Dracula and Transilvania Tour 6 - Days

DRACULA AND TRANSYLVANIA TOUR – 6 days
  
  When referring to Romania the first thing that comes to mind is Transylvania. Transylvania is home to some of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, some relating to the legend of Dracula, castles and fortress On this tour your specialist tour guide will take you on a trip to the past to discover the enchanting region of Transylvania and the reality and myth of Dracula.
  
  Day 1. BUCHAREST – SNAGOV – CURTEA DE ARGES
  Start your journey on Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) trail with his grave. For that we’ll go to Snagov, a small village 40 km north of Bucharest, with its beautiful sixteen kilometer long lake; In the centre of the lake is an island occupied by a monastery, built in 1519. The Snagov monastery is situated on the island of the lake with the same name, we have to reach the monastery by crossing the lake by boat (If time and weather permit).
  Visitors come here to seek the tomb of Dracula sitting in the front of the church altar. Vlad's murder is believed to have occurred in the forests nearby, where the monks took his body, since both Vlad and his father had both given money to the monastery.
  Than leave Bucharest region and go to Curtea de Arges, the former second capital of Wallachia. The strongholds rebuilt in the 14th century. See its Princely Church and its frescoed interior which is one of the first examples of Romanian paintings. The Episcopal Church (the monastery) which is a recreation of the original built in 1512 -1517 by prince Neagoe Basarab (rebuilt in 1875 – 1885) and Olari Church.
  Accomodation at Casa Domneasca Pension**** for High Standard Version (HSV) or at Montana Pension *** for Medium Standard Version (MSV) or similar.
  
  Day.2 Curtea de Arges - Poenari Castle –Bran - Brasov
  Breakfast. Start early in the morning with a visit at Poenari Castle. Standing on a cliff but know in ruins this is known as the real castle of Dracula (Vlad Tepes). To get to the top you must climb up its 1400 steps (takes approx. 1 hour). Once you arrive to the top of the Citadel you will find that the citadel is surprisingly small, one third has collapsed down the mountainside in 1888. Entering through a narrow wooden bridge, you come across the crumbling remains of two towers within; the prism shaped one was Vlad's ( Dracula's) residential quarters, from here, according to the legend , The Impaler's wife flung herself out from the window, declaring that better this way than be captured by the Turks, who were besieging the castle. Legend has it that Vlad himself escaped over the mountains on horseback.
  
  Continue our route to Bran and visit the famous Bran Castle. Also called Dracula`s Castle, it is situated not far from Brasov (25 kilometres) at the entrance in the Bran - Rucar passage. The castle got its fame from Dracula`s legend written in 1897 by Bram Stoker and later on made into a film by Francis Ford Coppola.. The first documents about the Bran Castle appeared in 1377. Along the history, the Castle had a strategic mission being the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. First it was under the rule of the King of Hungary Sigismund of Luxemburg, of the Romanian voievodes Mircea cel Batran and Vlad Tepes and later on it came under the jurisdiction of the City of Brasov. In the XX century the castle was donated to the royal family and becamed a royal residence. The museum preserve the furniture and objects from that period.
  End the day in Brasov. short tour of the Magic medieval center of Brasov (2 hours). The city of Brasov is one of the oldest in Europe, dating from 1235. During the Middle Ages, Brasov was known as a powerful fortress surrounded by high stone walls and defended by bulwarks, towers and other small fortresses. The buildings and the streets in the historical centre still preserve a medieval note. Concil Square, Black Church, White and Black Towers, Weaver’s Bastion and Ecaterina’s Gate are the tour highlights.
  Overnight at Casa Wagner Hotel*** or similar for HSV or at Flamingo Pension*** or similar – MSV.
  
  Day 3. BRASOV – SINAIA – PREJMER - RASNOV – SIGHISOARA
  After breakfast we’ll go to Sinaia and visit the Peles Castle, former summer residence of the kings of Romania, the Peles Castle is 44 kilometres far from Brasov, in Sinaia, a well-known mountain resort as well. Nowadays the Castle is one of the most important museums in Transylvania where one can admire furniture and ornamental objects, carpets, tapestry, sculptures, paintings, collections of weapons from the 15th up to the19th centuries.
  
  Another stop at Prejmer Fortified Church, one of the best preserved of its kind in Eastern Europe. The church is modeled after churches of Jerusalem, as well as built in the style of Late Gothic churches from the Rhineland.
  
