Walking in Rural Romania

Walking in Rural Romania ~

The Painted Monasteries & Transylvania

The mountains of Transylvania and the deep forests which surround the Orthodox painted monasteries very largely escaped the ravages of the Ceausescu era. Remote and tranquil, these areas offer walkers an experience now quite lost in western Europe - exploring on foot a landscape unchanged since the Middle Ages. In early summer the mountain meadows of Maramures are filled with wildflowers (including swathes of orchids) and horses and carts are carrying hay from first light.

Based in Count Kalnoky’s Transylvanian estate, Maramures village farmhouses and modest country hotels, we eat traditional farm cooking (organic by definition) accompanied by wines from the Black Sea and home distilled fruit brandies; visit some of the greatest examples of mediaeval Byzantine art; travel by steam train; and explore the galleries and museums of the capital, Bucharest, staying in a 4 star boutique hotel.

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1

D included

After an early afternoon arrival at Bucharest’s Otopeni airport we drive north into Transylvania and settle into the beautifully restored houses, furnished with antiques, on Count Kalnoky’s historic estate. Dinner in the oak-beamed 17C wine cellar features traditional dishes prepared from fresh village produce.

DAY 2

B, L, D included

We spend the day exploring on foot, seeing the subsistence farming practised locally, finding orchids and many butterflies in the wildflower meadows, and looking out for storks on their nests as we walk out from the village into the surrounding beech and hornbeam forest. After a picnic we have the opportunity to visit the Hunting Manor and the private chapel of the Kalnoky family, learning about the history of the Transylvanian Szekler nobility.

DAY 3

B, L, D included

After seeing the fortified churches of Honigberg and Tartlau, we visit the evocative home of Romania’s greatest composer and musician, George Enescu, then drive on to the town of Brasov and see the Biserica Neagra (Black Church). Surprisingly, it is adorned with a superb collection of Persian carpets, brought back from the east over the centuries by wealthy merchants. We dine in a restaurant in the mediaeval town centre, then board the night sleeper (in 2 person first class compartments) for the journey north to Sighetu Marmateie, right on the Ukraine border.

DAY 4

B, L, D included

Alighting from the train in the morning, we have a traditional farm breakfast before visiting the famous ‘Merry Cemetery’ and the ethnographical museum, which serves as an introduction to Maramures, the northern region of Transylvania where traditional culture has survived to an astonishing degree. After a foray into the local market we drive deep into the countryside to the village which will be our home for the next three nights and settle into the farmhouses - unpretentious (sometimes sharing bathroom facilities) but warmly welcoming and serving genuine home cooking for our dinners together each evening. A late afternoon walk takes us up and over a low ridge to visit one of the wooden churches for which Maramures is noted (complete with alarmingly vivid depictions of hell!).

DAY 5

B, L, D included

A full day’s walk (carrying our lunch as we are far from the few unpaved roads) takes us up through hay meadows where tall ‘stooks’ are being piled up with pitchforks, and up over rolling hills to ridges with far-reaching views. The wildflowers are a delight, honey buzzards, hoopoes and cuckoos may well be seen and our walk ends in a nearby village, also predominantly built of wood and with a frescoed church, reputedly the oldest in Maramures.

DAY 6

B, L, D included

A steady, steepish climb, crushing lemon thyme beneath our feet, brings us up onto a fine ridge and a day’s circular walk through a landscape unchanged over centuries. Following a cart track back into the village in the late afternoon we are usually passed by horses and carts returning home from the meadows, heavily loaded with hay or logs. Those interested can visit a village weaver who uses local wool and flax and vegetable dyes from plants such as snowdrops, to produce traditional garments. With luck, we may also be entertained by village musicians - and palinka and afinato (home-distilled plum and blueberry brandy) will flow...

