Itinerary Expand all Fly to Bucharest, transfer to Magura, Transylvania. Upon arrival in Bucharest we will be picked up and transferred to our comfortable guesthouse in Transylvania, approximately 3.5hrs drive from Bucharest. The guesthouse is located in the village of Magura at about 1040m, within the boundaries of the Piatra Craiului National Park. Dinner on arrival will consist of a cheese and continental meat platter with bread. Our hosts at our guesthouse, the Villa Hermani, are very hospitable and enjoy stopping to chat over a glass of local plum brandy. Villa Hermani Meals included: Dinner Day 1 Start Magura, Transylvania. For land only clients the trip starts this afternoon in the village of Magura at about 1040m, within the boundaries of the Piatra Craiului National Park in Tranyslvania. However, we strongly recommend that land only clients meet the group transfer at Bucharest Airport when the group flight arrives due to the guesthouse being located 165km away. Upon the group flight arrival in Bucharest, clients booked onto the group flight or group flight transfers will be transferred to our comfortable guesthouse, approximately 3.5hrs drive away. Dinner on arrival will consist of a cheese and continental meat platter with bread. Our hosts at our guesthouse, the Villa Hermani, are very hospitable and enjoy stopping to chat over a glass of local plum brandy.Villa Hermani Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Walk to a local bat cave and the village of Pestera. Heading out on foot again, our first destination today is a local cave which is a hibernation roost for a number of bats including lesser and greater horseshoe bats. Remember to bring a torch with you for the cave visit. We then continue on our way to the nearby village of Pestera (which translates as ‘the cave’) witnessing the winter rural life of these mountain communities. After lunch at a local pub we return to Magura.Villa Hermani Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 Explore Kalibash villages. Magura is one of a number of villages known as the Kalibash villages. The Kalibash once fled Walachia to this remote area which, at the time, was under Austro-Hungarian rule. Here houses stretch along hilltops like pearls on a string. Starting right at our guesthouse we hike up to Dealul Magurice (1300m) where we may spot wolf, lynx and bear prints in the snow in the forest. Later, as we make our way back to Magura, we stop by a local farm to share a hot ‘tuica’ (home-made plum brandy) with the farmer.Villa Hermani Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Snowshoe or walk between Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountain. This morning we walk up to a high plateau between Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountain. In winter time this plateau is completely uninhabited, everything is still and a quiet serenity permeates the air giving a sense of truly being in a remote and special area. In the afternoon you will return to the guesthouse. Villa Hermani Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Visit Libearty bear sanctuary, the village of Vulcan and Brasov. Driving down into the valley we make our way to Europe’s largest rescue facility for brown bears: Libearty. Founded in 2005, the rescue centre is home to nearly 100 bears, most of whom suffered over many years in captivity as dancing bears or in circuses. The walk around the bear sanctuary will last approximately one hour. We drive on to the village of Vulcan, which derives its name from the Slavonic word ‘Valc’ meaning wolf. This region is closely related to the history of Transylvanian Saxons who immigrated here 800 years ago from the Rhine-Moselle valleys. They built fortified churches, some of which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Upon arrival in Vulcan we are greeted by warm coffee and traditional cake in the yard of the fortified church. From Vulcan we drive to Brasov and do a tour around town. We get some free time to explore the town. We will then take our evening meal in a traditional Romanian restaurant and later we return to Magura by minibus.Villa Hermani Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 6 Walk to Bran Castle, also known as Dracula's castle. Today we hike from tranquil Magura towards busy Bran where we visit Bran Castle. It’s easy to see why Bram Stoker picked this castle to be the residence of the infamous vampire, Count Dracula. The character himself was based on Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad the Impaler, Duke of Walachia and a brutal tyrant. Though Vlad himself never went to Bran, Bram Stoker saw an image of the castle and thought it the perfect setting for his dark tale. After visiting the castle we stop by Dracula’s market where we can pick up some vampire-inspired souvenirs. Later we will be picked up by the minibus and return to Magura.Villa Hermani Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Snowshoe through Zarnesti Canyon to Piatra Craiului Mountains. This morning we walk through a spectacular canyon, a gorge formed during the Jurassic Period. We continue towards Curmatura Cabin just beneath the rocks of Piatra Craiului Mountain. The cabin is open year-round and we can relax here before going back to our guesthouse. Altitude gain: We first walk down to the gorge 200m, then hike up 700m to Cabana Curmatura, walk down again 700m and hike up to Magura 200m. Villa Hermani Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Transfer to Bucharest Airport, fly to London. Clients booked on the group flight or group flight transfers will be transferred (3.5 hours) back to Bucharest Airport in time for the group flight departure. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 End Magura, Transylvania. End Magura, Transylvania. Clients booked on the group flight or group flight transfers will be transferred (3.5 hours) back to Bucharest Airport in time for the group flight departure. Meals included: Breakfast
