View Romanian Heritage September 2017 Brochure

Romanian Heritage
September 20 - October 4, 2017
15 Days • 27 Meals
Escorted by Joan Rix
Peles Castle, Romania
We are pleased to repeat this excellent journey in 2017
to feature the varied landscapes of this Eastern European
gem including the pastoral lands of Transylvania, known
mostly as the home of fictional Count Dracula. But this is a
country with far more to offer and to experience. Join us as
we explore the influences of Romanian, Hungarian and
German cultures that existed side-by-side for hundreds of
years. There are a host of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
included, such as the eye-catching Painted Monasteries of
Moldavia and the quaint villages, farms and traditional
lifestyles found in the northern region of Maramures.
Our journey will begin in the capital, Bucharest, the city
that earned the title 'Paris of the East' in the 1920’s. In the
larger centres we will see the architectural influence of the
communist era sharing the landscape with the more
attractive traditional architecture and lifestyles. In the rural
areas we will see people farming as they have done for
centuries, following age old routines and rituals. Romania
is like a 'time capsule' that will allow us to look into the
past. This is truly a land to enchant even the most
experienced traveller.
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INCLUSIVE FEATURES
Return airfare to Europe from Canadian cities listed
Accommodations in first class and best available hotels
as indicated or similar
27 meals included as noted in the itinerary (B - 13
breakfasts, L - 4 lunches, D - 10 dinners)
Services of our Canadian tour escort plus a
professional tour manager/guide in Romania
All gratuities, surcharges, taxes and fees for included
services
Airport transfers in Canada or equivalent value with
purchase of group airfare
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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Bucharest, Romania’s charming Capital city
Explore the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania
Experience the cultural heritage of the Romanian,
Hungarian, Ukrainian and German settlers
Maramures and the UNESCO villages, farms, wooden
churches and colourful cemeteries
UNESCO Painted Monasteries of Moldavia
Stephen the Great’s Princely Court and Church
Drive through spectacular Bicaz Gorges
Visit Dracula’s Castle (Bran Castle)
Enjoy lunch and wine tasting at Rheins Cellars in Azuga
Farewell Dinner in Bucharest
September 20, Wednesday
Depart Canada
Tour members gather for the overnight flights via Europe to
Bucharest, the capital of Romania.
September 21, Thursday
Bucharest
Our connecting flight will bring us to Bucharest where we
will be transferred directly to our hotel with the balance of
the day at leisure. Our Welcome Dinner will be at the
Crama Domneasca restaurant, serving typical Romanian
fare in the centre of the old city.
Sheraton Hotel (2 nights)
D
Cluj Napoca, Romania
TOUR ESCORT
Joan Rix and her husband Roger have travelled
extensively in the Caribbean as well as Europe, Asia and
South America. Over the past few years they have led
many exciting journey’s on behalf of Craig Travel. Both are
graduates of the University of
Guelph; Joan with a Bachelor of
Household Science and Roger with
a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
They have a farm operation in
Innisfil that now includes their 3
sons and their families. Joan and
Roger look forward to sharing this
adventure with you.
September 22, Friday
Bucharest
Enjoy a walking tour of the old city centre and visit the
Palace of the Parliament, known as the People´s Palace. It
is the second largest building in the world and the symbol
of the Ceausescu era. Completed in 1989 it is constructed
of the best materials and craftsmanship that Romania
could provide. Lunch today will be at the Pescarus
Restaurant overlooking Herastrau Lake. Our afternoon will
be spent exploring the Village Museum (Muzeul Satului in
Romanian), an open-air museum located in the Herastrau
Park which showcases traditional Romanian village life and
containing 272 authentic peasant farms and houses from
all over Romania.
BL
September 23, Saturday Curtea de Agres / Cozia / Sibiu
Our journey around Romania begins as we drive north into
the Carpathian Mountains to the ancient centre of Curtea
de Arges, possibly dating from 500 BC but definitely from
the 14th Century when it was a Royal capital.
The principal site in the city is the Cathedral, built in a
Byzantine style with Moorish designs. We continue to a
most picturesque setting in the Carpathians to visit Cozia
Monastery, one of Romania’s most valuable monuments of
medieval art and architecture. The church contains one of
the richest collections of old art and literature in the
country. This afternoon we arrive in Sibiu, at one time the
capital of Transylvania and more recently the European
Cultural Capital (2007).
Hotel Golden Tulip Sibiu (2 nights)
BD
September 24, Sunday
Sibiel / Sibiu
Sibiu is a treasure trove of historic buildings mostly centred
on the two Town Squares, logically called Piata Mare and
Mica (large and small). Explore this delightful centre on our
morning walk, viewing the Council Tower, Gates and
Stairs, the important churches and Liar’s Bridge. Following
lunch we will venture to nearby Sibiel Village, set like a
jewel on the Sibiel River surrounded by low mountains. The
highlight of our visit will be the Museum of Glass Icons,
Zosim Oancea, where we shall see a wonderful collection
of glass, wood, and pottery. Finally we will visit a fortified
Saxon church in Cristian.
