Romania Tour 2017 - 2 Spots Left! - Jim Gold International

Dear Travelers,
Here is our final Romania tour itinerary!
2 spots left, if you’d still like to join us.
Read it. . . and enjoy.
Multsu mesc
Jim

JIM GOLD
TOUR OF ROMANIA

August 6-17, 2017

Final Itinerary

Day 2: August 6: Sunday:
BUCHAREST
Arrival in Bucharest. Meet our guide at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Check-in. 19:00 pick up for the welcome dinner with folk show at Hanu’ lui Manuc Restaurant, a traditional one. Overnight in Capital Plaza Hotel 4*/Bucharest – http://www.capitalplaza.ro/lang-en/ (D)

Day 3: August, 7. Monday: BUCHAREST
9:30 AM – Half day sightseeing tour of Bucharest is a perfect way to familiarize yourself with the five-century-old capital of Romania. Stopover in the Revolution Square and in the Constitution Square, in front of the Palace of Parliament, Ceausescu’s huge dream, now reality due to the enormous sacrifices of the Romanian people, the second largest building in the world, being surpassed only by the Pentagon building in Washington. The tour includes visits to the Metropolitan Church (Patriarchal Church), to the Synagogue/Coral Temple, to the Village and Folk Art Museum – the largest in Europe, containing over 110 houses and old wooden churches and 11,000 objects of folk art, transported from all over the country. Drive by the Romanian Athenaeum, the former Royal Palace, the Town Hall, the Opera House, the Cotroceni Palace, the Military Academy, the University Square and the Arch of Triumph, which gives the city a taste of Paris. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon meeting (at about 16:00-16:30) with Romanian folk choreographer and a pair of dancers (2 h). Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Bucharest at the same hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 4: August 8, Tuesday: BUCHAREST – CURTEA DE ARGES – SIBIU (350 km)
9:00 AM – Morning departure to Curtea de Arges, Wallachia’s former capital city, for a visit to Curtea de Arges Monastery, built between 1512-1515. Master Manole’s Church is one of the outstanding churches in Romania, famous for its architecture, where, according to the legend, Master Manole, the builder, entombed his wife in the stone walls. A short drive from here will take you to the Vidraru Dam, an impressive construction on the Arges River. Pass by Poienari Castle, the real castle of Vlad Tepes, built around the 13th century, a real challenge for the visitors, being situated on a cliff of a canyon. In order to reach the castle and enjoy the amazing scenery, the visitors need to climb about 1480 steps. Lunch en route. Travel north through the beautiful Olt River Valley into Transylvania, translated from Latin as the “Land across the forest” with stop over for visiting Cozia Monastery, the oldest one in Romania, being built at the end of the 14^th century. Late afternoon arrival in Sibiu, European Cultural Capital in 2007. Dinner and accommodation in Sibiu at Forum Continental Hotel 4*/ https://continental-forum-sibiu.continentalhotels.ro/en/ . (B, L, D)

Day 5: August 9. Wednesday: SIBIU – SIBIEL – SIBIU (70 km)
9:00 AM – Morning walking tour of the old part of Sibiu (mediaeval Sibiu), with its narrow streets; pass across Liars bridge, visit the Evangelic Cathedral, the Council Tower and the Catholic Church, beautiful art monuments and discover this citadel built by Saxons, where history, art and folklore blend to tourists’ delight. A visit in Sibiu will not be complete without a glimpse at least of the Open Air ASTRA Museum of Folkloric Traditional Civilization situated in the Dumbrava Forest; marvel at the unique old houses with genuine furniture and handmade rugs, clothes wooden craft objects in exquisite colours made by skilled artisans. A short drive from here will take you to Sibiel village for visiting the Museum of icons painted on glass; in this area, enjoy the flavours of the area’s traditional cuisine at lunch. After lunch return to Sibiu for enjoying the dance lessons with members of one of the top ensemble in Romania (2 h). Dinner and overnight Continental Forum Hotel 4*/Sibiu. (B, L, D)

Day 6: August 10, Thursday: SIBIU – ALBA IULIA – TURDA – CLUJ-NAPOCA (200 KM)
9:00 AM – An hour drive will take you to Alba Iulia, known in ancient times as Apulum, one of the oldest settlements of Romania and the largest commercial center during the Roman Empire. Later it became an impressive Habsburg citadel called Alba Carolina. Have a tour of the newly restored ancient citadel, visit the Catholic Cathedral and the Orthodox Cathedral of Reunification. Continue north to Turda for visiting the amazing and huge salt mine, 209 m underground, situated on the 22nd place of the world’s top spectacular tourist destinations. Now restored as a museum and center for halo therapy, it has a futuristic feeling being more like a “playground’ with bowling, mini golf, table tennis, basketball hoops, boat rowing facilities. Traditional lunch en route. Late afternoon arrival to the hotel in Cluj-Napoca. Walking tour of the center of this beautiful city, including visits to the Orthodox Cathedral and to the St. Michael Catholic Church. Dinner at a local restaurant in Cluj-Napoca. Overnight at Capitolina City Chic Hotel 3*/Cluj-Napoca – http://www.hotel-capitolina.ro/en/pagina/home.htmldrslthttp://www.hotel-capitolina.ro/en/pagina/home.html (B, L, D)