Romania No visa required for British passport holders. For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
Guesthouse We will spend 7 nights in the comfortable private guesthouse, Villa Hermani that offers twin and single rooms.Villa Hermani is situated in the remote and beautiful village of Magura at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, located within the boundaries of the Piatra Craiului National Park. Our friendly hosts at the Villa Hermani possess a wealth of knowledge on Transylvania, wildlife conservation and serve delicious homemade food.Almost all rooms have private facilities but some do have shared bathrooms. In such cases, however, there are never more than two rooms sharing one bathroom.There is Wi-Fi available at the guesthouse, however, due to the weak internet lines in this remote location and the need to go via satellite which is provided by an external provider, the hosts of the guesthouse kindly request guests to pay a small fee of €5 for 750MB which should be enough for a week with checking emails. Single supplements are available on request.
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Reviewed March 2020 Maureen Pinder Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe A great week, despite very little snow. I'm just back from this trip, and had a great time. The trip was full, with 16 people, and everyone was lovely. Villa Hermani is a great small hotel, and the food is excellent. Katharine and Herman are lovely hosts, and their Romanian cook is excellent. Our walk leader was Leo, their son, and he was good fun and a very capable guide. He had to make some difficult decisions because of the dodgy and changeable weather, and the varying abilities in the group,which he handled very well. It was great to have Rares (Alex) along as a second guide, and we really needed him at times. Magura - like most of Europe - has had a strange winter, so there was only a dusting of snow when we arrived. But, with that and a couple of further dumps of snow during the week, we managed 2 walks with snowshoes and 1 with yaktrax, as well as ordinary walking in hiking boots. I liked the mix of walking and cultural visits - bears, Saxon history, Bran Castle. And I stayed for 2 days in Bucharest at the end to see a bit more of Romania. It was so different it seemed like a totally different country! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Lunch at the Curmatura Cabin - it snowed heavily while we were inside, and the whole world had changed when we came out. What did you think of your group leader? Leo was excellent. He was very capable in the outdoors, and very sensible in his approach to problems. He was very aware of our health and safety - helping us up and down difficult bits, cutting side branches off fallen trees etc. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Have at least a modicum of fitness. It's not terribly strenuous, but neither is it leisurely. Most people hadn't snowshoed before, and that was fine. And definitiely bring yaktrax or equivalent - you'd be lost without them if you have ice like we did. And this is not a holiday for people scared of dogs - farm dogs run free everywhere, and are completely unavoidable. Is there anything else you would like to add? I probably spent a bit more than I expected, mainly on alcohol...
Reviewed February 2020 Murielle Evers Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe The most beautiful views I have ever seen... ... and I've been to Canada, so that says a lot. Our group was extremely lucky with the weather. You basically walk up and down mountains every day, nothing interesting about that. It is the weather that controls what the views look like. I regret nothing. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? When I look back at my pictures, there are two moments that stand out. At the end of our visit to Brasov, we stopped at a viewpoint on our way to the restaurant. That view was epic. It was nightfall, the lights in the city were on and behind it, you could see the mountain, it was breathtaking. The walk to Bran was the most beautiful. I can not put it into words. I enjoyed every second of that walk. What did you think of your group leader? Thomas, the group leader was perfect. He knows the area really well and has a lot of experience guiding groups. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Read the trip notes. For some bizarre reason, I hadn't done that and I didn't have the right gear. Luckily I was able to borrow it, but still. I felt uncomfortable doing that, knowing I could break or lose something.
