Day 1 – To Bucharest: Fly from London
Heathrow to Bucharest with British Airways
and transfer to Sinaia. Stay at the Athenee
Palace Hilton for 1 night. Evening welcome
dinner. (D)
Day 2 – To Sibiu: Morning drive through the
Fagaras mountains to Sibiu, the main city of
the Saxons that combines gothic, Renaissance,
baroque and classical architecture. Afternoon
tour of the city, including visits to the
Protestant and Orthodox cathedrals, and the
Brukenthal Art Museum, the oldest and finest
art gallery in Romania. Stay overnight at the
Continental Forum Hotel. (B, D)
Day 3 – Sibiu: Morning visit to the Museum
of Traditional Folk Civilization, the premier
open air museum in Romania. Drive to
Sighisoara, stopping at Biertan to visit the
gothic fortified church and the early gothic
church of Richis. Afternoon tour of Sighisoara,
a beautifully preserved medieval citadel
set in rolling countryside. Visit the walls
and defending towers that encircle cobbled
streets and ancient houses; see the citadel,
the 14th- and 15th-century churches and the
old clock tower. Spend 2 nights at the Hotel
BinderBubi. (B)
Day 4 – Viscri & Homorod: Travel to the
atmospheric Saxon village of Viscri. See the
Unesco-listed 12th-century church with
its scenic Transylvanian views. Walk down
the main street where the Mihai Eminescu
Trust, for whom Prince Charles is a patron, has restored many of the medieval houses.
Continue to another unspoilt Saxon village,
Homorod, where the early hall-church
contains some interesting period frescoes. (B)
Day 5 – To Gura Humorului: This morning,
drive to the Hungarian city of Targu
Mures, where sights include the Orthodox
cathedral, the citadel church and fortress,
and the art deco Palace of Culture – the
latter characterised by its rich decoration of
mosaics and stained glass windows. Continue
via the small market town of Bistrita to Gura
Humorului. Stay 2 nights at the Best Western
Bucovina. (B, D)
Day 6 – Gura Humorului: Today will be spent
visiting the remarkable painted monasteries.
Considered to be among Europe’s greatest
artistic monuments, the monasteries include
Sucevita, Voronet, Moldovita and Humor,
and feature amazingly preserved frescoes that
cover the walls with vivid images of saints and
biblical scenes. (B, D)
Day 7 – To Brasov: Drive to Tarpesti village
and visit the Nicolae Popa folk art museum.
Continue to the nearby Neamt Monastery,
the oldest in Romanina, which houses an
extensive historical library and icons by
Niicolae Grigorescu. Stop for a private lunch
at the 16th-century Secu monastery, notable
for its fusion of Walachian and Moldavian
architecture. Drive to Brasov and stay 2 nights
at the Aro Palace Hotel. (B, D)
Day 8 – Brasov: This morning, see Piata
Sfatului, one of the finest baroque squares in
the country. Visit the 15th-century town hall,
the gothic Black Church – a focal point of the
Romanian Reformation – St Nicholas Church
and the . rst Romanian school. Afternoon visit
to the impressive fortified church of Prejmer.
Home to more than 270 rooms and buildings,
the fortress was attacked more than 50 times
by the Mongols, Turks, Tartars, Cossacks and
Moldavians during the middle ages, but was
only ever conquered once. (B)
Day 9 – To Bucharest via Sinaia: Drive south through the Bucegi mountains to the town of Sinaia. En route, visit the castle of Queen
Marie of Romania in Bran with its fairytale
turrets, whitewashed walls and miniature
courtyards. This afternoon, visit the working
Sinaia monastery where the Orthodox church
contains two icons presented by Russia’s Tsar
Nicholas II. Close by is Peles Castle, the
former royal residence of King Carol I, built in
German Renaissance-style. After a private tour
of the second floor to discover the quarters
of the royal family, continue to the George
Enescu Memorial House, a living museum
to this great musician whose folk-influenced
classical style of music elevated Romania on to
the international stage. Continue to Bucharest and stay overnight at the Athenee Palace
Hilton. In the evening, have a farewell dinner.
(B, D)
Day 10 – To London: Morning tour of
Bucharest, a city of wide Parisian-style
boulevards and belle epoque buildings. Visits
will include the Cotroceni Palace, by special permission, the exterior of Ceasuescu’s
Palace (now housing parliament) and the
fine Museum of the Peasant. Early afternoon
transfer to the airport and fly to London with
British Airways. (B)
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
