The Carpathian Mountains, villages and castles - guided version

Meeting your guide at the North Train Station in Bucharest. Train transfer to Brasov where you’ll have a private transfer to your central hotel. Travelling by train will create a great opportunity to experience the stunning views from Prahova Valley where the Prahova river makes its way between the Bucegi and the Baiului Mountains, in the Carpathian Mountains. Free time to visit Brasov. Dinner not included.
Transfer: 2h40 by train
Meals: not included

After a short transfer, we head into the Piatra Craiului National Park. Our walk will start with a nice steady climb following woodland trails that are picturesque and rich in birdsong. We end up to our lovely lunch spot at Cabana Curmatura, where we can take-in the views of the Valley and Canyon surrounding us. Lunch will be a real delight today with local soup and an amazing apple pie!! Full up from lunch we make our way downhill through open hills before entering a large wooded area along the river. We will follow an old track to The Jurassic Zarnesti Canyon. The last ascent will bring us to the fairy-tale village of Magura where we will spend our next couple of nights in a traditional and cozy guesthouse.
Transfer time: 1h00 in the morning
Walk duration: 5h30, 15km, +750/-600m
Meals: breakfast, picnic, dinner

Our walk will start from Magura, and we begin with a slow ascent through green pastures and traditional farm land. We will join a shaded forest track for some time, where we will still be gradually ascending, before the forest opens up to reveal a magnificent hill top where we can stop and admire the wonderful views below! We make our way to our hillside lunch spot with a gentle walk. Our lunch spot is picturesque as it overlooks a very remote farm house that has no electricity and no running water, and is owned by a charming local farmer herding his cattle with not a care in the world!! After lunch we follow a good terrain before descending a very steep hill (500m). The descent is paired with fantastic views of Bran Castle so take your time, go slowly and take it all in. When we reach Bran you can choose to go inside or simply explore it from outside. Most people know Bran Castle as “Dracula’s Castle”, from Bram Stoker’s novel. This story is loosely based on Vlad Tepes who ruthlessly defended this part of Transylvania, and in the process, the legend of his rather gruesome killings inspired the story of Dracula. Bran Castle it’s an amazing example of 14th century Gothic architecture that looks like it was carefully placed on top of a mountain. Going to Bran Castle one can really experience the feeling of what it was like to live in those times and places. As you wander through the mazes of rooms, stairways, secret passages and levels connected with wooden ladders, it's easy to imagine the history and secrets hidden there. It's on mountaintops, so you can walk around outside for great views and fresh Carpathian mountain air (castle admission fee not included). Afterwards we have had ample time to explore we will have a private transfer till our guesthouse.
Transfer time: 35 mins from Bran to Magura
Walk duration: 4h30, 12 km +350/-600m
Meals: breakfast, picnic, dinner

Today we continue the walk at the feet of the Piatra Craiului Mountains in this bucolic landscape in the middle of pastures, sheepfolds and woods. We will approach a sheepfold where, if it’s not too late in the year (our notes: the animals are there till around 15th of September), we can stop and taste the traditional cheese “burduf” being made here at this remote Cheese house. Our guide will give us a talk on cheese making. We will end the stage in a scattered village which seem not to care about time passing. We will see spectacular landscapes in the surrounding mountains. Accommodation in a nice guesthouse set in an idyllic village.
Walk duration: 5h30, 17 km +775m, -650m
Meals: breakfast, picnic, dinner

After waking up to a picturesque setting you will enjoy a hearty breakfast before starting on your walk. Today’s walk takes you through a mix of quaint villages where traditional customs and cultures still exist. You will pass by one of the oldest houses in this area, which is nearly 200 years old. We will stop in a lovely local house where there is a small museum about the villages you are walking through. Depending on the time of day it may also be possible to visit two local Orthodox Churches before relaxing in your cosy guesthouse whose owner is a well renowned cook. That’s why all our meals will be home-cooked with the owner’s own traditional agriculture.
Walk duration: 4h00, 13 km +250/-350m
Meals: breakfast, picnic, dinner

From the guesthouse, you will be taken by horse-cart to the entrance of the Bucegi National Park, where the hiking route starts. Our walk begins with a nice slow steady climb towards the ridge. Before leaving the forest, we can choose to do either a shorter or a longer hike. The longer one brings us to the top of the ridge, overlooking impressive landscapes and clear view of the Strunga Wall, reaching the pass of Strunga at 2000m of altitude and passing by a mountain shelter on the former Transylvanian – Wallachian border. Going down, we will arrive at Poiana Gutanu Meadows. This is our thoughtfully chosen beautiful picnic spot for both hiking routes.
Going back to the village, we will be passing many Sherpa Huts along the way, where
we will have spectacular views of the Bucegi Mountains and the Valley of Bangaleasa below. There will be plenty of time to take photos here and admire the scenery.

Hike:
Long: 5h30, 18 km +/-850m
Short: 3h30, 12 km +/- 350m
Meals: breakfast, picnic, dinner

After a short transfer, today we will visit the Bears Sanctuary, where you will hear plenty of interesting stories about the bears that you will see. From there we will start a short easy hike to visit the fortified church, the witness of the Saxon heritage since they colonized Transylvania in 13th century. In the village we will have a surprising encounter with the priest of this old church an enthusiastic and intelligent young man who will explain us the story of the church and will make us taste some local specialties. From here we will transfer back to Bucharest, with a small stop to see the magnificent castle Peles from the outside. The evening will be free and with our recommendations you will have a good time in our capital. Accommodation at a 3* central hotel.
Transfer time before the walk: 45min
Transfer time to Bucharest: 3h
Walk duration: 4h00, 14 km +250m/-350m
Transfer time to Bucharest: 3 hours after lunch in Vulcan + a break in Sinaia
Meals: breakfast, picnic/lunch

Breakfast at the hotel. Bucharest it was known between the two world wars as "the Eastern Paris". Today is a very eclectic city, where you can see the influences of The Medieval period with its Ottoman occupation and of the modern period with the influence of neoclassical French architecture and of the communist period. If your flight schedule allows, you can visit the Romanian capital with the help of a road-book created by us with a lot of attention. End the of the trip.
Meals: breakfast
Transfer to airport: Available upon request