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0845 3000 247 +44 (0) 1539 531258 |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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Bistrita (Bistritz) Saxon Church Sugalete Historical Museum Bârgau Pass Bârgau Mountains Hotel Castel Dracula Colibita Lake Beclean Lipizzaner Stud Lechinta Winery Herina (Mönchsdorf) Târpiu (Treppen) Dumitra (Mettersdorf) Liviu Rebreanu Museum Cosbuc Museum Somes Valley Folklore Groups Maieru Folklore Museum Embroidered Costumes Sângeorz-Bai Sant Parva Cave System Rodnei Mountains Lunca Ilvei Stefan cel Mare Riding Centre Calèche to Bârgau Pass |
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TRAVEL |
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Tarom, Austrian & Alitalia fly to Cluj Regular trains or transfers from Cluj (3 hours) to Bistrita; Overnight trains Bucharest - Bistrita, Bucharest - Vatra Dornei, Bucharest - Cluj Other trains: Reghin - Brasov; Timisoara - Cluj - Salva - Nasaud - Ilva Mica - Lunca Ilvei - Suceava: Ilva Mica - Rodna: Salva - Viseu de Jos - Sighet; Bistrita - Bistrita Bârgaului Frequent buses Bistrita - Nasaud; Nasaud - Somes Valley - Rodna Road transfers & day trips by car available from Bistrita Excursions be horse & cart from Lunca Ilvei |
Bistrita-Nasaud "Dracula Country"
he had never set a foot in Transylvania - however, he had done his homework ... !
NEW: Dracula Brief Encounters (below); Summer and Winter holidays in Lunca Ilvei
Village of Sant, Somes Valley
"DRACULA COUNTRY"
Bistrita-Nasaud county, nestled between the peaks of the Rodnei, Caliman and Suhard Mountains in northern Romania, represents the archetypal 'Transylvania' of beetling crags, and dark forests described in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. In the novel, Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to finalise a property deal with Count Dracula at his castle in the "Borgo Pass". His journey takes him by train to the post-town of Bistritz (Bistrita) where he dines on 'robber steak' and drinks 'Golden Mediasch' wine at the Golden Krone Inn, before journeying onwards to the castle despite the warnings he receives from the locals. Most of the movies open at this point! You can stay at the inn, rather the 'Coroana de Aur' hotel, enjoy the same supper and even continue to the 'Borgo Pass'. The journey was described well, from the fruit orchards to the dark forests cloaking the mountain sides, until the silhouette of a castle appears standing boldly against the pass. But, there was no castle until the 1980s when the enterprising local tourist office erected Hotel Castle Dracula. The hotel was almost immediately renamed by order of Ceausescu, incensed at comparisons made of him with Dracula by the press in the West!
Bistrita-Nasaud county, nestled between the peaks of the Rodnei, Caliman and Suhard Mountains in northern Romania, represents the archetypal 'Transylvania' of beetling crags, and dark forests described in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. In the novel, Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to finalise a property deal with Count Dracula at his castle in the "Borgo Pass". His journey takes him by train to the post-town of Bistritz (Bistrita) where he dines on 'robber steak' and drinks 'Golden Mediasch' wine at the Golden Krone Inn, before journeying onwards to the castle despite the warnings he receives from the locals. Most of the movies open at this point! You can stay at the inn, rather the 'Coroana de Aur' hotel, enjoy the same supper and even continue to the 'Borgo Pass'. The journey was described well, from the fruit orchards to the dark forests cloaking the mountain sides, until the silhouette of a castle appears standing boldly against the pass. But, there was no castle until the 1980s when the enterprising local tourist office erected Hotel Castle Dracula. The hotel was almost immediately renamed by order of Ceausescu, incensed at comparisons made of him with Dracula by the press in the West!
0845 3000 247
+44 (0)1539 531258
However, there are far more reasons to visit Bistrita-Nasaud. It encompasses some of the most beautiful, unspoilt mountain scenery in the Carpathians with picturesque, traditional villages located in the valleys and basins, ideal bases for hiking, riding or discovering their vivid tapestry of old customs, handicrafts and folklore. Myths and superstitions abound, passed on from generation to generation - listen to tales of ghosts, apparitions, witches and werewolves, or the mysterious ‘Forest Maiden’, a beautiful apparition who lures young shepherds from their flocks. Orchards cloak the lower slopes around the historic Bistrita - here you will find the finest "Tuica" (plum brandy)! Bistrita is one of the original 'Siebenburgen' with a fine Saxon church boasting the highest spire in Romania. It is a pleasant, relatively prosperous, town and a local transport hub with
frequent buses to Nasaud and the Somes Valley, trains to Cluj and an overnight sleeper train to Bucharest. In the surrounding region, you will find the charming Saxon villages of Dumitra (Mettersdorf) and, well off the beaten track, Târpiu (Treppen), both with typical churches and brightly painted houses. Further afield are Lechinta (Lechnitz) and Herina (Mönchsdorf), the latter with an unusual Saxon church, recently renovated. Lechinta is also well known as a wine region, and wine-tasting can be organised in the town cellars.
