Central & East Europe

Itinerary

• Days 1-2: Bucharest (Romania)

  Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings, and reputation for the high life, Romania’s capital was once dubbed “Little Paris.” Take an introductory tour of the major sights in this dynamic city, including the colossal 1,100-room Palace of the Parliament. One of the grandiose schemes of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the nation’s deposed and executed former president, the monumental palace is one of the largest buildings in the world; only the Pentagon has more floor space. Get a feel for the Romanian countryside with a visit to the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, which displays over 100,000 objects representative of traditional peasant life.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Romania’s cosmopolitan capital, Bucharest, once known as “Little Paris”
  • Ceausescu’s last folly, the 1,100-room Palace of the Parliament, intended to house the Romanian Communist Party
  • Museum of the Romanian Peasant, notable for its textiles, costumes, icons, ceramics, and other items from traditional Romanian peasant life
• Days 3-5: Transylvanian villages (Curtea de Arges, Sibiu, Alba Iulia, Cluj Napoca, Bistrita)

  Continue your private tour north to Transylvania, a land of mixed Hungarian, Romanian, and Saxon heritage that inspired the most famous vampire legend of all time. En route, stop in one of Romania’s oldest cities, Curtea de Arges, to admire its beautifully sculpted 16th century monastery. Spend a morning strolling Piata Mare, the medieval Old Town Square of Sibiu, then admire the star-shaped citadel in Alba Iulia, an important early Dacian and Roman stronghold. Explore the huge caverns of the Turda Salt Mine before continuing to bohemian Cluj Napoca, the “capital” of Transylvania since the Middle Ages. Tour its medieval city center, including the 14th century Gothic Church of St. Michael.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Curtea de Arges Monastery, where legend states the builder’s wife was entombed alive
  • Sibiu, an early Saxon walled town with a charming array of old houses and cobbled squares connected by tunnels, stairways, and hidden passages
  • Turda Salt Mine, where a theme park resides 400 feet underground
• Days 6-7: Gura Humorului, Painted Monasteries

  In the Moldavia region of northern Romania, discover Bucovina’s masterful UNESCO-listed collection of painted monasteries with their Byzantine-style frescoes. Created from the 13th to 15th centuries, they served as “painted Bibles” for the largely illiterate communities of the region. Meet with the local proprietor of the Vama Egg Museum to learn about the history and techniques of traditional Romanian egg painting, an Orthodox Easter tradition. Enjoy the spectacular scenery of Bicaz Canyon and Red Lake en route to Agapia Monastery, built in the 17th century and today home to more than 400 nuns.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Painted monasteries of Bucovina, their thick fortress walls frescoed with vivid 13th-15th century biblical scenes
  • Vama Egg Museum, celebrating the traditional Romanian craft of egg-painting
• Days 8-10: Sighisoara, Saschiz, Brasov, Sinaia, Bucharest

  Learn some of the legends surrounding Dracula in the handsome medieval citadel of Sighisoara – where Dracula’s father, Vlad Dracul, lived and where Dracula is believed to have been born. In Saschiz, view the town’s fortified church and glass icons, and meet with some of the villagers to learn about their way of life and their locally produced specialties. Explore Brasov, an old Transylvanian town with a history dating back to the 13th century; and visit Bran Castle, which served as Bram Stoker’s model for Dracula’s ancestral home. Stop in Sinaia to tour Peles Castle, one of the most important museums in the country and the final resting place of several Romanian monarchs. Stroll the 17th century Sinaia Monastery and its monks’ library, which houses the earliest Romanian translation of the Bible. Pay a visit to a cellar where winemakers produce sparkling wines using traditional methods, then return to Bucharest with a free evening to explore, shop, and prepare for departure.

  HIGHLIGHTS

  • Sighisoara, with it’s UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town
  • UNESCO-listed fortified Saxon church and glass icons of Saschiz
  • Brasov, an old Transylvanian town set at the foot of a mountain and filled with medieval architecture, cobbled streets, small houses, and the legendary Black Church
  • Bran Castle, immortalized as Dracula’s castle in Bram Stoker’s novel