Medieval castles and villages of Transylvania

Day 1: Arrival in Rasinari

Your journey will start with a private transfer from Sibiu or Cluj Napoca airport to Rasinari (optional). The colourful town of Rasinari is just 12km south of Sibiu, and well worth the visit. Its streets are lined with colourfully painted Saxon-style houses, and the town is home to two outstanding churches.

Your accommodation for the next three nights will be Badiu’s Guest House. This beautiful rustic house features accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, a shared lounge and a garden. The creative and passionate chef Mrs Badiu will delight you with the highest quality authentic cuisine. Most of the ingredients are carefully grown and picked fresh from the house’s gardens or sourced from local farms.

• Accommodation: Badiu’s Guest House or similar

Day 2: Cisnădioara Circular walk | 20km

After breakfast, you will hike from Rasinari to Prislop village and then to Cisnădioara and its fortified church, one of the seven citadels founded by the Saxons of Transylvania centuries ago. It’s a rare example of Romanesque architecture in the region, especially its splendid western portal, that survived more than 800 years without major changes. Shortly after leaving the village, you will reach the “Half-Stone” with fossils from the Limestone Age. Continue to the Rose Garden, at about 1,100m above sea level and to the Magura Peak at a height of 1,300m.

• Walking for the day: 20km, 6.5h, ↑900m ↓900m
• Accommodation: Badiu’s Guest House or similar

Day 3: Păltiniș – Rasinari | 17km

Morning transfer to Păltiniș, the highest mountain resort in Romania (1,400m), the starting point for an approximately 6h hike in the Cindrel Mountains. Our route leads us from Păltiniș, trough Oncesti and Tomnaticu to Rasinari. Do not forget to bring your camera to capture the overwhelming panoramic views over the Transylvanian Alps.

• Walking for the day: 17km, 6h, ↑500m ↓1,350m
• Accommodation: Badiu’s Guest House or similar

Day 4: Rasinari – Sibiu | 5.6km

Short transfer to ASTRA National Museum Complex, spread over a 10km area located in the Dumbrava Forest, just 4km from the city centre of Sibiu. The area of the museum complex is divided into six units with 340 buildings from different regions and periods, including old country houses, furnished and arched as the best of the authentic periodic tradition. Brought in their entirety from various areas of Transylvania, household equipment, windmills, water stations, a huge wine press, fruit and oil, a collection of wooden farm carts and various authentic items collections from different eras. Overnight in Sibiu.

• Walking for the day: 5.5km, 3h, ↑35m ↓80m
• Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Sibiu: Best Western Silva Hotel, Golden Tulip Ana Tower or similar

Day 5: Richiş – Biertan | 12km

Transfer to Richiş (Reichesdorf), where residents of twelve nationalities live in this 700-inhabitant village – German, French, Dutch, Italian, Swiss, Lithuanian and American citizens live alongside the Romanian and the Saxon population. Visit the village of Ațel (Hetzeldorf) and its Gothic basilica. Ațel is one of the oldest Saxon villages in the area, dating back to the 1200’s. Your next stop will be Biertan – located in a long valley surrounded by hills and vineyards. The village was founded in 1283 and is dominated by Saint Mary’s citadel and church. This hilltop medieval construction, surrounded by three fortified walls, has been named a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO Foundation.

• Walking for the day: 12km, 4h, ↑220m ↓260m
• Accommodation: 4-star Complex Medieval Unglerus or similar

Day 6: Biertan – Mălâncrav | 15km

Walk to Copsa Mare (Großkopisch), Nous Sasesc and then to Mălâncrav – a remote village where time almost stood still. Villagers here still greet each other with ‘Grüß Gott’ – German for ‘God bless’. Malancrav one of the finest villages in Transylvania, where traditions, Saxon architecture, ethnic diversity and local flavors combine to create a unique experience. The history of the village, also known as Malmkrog in German and Malemkref in the local Saxon dialect, is at least 700 years old. Its fortified church and the Apafi Mansion are testimonies of its centuries-old stories and events. The village has one of the most important fortified churches in Transylvania. Built in the 14th century on the place of an older Romanesque basilica, the church is impressive even by today’s standards with its three naves and tall bell fry. Still, what makes the church truly rare are the interior frescoes that cover 20m with 53 scenes from the Old and New Testament.

• Walking for the day: 15km, 5.5h, ↑500m ↓450m
• Accommodation: Guesthouse Mălâncrav 280 or similar

Day 7: Criș – Sighişoara | 15km

Short transfer to Criș (Kreisch). The village, one of the ancestral seats of the counts Bethlen, has a number of important heritage sites. The old castle, first documented in 1305, is one of the most famous Renaissance buildings in Transylvania and sits on a hill about 200m away from the Caretaker’s house. Walk to Sighişoara – the town is infamous for being the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, the 15th-century ruler of Wallachia and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. Look inside Dracula’s home and see the city’s burgher houses, historic towers and lavish churches. Climb to the top of the city’s Clock Tower and admire beautiful views over the Old Town and Tarnava Mare Valley. Examine the tower’s ornate two-plate clock, decorated with 3-inch-tall (80-centimetre) figurines representing Peace, Law and Justice, as well as pagan gods related to each of the seven weekdays. Overnight in a 4-star hotel in Sighişoara.

• Walking for the day: 15km, 5h, ↑250m ↓310m
• Accommodation: 4-star Hotel Korona or similar

Day 8: Departure

After breakfast your tour comes to an end. Optional private transfer to Cluj, Sibiu or Bucharest airport and individual stay extensions available upon request.