Scenic Transylvania - Guided Cycling Tour

After breakfast, we’re all ready and set up to begin our ride on an easy and flat stretch of road, overseeing the spectacular panorama with snowy summits of the Bucegi Mountains, as we cross through the little mountain town of Zarnesti. At lunch, we will stop to visit the still-working, oldest flour mill in Transylvania, powered by the clear river that runs just next to it. Also, here is where we will learn the tumultuous story of the owner’s life and his mill’s hardships during the rough communist time.

After a well-deserved refreshing lemonade and a tasty piece of cake, we continue our adventure, heading to a lovely little village where we’ll spend the night, just at the foot of the grand Fagaras mountain range. If we’re lucky and the weather is on our side, we will lengthen our journey by just a little bit, enough to allow us to discover an ancient and mystical worshipping cave, home to Zalmoxis, the supreme deity of the Dacian people who have ruled these lands 2000 years ago.

Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today the Fagaras mountain’s ridges will follow and charm us all day long as if to prove its grandeur, these being the highest Romanian Mountains. In the morning after we have our copious breakfast, we will begin today's adventure by heading to the quaint small village of Lisa, where an over 100-year-old, still functional machine that tailors woolen blankets, covers, and clothes is waiting for us to hear its turbulent story. We will stop here and listen to the owner’s tales and see for ourselves the old and intricate ways of producing perfect woolen products.

When we’re done, we will restart our ride through the once successful industrial town, nowadays lying barely asleep, surrounded by the ruins of its old communist machinery and majestic mountaintops.

We then head our home for tonight just next door to a stunning ruined Cistercian Monastery where we can still sense the spirits of its old monks working and praying. Here we’ll have the opportunity to meet the nowadays pastor who’s a natural storyteller, and who’s going to enchant us with the place’s rich history and funny legends.

Possible detour to the spiritual Sambata de Sus (Higher Saturday) Monastery, +10km.

Please note that depending on the seasonal period accommodation on this day is possible in either Carta or Cartisoara. As a consequence, on some departures, our groups may visit the Monastery in Carta on day 4.

Accommodation: Guesthouse on the grounds of Carta's watermill
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Soon after we fill our breakfast appetite, we begin with a thrilling bridge crossing of the river Olt. We then continue our journey onto picturesque country roads where we might see locals at work, either carrying fresh produce by horse carts, plowing the fields in the old-fashioned ways or simply working their home garden and being thrilled to see and meet new visitors.

But we must resist the temptation and continue advancing through these pristine pastoral landscapes and past the 15th-century fortified church of Richis as we reach to enter a once thriving town. As we enter it we will be able to see its enormous fortified church piercing the ski with its spiking towers and marking the grounds with its grand ring-walls. Free time for those who wish to discover its fascinating interiors. Since 1993, this church has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage site, and for good reason, since this is undoubtedly a magical site to experience.

Accommodations: Guesthouse by the fortified church
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In store for today, we have a most beautiful ride through authentic Transylvanian villages. We will then catch up with the Tarnava Mare river and we will also pass by the nearby hop fields.

Our evening is one of the best of Romanian cities, Sighisoara. This is one of the last remaining and still inhabited European medieval citadels and is also part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Once we get there, we will have the rest of the afternoon entirely for ourselves!

We will have plenty of choices for things to visit and see, from the colorful and quirky medieval streets to the most famous Romanian clock tower, and the house of Vlad the Impaler’s father.

Accommodation: 3* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The journey we’ve prepared for today will take us on a peaceful country road that crosses through the curvy Transylvanian hills and takes us into the little quiet village of Apold. We stop for a little while to throw a look around before getting back on our saddles. We resume cycling through small farming villages, past local shepherds looking after their sheep.

For lunch, we will stop at yet another impressive fortified church and here we will uncover some more interesting Saxon particularities and traditions. We will finish today’s ride in a small and traditional town where we will sleep in actual traditional Romanian homes. This will give you the opportunity to truly feel like a Romanian and better interact with your hosts.

Today’s dinner will be organized at the largest guesthouse and it will consist of proper Romanian family dishes.

Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today begins with a quick uphill through a refreshing forest before we reach a nice and easy stretch of road through several small towns before arriving in Viscri. Once we get here we will start exploring this striking old village and see in-depth how it was living as a Saxon back hundreds of years ago.

We will also have the option to visit Viscri’s beautiful fortified church. This church was brought back to life with the help of the Prince Charles Foundation in 1991 and nowadays it is considered amongst the best examples of fortified churches across the world.

To fully immerse you into the local spirit, we’ve also prepared two special meetings for you, one with the village’s brickmaker and the second with its blacksmith. These are two special members of this society as they are the only ones allowed to tackle the village's restored buildings.

For the rest of the day, you’ll be free to explore at your own pace since we will be located straight in Viscri’s heart.

Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast

After serving our final rustic breakfast, we will embark on our bus and head to Dracula’s Bran Castle, situated right on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. Since you are probably all very curious to see it, we will have a photo stop in front of it and hear its intriguing story.

After this, if we have time, we will make another stop at the romantic castle of Peles which was the Royal Family’s summer residence. Since this is a really beautiful place, we will have a short walk around its spectacular gardens before we retake our trip to reach Bucharest.

Once we get to Bucharest, you are free to explore it as you wish with the help of the self-guided written instructions that we’ll give you.

Please note that Bran Castle is an extremely popular tourist destination and can be very busy. That’s why we consider it more convenient to have two shorter stops (Bran and Peles) and also have the time to have a short stroll in Bucharest.

Accommodation: Available upon request in Bucharest
Meals: Breakfast

This trip can be customized for your group. Contact us to discuss extra nights in Bucharest or other modifications.

There is also a similar, self-guided cycling experience here.