the baroque Banffy Palace at Bontida, and in particular the Built Heritage Conservation Centre of the Transylvania Trust which is now housed there.
The Prince of Wales has visited the village of Viscri (Deutschweisskirch) on several occasions and recently bought a traditional 'Saxon' village house. Having seen the painstaking restoration work by Count Kalnoky in Miclosoara (Miklosvar), he asked the Count to assist with the restoration of the interiors and the courtyard of his property in Viscri. Subsequently, Count Kalnoky has been asked to run his house along the same lines as the guesthouses in Miclosoara in the hope that these holidays will encourage more people to visit Transylvania and in this way promote sustainable development.
Read Lucy Mayhew's escellent account in the Mail on Sunday:
Transfixed in Transylvania by Charles's Carrots
Mail on Sunday (16.12.2007)
0845 3000 247
+44 (0)1539 531258
The fortress church dominates the village
Village street, Viscri
This delightful UNESCO designated village, dominated by its magnificent hilltop White Church lies northwest of Rupea and can be reached from the east through Dacia on a 7 km unpaved road, or from Sighisoara and the west via Bunesti alonmg a short stretch of unpathed road. The origins of the fortified church date from 1100 when the Szeklers built a small church, and it is still surrounded by a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the Bjielo-Brdo culture. The Saxons colonised the village and took over the church at the end of the 12th Century, and the Szeklers were forced to resettle in southeast Transylvania. The first fortifications with towers were added in the first part of the 16th century, and the fortifications were extended as late as the 18th century. After 1743 a covered corridor for the storage of corn was built. A century later, two chambers in the defense corridor of the bastion were turned into school rooms. The classic 19th century altar has as centerpiece "the Blessing of the Children" by the painter J. Paukratz from Rupea. The font was made from a capital of the 13th century church.
The church dominates the village and it is easy to see why its position was chosen when you gaze out from the tower. The village is characterised by its main, broad village street and the small lanes clustered round the church. It is an ideal base for exploring the region of Saxon Transylvania and is within easy reach of Sighisoara and the fortress churches of Crit, Cloasterf, Archita, Sasciz, Bradeni, Homorod, and even Biertan. It is also a relaxing base for discovering local crafts and farming techniques. There are still charcoal makers and beekeepers in the village while the magnificent hay meadows around Viscri contain a wide diversity of wild flower species and the church yard contains herbs that have been used in medicine since the Middle Ages. The surrounding countryside is a paradise for nature lovers with many species of birds including Spotted Eagles, Hoopoes and the ubiquitous storks, and also a great diversity of butterflies including Swallowtails and Clouded Yellows.
Read more about the
Prince of Wales's house
in Viscri and his
charitable work on his
Website
Lunch - Traditional Saxon picnic at a 'Stana" - summer shepherds camp. Horse and cart transport.
Afternoon - Visit the fortress church of Viscri, and the museum. Discover the traditional garden and courtyard activities. Visit the blacksmith and the charcoal burners.
Dinner - Evening meal in Viscri
Lunch - In the courtyard with the baker.
Afternoon - Visit Saschiz (Keisd) - another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the church and walk to the ruined citadel, or take a stroll through the village to discover the courtyards of the typical Saxon village houses.
Dinner - Viscri or Saschiz, meetinmg producers to taste their produce.
Lunch - TFree to explore on your own.
Afternoon - Visit an organic agricultural training scheme for young people from the village of Boiu. Afternoon tea - taste their organic milk, cheese and bread,
Dinner - Evening meal in Viscri.
Lunch - Village courtyard.
Afternoon - Visit Cloasterf and village. Refreshments in a village courtyard.
Dinner - Evening meal in Viscri
Lunch - Lunch with the Embroiderer or at a restaurant in Biertan.
Afternoon - Continue to Malancrav (Malmkrog), a village which retains the highest proportion of German speaking 'Saxons'. See traditional weaving and carpet making or detour to Floresti (Felserdorf) to visit a cooper (barrel maker).
