Abstract: this adventure wont’ be a classical one, but a photographic workshop tour for those who
love photography - as a hobby - and our guide will show you the main subjects to be immortalized and as
well will take you to a small Saxon village in the heart of Romania: Transylvania.
A journey through a unique cultural blend in a unique region ... Transylvania. A path through the Saxon villages
with their traditional fortified churches, with a characteristic rural life that follows with its rites the inexorable
succession of the seasons ... A world to capture in images that will remain not only in our computers, but also in our hearts.
The tour will begin with a visit at the classic Count Dracula's Castle near the village Bran.
After passing through the farmland, hills and mountains, through small villages you will reach
the castle of the infamous Vlad the Impaler. The castle as conceived by the imagination of many
because the story of Dracula ... standing on a rocky ridge, the village
will be just the beginning of our trip!
The path of the tour will continue with a visit to the fortified church, wonderful example of Saxon military architecture.
The hunt for new images to capture will not stop ... the road to Sighisoara shows a luxuriant
nature as well as towns and villages of an extraordinary visual impact for the tourist - photographer.
Hungarians and Saxons, settlers in Transylvania hundreds of years ago, have left cultural traces still well-preserved
and silent for several thematic tours. The incredible story of the village Viscrì is enough to turn on the interest of
people who are sensitive and very careful with the idea of the conservation of the lifestyle and architectural
characteristics of the Saxon rural villages such as the Prince Charles of England, who owns several houses in
the area and wanted to encourage a sustainable tourism respecting the characteristics of these places.
Thanks to many people like Prince Charles several Saxon villages presented themselves to the visitor still
intact and original. This will be an important opportunity for photographers ... tree-lined roads with no to
reach the villages, green hills with wagons of itinerant beekeepers hives, shepherds with their flocks, wagons
pulled by horses, barnyard animals who roam the roads and houses, cows grazing. Very interesting are the visits
to craftsmen who still produce bricks and terracotta tiles, important materials in the preservation of local
architectural traditions, traditional female jobs (include wool socks of Viscrì, a symbol of women's work in
this country), the culinary tradition and much more.
In village Malancrav, where you will be accomodated, you will be able to capture pictures of the most
ù important fortified churches: that of Viscrì and Biertan.
Arrival in Bucharest (Airport), departure to Bran. You can start to "capture" images of Dracula's Castle at sunset ... and dinner in the restaurant inside the 3 * guesthouse overlooking the Bran Castleb>; our dinner will be a traditional.
Visit to Bran Castle and, on the way to Sighisoara, with a stop at the village Viscrì. The spectacle offered by the Saxon architecture and originality of local buildings will continue. Here we will have lunch with local products in a guest house. In addition, we will visit the imposing fortified church of the town (UNESCO World Heritage). A curiosity: the Prince Charles of England, through his Foundation for the protection of the Saxon villages and their traditions, is the owner, in this village of two houses. The day will continue with a visit to the medieval town of Sighisoara and its amazing old town (UNESCO World Heritage) among the best preserved in Europe; apart from being the birthplace of Vlad III the Impaler, as it is said to be. Visit to two Protestant churches: the Church of the monastery and Church of the Hill, the clock tower and the walls with towers of Defense. Here it will be particularly interesting to photograph during the night (the various towers, walls, houses, streets and so on). Dinner and overnight in a guest house in Malcrav with Saxon dinner with local natural products (products grown in farmers' gardens, fresh cheese produced by local pastors and other natural products)
Morning departure to Sibiu with a stop at Medias where you will visit the old town with the fortified Protestant with the church bell tower known as the leaning tower of Pisa of Romania. Arrived in Sibiu, the Transylvanian Saxon main town, we can observe its narrow streets and houses adorned with gables of different pastel colors. The architecture is very close the one of a German city. European capital of culture in 2007, Sibiu presents a completely renovated old town: the Grand Square and the Small Square, the Brukenthal Museum, the Catholic Church, the Protestant cathedral and the Orthodox Cathedral. We will return to Malancrav where a traditional dinner will be served. Suggestion for the evening: return to Sighisoara to visit the city at night and eat something in a nice local place where they serve home-made cakes inside the walls of the Citadel.
After the breakfast we will start our visit in the village Malancrav. This is another important chapter of our tour, regarding the intent to discover the architecture and Saxon culture, but also the daily life of the locals. We'll start with the manor Apafi, (masion of the wealthy Hungarians nobles who were owners of a large part of the village), the factory of organic apple cider – we will taste it too - and visit of the fortified Evangelical church from the Saxon village. Picnic with local products in the apple orchard. Afternoon walk around with a horse-drawn cart to the nearby village Floresti: visit the village and visit the workshop of an artisan, manufacturer of barrels and other wooden items. On the way back, weather permitting, we're going to see the milking of goats by shepherds. Dinner always made from natural products. Overnight stay in Malancrav.
