Horse-Pulled Cart / 15 days

After a short leg along a main road, we shall once again leave the crowds and head on across a hilly region to the village of Eftimie Murgu. Just upstream, along Rudăria Creek, a set of water mills have been used to be 51 small, wooden water mills, but the floods in 1910 destroyed some; today there still are 22. A mill used to be built and maintained by several local families, which would then take turns at using it. Leaving this area with its traditions, we shall carry on Northwards to the Pădureni Land. Inhabitants of a part of the extensive, relatively low Poiana Ruscă Mountains, the Pădureni traditionally lived in remote villages. After an optional detour to the village of Alun, where we can see the 1932 church and several houses built using marble slabs (simply because it was locally sourced) and to the evocative Drăgan Muntean collection of local outfits in all their colour, we shall head on to another small village, Sohodol, with its wooden houses, a great image of the Pădureni culture.

• Breakfast.
• Walk up Rudăria Creek to see the water mills.
  • Optional detour to Alun and views of the local marble church and houses employing marble for their foundation, and to the neighbouring Poienița Voinii with its Drăgan Muntean collection of local outfits.
• Walk through the village of Sohodol.
• Accommodation in a typical local house in Sohodol.

After breakfast and an optional visit to the medieval Hunyadi Castle, we shall once again leave the main road buzz and head up yet another remote highland area in the country, namely Trascău Mountains. With meandering crests and valleys, extensive woods and remote pastures or clearings, the Trascău still preserve some of the old wooden houses that
were traditionally roofed using straw or hay and hence resembling the haystacks dotting the landscape. Up here, we shall head to the region of Răicani – Tecșești, two hamlets spread over green hills in an outstanding natural setting at about 1000 m.a.s.l. As the population in the region was dwindling given its remoteness and difficult access, a handful of young locals put together what they call the Living Museum, where they restore old local houses and run workshops teaching the old, traditional building techniques. More than just a sight, this experience will be extraordinarily rewarding, especially here, in this captivating scenery! Then, after more rough roads out and a detour Westwards, we shall follow the paved Transapuseana Road opened in 2024 as it crosses a good share of the Trascău Mountains in all their picturesqueness, spending the night in a guesthouse built in local manner.

• Breakfast.
• Walk around the hamlets of Răicani and Tecșești.
• Visit to the Living Museum in Tecșești.
• Drive along part of the Transapuseana Road.
• Accommodation in a guesthouse built in local manner in Geogel.

After carrying on across Trascău Mountains, we shall go down to Rîmetea, a village with impeccably white, very well kept old houses plying the main road at the foot of the scenic Székelykő Cliffs. A visit to the local ethnological collection hosted in one of the old houses, as well as a short walk across the village will tell us more of the traditions of this Székely community. Then, changing direction and heading Northwards, we shall reach Gherla, formerly known as Armenopolis, a town that once hosted a significant Armenian population, mostly into crafts and trade. The 18th century Karácsonyi House, set in Baroque style, together with other houses plying the streets around, will provide a good insight in this heritage before proceeding Northwards. The second part of the day will see us in Maramureș, known as the land of timber, as local people are exquisite at wood carving. After a visit to the 54 m. tall steeple wooden church in Șurdești going back to 1766 where some of the original painting inside still survives. We shall call it a day in the scenic village of Breb, where in the late afternoon or next morning we may visit a local wood carver and have an introduction to the often monumental carved wood gates.

• Breakfast.
• Walk in Rîmetea.
• Visit to the local ethnographic collection in one of the old houses there.
• Walk in Gherla to see the cathedral and the old Armenian houses there.
• Visit to the Karácsonyi House.
• Visit to Șurdești Church.
• Accommodation in Breb or around, traditional guesthouse set in an old, genuine property.

The day will commence with a drive to nearby Budești with its old 1643 St. Nicholas’ Church, one of the few in the region to have survived to our day without alterations of the original structure. We shall then see the traditional “washing machine” locally known as “vâltoare”. It will then be on to Săpânța, where, following an ancient belief that death is a mere transient stage, local people do not see it as inherently linked with grief. In this context a local man,
Stan Ioan Pătraș, started adorning the wooden crosses on his deceased fellow villagers with scenes from their lives and funny epitaphs on the same; walking through the Merry Cemetery feels like meeting these people and their stories. Then, in the same village, we shall see the Peri Monastery featuring, at 78 m., the tallest wooden church in the world. In the afternoon, after crossing Sighetu Marmației, Elie Wiesel’s home town and also hosting one of the most infamous prisons of the Communist regime, we shall reach Bârsana, home to a 14th century monastery that, upon its being destroyed under the Habsburg rule, had local people taking the church to pieces and rebuilding it in village so as to protect it, while the monastery itself was rebuilt in 1993-1994; therefore, while relatively new, the monastery here excellently emphasizes the local craftsmanship and art, while an optional detour may also allow us to see the old church on the Jbâr Hill.