BL
September 25, Monday Sighisoara / Targu Mures / Cluj
Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as
the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighişoara is a fine example of
a small, fortified medieval town which played an important
strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central
Europe for several centuries. It sits on a small hill
overlooking the Tarnava Mare River and is reputed to be
the birthplace of Count Dracula. We will tour the Old Town
(still partially surrounded by walls), including the Clock
Tower, the History Museum and the Torture Chamber. The
city of Targu Mures lies in the central part of the
Transylvanian Plateau, on both sides of the Mures River.
The multi-national traditions and the coexistence of several
religious beliefs create a particular Transylvanian
spirituality which sets this town apart. This evening we are
in Cluj, the largest city in the northern region of
Transylvania. Hotel Golden Tulip (1 night)
BD
September 26, Tuesday
Cluj / Baia Mare
This morning we shall explore the city, seeing the Botanical
Gardens, the Orthodox Church, the Justice Palace, the
National Theatre and the Romanian Opera House.
Heading north we shall enjoy the scenic countryside and a
number of traditional wooden churches (UNESCO), typical
of this region. The next two nights we will be in the town of
Baia Mare, the regional capital of Maramures County,
which borders on Hungary. Its medieval history is retained
in the town square, Piata Libertatii, by houses dating back
to the 14th Century. Hotel Carpati (2 nights)
BD
September 27, Wednesday
Sighetu Marmatiei
In Sapanta village we will visit the Merry Cemetery, noted
for the colourful carved crosses. The dead are
remembered and portrayed in a most important moment in
their lives. Sighetu Marmatiei is noted most for the horrors
of the communist regime. Here we can view a prison which
during the Communist era was used to hold many
important Romanian leaders as well as common people
who spoke up against the rulers of the time. Also on the
agenda is the home of Elie Wiesel, awarded the Nobel
Prize for peace.
Along with some 38,000 other Jews he was placed in Nazi
Concentration Camps where he wrote many books about
what they endured. Driving through the enchanting
Maramures countryside, we hope to visit the Barsana
Monastery and a wooden church in Budesti before
returning to Baia Mare.
BD
September 28, Thursday
Bistrita / Gura Humorului
We journey across northern Romania today, admiring the
beautiful rural scenery and the many quaint villages. This
afternoon we reach the region of Bucovina, the home of the
UNESCO World Heritage Painted Monasteries for which
Romania is justly famous. Our first visit will be to Moldovita,
founded in 1532. Prior to the current structure, there was a
fortified stone church erected by Alexander the KindHearted between 1402-1410 (its ruins are still visible). Built
on safer ground in the valley of the Moldovita River, the
monastery consists of a quadrangular structure with
fortified towers, thick walls and a brawny gate - inside is a
magnificent painted church. Next is Humor, a monastery
which was reopened in 1993 (founded in 1523). Humor is
noted for its exceptional frescoes and its tranquil setting by
the Humor River. Lastly, we visit Voronet, considered by
many to be the ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’, due to its
incredible frescoes, painted on the west wall (take note of
the very unique Voronet Blue obtained from Lapis Lazuli).
Our next two nights will be in Gura Humorului, in the region
known as Bucovina.
Best Western Bucovina (2 nights)
BD
September 29, Friday Painted Monasteries of Moldavia
Our day is devoted to exploring a number of the world
famous Painted Monasteries. Sucevita Monastery, the
most recent construction, is the largest and finest of the
painted monasteries of Bucovina. ‘A Poem in Green and
Light’, it has thousands of painted images on a background
of emerald green. The fortress legacy of these mountain
monasteries is nowhere clearer than inside and outside the
massive walls at Sucevita. Set in a beautiful green valley, it
is a square-shaped fortified citadel with watchtowers at its
four corners, surrounded by a wall (100 meters on each
side, six meters high and three meters thick). Putna
Monastery is one of the most important cultural, religious
and artistic centres in medieval Moldavia. Stephen the
Great is famous for building dozens of churches and
monasteries across Moldavia (allegedly, he founded a
religious edifice after each important military victory).
Putna houses the tombs of Stephen (a place of pilgrimage)
and several of his family members. The icon veils and
tombstones are held as fine examples of Moldavian art in
Stephen the Great’s time. Surrounded by forests, blessed
by great clay soil and the Sucevita River, the region is ideal
for the production of exquisite ceramics. There is an
ethnographic museum in the village where we can admire
traditional costumes from Bucovina.
