All About Romania - 11 Days

Arrival in Bucharest and transfer to Athenee Palace Hilton 5* Hotel.

This morning you will meet your guide and depart for Berca, where you will see the Muddy Volcanoes, rarely visited by local villagers – as they believe the place is cursed by evil and malefic spirits. The Muddy Volcanoes are also called “the gates of hell”. Sure the fear of unexplained leaves room for many odd beliefs. Continue your route to Piatra Neamt. Accommodation at Central Plaza 4* Hotel (B)

After breakfast you depart for Vanatori, where you will visit Neamt Monastery, built in 14th century, an example of medieval Moldavian architecture. A jewel of 15th century architecture, the church was built by Stefan cel Mare and finished in the year when the Moldavian army won the battle against King John Albert (1497). Continue to Voronet Monastery, located in the beautiful village with the same name. The greatest ruling prince of Moldavia, Stefan the Great built the Monastery in 1488, in a record time-three months and three weeks- and painted on the outside walls during the time of his son, the prince Petru Rares. The most important of the frescoes is 'The Judgement Day', painted on the whole western facade, that determined the monument to be called 'The Sistine Chapel of the East'. Your next stop will be at Humor Monastery, founded in 1530, is rather small physically, but looms large among Bucovina’s treasures with a variety of frescoes dating from 1535, including one illustrating the Return of the Prodigal Son and one with a “humorous” depiction of the devil as a woman. Your last visit for today will be at Arbore Monastery, which was build in 1502 by the noble Luca Arbore, advisor and close friend of Stefan the Great. The church, made of raw stone, is characteristic for the Moldavian clerical architecture during the time of Stefan the Great. Accommodation at Gerald’s 4* Hotel (B)

Depart for Sucevita, Monastery, which dates back from the XVI’th century. The Monastery was founded by the rich Movila Family and is encircled by high walls fortified with massive corner towers. This monastery impresses through its thousands of images and portraits. It is the church with the greatest number of frescoes in Moldova, frescoes painted on a predominant green background. Continue to Moldovita where you will visit the Monastery, which was erected in the year 1532 by the illegitimate son of Stephan the Great, Petru Rares. Among many furniture dating back from the Middle Ages. Leave Bucovina region behind and head to Bogdan Voda Wooden Church, one of the most renowned ones in the region, due also to its central position in the valley of Iza, at a crossroads. Unlike most other churches, which stand on hilltops, the church of St. Nicholas is in the middle of the village, in a center of a flat cemetery yard. You will also visit Ieud Wooden Church, well-preserved architecture, repaired and slightly modified during the 18th century, together with the interior paintings that were made at the end of the same century, meant that the church was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and Botiza Wooden Church, built in 1796 in Viseul de Jos and was transferred in 1899 to Botiza, as the existing church had become too small for the growing parish and she was painted in the fresco technique by Andrei Răileanu between the years 1982 and 1987. Continue to Baia Mare. Accommodation at Carpati 4* Hotel (B)

After beakfast in the hotel , drive towards Sapanta to visit the Merry Cemetary, which dates back to the mid-1930’s and is the creation of the local folk artist Stan Ioan Patras, sculptor, painter and poet rolled in one. Patras used all his skills to create this masterpiece. For half a century the master created hundreds of wooden crosses, carved in a distinctive style, so famous today. After his death in 1977, his work has been carried out by his apprentice, Dumitru Pop Tincu. Today you will also visit three wooden churches: Desesti Wooden Church, which due to the harmonious whole and the well-preserved paintings, the church of St. Parasceva has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List; Budesti Wooden Church, famous for objects that belonged to two 18th century freedom fighters against the Austrian Habsburgs: the coat of mail of Pintea the Brave, and the flag of Ferenc II Rákóczi, a Transylvanian nobleman. There are also 15th-17th century icons painted on wood and glass. It is one of the eight churches on the UNESCO World Heritage List; and Surdesti Wooden Church, which was the tallest wooden church in Europe with its tower of 54 m and a total height of 72 m until a few years back when the new 78 m tall church of the monastery of Peri in SăpânŃa was built. The church is one of the eight wooden churches included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Accommodation at Carpati 4* Hotel (B)

This morning you will leave Maramures Region behin and depart for Sibiu, once the richest city in Transylvania. On route, you will visit Cluj Napoca located in the heart of Transylvania with origins back to the Dacian settlement of Napuca in the 2-nd century A.D. After the Roman take-over of Dacia, it was renamed Napoca and in 124 A.D., received the rank of "municipium". The city quickly advanced socially and economically and during Marcus Aurelius' reign Napoca received the title "colonia", the highest possible urban status in the Roman Empire and Alba Iulia, one of the oldest settlements in Romania, known in ancient time as Apulum, Alba Iulia served as the largest military and economic center during the Roman occupation. Temples, mosaics, thermae and statues, amphitheaters, the governor's palace "Daciarum Trium" – all rendered the original Dacian Apulul as the miniature copy of the mother Rome. In the afternoon arrive in Sibiu. Accommodation in Sibiu (B)

In the morning you will enjoy a comprehensive walking tour of the city which was European Capital of Culture in 2007. Here you’ll see arcaded medieval shops and houses, the Small Square, the Liar’s Bridge, Huet Square and the Cathedral, where the son of Vlad the Impaler (another of Dracula’s monikers) was assassinated. At noon you drive to Sibiel Village where you can admire the Glass Icon Museum and enjoy a hearty Romanian lunch at local farmhouse. Accommodation in Sibiu (B, L)

Today you will visit the Saxon village of Biertan where you will see the fortress church that is one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. The church hosts the largest wing altar in Romania and was used as the residence of the Lutheran bishop of Transylvania for over 300 years. Your next stop is Sighisoara the best preserved medieval fortified town in Romania and the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler. After arrival, you proceed on a walking tour of the town and visit the Church on the Hill and the famous Clock Tower Museum with its Torture and Weapons Rooms and stop in the house in which Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) was born in 1432. Continue to Sinaia, one of the most famous mountain resort in Romania. Accommodation in Sinaia (B)

In the morning you visit Sinaia Monastery and Peles Castle, an exquisite piece of architecture, which has served as the summer residence for King Carl I the first king of Romania. Continue to Brasov, fairy-tale town founded in the 12th century by the Saxon settlers. The highlight of the city tour is surely a visit to the Gothic Black Church, the largest gothic style church in South-Eastern Europe and the First Romanian School Museum with an impressive collection of rare books, many of them printed or copied by handwriting right here. Then, depart to Bran to visit the castle made famous by Bram Stoker's novel as the residence of the vampire count. The castle was built by the merchants in Brasov in the 14th century to protect the border between Valahia and Transylvania. Accommodation in Sinaia (B)

Transfer to Bucharest and get acquainted with the Romanian capital, once nicknamed "Little Paris". During the tour you will visit the Parliament Palace, the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon and the Village Museum. Listen how the Romanian people finally succeeded to topple the last communist dictator in eastern Europe in the Revolution Square. Your tour will bring you also to the Romanian Athenaeum, the Opera House, the National Military Club, the Military Academy and the Triumphal Arch. In the evening, enjoy a dinner with folklore show. Accommodation in Bucharest (B,D)

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back home (B)