Time has come to reveal the existence of the Magic Mountain: no sooner and no later than the onset of the third Millenium.

The magic quality of this Mountain has been known from before Christianity, and preserved encoded into a yearly folk event, always in August: “The Celebration of Mount Ceahlau”.


There were no reported errors in 2000 years of known history.

For those who cannot climb that high, the Mountain allowed a rock at its foot to perform the spell, a rock so ingeniously hidden that only the initiated can identify it.

Ceahlau is an isolated mountain on the Moldavian side of the Carpathians, in Romania. Prince Dimitrie Cantemir of Moldova, a scholar of European repute called Ceahlau, in his “Descriptio Moldaviae”, “a monastery in the guise of a mountain” – for its many hermitries and monasteries. Said Cantemir: “had the antique historians known of the legends of Ceahlau, it would have been more famous than the Olympus”. Indeed, each rock on the top has a dramatic story, as old as the Earth.

On the way to the Magic Mountain, your guide – the Company of Mysterious Journeys – will take you through several realms – as part of your initiations.

Day 1

INITIATION ONE

Did you notice how all magic places take a certain sequence of initiations? Welcome in Romania, the lucky country of the Magic Mountain.

An hour and a half away from the airport rests the royal mountain resort of Sinaia, sheltered by the high Carpathians.

Your aristocratic hotel, has also been used by the passengers of the “Orient Express”; take your rooms, refresh and attend a welcoming cocktail, briefing, questions and answers.

• arrival in Bucuresti
• direct departure to Sinaia
• welcoming cocktail
• dinner & overnight hotel in Sinaia
• optional: disco, casino

Day 2

QUEEN AND KING FOR A DAY

The most beautiful royal palace in Europe is Peles, of Sinaia (Ludwig’s alone may compare). Two more royal palaces lie hidden in the forest. One of them, Pelisor, was decorated in the Art-Nouveau style by Queen Marie of Romania, “the last romantic”, grandniece of Queen Victoria.

The Queen had a lofty mountain retreat commanding views over the valleys beyond. Today’s walking tour starts from Queen Marie’s villa in the Carpathians down to her palace in Sinaia.

Then cross the mountains into Transylvania, to the mediaeval city of Brasov, to overnight.

• breakfast
• visit Peles Palace
• drive up the mountain to Queen Marie’s villa
• picnic lunch
• walk back to Sinaia
• departure to Brasov in Transylvania
• dinner with folk-show at the “Carpathian Stag”; learn the step of a Romanian dance
• overnight at Brasov
• optional: night-club, cabaret, disco, bars, casino

Day 3

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Castle Bran (1377) has never been associate with Dracula till the first American tourists visited it, in the 1960s. In 1920, Queen Marie received the castle as her summer residence; she gave it a romantic touch and even got her heart buried in a shrine there (bring her a flower, she liked violets).

The many stories about the Beauty and the Beast will be revealed while touring the controversial castle.

After a rustic lunch, take a walk to the locally famous “peeing wall” – up the creek of Moeciu (a geological particularity) and visit local craftsmen.

• breakfast
• visit Castle Bran
• walking tour up the Moeciu river, past the Gorge
• lunch on the way (country inn)
• return to mediaeval Brasov
• free for strolls, shopping
• optional: add a nobility title to your name by joining The Order of Transylvanian Knights (initiations into knightly orders, 6 chivalry tests, investiture ceremonies, knighthooding diploma and medallion: (minimum 4 persons)
• mediaeval banquet at “The Citadel”, with a mediaeval floor show
• overnight in Brasov
• optional: night-club, cabaret, casino, discos, bars

Day 4

THE SIGHT OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN

• Departure to the Moldavian side of the Carpathians
• More compared music, folk traditions and poetry (Goethe, Tagore, Puskin, Byron, Whitman, Eminescu and others)
• Lunch along the route
• Visit the ruins of the Palace of the Princes, site of a story by Al. Dumas (father)
• Arrive in the resort of Durau, at the foot of the Magic Mountain
• Dinner at the monastery of Durau
• Bon-fire: the legends of Mt. Ceahlau
• Overnight: Durau

Day 5

UNDER THE SPELL

• Afternoon: start climbing the Magic Mountain – through secular woods, to a mid-mountain chalet called “The Springs”
• Evening of compared poetry and music, dance, around another bon-fire
• Dinner and overnight: “The Springs”

Day 6

SPELLED INTO EVERLASTING FRIENDSHIP OR LOVE

• At about 2 a.m., when the stars are brightly close, start climbing the upper half of the Mountain, as they did of old, torches in hand (a mountain guide in front, another behind).
• Behold the winding trail of lights ascending to the top Reach “Dochia” chalet, minutes before sunrise. Take your hot cup of tea in one hand and meet the rising Sun outside, holding the hand you care about, or chain of hands

YOU ARE SPELLED INTO EVERLASTING FRIENDSHIP OR LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANION(S)

• The sharing of the talismans: half to each of you
• Breakfast at “Dochia” chalet
• The megaliths on the top: their legends
• Descend to Durau; lunch – picnic
• The Magic Mountain ball
• Dinner and overnight: Durau resort

Day 7

PROTECT YOUR TALISMAN

The Magic Mountain does exist, like “everything else we can imagine” (Plato). It never erred in its millenary existence.

One can see horizons away from its top, beyond differences of no significance, all the way to the meaning and value of friendship and love.

You have the Power and Insight and Wisdom of the Magic Mountain to guide you and your companion in life from now on.

• return to Sinaia in music, poetry, friendship and love
• farewell dinner, with minstrels, troubadours
• overnight in Sinaia

Day 8

MAGICALLY YOURS

• Departure to the airport
• Departure from Romania (how else can you return?)

Excerpt:
The Company of Mysterious Journeys will penalize the tourists who renounce their bookings as follows (subtracting bank-transfer charges):
1) for cancellation of 30 and more days before the tour start: full refunding (minus banking charges)
2) for 29-21 days cancellation: 30% penalty
3) for 20-14 days cancellation: 50% penalty
4) for 13-7 days or less cancellation: 100% penalty in favour of the CMJ.

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