Travel diary from Transylvania

In May, Henriette and Grethe left for Transylvania in Romania, and we are so lucky that they have written a little travel diary from the trip on Instagram, which we have been allowed to bring here on our blog. If you want, you can also follow them on their Instagram @derhvorvitankerop, where they have also posted videos from the trip.
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In the autumn of 2022, during a running holiday in the Harz Mountains, we had the spontaneous idea that the next destination should be Transylvania. A bit of a glance at the spring program with 7/7 arrangements, confirmations and other things, then we were lucky to see a hole in May 2023. The trip was booked through Bering Travel, which has arranged everything for us, from our arrival in Bucharest and until we have to take the plane home again. There are direct flights from Aarhus, but the departure was more convenient for us from Billund, so it was decisive that Lufthansa transported us safely to Bucharest.

Day 1 / Arrival

Flight from Billund - Frankfurt - Bucharest, where we were met by a local guide from Romania Active, which cooperates with Bering Travel. We were given a hiking map, roadbook, the last information about the trip and hugs along the way, and met our private transfer. Then it was a three-hour drive up the mountains to the first night in Magura at Pension Pepino at the wonderful hostess Lucia and her husband, who were waiting for us with a three-course dinner and homemade cherry wine. The view, the room, the food, the hostess and location in relation to. hiking routes were to UG

Day 2 / First day of hiking

Breakfast with the most beautiful view, warmth from the wood stove and delicious freshly made omelette and well-stocked breakfast table. The day started mild and with only a little drizzle in varied forest, but further up towards the mountain hut Curmatura the rain increased significantly. In the hut we warmed up and had lunch in the form of warm vegetarian soup and apple cake with an inlaid lucky charm. Then the tour continued in pouring rain.
On the way down from the mountain hut we missed a marking in the terrain and instead followed the route shown on the hiking map. This gave us a bit of an adventure on the way, as we had to pass down through a steep ravine in pouring rain and large amounts of water as a result. But the reward was palpable as the Zarnesti Gorge (Prapastile Zarnestiului) was at the end with its majestic rock walls up to 200 metres high. The fog made it all mythical and the fact that Grethe thought she should inspect a bear cave made it all just a tad too exciting.

Day 3 / Second day of hiking

We started the day with a morning jog down to the Zarnesti Gorge (Prapastile Zarnestiului) to see it in clear weather. Others had the same idea, so we met a lot more people than the day before in pouring rain. Today there were hikers, climbers and a huge flock of birdwatchers with honking horns. But definitely worth the trip just to see the majestic cliffs in clear weather. From Magura to Bran and Dracula's castle. We crossed a large ridge on the way with great views and abundant wildlife (including a woodpecker) before we hit the tourist trap and souvenir shops ad libitum. We did manage to see the castle, learn about the story of Dracula, and sample the local specialities kürtös and langós before the taxi took us back to the guesthouse

Day 4 / Third day of walking

From Magura to Ciocano. We were accompanied from the start by a shepherd dog, which turned out to be very lucky, as shortly into the route we were clearly walking in the footsteps of the bears. There are currently estimated to be about 25 bears in the area. The dog followed us through thick and thin all day until we landed in Ciocano with warm-hearted Maria in Pensiunea Garofita Pietrei Craiului. A truly authentic place that we won't soon forget. Don't miss the tour of the room or the lovely stuffed cat that looks like it's been electrocuted.

Day 5 / Fourth day of walking

The walk went from Ciocano to Moieciu de Sus. A wonderfully varied route that took us from the Piatra Craiului Mountains to the Bucegi Mountains with one scenic view after another throughout the day, with the added spice of bear tracks, horse-drawn carriages, views of tomorrow's route and the cosy company of our faithful companion: the shepherd dog who could find his own way to Pensiunea Daniela Clincio, where the lovely Daniela welcomed us at the door with homemade cheese and brandy. She was keen to introduce us to her culture through crafts and food that have been passed down through many generations of her family. She also showed us some of the diplomas she won at the national championships for "cabbage dumplings". A dish she then served to us with great pride

Day 6 / Fifth day of walking

We were picked up by horse-drawn carriage from the guesthouse in Moeciu De Sus to the forest and starting point for today's summit walk. The first part was uphill - steady climb up through the forest to the tree line and on to Varful Bucsa (Bucsa Peak) at 1846 metres. The weather was fine, so there were magnificent views in all directions.
The walk continued from Varful Bucsa to Strangulita Pass and Strunga Pass at 1936 metres. In a blink of an eye the weather changed, the wind picked up and it started to snow. Luckily there is a shelter at the top, Refugia Saua Strunga, where we could take shelter and get warm, dry clothes and a snack before heading back down the mountain. It was raw and wild, but what a view and a huge experience. At the bottom of the mountain and the edge of the forest is a hotel where we made a pit stop and enjoyed a local cake speciality with a good hot cappuccino. It was just what we needed to refuel before the last 5 km back to the guesthouse

Day 7 / Last day of walking

We started the day with a steady, steep climb in snowy weather and an unintentional detour down the mountain and back again, ending in sunshine and a leisurely stroll down the gorge to the town of Simon. We thought we would spend the night in Casa Maria, but it was overbooked, so we got a "minor" upgrade and ended up at Pension Mama Cozonacilor. It was also a full stop for this trip. Tomorrow the trip goes by train to Bucharest and home to Denmark and slightly warmer temperatures, but with the backpack filled with completely unique experiences.

See the tour by clicking here