11. Castles and Wines – 2 days in Romania

1. Day 1 – Peles Castle and Bran Fortress guided tour.

Our tour starts with a drive to Sinaia, where the summer residence of the Royal Family – Peles Castle – was built between 1873 and 1914. This Bavarian Neo-Renaissance style Castle was the state of the art when it was finished, with an electric elevator and built-in vacuum system for cleaning. We take the extended tour that takes us deep into the castle, to see the music room, the pipe organ, the library and Emperor Franz Joseph’s apartment, custom-built for his visit in 1896. (Not available on Mondays)

After lunch, we will visit Bran Fortress, better known as Dracula’s Castle. This Medieval structure goes back to 1377, when the King of Hungary, Louis I of Anjou, granted the citizens of the city of Brasov the right to build a guard post that would also act as customs point in the Bran pass way. 500 years later, the drawings and stories of this amazing castle sparked Bram Stoker’s imagination and he placed Count Dracula inside it.

We stop for the night in Brasov, a beautiful historic city with Medieval roots.

1. Day 2 – The 7 Ladders Canyon, trekking and zipline. Winery visit and wine tasting in Dealu Mare/The Great Hill (largest DOC of Romania).

Our day starts with an adventure: after a 45min trek up the mountain, we explore the 7 Ladders Canyon, climb on metal rails on the side of a roaring waterfall, then zipline down from tree to tree on 23 steel cable segments. Difficulty: medium. Gear: trekking boots, sports clothes.

Once again on the road, we head to the largest wine region in Romania – Dealu Mare/The Great Hill. We will visit a premium winery, learn about the daily activity and the process of making wine, and then have a tasting of 5 fine wines with charcuterie platters on the terrace with a view.

We will return to Bucharest in the evening