“JOURNEY INTO HELL AND HEAVEN”
From the Heart of Transylvania to the Danube Delta
LONG TOUR DRACULA & DANUBE DELTA
10 days – 9 nights
Yes, you can visit both Hell and Heaven during this tour of high cultural, artistic, historic and philosophic value.
The tour is offered by the Company of Mysterious Journeys,
City Compass and
RoFishing
Time window: mid-May to October
Day 1 - In the safety of innocence
We assume you have the standard apprehension of Dracula, of vampires in general – derived from many films and few books. You may, on the contrary, be well informed, but you did not yet measure your knowledge up against the reality.
Welcome in Romania!
Spend a safe night in Bucuresti (Bucharest). At dinnertime, a senior member of our Company will hand you the “Transylvanian Diploma”, to be stamped along the route on the steps of Dracula, or who will believe you otherwise you reach Transylvania?
- transfer from the airport to the hotel
- welcome dinner (Q & A)
- accommodation in 4* hotel ‘Zava’ – or similar
- discover little Paris - Bucharest walking tour
Day 2 -In the footsteps of the historic Dracula
Morning: the city of Bucuresti –
from Prince Vlad Dracula’s time (1456) to the present day
The horse-caravans in the Middle Ages covered 60 kilometres between sunrise and sundown, in a summer day. Bucuresti is 60 km. from the Danube.
Visit the ruins of the Princely Palace and touch the vaults built by Prince Vlad Dracula.
Then meander through the old shopping area around the palace – to the “Bear Wagon”, meeting place of writers and artists by 1890 (refreshments).
Visit the Treasury – a brief story of Romania in gold and gems, the royal treasury included. Then see the second largest building on earth, the Parliament House, built by the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
Afternoon: Cross the vast Danubian plain to the foothills of the Carpathians, then to the Gorge of the river Arges, guarded by the fortress of Poienari – rebuilt by Vlad Dracula in 1459 with the hands of traitor boyars.
In 1462, prince Vlad, his wife and a few soldiers took refuge here, besieged by the Ottomans. Vlad sent for help in the neighbouring village of Aref, across the hill. His wife did not believe escape was possible and threw herself into the river. Under cover of night, the Arefeans managed to take the prince to safety, across the high Carpathians, into Transylvania. On the crest, Vlad made them owners of 16 mountains (a document issued 100 years later confirms the donation).
- departure to Curtea de Arges
- lunch (on their own)
- climb to the top of the fortress Poienari – 1.456 steps to reach it
- accommodation in Curtea de Arges - "Casa Domneasca" 4*
- in the evening, the special show of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula – “The Night of Vlad the Impaler – Dracula” – in the village of Aref (optional)
Day 3 - TRANSYLVANIA
Cross into Transylvania via the spectacular Olt Valley – a route taken by the Romans to conquer this territory in 106 A.C. – past the church of Cozia, resting place of Vlad’s grandfather, Prince Mircea the Old (+ 1417).
Free for lunch in Sibiu, the 3-rd mediaeval city of Transylvania (the Evangelical church has the tomb of Vlad’s son, Prince Mihnea).
Continue to Sighisoara – the best preserved 15 century walled town in Europe, birthplace of Vlad the Impaler-Dracula (1431), site of a Witch-trial show.
Had the child Vlad seen the first witch-trials in Transylvania? Likely. Jules Michelet said some 200,000 witches and wizards were executed across Catholic Europe between the 15 and the 18 centuries. This is a dramatic page in our history as humans.
- departure to Cund, via Sibiu – on the Olt Valley
- seeing: Cozia Monastery and Sibiu
- overnight in the village of Cund
Day 4 – One more night in Transylvania – Sighisoara’s day
Let us quote Dr. Massimo Introvigne, director of the Centre for the study of new religions, Torino:
“ People are not only interested in Good and God; people are also interested in Evil and the devil. But the devil is far away, abstract. The vampire is half human, half devil – therefore closer to us. This is why the vampire is the modern devil, even the post-modern devil, who will be with us for a long time” (Dr. Introvigne is the president of TSD/Italy).
After a close look at Sighisoara – the best preserved 15 century walled town in Europe (birth-place of prince Vlad the Impaler-Dracula), we continue to Biertan.