BD
September 30, Saturday Gura Humorului / Piatra Neamt
Today our road slices through the Bicaz Gorges (Cheile
Bicazului), one of Romania’s most scenic routes. The
gorge twists and turns steeply uphill for 5 km, cutting
through sheer, 300 metre high limestone rocks. At one
point, the narrow mountain road runs uncomfortably
beneath the overhanging rocks in a section known as the
"neck of hell" (Gatul Iadului). One of the deepest gorges
from Carpathians - Bicaz Gorges is a rock climbing
paradise.
We shall stop by Red Lake (Lacu Rosu), the largest natural
mountain lake in Romania. Its name comes from the
reddish alluvia (iron oxides and iron hydroxides) deposited
in the lake by the Red Creek. This evening we will arrive in
the Moldavian city of Piatra Neamt, delightfully surrounded
by wooded mountains. We hope to visit the only wooden
synagogue in Romania (dating the 17th Century), partially
built below the ground.
Central Plaza Hotel (1 night)
BD
October 1, Sunday
Piatra Neamt / Brasov
Also known as the “Pearl of Moldavia”, Piatra Neamnt was
home to Stephen the Great’s Princely Court and Church.
We shall explore the city this morning before we continue
our journey to Brasov. En route to Brasov we visit Prejmer,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site where we find an excellent
example of a fortified Saxon church and fortress used by
the early German settlers in Transylvania. Brasov is
surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is part of the
Transylvania region. The oldest traces of human activity
and settlements date back to the Neolithic age (about 9500
BC) and research has uncovered continuous traces of
human settlements since then. We shall explore the old city
centre this afternoon, including a walk in the square and a
visit to the Black Church, the largest Gothic church is South
Eastern Europe. Hotel Aro Palace (2 nights)
BD
October 2, Monday
Bran / Sinaia / Brasov
Discover Bran Castle, a national treasure that is commonly
known as Dracula’s Castle, for reasons that will become
quite obvious. It is the location usually associated with
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Today we will visit it enjoying the
dramatic legends, the period furniture and the small open
air museum containing typical peasant dwellings. Our final
stop today will be in Sinaia, where we visit Peles Castle, a
former Royal Residence, built in the 19th Century GermanRenaissance style, which will enchant us with different
furnishings.
BL
October 3, Tuesday
Brasov / Bucharest
Following a leisurely morning we will make our way back to
Bucharest with a stop en route at a winery in Azuga for
lunch and a champagne tasting at Rhein Cellars. This
evening we gather for our Farewell Dinner at ’Caru Cu
Bere,’ featuring traditional dancing and music.
BLD
October 4, Wednesday
Bucharest / Canada
All too soon our journey draws to a close as we catch our
flights back to Canada.
B
CT RATING 2.5 - Slightly Challenging: While this is a
relatively leisurely tour, members should be aware that
there will be a number of extended walking tours (up to
two kilometres), some of which will be over cobblestone
surfaces. Good walking shoes are highly recommended
and members should have no mobility issues to fully enjoy
this itinerary.
Tour Cost in Canadian Dollars per person
Land Only (Join / Leave Bucharest) .......................... $2,995
Toronto ...................................................................... $4,155
Ottawa / Montreal ...................................................... $4,265
Halifax / Winnipeg ...................................................... $4,375
Saskatoon / Regina ................................................... $4,575
Calgary / Edmonton / Vancouver............................... $4,495
Victoria ...................................................................... $4,575
Single Supplement ....................................................... $495
Airfares from other gateways are available on request.
Airfares and air carriers are subject to change and will be
confirmed prior to final payment. Refer to inclusive features
for details.
Tour price is based on sharing a twin-bedded room at
hotels. Prices are based on a minimum 20 members and
on rates, taxes and fees effective May 2016 and are
subject to change due to factors beyond our control.
Prices DO NOT INCLUDE the cost of insurance which is
available and is highly recommended. Premiums vary with
the cost, length of the trip, and the traveller’s age. For
passengers up to and including 74 years on departure
date, premiums will range from $211 to $280 pp plus
applicable taxes. Cost supplements for travellers aged 7585 will range from $177 to $345 pp plus applicable taxes.
This insurance is effective from the date of purchase and
carries limitations on pre-existing medical conditions.
Please discuss your insurance coverage prior to booking.
Check our website for the most current information. Refer
to the enrollment form for general information and
conditions.
Final payment will be due July 19, 2017
Deposit is $500 per person
To reserve your places on this tour, complete the
enrollment form and forward it with your deposit to:
.
CRAIG CANADIAN GROUP TRAVEL LTD
1092 Mount Pleasant Road Toronto ON M4P 2M6
Tel: 416-484-0926 or 1-800-387-8890 / Fax: 416-484-8143
Email: tours@craigtravel.com / www.craigtravel.com
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