Dinner - Evening meal in Viscri
Prices for inclusive Holidays from the United Kingdom
- Return Flights from United Kingdom to Bucharest (see below)
- Return flights from Targu Mures via Budapest may also be available (approx. £ 40.00 higher than average Bucharest prices)
- Airport Taxes and Passenger Facility Charges
- Return Transfers from Bucharest or Targu Mures to Viscri
- Full Board Accommodation including local VAT
- All rooms with en suite bathroom or use of own bathroom
- Half a bottle of wine per person/ night
- Activity Programme (refer to Activities above for details)
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Guides and Transportation during your Stay
Prices are based on average availability for scheduled flights to Bucharest with onward road trabsfers to Viscri
Road transfers from Bucharest take 4-5 hours including a stop for refreshments. 3 hours from Targu Mures
Bookings made close to departure or during peak seasons can be subject to flight surcharges.
Regional departures and alternative airlines may be available on request
Flight tickets are issued on receipt of your deposit to secure your price. They are fixed dated and non-refundable.
Travel Insurance is highly recommended
Additional nights can be added to extend your holiday to include other regions of Romania; for example you could fly direct from Gatwick to Cluj
Please note that accommodation in Viscri is limited to just 6 people maximum so, in order to avoid disappointment for popular periods such as May and June, or Christmas, it is essential to book early.
These holidays are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Our ATOL number is ATOL 3319.
ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.
| >Duration |
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| >Weekend (3 nights) |
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594.00-654.00
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56.00**
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| >1 Week (7 nights) |
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949.00-1009.00
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132.00**
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| >10 Nights |
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1259.00-1319.00
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184.00**
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| >2 Weeks (14 nights) |
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1574.00-1634.00
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248.00**
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** If only one person is taking transfers there will be an additional £ 140.00 (Bucharest) or £ 56.00 (Targu Mures) surcharge to cover this
Adult Prices are per person sharing a double/ twin room in £ Sterling (GBP)
Prices are valid for departures from 1.5.2008 until further notice, and are subject to availability
A deposit of 30-40% of the total cost will be required at the time of booking
30% reduction children under 14 years sharing parents room
ALL PRICES ARE £ STERLING AND ARE BASED ON EURO EXCHANGE RATES.
THEY MAY BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY DUE TO CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS
Prices for Accommodation and Activities Only
- Full Board Accommodation
- Half a bottle of wine per person/ night
- Activity Programme (refer to Activities above for details)
- Guides and Transportation during Stay
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Return personal transfers from Bucharest (or Targu Mures)
All prices are subject to availability
| >Duration |
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| >Weekend (3 nights) |
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419.00 (334.00)
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56.00
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| >1 Week (7 nights) |
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779.00 (693.00)
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132.00
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| >10 Nights |
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1089.00 (999.00)
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184.00
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| >2 Weeks (14 nights) |
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1437.00 (1346.00)
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248.00
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** Single supplement refers to the supplement for one person sharing a single room
there would be an additional charge for transfer if just one person was travelling
Adult Prices are per person sharing a double/ twin room in £ Sterling (GBP)
A deposit of 30-40% of the total cost will be required at the time of booking
50% reduction children under 14 years sharing parents room
ALL PRICES ARE £ STERLING AND ARE BASED ON EURO EXCHANGE RATES.
THEY MAY BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY DUE TO CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS
Collection from Cluj, Bucharest, Sighisoara or Brasov can be arranged on request - please ask for prices
Significant reductions available on transfer costs for small groups booking these packages - please ask for details
1: 50 000 Scale Tourist Map
John Akeroyd (Fundatia ADEPT)
This large scale map is essential for anybody staying in the remote Saxon villages of southern Transylvania who wish to explore on foot. It covers the Tarnava Mare region from Richis and Atel in the west to Beia and Fiser in the east, and south from the Tarnava Mare river and Sighisoara to Movile and Dacia. It includes the town of Sighisoara and many of the villages where tourist accommodation is being developed, such as Viscri, Biertan, Malancrav,Crit and Cloasterf. The map is double sided with information in English and Romanian.