Reviewed March 2019 Eleanor Freckleton Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe Snowshoeing in Transylvania This was my first snowshoeing holiday and despite being a bit apprehensive beforehand I absolutely loved it. Everything combined to make it a fantastic holiday - a get away location in the middle of the national park, a very homely hotel with superb food and hospitality, stunning scenery on each walk and a very interesting daytrip to some of the local places of interest. Add to that a really friendly group of fellow travellers and it truly was a week to remember. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It was a week full of experiences, but for me the last two walks were the best. The walk to Bran Castle took us through some beautiful countryside, and the castle itself was very interesting (our guide also advised that this was the best time of year to visit as you may have to queue for up to two hours in the summer to get into the castle). Our last walk through the gorge to the Piatra Craiului mountains was also stunning. It was quite a slog up to the mountain hut, but well worth it for the views, as well as the soup and mulled wine we enjoyed inside the hut. What did you think of your group leader? Thomas was a star - I liked his relaxed style and his bad jokes! We had a full group of sixteen people, so he had to work hard to make sure that everyone was coping okay with the terrain. He made sure that we had all the vital information for each day's itinerary and generally went above and beyond to make our holiday as enjoyable as possible. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The hotel is quite isolated in the national park - no other bars or restaurants around. I loved the week away from it all but don't pick this holiday if you want a busier nightlife. Linked to this, take plenty of supplies with you, e.g. toiletries and snacks for the walks, as it is the middle of the holiday before you get a chance to stock up on such items. Be aware that there are a lot of working dogs in the neighbourhood. I was never woken up by them howling, but I know that some of the others in the group did find it a bit of a problem some nights. Also, make sure that you have a good level of fitness. I am a keen hill-walker so did not find it a problem, but on balance I felt that this Grade 3 holiday was more difficult than a Grade 3 summer walking holiday with Exodus. Is there anything else you would like to add? If you want to try something a bit different, then I would highly recommend this holiday. Indeed, I have already stated looking at the various options for another snowshoeing holiday with Exodus next year.
Reviewed January 2019 Conor Carr Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe A great intro to snow-shoeing in a really beautiful place A great intro to snow-shoeing in a really beautiful place, with 'warm up days' to learn how to do it. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The beautiful scenery and lots of snow was definitely a highlight of the trip for me, helped by a nice, friendly group of people, great leader and hospitable, generous hosts at the Vila. What did you think of your group leader? Very good! Thomas is a great leader, he looked after everyone well, and knows a lot about the area and history and has good humour too. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Don't forget your yaktrax, gaiters and lots of layers of clothing! You will be cold at the beginning of the treks but warm up quickly so it's good to have the option of taking layers off. Although the breakfast and evening meal are substantial (plenty for everyone), I advise taking extra snacks for lunch and a thermos flask for hot tea. Is there anything else you would like to add? A great trip for those wanting an intro to snowshoeing. This is a beautiful area, full of history.. I'd also suggest a day or two in Bucharest to visit the parliament building and museums (history museum was interesting)
Reviewed March 2018 Simon Barber Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe A very fine and scenic trip! A good week in the foothills of the Carpathians. The hotel, the Vila Hermani, was excellent. Even included 3 friendly hounds, one or two of which followed us most days as "free agents." Not the most challenging snowshoe trip I've been on, it'd be good for a newcomer to the sport. Wonderful scenery, good snow, very remote + unspoiled territory. Our guide, Thomas, really knew every path on the mountain! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? High points - 1:visiting Bram Castle, a very fine piece of architecture. 2. The final day, up to a mountain hut in the snows. Helping un-ditch the snowmobile a mile down the trail that got stuck carrying the resupply sledge. 3. 2 days up a very major gorge, 400' cliffs on either side! In England that'd be festooned with climbers - there, there's so much of it nobody even notices! What did you think of your group leader? Thomas really does know every trail on the mountain. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be fit. It's not the most strenuous snowshoe I've done, but deep, soft snow and steep slopes are arduous. Is there anything else you would like to add? It's excellent value, in the Villa Hermani the beer is only £1 a bottle, and the local plum brandy (Tuica) you really have to try!