Day 7: August 11, Friday: CLUJ – SIGHETU MARMATIEI – SAPANTA – BARSANA – BOTIZA – BAIA MARE (380 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Early morning (8:30 AM) departure to Maramures area, land of almost one hundred beautiful wooden churches and extremely artful carved porches, where authentic rural culture and life with important touches preserved from the Dacian ancestors may be experienced. There are eight Wooden Churches of Maramureş listed by UNESCO. Pass by Sighetu Marmatiei. Drive further north to Sapanta village, where the local spirituality, mostly people beliefs are more obvious. Since ancestors considered that death it’s just a new beginning, they had a special way of honouring the deceased in the unique Merry Cemetery. Here, blue wooden crosses feature carved scenes and humorous lyrics that describe the personality, both good and bad sides, of those who passed away. A stop here would not be complete without visiting the Sapanta-Peri Church the tallest wooden church in the world, 78 m high. Lunch with folk music (“ceterasi”) at a local house with a tasty menu from Maramures. You have the chance to learn a few steps of a folk dance in the area. Continue your journey through remote villages of the Maramures area with a couple of stops for visiting representative art expressions of the local craftsmen, including the impressive Barsana Monastery Complex, an important cultural and religious centre. Late afternoon arrive in Baia Mare city for dinner and overnight at Carpati Hotel 4* – https://www.hotelcarpati.ro/en/ (B, L, D)

Day 8: August 12, Saturday: BAIA MARE — TIHUTA PASS – CAMPULUNG MOLDOVENESC – GURA HUMORULUI (330 km)
9:00 AM – This morning cross an invisible threshold to Bukovina, land of the outdoor painted monasteries mostly included in the UNESCO World Heritage, a realm where religious beliefs, tradition and old history are mostly expressed. Stop over in Tihuta pass, the actual area of Bram Stoker’s Borgo pass, the place of Count’s Dracula presumed castle. An hour drive will take you to Campulung Moldovenesc remote town for visiting the interesting Wood Art Museum and for a lunch with a new taste and of course with the specific menu of the area. Continue on to the heart of Bucovina for a last visit of the day, Voronet Monastery, surnamed “the jewel of Bucovina”, famous for its unique shade of blue. Dinner and overnight at Best Western Bucovina Hotel 4*/Gura Humorului –https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-gura-humorului/best-western-bucovina-club-de-munte/propertyCode.77552.html (B, L, D)

Day 9: August 13, Sunday: GURA HUMORULUI – MARGINEA – SUCEVITA – GURA HUMORULUI (200 km)
8:30 AM -Today, after an early morning departure, enjoy the gentle hills, the luxurious nature wrapped in a warm light, of this blessed territory. Bucovina presents itself like an art album, with time and space dimensions discovered by getting acquainted with the exquisite frescoes painted on the monasteries, with the impressive walls of the citadels, with the vivid colours from the enchanting popular costumes. Monasteries Dragomirna, by far the tallest and narrowest medieval church in northern Moldavia, giving the impression of a ship, renowed for its beautiful architecture, unique proportions and detailed carvings in stone, Sucevita, “a Poem in Green and Light”, Moldovita which received the Order “Pomme d’Or” (Golden Apple), Humor, one of the best preserved monuments of its kind, are a must on your visiting list. While touring the monasteries you may want to stop in Marginea village famous for its black pottery, unique in the world, being a ceramic centre since the 16^th century. The tasty Moldavian cuisine will be experience during all your meals in the area but today’s lunch might be on the top{sa0 . Late afternoon return to your nest.

Jim Gold International Folk Tours: 2017-18

Romania

August 5-17, 2017 Led by Jim Gold

Bucharest, Sibiu, Cluj, Sighetu Marmatiei, Piatra Neamt, Brasov

https://www.jimgold.com/folk-tours/romania-2017/

Scotland

August 7 – 20, 2017 Led by Richard Schmidt

Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, St Andrews, Aberdeen

https://www.jimgold.com/folk-tours/scotland-2017/

Balkan Splendor

October 15-29, 2017 Led by Jim Gold and Lee Otterholt.

Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Montenegro