Fundatia ADEPT, implementing rural development and biodiversity conservation in SE Transylvania, is sponsored by Orange Romania and the Darwin Initiative. John Akeroyd is an eminent botanist who regular spneds his time in Transylvania.
Order onlinefrom: www.amazon.co.uk
Or purchase in Romania from the Fundatia ADEPT Tourist Information Office in Saschiz (near Sighisoara)
Transylvania Uncovered is working with Fundatia ADEPT to promote rural holidays in this region of southern Transylvania;
all holiday prices will include a donation towards the invaluable work of Fundatia ADEPT
John Akeroyd (Fundatia ADEPT)
86 pages; paperback; published 2006
This book introduces the remote Saxon Villages district of southern Transylvania in Romania. One of Europe's least known cultural treasures, the countryside presents a remarkable survival of medieval landscape: fortified churches, unspoilt villages, non-intensive mixed farming in ecological balance with nature and wildlife, set amongst old-growth woodland and wildflower-rich hay-meadows. Such natural beauty and richness is no mere assemblage of fragments, but an intact, integral whole - of inestimable scientific, cultural and human value. But with social and financial pressure for rural development, and as Romania enters the EU, the substance and atmosphere of this special place is gravely at threat. The special qualities of the Saxon Villages will only survive if tradition and innovation can be combined to yield a sustainable economic future and modern quality of life, while preserving a unique sense of place. Farming and quality food production, together with traditional crafts and eco-tourism, are at the heart of both sustainable development and the conservation of biodiversity. The book is aimed both at visitors - past, present and future - to the Saxon Villages, and all those interested in botany, natural history and conservation, and the history and culture of Central Europe. A Romanian edition is also available, which is being distributed to Transylvanian schools and university departments, offices of local and national government, and decision makers.
Fundatia ADEPT, implementing rural development and biodiversity conservation in SE Transylvania, is sponsored by Orange Romania and the Darwin Initiative. John Akeroyd is an eminent botanist who regular spneds his time in Transylvania.
Order onlinefrom: www.amazon.co.uk
Or purchase in Romania from the Fundatia ADEPT Tourist Information Office in Saschiz (near Sighisoara)
Alan Ogden
132 pages; hardback; published 2000
As we are just into the second millennium, the story of the Saxon settlers in Transylvania assumes a particular historical pertinence. For nearly a thousand years, these stalwart people from the Rhine valley and thereabouts played a key role in the history of Transylvania until their diaspora in the second half of this century. Fortresses of Faith focuses on their magnificent architectural legacy - the fortress-churches or kirchenburgen of the Seibenburgen. After a comprehensive introduction covering history, architecture, and decor, the author takes us on an enthralling photographic tour, helpfully arranged for travellers into the areas surrounding Sibiu, Medias, Sighisoara, and Brasov. His black and white photographs poignantly capture the moody images of these and stone war-horses of Christendom, many of which are now without congregations and prey to the dilapidation of time. It is a superb photographic record with a broad appeal to overseas descendants of Transylvania Saxons, tourists and students of Romanian history. While there is a comprehensive German-language library and database on this subject, this is the first English language book to address this topic and will be of great interest. The author, Alan Ogden, received enthusiastic support from historians in Germany and Romania as well as official sponsorship from British American Tobacco plc, who shared his vision of sounding the alarm about the uncertain future of this forgotten heritage of Christian Europe.
Order onlinefrom:
www.amazon.co.uk
www.johnsandoe.com
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
The air holidays and flights shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL nrmber is ATOL 3319.
ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.
Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more.
Copyright © 2008 Transylvania Uncovered - the Romania Travel Specialists