Our cultural tours focusing on a region do not aim at ticking highlights or must-sees on a map; instead, while not ignoring major historic places, we prefer to go sideways, up and down, left and right, in search of local experiences and sights that to the point where our itineraries might appear strange with their loops. While traveling with us, you will have the chance to learn more about the local history and traditions while tasting the local food, listening to local tales and walking across old villages where little has changed for centuries or having a drive along winding roads, and not only while visiting castles, monasteries and old towns. While not arguing we have found the Holy Graal and hold the eternal truth, it is just our way of seeing the world, and the way we wish to promote. Therefore, not once a tour might turn out to be longer than a straight A > B > C > D route, where the four letters stand for the places that are typed in bold letters and come together with a snapshot on a guidebook map. When all is said and done, obviously, both Vlad III the Impaler (as well as his father, Vlad II Dracul) and Nicolae Ceaușescu were part of Romanian history for instance; we would only like to add that there is much more to discover in Romania and Eastern Europe for that matter than the legacy of the respective ephemeral rule of a certain individual, a much more that is the result of a way longer human presence, one where a whole life approach was developed. Our regional and theme tours, as well as our tours in Romania mean to explore the latter and this is why sometimes not very frequently met tours to places such as Wallachia or the Székelyföld are among the ideas we welcome guests to look into.
Then, when it comes down to our active tours, we could put together hundreds of them, as nature has been more than generous with our region. Yet we have chosen to list here a few different options there are, taking in the diverse scenery there is to explore by foot or bicycle. Other considerations behind this selection include the most popular mountains and the smoothest transport routes, but, very familiar with highlands and their trails, we are happy to organize tours in any mountain range or nature reserve in Romania or the neighbouring countries. To make it easier to assess the difficulty degree of active routes, we always include the daily gain and distance, also adding in specific information we consider as relevant. Other than that, just like our cultural tours above, the active tours are entirely customizable (actually we usually work the other way around, starting from scratch, based on your data), therefore do not be put off if the options here do not fit your requirements, time or preferences, and let us know. Just like the mountains, every trip is unique, and there are no two stories alike, so let us build yours!
THE ORBIS UNUM Journeys
Bucur’s Bleating Say: This one is for the serious minded, behind the scenes type folk who, by signing up, would get to experience Romania as one of Orbis Unum's family members; this means you will not be spared [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: Heard of the Everglades? Pantanal? Well, this Dobrogea and Danube Delta tour is an equally marvellous glimpse at an out of the way place which rarely gets this type of in-depth treatment. As the French [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: As you gathered from the website opening video, Horse-Pulled carts are the two decker buses equivalent for this shepherd's land. In this context however they reveal Orbis Unum's inner heart and soul and are more [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Winding! Uphill! Downhill! Deep woods! Rugged cliffs! Remoteness! Only here can a mere 8 days reveal civilization in all its history and glory along perfect arcs from bucolic churches to picture book villages to a [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:My dear self’s, Bucur's hometown, now projected in the future, and as convoluted as ever. Whatever you seek, it is here and in spades but you must get down to ground level and havegood orientation, [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:If you want us to have anything to do with that Vlad character, then you must follow our steps through the very ignored region of Wallachia. Not only that but you will have eyes opened [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: Ha! What did I say about the last hometown foray... well here are 3 more missing days to flesh out this incredible polis - very difficult to do justice here; but if you ask Alex, [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: Many moons ago and in a previous life, we were approached by a nuclear family (all that remained) to see if we could locate a burial site in a loosely described Jewish cemetery in some [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Be ready for the genuine, un-trafficked and de-disneyfied Transylvania. The landscape is the star, so is the concomitant history come to think of it for they are inextricably linked. A five sheep classical tour. [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: This is doing one better than Transylvania while still being Transylvania - it allows for more of a travel in time as our patented, "off the beaten path" path/no path pays off handsomely here. This [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: Five days, there’s the result of a labour of love connecting spirituality from another dimension with everyday treats of shepherd life (bulz!). As close to a wooden cart trip sans wooden cart. Easily superlative five [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: This is plainly a highlight reel for those willing to take the time to travel all the way up here - a very rich and wholesome diet of the local tradition-centered and "wood" culture [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Another Orbis Unum treat and labour of love meticulously assembled by one who has an eye for witnessing the past and its elucubrations etched in stone and other building materials. Much ground is covered in [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: Trip prep at its finest and possibly even more enthralling than the tripping itself? Q.E.D. with the expansive jaunt here. Sit down and read this through, unroll and map it around your gyri and [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:A perfect three day outing awaits; just enough challenge, optical beauty, existing wildlife and diversity of terrain to make this a perfect warm up for some and a reality check for others. Channel your inner [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Did you fail military service fitness tests? Dodge gym class in school? Eager for a revenge to show yourself what you are capable of given the proper environment? Then we have the Făgăraș in our [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:I know of some who make this trip their personal pilgrimage in order to achieve quick regeneration. How right they are: the trip description does entire justice to this much beloved itinerary BUT there are [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Veni Vidi Velo - ride this ride today and let tomorrow do its worst for you will have LIVED (very loose Horace paraphrase). Go 10 days as by then you will be in the rhythm; [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Well well, no fear of leaving home behind when you are gone for 16 days of riding. Necessarily, this is a trip designer jewel, nightmare and dream all rolled into one and a great example [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say:Anyone can explore the Danube Delta by boat. But, hands down, the bicycle is the best tool to explore this vast waterworld wonderland. Too many times frustration exists at having to opt out of visiting [...]
Bucur’s Bleating Say: The title for this trip could be the romanticised version of Khayyám's ditty, such as: "A jug of Moldovan wine, a loaf of Romanian bread, and thou, old stones", while on the subject, this journey [...]