The day will begin with a visit to the artisans from Malancrav: the weavers, to the rustic brick furnace and terracotta tiles and visit to a Carpenter craftsman. Picnic at Malancrav. Will be amazing to immortalize the gestures of the artisans whose work it is very far from the stress of industrial-scale production. Departure in the afternoon to Biertan where we will visit the beautiful fortified and impressive church (UNESCO World Heritage). Departure on a horse-drawn cart towards the Richis village, visit to the Church with its beautiful sculptures. Dinner in Malancrav with a typical Saxon menu.
Departure to Brasov. First stop will be Bethlen Castle at Cris, then visit Breite plateau, with its age-old oaks. Visit of Brasov with its beautiful churches: the black church and the Church of San ordotossa Nicol the main square where they were exposed the sentenced to death by impalement (Council Square), the first Romanian school in the area and the many ways Schei traverse features. We stay the night in a beautiful 3 * guesthouse in the historical center of the city and enjoy the delicacies of local cuisine.
Departure to Bucharest and, on the way we will visit the beautiful castle of Peles in Sinaia, dipped in the green of the forest in a unique and natural scenery, considered to be the most beautiful castle of Romania. We will visit of the monastery of Sinaia and continue of our way back to Bucharest where we will be accomodated in a pension 3 * to Buftea. Traditional dinner with organic products in a nice restaurant...
In the morning, we will make a possible visit to the monastery of Snagov (where is said that are bones of Dracula) and a visit to the Church of Balteni, small monastery near Scrovistea forest, depending on the flight schedule. Transfer to the airport.
DOUBLE PER PERSON SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
DOUBLE PER PERSON Apafi Manor House
For groups over 8 people please feel free to submit a request as each tour may vary according to the needs of tourists and the price you will be notified via email. Terms of booking and payment must be pre-booked tours via e-mail to martinatravelaln@hotmail.com indicating personal details and customer address, name and date of tour that you want to book. Acceptance of reservations is subject to availability of seats and is perfected upon confirmation. At the time of acceptance you shall pay an amount equal to 25% of the total tour price via bank transfer while the balance will be due on the spot upon arrival in Romania.
• Transfers and transportation by car or minibus 8 seater Mercedes or similar (insurance, fuel, parking and city tax included)
• Accommodation in double room for 7 nights in hotels/villas, guest house of category 3/4 stars (including breakfast)
• Driver/guide in english for the entire trip
• Half board (traditional dinners)
• Taxes
• flight ticket and museums tickets
• any other meals not mentioned in the program
• porterage fees, gratuities (in Romania using a 10% leave gratuities) and other personal expenses
• alcoholic beverages and soft drinks at meals (water included)
The customer will receive by the Tour Operator the vouchers after paid the rest of the tour
To avoid penalties, for the cancellation of reservations you must notify in writing, by email at click here. com and by phone at +39-348-3201647with an advance of 2 days prior to departure. For those who do not communicate the cancellation within 2 days before the Tour the client is obliged to pay the entire fee. You will not be able to refund. There are no refunds for customers who present late for the release schedule for the visit, to customers who lose contact with the guide or do not arrive at the end of the Tour. When, for whatever reason, the Tour Operator cancels the Tour, the customer is entitled to a refund of the amount paid
The customer may be replaced by another person, provided that: a) the organiser is informed in writing at least 4 working days before the departure date, getting together with communication about the generality of the transferee.
Hello Transylvania can cancel the reservation, in whole or in part, without any compensation. If the reservation is cancelled before the beginning of the tour the client has the full refund of amounts paid. In the case of force majeure (road conditions, strikes, delays, change of opening hours or other problems), the Tour Operator may make changes to the tour at any time or replace it with an equivalent alternative service categories, or if not available, lower-category with restitution of the price difference. In this case the price is subject to change, will be proposed and communicated in advance before departure. When, regardless of the reservations, in the period of greatest tourist influx, delays occur for entries to museums or other places of tourist attraction Hello Transylvania and its staff are not responsible
Hello Transylvania has paid careful attention in the formulation of programmes submitted for the descriptions correspond exactly to the service offered. If there were any reason for complaint, customers are invited to contact the Tour Operator Martina Travel ALN, which will intervene with all means at its disposal. In the absence of such a report, no complaints will be considered next by Hello Transylvania.
Any customer complaint must be communicated to the Tour operators in writing no less than 10 working days after the end of the tour. Complaints that cannot be resolved between you and the Tour Operator will be within the competence of the law courts of Bucharest.