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Arrive
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Day 1 Cluj
Arrive in the northwestern city of Cluj, a
major university city that blends Romanian and Hungarian culture, a hangover
from the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Start your Romanian sojourn with
a stroll around the Unirii (Union) Square, lined with shops, restaurants and
18th and 19th-century buildings, and dominated by the Gothic St.
Michael’s Church – Romania’s tallest church tower, which from 1316 took more
than 150 years to be built. The Baroque Bánffy Palace, meanwhile, houses an
impressive display of weaponry and Romanian art collections. Check in at your
modern, self-catered apartment in the city centre – some with exposed brick
walls and vaulted ceilings, others with a comfortable loft-style chic.
Overnight: Cluj Apartments
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Day 2 Cluj
Venture out for breakfast before meeting
your local guide for a walking tour of the city. The local university campus is
one of Romania’s oldest and largest, with an impressive library – and the
chance to meet some of its expert professors. Discover small art galleries and
two former brush and matchstick factories that have been transformed into
collective performance, work and exhibition spaces for local artists and
organisations. Their value lies both in the art that they champion, and their
former Communist factory premises in parts of Cluj that travellers would not
usually frequent. This evening, dine in the city, trying local food stalls or
favourite student haunts.
Overnight: Cluj Apartments
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Day 3 Hungarian Castles
Drive to nearby villages to experience the
historic Hungarian influence on this part of Romania, such as at the restored
Baroque Bontida Castle or the village of Sic, where locals hang their shoes
outside their houses between practicing traditional dances in the village
centre. This afternoon, head to the Turda salt mine, where salt was produced
from the Middle Ages until the 20th century. Go deep underground to learn its
history and, defying expectations, have fun on its ferris wheel, bowling lanes
and boating lake.
Overnight: Cluj Apartments
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Day 4 Maramures
Make your way to verdant Maramureș today,
driving a narrow, scenic road that cuts through the volcanic Țibleș mountains.
Your three-hour journey will pass sublime panoramas and remote villages before
reaching Botiza. Here, rest at your cottage set in a stunning nature reserve
where highland cattle are bred and workshops aim to bring guests closer to the
rural and artisanal Maramureș culture. Sesuri’s five luxurious cottages are the
result of sensitive restorations (one is 300 years old), blending rustic
freedom with contemporary finesse – and idyllic views.
Take a picnic lunch into this ravishing
area, perhaps dining with a view of the monastery on the other side of Sesuri’s
hill, taking a walk to the UNESCO-protected, 17th-century wooden
church in the village of Ieud. Unwind with nature for company, strolling
through the forest or driving – taking serendipitous detours along the way – to
meet a traditional wooden gate carver, who has made handsomely detailed pieces
for Romanian royalty and US presidents alike.
Overnight: Sesuri
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Day 5 Maramures
Today, drive to discover more of the
landscape and traditional villages with wooden churches that characterise
Maramureș. Visit the uniquely colourful Merry Cemetery in Săpânța, where
tombstones are decorated with often humorous epitaphs. Step into the houses of
local craftspeople, who will show you traditional Maramureș dress and share a
taste of the homemade palinca (plum brandy is at its best – and
strongest – in this part of the world). Next, spend time at the Maramureș
Village Museum, a small ethnological study of the region, and the poignant
Memorial Museum of Communism Victims in the former Sighet prison, where many
intellectuals of Communist Romania were detained, tortured and killed.
Overnight: Sesuri
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Day 6 Maramures
Take an hour’s drive to Borsa, where the
Rodnei Mountains National Park opens over the vast wilds in breathtaking
grandeur. Enjoy quiet contemplation at a monastery and walk among Alpine flora,
glacial lakes and hidden caves with your expert guide, breathing deep in the
fresh air.
Overnight: Sesuri
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Day 7 Bucovina
Crossing into Bucovina with your private
guide and driver, travel five hours – with a pitstop for a typical Romanian
lunch – through this commanding mountain landscape to Sucevița, a small village
where you will stay at Casa cu Cerbi. This traditional house has been
respectfully restored with recovered furniture, old carpets and local
photography. In the afternoon, start your discovery of Bucovina’s glorious
monasteries with the Eastern Orthodox example in Sucevița itself: a Byzantine
and Gothic structure covered in ornately detailed frescoes, some typically
Moldavian, thanks to the boyar family that built it in 1585.
Overnight: Casa cu Cerbi
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Day 8 Bucovina's Monasteries
The 15th and 16th-century
painted monasteries throughout Bucovina are UNESCO heritage sites, and their
frescoes are wondrous to behold. A little further north, the Moldovița
monastery is a Romanian Orthodox example from 1532 that is no less colourful
and striking. Fully appreciating these scenes demands inspecting them up close.
Lunch might be in Moldovița, a picnic from local markets, or at your next
destination, Gura Humorului. Here, two further monasteries boast even more
impressively preserved murals, some from the 1400s. Return to Suceava for a
night at the modern Hotel Sonnenhof, with Austrian flair, a beautifully kempt
summer garden and restaurant with an international flavour.
Overnight: Hotel Sonnenhof
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Day 9 Transfer to Bucharest
Fly to Bucharest before continuing your
journey home, or consider extending your stay in Romania’s fascinating
architectural capital.
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Depart