Castles and Palaces in Transylvania tour

Itinerary: Bucharest - Curtea de Arges - Sibiu - Hunedoara - Alba Iulia - Cluj Napoca - Tg. Mures - Sighisoara - Brasov - Bran - Sinaia - Bucharest

7 days / 6 nights, 2008 tour
Departures on Mondays and Tuesdays

Day 1 - Bucharest..."Le Petit Paris"

Arrival in Bucharest at Henri Coanda airport. Transfer to your hotel in Bucharest.
on the way to the hotel cross Victoriei boulevard, Bucharest's oldest street.

• meet our representative on Otopeni airport and transfer to hotel
• dinner at Count Dracula Club
• accommodation in 3* hotel (Central or similar).

Day 2 - Cotroceni: the residence of Romanian Kings

Bucharest tour starts in the morning with a visit to Cotroceni Palace - main princely residence on Cotroceni Hill which became later the second royal residence.
We continue with a visit to "The House of People" - the creation of communist leader Ceausescu for which many historical houses and churches were sacrificed. Then, admire the smaller or larger palaces on Victory Avenue - the oldest boulevard in Bucharest, including the Royal Palace, before leaving for Sibiu.

• sightseeing tour of Bucharest including Cotroceni Palace, Royal Palace (outside view), Parliament Palace
• drive to Sibiu through Olt Valley and visit Cozia Monastery
• overnight in a 3* hotel in Sibiu (Apollo Hermanstadt or similar).

Day 3 - Medieval cities and fortified churches

This morning you'll tour the beautiful city of Sibiu and visit Brukenthal Palace which hosts the largest fine art collection in Romania.
Drive then 150 km to Vest-Transylvania to visit Huniazi Castle, built in the 14th century, on the place of an old fortification. Cross Alba Iulia, an ancient Transylvanian town, a Dacian settlement called Apullum.
Short visit of the citadel including The Citadel Gate, The Roman-Catholic Cathedral, the Union Museum.

• sightseeing tour of Sibiu including the Main Square, the Small Square, the Catholic Cathedral, the Liars Bridge, the Orthodox Cathedral. Outside view of Brukenthal Palace
• visit Huniazi Castle in Hunedoara
• short sightseeing of Alba Iulia
• overnight in Cluj Napoca at 3* hotel (Victoria or similar).

Day 4 Cluj Napoca

The city of Cluj-Napoca is the historic capital of the region, and the site of an important university.
The highlight of our visit here is Banffy Palace.
This late Baroque palace also home to the Cluj Art Museum has some Rococo Viennese elements and was built between 1774-1785.
Drive then to Targu Mures where we will start our visit with the Palace of Culture built between 1911 and 1913 with rich ornamentation, as blue-white-rosy porcelain roof cover, monumental mosaic, carved porticoes and frescoes.
Drive to Sighisoara where we will overnight in a 500 year old house.

• sightseeing of Cluj including Banffy Palace and St Michael Cathedral
• drive to Targu Mures ; sightseeing including Palace of Culture, the Country Hall, Apollo Palace.
• drive to Sighisoara
• overnight in the medieval Citadel of Sighisoara, 3* hotel (Sighisoara or similar).

Day 5 - Sighisoara and Dracula's Castle

We will start with a walk trough the medieval houses of the Citadel built by the Saxons in the 12th Cent.
The citadel rises above the town and is preserved as a museum.
Drive then to Bran Castle, a dark and gloomy edifice towering over a bed of stone - a gruesome though beautifully preserved fortress, better known as Dracula Castle mostly for its shape and location than for its connection with the Prince Vlad the Impaler - alias Dracula.
End the day in beautiful Brasov, at the foot of Tampa mountain.

• sightseeing tour of Sighisoara including the Clock Tower, Army museum, Catholic Church and Wooden Staircase
• drive to Bran. Visit the Castle
• overnight in Brasov or Poiana Brasov at 3* hotel (Wagner House or similar / Viorel Villa or similar).

Day 6 - Brasov and a Royal summer residence - Peles Castle

This morning we will start with a sightseeing of Brasov including Black Church.
Its name comes from its black walls at the time after the "Great Fire" 1689, when a large part of Brasov city was on flames.
We continue with St Bartolomeu church and St. Nicholas Church with first Romanian school back in 1495, The Old City hall, Ecaterina's Gate.
Drive then to Bran Castle a dark and gloomy edifice towering over a bed of stone - a gruesome though beautifully preserved fortress.
South of Bran is the resort town of Sinaia where a quick stop at the monastery will prepare you for a visit to the spectacular Peles Castle. This exquisitely detailed landmark, set amidst sculpture gardens and fountains, was the summer residence of Romanian Royal family.

• sightseeing of Brasov including Black Church,Old Town and St Nicolae church
• departure to Sinaia and visit the Peles Castle
• overnight at 3* hotel in Bucharest (Central or similar).

Day 7 - Good bye Romania !

• Transfer to Henri Coanda airport.

Price/person: 995 Euro (for minimum 2 paying people)
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• 6 overnights at 3* hotels (place in a double room) with breakfast
• 1 welcome dinner in Bucharest
• transportation by air conditioned car/minibus/bus with driver
• arrival/departure transfers
• entrance fees to museums included in the program
• English speaking guide assistance.

• Single room supplement: 175 Euro

• arrival/departure flights
• health insurance (FREE TRAVEL INSURANCE QUOTES)
• personal expenses of any kind, hotel services like phone calls, laundry, mini bar, room service
• soft and alcoholic drinks with the main meals unless otherwise specified.