Small
Love at First Bite: Brief Encounters with Count Dracula 2008
Short break Dracula tours to squeeze into your itinerary
1. BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Painted Monasteries + Jonathan Harker Trail) - FROM £ 349.00 per person
6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Bucharest (excludes flights)
“Then amongst a chorus of screams from the peasants and universal crossing of themselves, a caleche, with four horses, drove up behind us, overtook us, and drew up beside the coach. I could see from the flash of our lamps, as the rays fell on them, that the horses were coal-black and splendid animals. They were driven by a tall man, with a long brown beard and a tall hat, which seemed to hide his face from us. I could only see the gleam of a pair of very bright eyes, which seemed red in the lamplight, as he turned to us.” 'Dracula' Bram Stoker
Overnight Sleeper train to Suceava (1st Class Sleeper Berths - 2 per compartment)
DAY 2: Meet & Greet Service at 06:20; breakfast then private guided tour of the famous Painted Monasteries of Bucovina (info) with a professional English speaking guide and car. You will be dropped at Vama in the afternoon for the spectacular rail journey over the Carpathians into Transylvania. Overnight at Stefan cel Mare guesthouse (fullboard - 2 nights)
DAY 3:Full day in the lovely mountain village of Lunca Ilvei - optional activities include riding, hiking and cart rides
DAY 4: Jonathan Harker Trail - follow in his footsteps by Horse drawn caleche - fours hours through wolf infested forests following remote tracks to reach the Borgo Pass surrounded by the peaks of the northern Carpathians. Overnight at Hotel Castel Dracula.
DAY 5: Personal tour with car and driver, first to Bistrita (Bistritz) where you can enjoy Jonathan Harker's meal at the 'Golden Krone' (optional) then onwards through the Mittel Land of the Carpathians to Targu Mures and the mediaeval walled town of Sighisoara - birthplace of Vlad the Impaler - Prince Dracula (info). 5 hours. Overnight in a delightful historic hotel in the heart of the old citadel.
DAY 6: Explore old Sighisoara in the morning before boarding your afternoon inter city train back to Bucharest (1st Class)
Meet & Greet Service; transfer to airport ot Bucharest hotel
COSTS:
£ 349.00 per person based on 4 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 459.00 per person based on 2 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 15.00 Booking Fee per person unless flights or other arrangements booked through Transylvania Uncovered
Reductions available for larger groups
Price excludes flights (flight info)
5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Bucharest (excludes flights)
DAY 1: Meet & Greet; transfer from sirport or Bucharest hotel
Overnight Sleeper train to Vatra Dornei or Cluj Napoca (1st Class Sleeper Berths - 2 per compartment)
DAY 2: Breakfast then oneard rail connection over the Carpathians into Transylvania. Overnight at Stefan cel Mare guesthouse (fullboard - 1 night)
DAY 3: Jonathan Harker Trail - follow in his footsteps by Horse drawn caleche - fours hours through wolf infested forests following remote tracks to reach the Borgo Pass surrounded by the peaks of the northern Carpathians. Overnight at Hotel Castel Dracula.
DAY 4: Personal tour with car and driver, first to Bistrita (Bistritz) where you can enjoy Jonathan Harker's meal at the 'Golden Krone' (optional) then onwards through the Mittel Land of the Carpathians to Targu Mures and the mediaeval walled town of Sighisoara - birthplace of Vlad the Impaler - Prince Dracula. 5 hours. Overnight in a delightful historic hotel in the heart of the old citadel.
DAY 5: Explore old Sighisoara in the morning before boarding your afternoon inter city train back to Bucharest (1st Class)
Meet & Greet Service; transfer to airport ot Bucharest hotel
Jonathan Harker Trail
COSTS:
£ 284.00 per person based on 4 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 374.00 per person based on 2 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 15.00 Booking Fee per person unless flights or other arrangements booked through Transylvania Uncovered
Reductions available for larger groups
Price excludes flights (flight info)
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Cluj (excludes flights)
This tour has been designed to fit in with the NEW Tarom flights from Gatwick to Cluj: Gatwick 15:30 - Cluj 20:30 (Friday); Cluj 13:15 - Gatwick 14:30 (Monday)
"My FRIEND, - Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well to night. At three tomorrow the diligence will start for the Bucovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pas my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land. – Your friend, DRACULA”. 'Dracula' Bram Stoker
DAY 1: Transfer from Cluj airport. Overnight in 3* Hotel in the old imperial capital of Cluj (info)
DAY 2: Free time to explore Cluj in the morning. Pick up Jonathan Harker's trail as you take the stopping train to old Bistritz (Bistrita), arriving mid afternoon. Overnight in theHotel Coroana de Aur (Golden Krone) where you could even dine on Jonathan Harker's meal (optional): "'robber steak' - bits of bacon, onion and beef, seasoned with red pepper and strung on sticks and roasted over the fire in the simple style of the London cat's-meat! The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue...”
