Carpathian Walking & Bears

The start hotel is approximately 165km from the airport and will take around

three hours to reach by road. Therefore, we highly recommend you wait for

the group at the airport and join the group transfer.



On arrival of the group flight at Bucharest Airport we are transferred by

minibus to our private guesthouse at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains.

Food and refreshments will be served during the transfer. Our guesthouse is

situated in the quaint village of Magura at 1020m and within the boundaries

of the Piatra Craiului National Park.

After breakfast we spend the day walking around the area surrounding the

unique Kalibash villages of Magura and Pestera, where the houses are built

along the mountain ridges with deep ravines and valleys in between. We visit

these traditional houses and learn about the history of the settlements,

which were built against the mediaeval invasions of Mongols, Tartars and

Turks. Near Pestera we visit a bat cave, home to five separate species of

bats (though not found year-round). Make sure to bring a good torch with you!

Today we travel the traditional way as horse-drawn carts take us into Barza

Valley, a long valley stretching along the Barsa River. As we make our way

slowly through the valley we can enjoy the spectacular view to Piatra

Craiului Mountain and the dispersed settlement of Poiana Marului. We leave

the horse-drawn carts and hike through the hay meadows uphill to a hermitage

in the rocks where we have lunch and enjoy the tea made by monks from herbs

picked in the meadows.



This evening, those who want can take the opportunity to go Brown bear

watching. A forester will take us to a safe hide deep in the forest. The

hides are managed by the forestry commission and access is dependent on their

permission which is why it is organised and paid for locally. Not being able

to get access to the hides is extremely rare.

*Villa Hermani Guesthouse*

Setting off from Magura, we hike up to the alpine pastures. From here we can

see the 25km ridge of Piatra Craiului as we enjoy the calm of the area. The

silence is broken only by the bells of cows and sheep that are brought to

these high pastures in summer to graze. We return to Magura in the afternoon.

Today we explore Postavarul Mountain, a well-known ski area in Romania during

the winter and fantastic place for hiking in the summer. After breakfast, we

set off from Magura to Postavarul Mountain. On arrival, we take the cable car

up to Postavarul peak at 1,727 metres and continue to climb up to 1799m. At

the top, we are welcomed with fantastic panoramic views over the whole

region. Our walk continues down through Postarvarul Nature reserve towards

the old Romanian quarters of Brasov. The trail is varied and will lead us

over alpine meadows and through mixed forests (mainly beechwood and spruce)

until we reach Piata Unirii the main square in Brasov, home to the Orthodox

cathedral and the first Romanian school. From here it is about a 15-minute

walk to the medieval historic town centre.



After some free time to relax we meet the birder from the Romanian

Ornithological Society and Brasov University. He will show us around a UNESCO

Ramsar site at the Dumbravita lakes (near Brasov). In the evening we return

to Magura for dinner. 



Please note: /At times the cable car may be closed due to high winds and the

road may be closed. In this case, we will hike along an alternative high

alpine trail in the region. 

Today we uncover Transylvanian culture at its best!



After breakfast we drive to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle.

This impressive fortress was built on the border to Wallachia where Vlad

Tepes (also known as Vlad the Impaler), the Duke of Wallachia, once ruled.

Vlad, also known as Dracula, was a brutal tyrant and provided inspiration for

Bram Stoker’s famous vampire story. Vlad himself never went to Bran Castle,

but Bram Stoker saw an image of it and felt it was the perfect setting for

his gothic tale.



After Transylvania had become part of Romania in 1920, the castle was donated

to the Romanian royal family. It became the summer residence of Queen Maria,

a granddaughter to Queen Victoria.



From Bran Castle, it is less than an hour’s drive to the region's culture

and economic heart, Brasov. This mediaeval town has been a melting pot of

nations ever since its foundation in the 12th century. We have a guided tour

of the town before having some time to explore at leisure. 



In the evening we visit a traditional Romanian restaurant in Brasov for

dinner (at own expense).

We head down to the valley and visit Libearty, Europe's largest Brown bear

sanctuary. Set in 70 hectares of oak and hazel forests, the sanctuary is home

to more than 100 rescued bears, many of whom suffered over years in captivity

as dancing bears or in circuses.



From the Brown bear sanctuary, we go on a gentle hike across meadows to the

village of Vulcan. This region, around Brasov, is closely related to the

history of the Transylvanian Saxons, settlers who emigrated 800 years ago

from the Rhine‐Moselle valleys. Their strong fortified churches have

attracted international attention and some of them are listed as UNESCO world

heritage sites. Vulcan derives its name from the Slavonic word 'valc',

meaning wolf. In Vulcan we will be welcomed with coffee and tea in the yard

of the fortified church. The churches in Transylvania were strongly fortified

during the Middle Ages when the region was raided a number of times by

Mongols and Tartars.

Transfer to Bucharest airport. The trip ends upon arrival at Bucharest

Airport for land only clients.