• Breakfast.
• Visit to the St. Nicholas’ wooden church in Budești Josani – inside visit only possible if open.
• Visit to the “vâltoare” in Budești or Sârbi.
• Visit to the Merry Cemetery in Săpânța.
• Visit to Peri Monastery.
• Visit to Bârsana Monastery.
  • Optional detour to see the Jbâr Hill church.
• Accommodation in Breb or around, traditional guesthouse set in an old, genuine property.

This morning, before leaving Maramureș, we shall make two detours along fine side roads to see the wooden churches in Ieud (completed in 1620 and actually the oldest wooden church in Maramureș) and Poienile Izei (completed in 1632 and one of the most beautiful and well preserved in the region). Then, after crossing the mountains through Prislop Pass and entering Bukovina with its ethnic mix and heterogeneous heritage, we shall follow the scenic Bistrița downstream. A break in Ciocănești will be welcome and a walk here will be highly rewarding, as the local “pui” (typical houses) are decorated on the outside with colourful plaster patterns inspired by the local embroideries. Then, after crossing the mountains once more, we shall call it a day, but not before a look into Bukovina cuisine, especially in a region where local people often say they are raised on milk alone.

• Breakfast.
• Detour and visit to Poienile Izei and Ieud wooden churches.
• Break in Ciocănești and walk around to see the local “pui” houses adorned with their typical, colourful plaster decorations.
• Local cuisine presentation.
• Accommodation in a traditional, genuine old house in Poieni Solca / in a guesthouse inspired by local houses in Gura Humorului.

In the morning we shall head all the way up to the village of Bica just before the Ukrainian border and have a look into the ‘draniță’ making. A Bukovina classic, the ‘draniță’ stands for
a larger fir tree shingles used for the roofing of the traditional houses throughout Bukovina. Typical here is the fact that they are not simply oval, but rather follow a more elaborate design for better durability and fitting. Leaving Bica, we shall dedicate the rest of the day to the Hutsuls, an Ukrainian speaking ethnic group of highlanders traditionally living in remote hamlets up the densely forested mountains in upper Bukovina. We shall commence down the valley in Brodina, while looking into the way they build their houses entirely of wood, into their outfits, tools and even kitchen ware (some of which, such as cups, are also made of wood) and nonetheless into their wonderful art of Easter egg painting. And then we shall change vehicle for a higher clearance four wheel drive one and head up to the hamlets of Ehrește and Zalomestra where sparse families still live in a fine balance with the environment.

• Breakfast.
• Presentation of the ‘dranița’ making in Bica.
• Presentation of the traditional Hutsul houses, of their traditional outfits and ware in Brodina.
• Egg painting demonstration in Brodina.
• 4WD drive up to the hamlets of Ehrește and Zalomestra.
• Accommodation in a traditional, genuine old house in Poieni Solca / in a guesthouse inspired by local houses in Gura Humorului.

Built between 1487 and 1584, the painted monasteries in Bukovina still amaze visitors through the skill and art of their architecture and mural painting. In an area and some communities where many people were illiterate in the Middle Ages, the monasteries were covered in frescoes so as to pass on the Scripture teaching without the need of a written text. The evocative Last Judgement or Tree of Jessee, among many other depictions, together with the intense Voroneț blue, the almost rustic Arbore or the strong fortress walls surrounding the Sucevița, all these and many more will definitely impress us while visiting the monasteries. To complete and diversify this day, we shall also visit the black, unglazed pottery workshop where the Magopăț Family and their ancestors have preserved this craft in a region where every other step shows one more on the local history and traditions.

• Breakfast.
• Visit to the monasteries of Arbore, Sucevița, Moldovița and Voroneț.
• Visit to the black pottery workshop in Marginea.
• Accommodation in a traditional, genuine old house in Poieni Solca / in a guesthouse inspired by local houses in Gura Humorului.

