Where The Bears Go

After breakfast, the group takes a tour of the center. In addition to the stables and pastures we get to see the organic farm. Vegetables and fruit are grown and animals are raised there making the centre almost self-sufficient and the food healthy and very tasty. Next, we meet the horses and go for a ride that will take around 3 hours. The trail leads through meadows and forests growing at the foothills of the mountains. We will admire the landscape and the variety of wild flora and fauna. You may be able to track down the first prints of wild boars and bears. There are a couple of good spots to trot and canter. We’ll return to the farm and have lunch. Sated and rested we switch to cars and head to Stramba Valley to take a 3-hour hike there. The area is a part of the ”Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”, a transnational serial nature UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among birch and fir trees there you’ll find the… tallest tree in Romania. In the evening we’ll have dinner and the rest of it can be spent outside by the fire or in the cosy lounge. The hosts will be happy to tell you about their ecological projects related to the wildlife of the Southern Carpathians that the farm is a part of.

Once again, we set out to penetrate the foothills of the Southern Carpathians. We’ll spend most of the days out, up until late afternoon. We will canter through blooming meadows and track wild animals in the surrounding forests. A lunch break is planned on a meadow, surrounded by nature and with a magnificent mountain panorama. On our way we might be able to find tracks of wild boars and bears although it’s easy to get distracted by views around us. Upon returning to the farm we’ll refresh, have dinner and spend the rest of the evening chatting and relaxing.

On this day, the horses rest and the group set off on a car tour of Transylvania. The drive will take about 2 hours, we will travel along local roads leading through sleepy Romanian villages. Our first destination is Sighișoara, a fairytale town from the Transylvanian Saxon era. Today it is home to one of the best-preserved medieval town complexes, and one of the main attractions there is the home of the (in)famous Count Dracula. We then continue our journey to the Viscri, one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Transylvania. The village was founded some 900 years ago and inhabited by German minority. Most of the people left for Germany in 1990, although a handful of inhabitants decided to stay. We will visit the legendary fortified church from the 12th century and then have lunch consisting of traditional Saxon dishes, largely made with ingredients coming from local gardens and farms, with wine and plum brandy to top it. The guides are passionate about Transylvania’s history, so it’s a perfect occasion to learn a bit about the region. In the evening, we return to Șinca Nouă.

After breakfast we will saddle up and leave Șinca Nouă to head into the wilderness of the mountains. In addition to abundant forests and flowered glades, we will encunter nearly forgotten mountain villages. We will have the opportunity of peeping into the life of the local people, which has changed little over the last centuries. We’ll have lunch on the way and in the evening we will arrive at a campsite near traditional local farms, where there’s no electricity or running water and people still use horses and oxes for farming. We will spend the evening and a part of the night sitting around a campfire and admiring the stars above. We will sleep in tents, but a transfer to the guest house for the night can be arranged upon request (you will have to walk to reach the car road, which will take about 20 minutes).

After a night in nature we will break camp, saddle up our horses and set off on our way back. The majestic Southern Carpathian Mountains are all around us, with the Transylvanian Highlands at their heart. In many places the trail passes through viewpoints where we will be able to enjoy panoramas and the beauty of this parts of the Carpathian mountains. Gradually the trail will lead towards Șinca Nouă which we will reach in the afternoon. As usual, we will have dinner together and spend the rest of the evening relaxing and enjoying the night.

This is the last day of horse riding. There will be lots of cantering through meadows and mountain glades. In the middle of the day we will return to the center, say goodbyes to our horses and have a delicious lunch. Then we set off by car to the Bran Castle, known as Dracula’s castle! As you will find out during the tour, the legend doesn’t quite coincide with the historical facts, but… a legend is a legend. 🙂 In the late afternoon we will return to the center and hold a farewell dinner together.

It’s time to leave Transylvania and Romania. After breakfast a minibus will pick up all participants and head to Bucharest, to the airport.