  Next stop at Rasnov and visit the old citadel. Built in 1331, the Fortress had a defence role and it was a shelter for the inhabitants of Rasnov in case of enemy attacks.
  In the middle of the courtyard there is a well 146 metres deep and the ruins of an 11th - 12th century - Orthodox church were discovered here.
  Nowadays the Fortress houses an interesting museum
  
  End the day in Sighisoara. Accomodation at Sighisoara Hotel*** or similar for HSV or at Casa Saseasca Pension *** or similar for MSV.
  
  
  Day 4 SIGHISOARA – BISTRITA – PIATRA FANTANELE (BORGO PASS)
  Breakfast. Visit the Medieval citadel of Sighisoara, . Also called “The Pearl of Transylvania” the old medieval city is include on UNESCO's Word Heritage. The Old Town or the Citadel is the only one still inhabited in Europe - a lost world and still so at the present!
  - In 1431, the storey house at Museum Square 6, within the shadow of the old town's Clock Tower, a women whose name is lost to posterity gave birth to a son called Vlad, who in later life earned the title of The Impaler , abroad better known as Dracula, derived from Dracul or the Devil – referring to his father Vlad Dracul, whom the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Hungary made a knight of the order of The Dargon in 1431.
  - The Clock Tower, the Church on the Hill, the Scholar’s Stairs, The Monastery Church, the towers of the citadel (originally fourteen), The Shoemakers Town, the Tailor’s Tower, the Tinsmiths Tower are only a few of the marvels of this place called Sighisoara.
  
  Next stop in the village of Biertan where one can still see the typical architecture style of the saxon’s medieval villages. We’ll visit Biertan Fortified Church one of the biggest fortresses of its kind dating since XVI century.
  
  Continue on the route Sighisoara –Tg. Mures – Bistrita. Optional you have the possibility to serve lunch at the “Golden Crown” Restaurant – Bistrita, The hotel is outstanding in Romania and in the world, as it was described in the well known nouvel "DRACULA" by the Irishman Bram Stoker. One of the main characters in the novel, the lawyer Jonathan Harker, was also a guest of the hotel and he felt here as confortable as at home. Here the tourists can enjoy a blood taste - a unique drink: blood-red liquor, an exclusive beverage of the Golden Crown Restaurant.
  
  We pass Bistrita, the setting for much of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, at km 108, followed by Bargau Valley we will find the Hotel Castle Dracula in Piatra Fintinele.
  Birgau Valley has a very dramatic scenery, with huge hills draped in forests of fir trees and with villages appearing as living monuments to a way of life unchanged for centuries, with the Saxon House Museum from Livezile village, attesting a former Saxon population in this region (established here in the 12 and 13 centuries).
  The Borgo Pass is the border between Transylvania and Bucovina, with fantastic landscapes. The Hotel situated on a 1116m altitude with a fantastic view of the Carpathian mountains. The Hotel dates from 1983, built in the style of a medieval mansion, it was created to bring alive an authentic Dracula atmosphere.
  
  Overnight in Dracula Castle Hotel***.
  
  Day 5. Piatra Fantanele – Bistrita – Medias - Sibiu.
  Breakfast. Leave the hotel and Birgau Valley. We pass through Bistrita and Targu–Mures, one of the great Magyar cities of Transylvania, with the famous Teleki – Bolyai Library, with 40, 000 volumes founded by the Hungarian Count Samule Teleki, containing many ancient medical scientific texts.
  We’ll pass the city of Targu Mures and we’ll stop at Medias, old medieval town dating from XV century. The Margareth Cathedral is a monument included in UNESCO Heritages List and its famous Trompets Tower is one of the most slided buildings from the world.
  End the day in Sibiu. Sibiu is one of the most important fortified towns in Transylvania.. The city is reminiscent of old European cities such as Nuremburg and it was founded in 1190 and grew to be the chief city of the Transylvanian Saxons. This amazing town, with the "Old Town" (The Big Square, the Small Square, the Ursuline Church, The Franciscan Church, The staircase Tower, the Tanners Tower, the Lier’s Bridge , the House of the Butcher’s Guild and last but not least with the amazing Bruckenthal Museum) is a gorgeous place to see.
  Overnight at Ramada Hotel****.
  
  Day 6. SIBIU - BUCHAREST
  After breakfast transfer to Bucharest International Airport (arrival time around 13.00 hours) or at other location in Bucharest.
  
  Minim 15 - Person
  
  Optionals for groups of minimum 20 pax:
  
  - Private visit during the night, Party and Dinner at Bran Castle – prices on request
  - Dinner and Dracula’s Weeding Show at Sighisoara – prices from 40 Euros/pax
  - Dinner, Dracula Show and camp fire party at Hptel Castel Dracula – Borgo Pass - prices from 40 Euros/pax
  NOTE: At request we can customize this tour according to your wishes