- visit around: Biertan, Sighisoara
- overnight in Cund
- dinner with special cuisine offered by your owner in Cund
Day 5 – The marvelous story of Castle Bran (1377)
How many 14-century intact castles have you seen so far?
Castle Bran was built by the citizens of mediaeval Brasov to defend the Transylvanian end of a pass to Valahia; customhouses there took 3% for any goods moved from one province into another (that’s why the villages around Bran were villages of smugglers).
Cross the hills back to South of Transylvania and visit castle Bran (turned in 1921 into a summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania; since 1960, the collective will of the western visitors made it a “castle Dracula”, a myth born and unfolding under our eyes).
- continue to Brasov
- visit Bran Castle
- overnight in Poiana Brasov – “Alpin” Hotel (4*) –
free access to the sauna and swimming pool
Day 6 - History and Natural Wealth legagy
Coming to Buzau, somewhere to the left sight you will find the road to Costesti – Stalpu. Once you have left the road, at your feet runs a great hilly landscape. Those hills, loaded by golden and bloody grapes, by the savoir-faire of wines with harsh bouquets, sweet – sour and aromatic flavor are natural signs that you are on the way to the right place – Buzau , to the history and natural wealth left legacy not so very long time ago.
- departure to Buzau crossing Prejmer village, Intorsura Buzaului and Lake Siriu
- visit the fortress of Prejmer (beautiful, do not miss)
- Ciolanu Monastery and open air sculpture camp of Magura
- stop and overnight in Buzau county (3/4* rural guesthouse)
- dinner with traditional products of Buzau
Day 7 – A BREATH OF HAVEN -WELCOME AT THE LAST BOUNDERIES!
An initiatory journey into the Danube Delta’s world: history, nature, people and culture –a story told during 3 days.
The local map reveals us places and stories about the history of Danube Delta and the history of Periprava and Ultima Frontiera: the fishing farm, the lacks, the communist ruins, birds and fishes, water, earth and sky- all of them find their place in our introductive story.
The sunset welcomes us with a dinner inspired by Lipovans special cuisine
- Muddy volcanoes- an unique natural phenomena in Europe
- leave Buzau and its mysterious sites for departure to Delta Dunarii – Tulcea
- transfer from Tulcea to Periprava with the fast motor-boat
- accommodation in Periprava (Ultima Frontiera – The Last Boundaries)
- you have the chance to learn how to cook those Lipovan specialities
Day 8 –A PUZZLE OF WATER AND EARTH
After a tasty breakfast we start our journey into the Land of Waters: a trip on to the heart of Danube Delta: Chilia arm, Sulimanca Channel, Merheiul Mic, Merheiul Mare lacks, Suez channel
Our trip: a puzzle of water and earth: bird watching, traditional temporary fisherman houses, flora and fauna of the Danube Delta
When the sun is up on the sky, the shadow of the reed roof of Ultima Frontiera is replaced by the mysterious shadow of the Letea Forest. In the afternoon we visit the most northern tropical forest -The Letea Forest –known also as the oldest natural reservation of Romania.
At the border of the forest, between Chilia Arm and Letea, we discover the village of Periprava: traditional architecture, way of living, history and legends -a cultural mosaic formed by Romanian and Lipovans inhabitants.
- dinner and overnight - Ultima Frontiera
Day 9 – TO THE EAST CAPTAIN!
After the breakfast we embark to Sulina( the eastern city of Romania, the place where the Danube reach the Black Sea).
After a trip till the point where Danube flows into the sea, we enter into the world of Sulina city:
Guided tour
- Beach day at Sulina
- transportation Sulina- Tulcea
- transportation Tulcea-Bucharest
- accommodation in Bucuresti
- dinner in Bucuresti – deluxe restaurant
Day10 - Farewell, Friends of Romania !
A tour in the human universe, this is what you have accomplished: history, life and death, resurrection, supernatural and natural, hopes, doubts, certainties. And the best of Romania’s sights.
You measured your creed, beliefs, against others, you learned and shared your knowledge.
Welcome to more.
- breakfast
- transfer to the airport
2012/ TSD CMJ
