ROMANIA

OVERVIEW

Although only briefly a far-flung province of the Roman Empire, Romania is still marked by a Latin language and a unique local culture. These have persisted into the present day, alongside the presence of diverse peoples and empires: Slavs, Ottomans, Saxons and Hungarians. The result is a complex legacy and unique modern culture.

This new tour introduces you to the many different sides of Romania, on a road trip that takes you through its three historical regions: Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia. We begin in Bucharest, whose reputation as the ‘Paris of the East’ survived the megalomaniacal urban redevelopment of Ceaușescu. After exploring the eclectic capital and its surrounds, we travel north across the Carpathians to Transylvania, visiting World Heritage-listed Saxon towns, discovering traditional folk culture and understanding the complex legacy of Hungarian and Austrian rule.

We then travel into the Eastern Carpathians – through the enchanted landscape of Bram Stoker’s Dracula – to visit the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed churches of Bucovina. Turning back to the south, we explore the history of Moldavia at Romania’s historical and cultural capital, Iași, before enjoying the magnificent scenery of the mountains on our way to the beautiful towns of Sighișoara and Brașov. From here we experience the delights of the Prahova Valley, a favoured place of repose for Romania’s nobility, before returning to Bucharest.

The tour is rounded out by the expertise of Dr Nick Gordon, an experienced tour leader and director of Limelight Arts Travel, and by culinary experiences that showcase the unexpected delights of Romanian cuisine.