13-Day Romania Cultural Tour with UNESCO Sites and Traditional Villages

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Day 01

Bucharest Old Town and the Palace of the Parliament

• Start in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania. See the Old Town with Stavropoleos Church, Macca-Vilacrosse covered street, beautiful architecture, and great places to eat and drink, such as Caru' cu Bere or a rooftop location.
• Visit the Palace of the Parliament - the second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon. Optionally, see Ceaușescu House instead, the private residence of the former dictator, or the National Village Museum. Overnight in the Sinaia area.

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Day 02

Peleș Castle and Bran Castle

• Visit Peleș Castle, the residence of King Charles I of Romania, one of the most beautiful and luxurious summer royal palaces in Europe. See Bran Castle, the so-called "Dracula Castle," which is more impressive from the outside.
• You can also visit the virtually unknown place where Bran Castle's original furniture and royal collections are kept today. Overnight in Brașov.

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Day 03

Brașov Highlights and Optional Excursions

• In Brașov, see Council Square, the narrow Rope Street, Behind the Walls Alley, the large Gothic Black Church featuring a collection of precious Anatolian rugs, and walk along the pedestrian Republicii Street, with its restaurants, shops, and outdoor cafes.
• Optionally, climb Tâmpa Hill by cable car, visit Libearty Bear Sanctuary, home to over 100 rescued brown bears, discover Prejmer village fortress, the strongest in Transylvania and inscribed on the UNESCO list, or visit one of the best horse farms in Romania. Overnight in Brașov.

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Day 04

Viscri and Medieval Sighișoara

• See Viscri village, famous for its connections with King Charles III. Enter the white fortified church, included on the UNESCO list. Optionally, visit another off-the-beaten-path place, the last truly Saxon village left in Romania.
• Arrive in Sighișoara, another UNESCO site and a lovely inhabited medieval citadel, as well as the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, "Dracula." The walking tour includes Citadel Square, the Scholars' Staircase, the Church on the Hill, and the Clock Tower, with its astronomical clock and museum. Overnight in Sighișoara.

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Day 05

Through the Szeklers' Land to Bucovina

• Cross the mountains through the Hungarian Szeklers' community area.
• See Red Lake, formed by an accidental mountain drift in 1838. Pass through the dramatic Bicaz Gorges, where the adventurous can climb a Via Ferrata, and reach the northeastern province of Moldova. Visit a little-known place, one of Europe's largest convents, home to 400 nuns - an entire monastic village with over 100 houses - with tapestry and textile workshops run by nuns. Then discover Bucovina, another historical region and a stronghold of Romania's traditional culture. Overnight in Gura Humorului.

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Day 06

Painted Monasteries and Bucovina Traditions

• Visit the famous painted Voroneț Monastery, a UNESCO site known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East" and featuring one of the finest Last Judgment frescoes. Admire the unique collection of more than 18,000 painted eggs at the Vama Egg Museum, and discover how they are decorated.
• If operating, visit a traditional blacksmith workshop. See Moldovița Monastery, a UNESCO site considered by some to be the most beautiful of all.
• Optionally, take a tour on Mocănița Huțulca, a narrow-gauge train. Cross Palma Pass, home to one of the most beautiful zip lines in Europe. Visit the large Sucevița Monastery, a UNESCO site that looks like a mighty fortress. "The Ladder of John of Sinai" fresco is considered one of the finest and is rarely shown in medieval Romanian art. In the village of Marginea, enter the black pottery workshop. Overnight in Gura Humorului.

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Day 07

Ciocănești and the Traditions of Maramureș

• Cross Ciocănești village, with its painted houses, then continue through the scenic Carpathian Mountains via Prislop Pass into Maramureș.
• Very conservative, the local people have developed a unique culture with strong traditions and a distinct lifestyle, including folk costumes worn on holidays, the dowry tradition, hay culture, self-sufficient farming, and wonderfully carved wooden gates and churches. In the Iza Valley, at Săcel, visit several farmers and craftspeople, then in Botiza meet a UNESCO-recognized weaver of vegetal-dyed rugs. Enjoy great scenery along the way. Overnight in the Breb or Sighetu Marmației area.

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Day 08

Woodcarving, Bârsana, and Sighetu Marmației

• Visit a wood carving workshop, where wooden gates, furniture, and churches are created.
• Walk around the beautiful Bârsana Monastery and discover its secrets. See Sighetu Marmației's Memorial of the Victims of Communism, a political prison under the former regime and one of Europe's main memory sites alongside Auschwitz Museum and the Peace Memorial in Normandy, as well as the local food market and Elie Wiesel Memorial House, the Jewish museum. Overnight in the Breb or Sighetu Marmației area.

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Day 09

Săpânța, Cosău Valley, and Breb

• Head to Săpânța, home to the unique "Merry Cemetery," where painted wooden crosses carry stunning epitaphs about the lives of the deceased. If available, meet a cross maker.
• Then, in the Cosău Valley at Sârbi, visit a fruit brandy distillery and typical water mills and whirlpools, still used by local women to wash heavy wool blankets or press wool felt. Walk around Breb village, meeting more farmers, craftspeople, and a special person. Alternatively, take a ride on the famous Mocănița steam train in the Vaser Valley, followed by a hike to Horses Waterfall, the second tallest in Romania, located in Rodna Mountains National Park. Overnight in the Breb or Sighetu Marmației area.

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Day 10

Desești, Baia Mare, and Cluj-Napoca

• Visit Desești wooden church, a UNESCO site with well-preserved paintings. See Mara trout farm, known for its nice wood architecture and waterfall.
• Stop in Baia Mare, where you can stroll around the medieval Old Square, including an artist's workshop, and St. Stephen's Tower, dating from the 14th century and offering quite a view from the top. Arrive in Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. See landmarks such as the Gothic St. Michael Church, Banffy Palace, and the "street in the mirror," where the buildings on the right side reflect those on the left. Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.

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Day 11

Turda Salt Mine and Alba Iulia

• Visit Turda Salt Mine, a stunning underground complex. Optionally, visit Rimetea village, inhabited by Hungarians, the place where the sun rises twice... See Alba Iulia, another former capital of Transylvania, with its mighty Vauban citadel, 1,000-year-old Catholic Cathedral, Renaissance palaces, and Roman ruins. Optionally, visit Hunedoara's Gothic Corvin Castle, the largest medieval castle in Romania. Overnight in Sibiu.

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Day 12

Sibiu and Saxon Heritage

• Visit Sibiu, the chief city of the Transylvanian Saxons. Huet, Great, and Lesser Squares are the landmarks of the Old Town, along with the baroque Brukenthal Palace and the Gothic Evangelical Cathedral.
• Watch the merchant houses featuring the "sleepy eye" dormers. View the Liars Bridge and the Guilds Tree. If you choose, visit Astra Village Museum, the largest in Romania, or Sibiel, a typical old Romanian village, or a gypsy coppersmith. Overnight in Sibiu.

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Day 13

Transfăgărășan or Olt Valley to Bucharest

• If open, from June to October, climb the famous Transfăgărășan road, with its brown bears, then see Vidraru Lake and the royal necropolis at Curtea de Argeș.
• Otherwise, follow the Olt Valley, with stops at Cozia Monastery, built by Prince Mircea the Elder in 1388, and/or at Horezu pottery and the UNESCO monastery, or at Curtea de Argeș.
• Arrive back in Bucharest, where the circuit ends.