Moving Southwards, we shall stop and visit Râșca Monastery this morning. Completed in 1542, the monastery has fine mural paintings like the ones we saw the previous day, but, what is specific in this case, these are done in Byzantine style (as opposed to the classical Moldavian style with late Gothic influences in the other cases). Then, after this experience, we shall visit Neculai Popa’s house and ritual mask collection in Târpești. The house with its specific Neamț architecture and the collection itself will show us yet another facet of the rich
local rustic culture. And then, after crossing the Carpathians through the fine Csángóföld (En. the Csángó Land, with the Csángós being a branch of the Hungarians that crossed the mountains East of Transylvania and settled up there or in Moldavia) countryside until, leaving the main road, we shall go up the Valea Boroșului. On a slope above the village proper, a local family bought over, took to pieces and then rebuilt old houses in the region that were falling apart or that the owners could not / would not take care of. This way they created a hamlet of their own, where only the central church is new, while everything around is an outstanding collection of heritage. The fir tree-dotted slope and crest above, the sheepfold on the same property, the picturesque houses and the small ethnographic collection in one of them, all will tell us yet another story this afternoon.

• Breakfast.
• Visit to Râșca Monastery.
• Visit to Neculai Popa’s ritual mask collection and old house in Târpești.
• Walk around the Valea Boroșului hamlet of old houses from the Csángóföld.
• Visit to the local ethnographic collection.
• Accommodation in one of the old houses in Valea Boroșului.

In the morning we shall head down the mountains into the Ciuc Basin and in the Székelyföld, the land of Székely with their roots going all the way back to Attila’s Huns and with their extraordinarily well preserved traditions. After an optional visit to the Mikó Castle started in 1623 and nowadays hosting a very good collection of craft displays, pottery and textiles from the region, we shall follow Olt River on its way Southwards and reach Sântimbru, where, apart from seeing the finely restored, Baroque-Renaissance Henter Mansion, we shall see a local craftsman at work, a weaver or a horse-pulled cart wheel maker. Then, after tasting the mineral waters from the twin springs in Tușnad Spa, we shall leave the paved road, hop over the forested hill and reach Valea Zălanului. It was here that a farm from 1900 was bought over, properly restored with all due respect to the tradition creating it and eventually opened to those interested by King Charles III. Exploring the farm consisting of two old houses separated by a relaxing brook, a barn, a main house and a manor, comes without saying, and so is a horse-pulled cart ride across the village and the verdant neighbourhood. Then, a walk up the trail starting right on premises and leading, across patches of forest, to a wonderful pasture affording great views over the village will definitely complete this diverse day, a day that will however not be over without a locally cooked meal.

• Breakfast.
  • Optional visit to the Mikó Castle in Miercurea Ciuc with its ethnographic displays and textile collection.
• Craft presentation in Sântimbru: horse-pulled cart wheel maker or weaver.
  • Optional break to taste the mineral waters in Tușnad Spa.
• Horse-pulled cart ride in Valea Zălanului.
• Walk to King’s Clearing.
• Local style dinner in Valea Zălanului.
• Accommodation in the heritage houses within the farm in Valea Zălanului (rooms are properly endowed but, while authentically traditional, lack TV sets).

In the morning we shall have a better and closer look at the Székely traditions: in Tălișoara we shall visit a blacksmith, in Filia we shall see a weaver with the superb local outfits she produces, while in Vârghiș we shall see the workshop of a man carving and painting furniture in local style, with enchanting colourful, floral patterns. It will then be on to Ozunca, where we shall visit a dairy farm set in a wonderful natural background; their cheeses will further diversify the tradition palette of the day, however without ending it. The late afternoon will see us in Micloșoara, home to a fine hunting mansion completed in 1648 by a local aristocratic family, the Kálnoky. Descendent of the family, Count Tibor Kálnoky had the castle restored and maintains a few old, traditional houses, as well as a manor house, where we shall stay overnight, providing a great way to explore the lifestyle of the local population. But, before calling it a day and also before the locally cooked dinner, we shall have a cooking class with the locals. The result: mouth-watering kürtőskalács, a pipe cake topped with walnuts, honey and / or sugar!