DAY 3: Follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker. First through the orchards and then the Mittel land so well described in the novel by car, then a local express train to Lunca Ilvei arriving at lunch time. Onwards by Horse drawn caleche - fours hours through wolf infested forests following remote tracks to reach the Borgo Pass surrounded by the peaks of the northern Carpathians. Overnight at Hotel Castel Dracula.
DAY 4: Personal transfer by car to Cluj (3-4 hours - to connect with your flight or onward train)
COSTS:
£ 239.00 per person based on 4 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 299.00 per person based on 2 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 15.00 Booking Fee per person unless flights or other arrangements booked through Transylvania Uncovered
Reductions available for larger groups
Price excludes flights (flight info)
STOP PRESS: Inauguration of Cluj Flights postponed until April 2008
Local Train in Dracula Country
FULLY-GUIDED BRIEF ENCOUNTER (from Târgu Mures)
4. DRACULA: DOMAIN OF THE VAMPIRE COUNT
FROM £ 284.00 per person
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS
Daily Departures from Târgu Mures (excludes flights: this tour works well with <Malev connections from the UK via Budapest)
DAY 1: Arrival at Târgu Mures airport; drive through the beautiful, remote Transylvanian Highlands to Bistrita (Bistritz). Explore old Bistrita and enjoy
Jonathan Harker's supper ("Robber Steak washed down with Golden Mediasch wine) at the 'Golden Krone' - the Hotel Coroana de Aur where you spend the night
ALTERNATIVE: continue to the mountain village of Lunca Ilvei for overnight and dinner at the Stefan cel Mare guesthouse
DAY 2: Continue through the orchards of the Carpathian 'Mittel Land' ever deeper into the mountains to Lunca Ilvei where yorse horse-drawn carriage awaits.
Jonathan Harker Trail - follow in his footsteps by Horse drawn caleche or cart - fours hours through wolf infested forests following remote tracks to reach the Borgo Pass surrounded by the peaks of the northern Carpathians. Overnight at Hotel Castel Dracula.
DAY 3: Drive down the Borgo Pass via Bistrita and Târgu Mures to the mediaeval walled-town of Sighisoara, birthplace of Vlad the Impaler.
Overnight in one of the romantic, historic hotels in the citadel.
DAY 4: Explore historic Sighisoara and enjoy lunch in the house where the real Dracula - Vlad the Impaler - was allegedly born in the 15th century.
Drive to Târgu Mures for your flight home. (or extend yor holiday via Brasov or Bucharest)
This holiday includes transport by car or minibus, and driver/ guide, entrance fees, taxes and bed and breakfast accommodation throughout in 3* hotels
plus dinner on the first night and lunch on the last day.
COSTS:
£ 284.00 per person based on 8 sharing twin/ double rooms; based on 2 carts for the Trail
£ 344.00 per person based on 6 sharing twin/ double rooms; based on 2 carts for the Trail
£ 399.00 per person based on 4 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 499.00 per person based on 2 sharing twin/ double rooms
£ 15.00 Booking Fee per person unless flights or other arrangements booked through Transylvania Uncovered
Reductions available for larger groups
Price excludes flights (flight info)
Dracula Country: The 'Borgo' Pass
The Somes is known throughout Romania for its wealth of folklore - traditional costumes, dance and music have been preserved and may be seen at weddings, inpromptu celebrations or folk festivals. One of the best examples is the large, rambling village of Sant, an ideal starting point for trekking in the Rodnei Mountains: Mt. Ineu and Lala Lake. It's name, which means "trench" refers to trenches dug as a defence against Tatar incursions. It is especially known for its weddings, and the traditional costumes worn with pride for celebrations and dances. Almost every home is decorated with weavings, embroidered towels and hand-painted ceramics, the fruit of many winters of work on the loom, and part of the dowry for the daughters of the family, togther with quilt covers, pillow cases and intricate costumes. Other communities in this lengthy valley are also known for the wealth of folklore, the costumes differing from village to village, and also their dance troupes and traditional folk songs. There is a folklore museum at Maieru (see below), a village museum in Bistrita while the homes of the poet Cosbuc and writer Rebreanu are open to the public.
