Turda Salt Mine and Turzii Gorges – A Roman history of salt
We start the tour by discovering the city of Turda, closely related to the story of Turda Salt Mine, recently rated by the Business Insider as the “coolest underground place in the world” and also ranked 22nd in the list of incredible travel destinations in the world. It is one of the few salt mines in Europe where the salt was extracted only by human power, making it a true museum of the history of salt mining!
After a “salty” atmosphere, nature awaits us! The Turzii Gorges are a place full of legends and unique landscapes that take your breath away. Here are some of the most spectacular karst landscapes in Romania, in addition they are “home” to more than 1000 species of plants and animals.
Transylvanian Delta – A small nature paradise
It is known that the Danube Delta is the most beautiful in Eastern Europe, but little do they know that Transylvania has its own delta, known as the Transylvanian Delta, a small paradise for nature lovers.
The tour starts right in the heart of Transylvania in the “Treasure City”, Cluj-Napoca. With a fascinating history and beautiful architecture, the city will charm you with the stories hidden by the walls of its palaces, legends that tell the life stories of noble families, recreating the medieval atmosphere of the old city.
The story of a noble family begins in Cluj, so we will follow the mysterious footsteps of the Bánffy family: to the Bánffy Palace in Răscruci, built in the 16th century, a masterpiece of eclectic art. Also known as the Versailles of Romania, we will discover one of the most appreciated architectural pieces of the family’s heritage, the Bánffy Castle in Bonțida, known as one of the largest noble castles in Transylvania.
Rimetea, Colțești and Alba Iulia Fortress
We will start by visiting the village of Rimetea, with its history of over 1000 years. Located at the foot of Piatra Secuiului (1129 m high), in the Trascău Mountains, Rimetea is an old Szekler village with a unique architecture represented by beautiful white houses with green window frames, but also the place where the sun rises twice a day.
After visiting the village, a few kilometers away, we will stop for a traditional Hungarian lunch in the village of Colțești.
We will then continue our journey to Aiud (where it is possible to stop), the place where the resistance elite suffered and died during the communist period. Then we will arrive in Alba Iulia, where we will discover the story of the Habsburg fortress, one of the most impressive Vauban-style fortresses in Europe, with its historical, cultural and architectural places of interest: the Roman-Catholic Cathedral (one of the oldest and most valuable monuments of Gothic architecture from Transylvania), the Batthyaneum Library, the Orthodox Cathedral of Reunification, the Babylon Building (which houses the Union Museum) but also the Union Hall, the Apor Palace, the Princely Palace, and the University of Alba Iulia.
Sighișoara – Pages of Medieval Tales
We will begin our journey by merging the present with the past. We will let ourselves be carried away by the medieval atmosphere of the villages and towns of Transylvania.
The first stop will be in Mediaș, the city that has one of the best-preserved historical centers in Romania, it houses a fortified church with a leaning tower, similar to the one in Pisa, in which, by order of the great king of Hungary, Mattias Corvinus, Vlad Tepeș was held captive.
Continuing our journey, we reach Biertan, where in the middle of the village there is a small hill, and at the top of it, the fortified church seems to watch over the village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After discovering the story of the old Saxon settlement and how married couples who wanted to divorce were held captive in the Prison Tower, we will continue to Sighisoara – a magical mixture of cobbled streets, steep stairs, towers and bastions. We will discover an old testimony of the Saxon culture from Transylvania and indeed, one of the jewels of Europe. It is the best preserved architectural site of Romania from the medieval period and one of the few still inhabited fortresses in Europe. After arriving in Sighisoara, we will have a city tour and free time in the citadel.
Sibiu – A journey of culture
Transylvania is a land of legends and for many foreigners it is the place where Dracula hides. We will take you on a journey where you will discover another side of this region, where you will explore its multiculturalism, the combination of Romanian and Saxon traditions.
We begin our journey through time with one of the main symbols of national unity, Alba Iulia, the historical capital of Romania. Moreover, the heart of the city holds one of the most important and largest Vauban fortresses in Southeast Europe. It is one of the few places in Europe where Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the modern period visibly coexist.
We will continue our journey through time, discovering another culture that left its mark on the history of Transylvania, the Saxon culture. The next stop will be in its “capital”, in Sibiu. The city of guilds, Sibiu is a captivating city, the European Capital of Culture in 2007. The city will impress you with its charm, narrow streets, colorful buildings and mysterious houses with “eyes” watching you from the roofs of the houses in the Large Square, giving you the impression that they’re watching your every move. After arriving in Sibiu, we will take a city tour and have free time in one of the most idyllic cities in Europe where you can live!
Sângeorgiu de Pădure – Following the steps of the Rhédey family
We invite you to discover together the Mysteries of the Rhédey family and the story of Claudia, the great-great-great-grandmother of King Charles III. We will visit the Rhédey Castle in Sângeorgiu de Pădure, where, in addition to the family history, we will learn the story of the village submerged by the waters of Lake Bezid.
We will make a short photo stop at the Bezid Lake dam, after which we head to the place where we will find the world’s largest straw hat, at the Straw Hat Museum in Criseni. We enjoy a delicious langos while listening to the stories about this craft that became a tradition in the village.
Before returning to Cluj, we will make a final stop at Vețca, where we walk among 200-year-old houses, admiring the folk architecture and visit the Village Museum.
