Overview Wander through the mountains and forests of wintery Transylvania.
Transylvania – the name alone conjures up images of craggy mountains, gothic castles, horse drawn carts and forests filled with hibernating bears. The reality is not that far off. Crisp winters add an extra dimension to this small corner of Europe as snow blankets the pastures, farmsteads and woodlands. Spend a week exploring this region, hiking or snowshoeing to small villages, into gorges, through valleys and up mountains and wandering through castles and a bear sanctuary along the way. From our comfortable guesthouse in the small village of Magura, we head out to uncover the regions treasures on foot. Snow conditions will dictate whether we hike or snowshoe but, either way, we get into the wilderness. Along the way we meet locals who still live a traditional lifestyle, learn about the regions rich folklore and history, admire stunning mountain scenery and, with a bit of luck, see traces of the local wildlife including wolf or bear paw prints in the snow. Highlights * The serene beauty of the Carpathian Mountains in Winter * Looking for wolf and bear tracks in the snow * Visiting Bran Castle, Dracula’s home * Warm hospitality of the local people * Walking through the Prapastiile Zarnestilor Canyon, formed during the Jurassic Period. ItineraryDay 1 Fly to Bucharest, transfer to Magura, Transylvania..Upon arrival in Bucharest we will be picked up and transferred to our comfortable guesthouse in Transylvania, approximately 3.5hrs drive from Bucharest. The guesthouse is located in thevillage of Magura at about 1040m, within the boundaries of the Piatra Craiului National Park. Our hosts at our guesthouse, the Villa Hermani, are very hospitable and enjoy stopping to chat over a glass of local plum brandy. *Villa Hermani* Day 2 Walk to a local bat cave and the village of Pestera.Heading out on foot again, our first destination today is a local cave which is a hibernation roost for a number of bats including lesser and greater horseshoe bats. Remember to bring a torch with you for the cave visit. We then continue on our way to the nearby village of Pestera (which translates as the cave) witnessing the winter rural life of these mountain communities. After lunch at a local pub we return to Magura. *Villa Hermani* Day 3 Explore Kalibash villages.Magura is one of a number of villages known as the Kalibash villages. The Kalibash once fled Walachia to this remote area which, at the time, was under Austro-Hungarian rule. Here houses stretch along hilltops like pearls on a string. Starting right at our guesthouse we hike up to Dealul Magurice (1300m) where we may spot wolf, lynx and bear prints in the snow in the forest. Later, as we make our way back to Magura, we stop by a local farm to share a hot tuica (home-made plum brandy) with the farmer. *Villa Hermani* Day 4 Snowshoe or walkbetween Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountain.This morning we walk up to a high plateau between Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountain. In winter time this plateau is completely uninhabited, everything is still and a quiet serenity permeates the air giving a sense of truly being in a remote and special area. In the afternoon you will return to the guesthouse. *Villa Hermani* Day 5 Visit Libearty bear sanctuary, the village of Vulcan and Brasov.Driving down into the valley we make our way to Europes largest rescue facility for brown bears: Libearty. Founded in 2005, the rescue centre is home to nearly 100 bears, most of whom suffered over many years in captivity as dancing bears or in circuses. The walk around the bear sanctuary will last approximately one hour. We drive on to the village of Vulcan, which derives its name from the Slavonic word Valc meaning wolf. This region is closely related to the history of Transylvanian Saxons who immigrated here 800 years ago from the Rhine-Moselle valleys. They built fortified churches, some of which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Upon arrival in Vulcan we are greeted by warm coffee and traditional cake in the yard of the fortified church. From Vulcan we drive to Brasov and do a tour around town. We get some free time to explore the town. We will then take our evening meal in a traditional Romanian restaurant and later we return to Magura by minibus. *Villa Hermani* Day 6 Walk to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s castle.Today we hike from tranquil Magura towards busy Bran where we visit Bran Castle. Its easy to see why Bram Stoker picked this castle to be the residence of the infamous vampire, Count Dracula. The character himself was based on Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad the Impaler, Duke of Walachia and a brutal tyrant. Though Vlad himself never went to Bran, Bram Stoker saw an image of the castle and thought it the perfect setting for his dark tale. After visiting the castle we stop by Draculas market where we can pick up some vampire-inspired souvenirs. Later we will be picked up by the minibus and return to Magura. *Villa Hermani* Day 7 Snowshoe through Zarnesti Canyon to Piatra Craiului Mountains.This morning we walk through a spectacular canyon, a gorge formed during the Jurassic Period. We continue towards Curmatura Cabin just beneath the rocks of Piatra Craiului Mountain. The cabin is open year-round and we can relax here before going back to our guesthouse. Altitude gain: We first walk down to the gorge 200m, then hike up 700m to Cabana Curmatura, walk down again 700m and hike up to Magura 200m. *Villa Hermani* Day 8 Transfer to Bucharest Airport, fly to London.Clients booked on the group flight or group flight transfers will be transferred (3.5 hours) back to Bucharest Airport in time for the group flight departure. |