Beyond myths and legends, Dracula and blood sucking vampires, Transylvania is without doubt one of Europe’s best hidden secrets. We invite you to embark on a journey into a fairytale world filled with medieval cities and castles, friendly people and unspoiled nature, where wolves and bears still rule over the forests of the Carpathian Mountains.
We will depart from Braşov in the morning and drive right next to the mountains to reach Sibiu. The city was founded by German colonists in the 12th century and has been the central point of the Transylvanian Saxons ever since. An Italian chronicler of the 16th century named the city “not much bigger then Vienna”… We invite you to discover the three main squares, with the patrician palaces, the guilds residences and the workshops of the craftsmen, the medieval fortification walls and defensive towers, of which many have survived until today. Or you can just relax with a glass of fine Transylvanian wine in Europe’s 2007 Capital of Culture…
At noon we will leave Sibiu behind and drive to Sighişoara. The small medieval city was founded by German colonists in the 13th century and placed strategically on the top of a hill to protect it from the invading enemy troops. Most of the fortification was kept intact and armed towers still guard the city. The Clock Tower, the former Benedictine monastery, the Lutheran Church from the upper part of the city, the narrow streets, but also the supposed birthplace of Count Dracula, give the town its enchanting medieval atmosphere. We will visit the museum inside of the Clock Tower, which hosts a medieval clock mechanism that is based on small wooden statues, representing Roman gods, which move every night.
Later in the afternoon we will drive to Viscri to discover probably Romania’s most beautiful village ensemble. It has become well known due to the involvement of several charitable foundations in the preservation of the local culture and historical heritage of the area. One of these foundations, “the Mihai Eminescu Trust” is under the patronage of HRH Prince Charles. The highlight of the village is for sure the church, dating back to the 12th century, which was later fortified with big walls and towers to protect the villagers from the enemies. Nowadays, the old towers have been turned into an interesting museum of the village. Not only the church, but also the village itself are under UNESCO patronage. Almost all of the houses were built in the 15th and 16th century, so Bible quotations, words-of-mouth and family coats of arms can be seen written/drawn on the facades. All restoration works were carried out with local labour and materials. We invite you to take a walk through the most beautiful village ensemble in Transylvania, to visit the fortified church and take a journey into an almost forgotten world…
In the evening we will return to Braşov.