DAY 7

B, L, D included

An early start has us driving east into the Rodna mountains and boarding a small steam train (with some rather eccentric carriages) which follows a logging track up into the forest. We alight and continue on foot up a woodland path which leads steeply (an hour and a half's steady climb) up onto mountain meadows with extensive views. We picnic, follow a ridge, then slowly descend through meadows to meet our transport and continue to our nearby modest, modern hotel (where Balkan-influenced puddings feature on the menu).

DAY 8

B, L, D included

A chairlift takes us up above the tree line and onto an open alpine plateau grazed by herds of horses and foals. Walking northeast, we cross the Prislop pass (1,416 m) where a monument marks where the last Tatar raid was repelled in 1717, then rejoin our vehicle to drive to Campulung and visit the Museum of Wooden Art. Continuing to Moldovita we encounter our first UNESCO listed painted monastery. Constructed at a time when Moldavia was under constant threat of Turkish invasion, the frescoes of Moldovita depict a particularly exuberant Liberation of Constantinople. Our villa for the next 2 nights is comfortably furnished and we dine in a nearby restaurant well-known for Moldavian specialities such as wild mushroom dishes or mamaliga (polenta with slightly sour cream and crumbly sheeps cheese).

DAY 9

B, L, D included

Today’s walk follows an undulating path through mixed beech and pine forest and links two of the great mediaeval monasteries. We begin with a visit to Sucevita, a classic example of a heavily fortified monastery where illiterate soldiers and peasants (forbidden to enter the church) were educated by the biblical scenes depicted on the external frescoes. We picnic in a forest glade en route to Putna monastery - founded, according to legend, by King Stefan Cel Mare who fired 3 arrows in the air to mark the respective positions of the holy well, the altar and the bell tower.

DAY 10

B, L, D included

A cross country walk this morning takes us up through flower-filled meadows and forests, where small boys are gathering baskets of ‘fraises de bois’, then over a low col to follow a ridge and drop down to the village of Humor. The monastery is surrounded with wooden (rather than stone ramparts) and has most impressive interior frescoes. A short drive brings us to Voronet monastery, built by Stefan Cel Mare in gratitude for successfully forcing the Turks back across the Danube. The predominant colour used here is ‘Voronet blue’, obtained from lapis lazuli, and the Last Judgement fresco which covers the entire western wall is an acknowledged masterpiece of Byzantine art. After a shower and an early dinner in a good hotel in Voronet we drive to the town of Suceava to board the night sleeper for Bucharest.

DAY 11

B, L, D included

Arriving early in the capital, we have a leisurely breakfast and settle into our 4 star boutique hotel (air-conditioned, and well located in the embassy district), before visiting the city. The award winning Museum of the Romanian Peasant exhibits fine textiles, costumes and pottery and the National Museum, housed in the former royal palace, has a marvellous collection of Romanian mediaeval art and jewellery as well as a noted European collection (including works by El Greco and Rembrandt). After a siesta, we walk to one of the liveliest and oldest areas of the city, rich in monuments, where the merchant's caravanserai were clustered. Our farewell dinner is in a fine old restaurant specialising in traditional Romanian game dishes, including (optionally) bear and venison.

DAY 12

B, L included

We stroll round the excellent open-air museum of architecture, with its lively atmosphere - a band playing, Romanians in their finery walking by the lake, stalls selling tasty snacks which we sample for a light lunch - before transferring to the airport.

Price includes:

All accommodation for Days 1 through 11 on a double shared basis

All meals with wine (or local spirits as available) at lunches and dinners, other than those excepted in the daily notation

All land transportation (including two 1st class sleeper train journeys; private steam train, chair lift rides) as described except during free periods

All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods

Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff

Visa and Health Requirements

Visitors from the EU and the US currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Romania. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Romania.

At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Romania. Residents of countries in the EU can only claim free (emergency) medical treatment in Romania by presenting their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is issued in the UK by the Department of Health. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the FCO.

Insurance

It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for a quote for a policy available to UK residents.

If you are already insured or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.