• Breakfast.
• Visit to a blacksmith in Tălișoara.
• Visit to a weaver in Filia.
• Visit to a furniture painter’s shop in Vârghiș.
• Visit to the Kálnoky Mansion in Micloșoara (if arriving too late, the visit can be done the following day).
• Kürtőskalács cooking class in Micloșoara.
• Local style dinner, Micloșoara.
• Accommodation in the old traditional houses on the Kálnoky Estate (again, rooms are properly endowed, but lack TV sets).

Leaving the Baraolt Mountains and the fine villages hosted in their valleys, we shall head Northwards to Corund, a village that lives on two traditions. First, the well known one, pottery, with its fine patterns including floral motifs (with tulip as the flower of choice) and traditionally a blue-and-white colour scheme. Then, a lesser known tradition, that of tinder wood hats; no, there is no typo, they actually slice the tinder in sheets and then tailor it as needed. Then, the afternoon will see us in the Siebenbürgen, the land of the Saxons which were invited to settle in Transylvania by Hungarian King Geza II and granted certain benefits in exchange for their protecting the kingdom border from invaders, a fact that resulted in their fortifying their houses, churches and even towns like here. After an atmospheric walk across Sighișoara with its bastions, covered stairway, Church on the Hill and colourful houses, we shall leave the crowds and return to serene countryside, with the picturesque village of Mălâncrav with its fine old houses and 18th century Apafi Mansion.

• Breakfast.
• Pottery demonstration in Corund.
• Tinder wood hat presentation.
• Walk across the old town of Sighișoara.
• Walk across Mălâncrav Village.
• Local style dinner, Mălâncrav.
• Accommodation in Apafi Mansion or in a guesthouse hosted by one of the old houses in Mălâncrav or Criș.

Let us allow a day to better explore the Saxon heritage in lower Transylvania, with the villages strewn across rolling hills or down the meandering valleys in between them, with the fortified church steeples rising from the verdant background and the odd flock of sheep or herd of cattle slowly making their way across extensive pastures. In Biertan we are going to see an impressive fortified church that comes complete with its curiosities including the room where couples that intended to divorce would be locked with a single bed, chair and table. In Alma Vii we are going to see another fortified church overlooking the village and the agricultural land below from the top of the small hill it is located on. And then, in Cârța we are going to see the romantic ruins of the Cistercian Abbey founded in the 13th century and where monks used to make their own wine. And then, just off the village of Lisa we are going to see the local ‘vâltoare’ (remember the traditional washing machines in Sârbi, up in Maramureș)? After a quite heterogeneous day down the winding country roads, we shall call at Cobor, a small village where we shall spend the night in old local houses built by the same Saxons.

• Breakfast.
• Visit to the fortified church in Biertan.
• Visit to the fortified church in Alma Vii.
• Visit to the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey in Cârța.
• Visit to the ‘vâltoare’ off Lisa.
• Local style dinner in Cobor.
• Accommodation in old Saxon houses in Cobor.

Apart from the small village, Cobor hosts a local farm run by Carpathia Foundation (that also maintains an extensive natural reserve up parts of Făgăraș and Piatra Craiului mountains) based on sustainable, ecological principles. A visit here will provide an excellent opportunity to complete our rural Romania experience, and nonetheless a way of saying farewell to this world where, quite often, time seems to have stood still and deadlines or tasks are obsolete. For the drive back to Bucharest, we have chosen a longer route that mostly crosses rural areas, from the sparse villages on the lower slopes of the Piatra Craiului affording wide views of the Bucegi, to the communities at the foothills of the Leaota, the cool valley of the Dâmbovița and the extensive orchards around Târgoviște, including the nation-wide famous Voinești apples. Our journey will then come to an end. Without assuming we have covered all traditional regions in this highly diverse country, we can only hope that you will take this as a taste of what there is to see and experience, choosing to return at a certain point for more of it. Until then, let we conclude with Maria Tănase’s lyrics:

“Ye green grain leaf,
Ye green grain leaf,
Long is the road to Gorj
But the road of man’s longing is way longer,
For, while man may go to Gorj and come back,
Man’s longing never comes to an end.”

• Breakfast.
• Visit to the Cobor Farm.
• Drive to Bucharest with breaks for views in Măgura, Peștera, Șirnea, Ciocanu, as well as with an optional break for apples in Voinești (July – October).
• Drop off in Bucharest or at the Bucharest Airport.
• End of services.