The private tour of Transylvania from Cluj-Napoca

The tour of Romania will start in Cluj-Napoca: we will meet you in at the airport, and after the transfer to your hotel, we will start exploring the city. We will have a guided tour in the old town, discovering the rich history of Cluj-Napoca and its architectural gems: majestic Gothic churches or elegant Baroque or Art-Nouveau palaces. Cluj-Napoca is the largest city in Transylvania, a vibrant city, with the largest student community outside Bucharest. It is not surprising that the most important music festivals are organized in Cluj-Napoca, and all throughout the year, the bohemian atmosphere radiates from every corner of the historical district.

Overnight in Cluj-Napoca

Cluj-Napoca: Union Square

Today we will leave Cluj-Napoca, heading to Sighisoara, where we will spend the second night of tour of Transylvania.
The first visit will be to Turda, to see the former salt mine, transformed today into a tourist attraction. Salt has been mined there since Roman times, but in the oldest mine in Turda that can be visited, salt has been mined since the 17th century. The mines have a bell-shaped structure and in the deepest mine, the distance from the bottom to the extraction pit is more than 100 meters. At the bottom of a mine, a small lake was formed, where those who wish can rent rowing boats. In the mine, one can see old salt extraction installations, but tourists can have fun on a modern Ferris wheel or playing mini-golf or billiards.

From Turda we will drive to the quaint Saxon village of Biertan, where we will visit the gothic fortified church, dating back from the 16th century. We will learn more about the Transylvanian Saxons, about their traditions and we will discover why they have raised solid walls around their churches.

Then, we will reach Sighisoara, which is only 30 minutes drive from Biertan. After check-in, we will start exploring the beautiful medieval citadel. A UNESCO site, like Biertan, Sighisoara is one of the 7 Saxon cities in Transylvania and it kept mostly untouched the look of the citadel perched high on a hill, dominating the Tarnava river valley. Sighisoara is also the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the prince who inspired Bram Stoker to write the novel Dracula.
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Distance: 280 km, driving time: 3 hours. Overnight in Sighisoara.

View of Biertan from the nearby hills

We leave Sighisoara in the morning and after 2 hours of driving, we reach the first tourist attraction of the day: Prejmer fortified church, another Saxon stronghold listed on the UNESCO list. Prejmer is unique among the other fortified churches with its innovative system of defence and the rooms attached to the walls on the interior, providing shelter for each family from the village. And of course, the small church, a hidden Gothic gem inside of the defence walls.

Next, we head to Sinaia, to visit the sumptuous Peles Castle, the cradle of the Romanian royal dynasty. It took more than 40 years to completely build the castle, whose construction work began in 1873. At the time of its opening, the castle was one of the most modern buildings in the world, with central heating, electricity, elevator. Aesthetically, the castle is a splendour: on the ground floor, each room is decorated in a different style, which blends beautifully with the overall appearance of the whole, with strong influences from the German neo-renaissance.

The last stop will be at Bran, for a visit to the famous castle, largely associated with the residence of count Dracula. Well, Dracula is a fictional creation, so he never slept there, and neither did Vlad the Impaler, the real historical character who inspired Bram Stoker to write his novel. Actually, the castle is more of a romantic place, one of the favourite retreats of the beloved Queen Maria of Romania.

Distance: 240 km, driving time: 4 hours, overnight in Bran

Bran Castle

We will start the day with a walking tour through Brașov, the colourful Saxon city, located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. We will see the main attractions of the old town, such as the Council Square, the Black Church, the Schei Gate or the medieval walls.

We leave Brașov and head west to Sibiu. Before reaching Sibiu we will make a detour to drive on the north side of the Transfăgărășan road. This part of the road is the most spectacular and leads to Lake Balea, after passing the Balea Waterfall.

Distance: 230 km, driving time: 4 hours, overnight in Sibiu

Transfagarasan road

We will spend the first part of the day exploring Sibiu, the charming former European Capital of Culture in 2007. During the guided tour we will see the main sights in the former medieval city: The Large Square, the Small, Square, Liar’s Bridge or the Council Tower.

Then, we will drive to Hunedoara, to visit the last castle of our trip in Transylvania. It is the Corvin Castle of Hunedoara Castle, the largest castle in Romania, built in the Gothic style in the 15th century. The castle, the former residence of the governor of Transylvania, Ioan Corvin and later, of his son Matias Corvin, the king of Hungary, impresses at first glance with its tall turrets, gothic embroideries or the front drawbridge.

After the castle visit, we will transfer you to Cluj-Napoca or other cities in Transylvania, depending on our guests’ flights.

Distance: 400 km, driving time: 4 hours

Corvin Castle