Reviewed March 2018 ANDREW GRUN Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe TRANSYLVANIA WINTER WALK & SNOWSHOE Wonderful snowy scenery in the forests. Expert guide (Thomas Oyntzen) with great historical knowledge of the area. Great historical buildings built to resist invasion from the Turkish empire. Very pretty mountain farming villages built on very steep grazing land, which is very hard to farm. Great wildlife to view. Very comfortable hotel with lovely food. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing the wildlife: bears, chamoix, bats and the steep rocky mountain scenery. What did you think of your group leader? Thomas Oyntzen. Very helpful generally, particularly with snowshoeing and knowledgeable about the local history and local routes to explore. Spoke very good English and gave very detailed explanations of local history and the peoples involved. Had obviously studied history to an academic level. There was a lot to explain in this area, where there was often conflict between the Austrian and Turkish empires and buildings like churches were often fortified to resist invasion. There was a lot of interesting historical facts to learn about a country, which was very different to Britain. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Come prepared for real deep snow and cold weather. A real Winter experience in a completely different landscape to Britain. Is there anything else you would like to add? Very interesting holiday offering good exercise in deep snow. Great natural scenery.
Reviewed March 2018 Leanne & Michiel Nijemeisland Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe Winter Wanderings We had never snowshoed before so were a bit apprehensive before the trip, but our nerves quickly dissolved when we arrived. Villa Hermani was excellent, with a strong focus on good quality local dishes and a wholesome experience. The owners Hermann and Katharina are very hospitable and welcoming. We had loads of fresh snow so the conditions for this snowshoeing trip couldn’t have been better. The trip was more tiring than regular hiking, though still was very enjoyable, and the mountain scenery was stunning. Snowshoes and poles are provided; you just need to take a day pack for extra layers, yak traks, lunch, snacks and a thermos of herbal tea. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Bran castle was one of the selling points of the trip, and was great to see. We also enjoyed the walks through the forest areas and the peace and tranquility. We took one of the villa's dogs with us on every trip and it was a joy to watch them having so much fun in the snow. What did you think of your group leader? Thomas was a great group leader. He changed the itinerary to suit the weather conditions and was very attune to safety. He let the group spread out during the walks, depending on personal pace, but would stop regularly to regather and check in on everyone. He shared his wealth of local knowledge and experience and was informative and interesting. I’d be very pleased if every tour leader was as engaged as Thomas – he is definitely one of the good ones. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Make sure you keep fit in the lead up to the trip and don’t worry about the distances for the longer walks, they are all achievable and the longer walks tend to be less steep. For people who are not great with heights some of the steep sections are nerve-racking but achievable. Don't bother taking a water bladder the pipe just freezes over no mater how well insulated. Is there anything else you would like to add? A great winter holiday.