The forested slopes around the Rotunda Pass are rich in wildlife and offer endless opportunities for rambling or simply relaxing with a picnic in a flower-filled meadow beside a stream, or one of many mineral water springs("borcut") in the valley. There is also the spa of Sangeorz-Bai with a wide range of natural mineral waters and you will find Romania's deepest cave system near the remote village of Parva.
Maieru Folklore Museum
The Folklore museum was set up in 1959 by a group of school children inspired and lead by Sever Ursa, a teacher of Romanian, whose lifelong preoccupation with Rebreanu's work determined him to organize a small exhibition displaying some of Rebreanu's personal objects in the school; the museum has significantly grown as a result of the dedication of its initiator (who had also been in charge of setting up Rebreanu's memorial house in Prislop) combined with the contribution of the local schoolchildren and teachers. Nowadays, it has over 3000 pieces on display and has gained a well-deserved prestige as a touristic attraction as well as a place where the cultural heritage is preserved - the museum's name, "Cuibul Visurilor" or Dreams' Nest, relates back to the metaphorical name Rebreanu used to refer to Maieru, the village where he "spent the happiest moments of his life"; There are no fixed opening times. The museum is open on request but it is preferable to announce the director by telephone about your planned visit (Mr. Sever Ursa, tel. 0263-372031).
Lunca Ilvei is a traditional village rambling between woods and meadows in the Ilva valley - it offers peace and tranquility as there is no through road - however, it may be reached by regular express rail services travelling along the route Timisoara - Cluj - Ilva Mica - Vatra Dornei - Suceava - Iasi.
A wide range of homestay accommodation is available in addition to endless opportunities for trekking through the mountains on foot or horse back. There are various trails leading into the Bârgau Mountains and up to the Bârgau Pass, or towards the Rodnei Mountains and Rotunda Pass via an old Roman Road which leads to Sant in the Somes Valley. A good circular route (see riding holidays) follows the "Muncii Insirati" ridge. There are fine views from here over a high, secluded region of alpine pastures called "obcinas" (meaning bare crests of mountains) where shepherds spend six months of each year without machines or electricity. Of special interest is a naturally regenerating pine forest, described by a visiting naturalist as "the finest natural European forest after the great Bialowieski reservation in Poland". One section was, until 1920, the eastern border of Austro-Hungary and the setting for the great Romanian novel "The Hanging Forest" by Liviu Rebreanu - "the Romanian Kafka". The ancient beech forest is home to wolves, lynx, foxes,deer and other animals.
English run "Stefan cel Mare Equestrian Centre", run by a British expatriate and his American wife. The centre uses quality saddlery and strong, reliable locally-bred horses and ponies. You can also take a ride in a horse-drawn caleche, recreating Jonathan Harker's journey in "Dracula", following forest trails and cart tracks to arrive at the Borgo Pass and Hotel Castle Dracula in about 4 hours.
ROMANIAN COSTUMES & FESTIVALS
Romanian folk costumes are characterised by different regional styles
and patterns. The principal colours of the costume are black and white.
The men’s shirts are generally white, whilst women wear blouses
embroidered with a profusion of fascinating motifs, abstract figures
which usually represent either flowers or animals. These motifs are
painstakingly stitched in bright colours: red, blue, yellow, orange,
silver and gold.In Maramures the red and black bands of the aprons
are very distinctive.The main materials used are of animal (wool) or
vegetal origin (flax, hemp).
We can incorporate demonstrations of costumes, embroidery and
even folk dance in bespoke itineraries, and festivals in our set tours.
Some of the the best opportunities to observe costumes, customs
and dance are at various traditional festivals which occur throughout
Romania as the year progresses. Some relate to Christian holidays,
particularly Easter and Christmas, others to the rural calendar such as
the beginning of the agricultural year, the crop harvest, or the vintage.
The best known are 'Sâmbra Oilor' (Measurement of the Milk),
celebrating the departure of the flocks to their mountain pastures in
May or June; 'Tinjaua' (Ploughmans Festival) in May; 'Cocosul de Horezu',
one of the most important ceramics fairs (June); 'Targul de Fete', the
famous 'Maiden Fair' on Mount Gaina in the Apuseni region (June);
'Prislop Hora' – a great gathering of people and folk groups from
the counties Suceava, Bistrita-Nasaud and Maramures in August,
and the Masked Winter Carnival at Sighet.
Old Bistrita / Sant in the Somes Valley / Red Tassles ward off the Evil Eye!
Winter, Sant village / Somes Valley costumes / Orthodox church, Bistrita
Threshing near Nasaud / Caliman Mountains / Horse plough, Somes Valley
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Tel. +44 (0)1539 531258 or UK local rate: 0845 3000 247; Email. travel@beyondtheforest.com
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