Reviewed February 2018 Jo Kent Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe Stunning scenery We took part in this group tour in February 2018. It was the first time we had visited Romania and it was fascinating to learn about its history and experience its wild beauty. Pros: Very well organised from start to finish; we felt well looked after. Food at the hotel was delicious, and we were well catered for as veggies. Good variety of walking with stunning scenery. The area is very unspoilt and most days we did not see another person once we got into the mountains. The country has reasonable prices for food and drink. Our guide, Holger, plus the staff at the hotel made sure we all got where we needed to go safely. We were lucky to be in a good group of fellow travellers who we got on very well with. Flights and transfers were very good. Cons: Although the food was delicious be prepared that there is no choice for dinner options (as if often the case in chalet accommodation). At breakfast there is no juice, and the buffet choice is not huge. Be warned that there are lots of dogs living outside of the houses in the village, and sometimes they bark all night. If you’re a light sleeper, take ear plugs. In room 6 we also had a creaky bed and ended up putting the mattresses on the floor to get a good night’s sleep. The trip is rated as moderate. I am pretty fit and have completed two Moonwalks (walking marathons), and I found the two longer walks quite challenging. Ice under foot plus the elevation gain made these walks tough, so you’ll need to be fairly fit or a regular walker, not a novice. The yak traks recommended in the packing list are really essential when there is ice under foot. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Stunning mountain views in the middle of nowhere. What did you think of your group leader? Holger was very friendly and obviously very knowledgable. He looked after us well. Holger is quite laid back - I don’t think anyone would mind if he was stricter with us about staying together in a group, telling us when and where we need to meet, etc. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take ear plugs and the best yak traks you can afford.
Reviewed February 2018 John Marsh Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe adventure in the snow First time I have done this type of holiday and had never done snowshoeing. the accommodation was in a stunning area. with views of hills and mountains all round. the hosts/owners were very friendly and helpful. the hotel was very good. the walks were varied, but because of the weather involved lots of snow. day one was a short walk of about 14km but involved snowshoeing in places which were vital in place. day 2 was a long walk, it snow most of the time as we walked through Gorges and over hills( the gorge was used in the filming of Movie Cold mountain) Day 3 and 4 both were both short walk but hard walks Day 5 was a day of from walking. visit to bear sanctuary, walled church and town of Brasov, were we had free time. and then a meal in a restuarant as a group day 6 was a long hard walk, which i did not do due a little niggling muscle injury. the whole holiday was a great time tough but fun with stunning views. our walking Guide Holger was every you want, he was imformative, helpful, funny at times and above all you felt safe on the walks, he always made sure the group was not strung out to far. i would recommend the hoilday to anyone who wants a walking work out but also stunning landscapes, although snow cannot be gauranteed , we were lucky. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? completing the 22-24km walk and still be laughing at the end of it although tired. What did you think of your group leader? Holger was a first class leader as I said earlier, he was everything you want in a leader. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? you need to be relatively fit, and be prepared for tough terrain, depending on weather. Is there anything else you would like to add? great hoilday
Reviewed January 2018 Kathleen Ramsey Trip: Transylvania Winter Walk & Snowshoe Snowshoeing in Transylvania This trip provides a varied programme of walking/snowshoeing in beautiful scenery, with visits to a bat cave, a bear sanctuary, Bran Castle, a fortified church and the medieval town of Brasov. Physically, two of the longer days were quite demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. We stayed in a very comfortable and remote guesthouse in the mountains; the food was excellent and plentiful, special diets were accommodated and our hosts were friendly and spoke excellent English. We were part of a very sociable and well-travelled group, and came back with plenty of ideas for other trips. Romania has a fascinating if troubled history and our guide, Holger, was very knowledgeable and provided a good insight into both ancient and more recent periods. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? We were lucky to have plenty of snow, so the snowshoeing was a delight, especially on the clear bright days. The scenery was beautiful, although we did have one day when in snowed throughout and so views were minimal. What did you think of your group leader? Our leader, Holger, was capable and considerate, with a good dry sense of humour. He took a while to get used to the group, but became more sociable as the week went on. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you haven't snowshoed before, make sure that you are confident that your showshoes fit correctly and have no defects before you set off. Although plenty of bread and a variety of fillings are provided for packed lunches, there are no snacks, so I would recommend that you take some, as we definitely needed extra calories between meals, especially on the two longer days. A travel kettle could be useful too. The temperatures were well below freezing, and the roads around the guesthouse and in the towns were very icy. We found our instep crampons very useful; other members of the group used Yaktrax or similar. Is there anything else you would like to add? We travelled to Bucharest before the holiday started, and spent a couple of days exploring the city before joining the rest of the group. There was plenty to see; we especially enjoyed the Village Museum and a tour of the Palace of Parliament.
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