Discover the cultural diversity of Romania in a self guided cycling tour in Transylvania. Explore Romanian, Hungarian and Saxon villages, avoid the main roads and cycle your way through beautiful landscapes.
| Duration | 7 nights |
| Dates | On demand, from May to October |
| Difficulty | Easy – Medium |
| Distance | ~250 kilometers / ~155 miles |
The itinerary takes you through three cultural regions in Transylvania.
Starting near Brasov, the route follows low traffic roads with green pastures and idyllic rural landscapes. You will meet Romanian, Saxon and Hungarian communities along the way and find out why Transylvania is still such a mysterious place where few travelers reach.
DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN BUCHAREST & START OF THE SELF GUIDED CYCLING TOUR IN TRANSYLVANIA
You will be picked from Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest and transferred to the city of Brasov, situated in the center of Romania. Being one of the most popular destinations in Romania, this picturesque city is bustling with tourists from all around the world. Feel free to explore the narrow medieval streets and discover the unique restaurants, famous for delicious authentic cuisine.
Optional: you can choose to go to a bear watching tour near Brasov, on this evening.
In this day, you will also get familiarized with the bikes. If you wish, you can cycle to your accommodation in Vulcan. If not, you will be transferred there.
Vulcan (Wolkendorf in German) is a picturesque village situated 20 kilometers from Brasov, which dates back to the 13th century. Its main attraction is the fortified church, erected in the 13th century but destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries, after the numerous invasions.
DAY 2 – VULCAN – BUCIUM (45 KILOMETERS / 28 MILES)
You will start the day with a short climb, followed by a fast descent to the village of Holbav. Follow the river along the beautiful green valley and see the locals working the land, scything the fresh grass or just relaxing.
Once you reach the tarmac road again, continue to Sinca Noua, where you can see an interesting railway viaduct, the first in Romania to be built with concrete arches. Unfortunately, due to some engineering flaws, the railway tracks were considered to be dangerous and an alternative route was built in 1943.
Continue to Sinca Noua village and visit the mysterious cave monastery. This place’s origin is still controversial, some saying that it was created 2000 years ago, others that is was built around 1700. One thing is for sure, the place is considered a pilgrimage site for many people seeking for a relaxing place to pray and meditate.
Continue to the village of Ohaba, where you will find out the story behind the only working water powered mill in Fagaras area. The mechanism, which is powered only by the forces of the stream nearby, is administered by a couple of old locals belonging to the same family that built the water mill. Many people still bring their grains here to have it ground into white flour or corn flour.
Overnight in a beautiful guesthouse in the village of Bucium.
DAY 3 – BUCIUM – COBOR (41 KILOMETERS / 26 MILES)
On this day you will continue to cycle, stopping in Fagaras city to admire the magnificent Fagaras fortress. The majestic construction was erected in 1310, on the site of a former 12th century wooden fortress, destroyed by the Tatars in 1241. Surrounded by a moat, it is considered to be one of the strongest fortifications in Transylvania.
Continue your route and after a short but demanding climb, you will enjoy a fast descent to Felmer and finally, Cobor, a nice village surrounded by hills.
Overnight in a biodiversity farm in Cobor.
DAY 4 – COBOR – VISCRI (43 KILOMETERS / 27 MILES)
Passing through old villages, you will reach the UNESCO World Heritage site of Viscri village. Take your time and discover the unique house architecture and the interesting Saxon fortified citadel, included in the UNESCO World Heritage. Meet the friendly locals, visit a blacksmith’s workshop and taste the delicious home made jams and products.
Overnight in a beautiful guesthouse in Viscri.
DAY 5 – EXPLORING THE SAXON VILLAGES
For this day, our proposal is to explore the surrounding villages and discover the bike trail network built here. You can rent an eBike, which will make your experience more enjoyable. You have plenty of trails and routes to choose from, you can go even in Sighisoara on specially built single trails. Go over mesmerizing pastures, see the authentic sheepfolds and take amazing photos of the surrounding landscape.
You can also visit the villages and the fortified churches that withstood the test of time. Meet the locals and taste the authentic food and home grown products. Also, find out why this area is preferred by HRH Prince Charles, who chooses to come here on his every visit in Romania.
Overnight in Bunesti. The bike trail starts just outside the accommodation.
DAY 6 – ARCHITA – MERESTI (42 KILOMETERS / 26 MILES)
You will begin the sixth day of the self guided cycling tour in Transylvania with a a short transfer to the village of Archita. From here, you will follow an idyllic country road, going over hills and old picturesque villages. You will leave Mures county and enter Harghita county, where most of the population is Hungarian.
Stop to see the beautiful fortified church in Darjiu, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in the 13th century, this Szekler monument is one of the six fortified churches in Transylvania which were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1999. The interior paintings but also the architecture of the construction make this place worth visiting.
Continue on low traffic roads and reach the lakes of Sanpaul, famous for being a popular nesting place for migrating birds. After a short climb, overlooking the lakes, you will descend and reach the village of Meresti. Here, your hosts for this night will prepare you a tasting tour of the cheese factory they are running. Together with the local, organic food, it will be a day to remember.
Overnight in a guesthouse in Meresti.
DAY 7 – MERESTI – MICLOSOARA (43 KILOMETERS / 27 MILES)
This day takes you to another village preferred by Prince Charles, Miclosoara. But first, you have a 6 kilometer (3.7 miles) climb through a stunning landscape, on a low traffic tarmac road. A long and scenic descend will take you to the village of Varghis, where you can visit a local craftsman, specialized in carving wood. The area is also known for its gorges (“Cheile Varghisului”) and over 122 caves discovered so far, which are home to the largest bat colony in Romania.
You will pass through the village of Talisoara, where you can visit the Daniel Manor, built around 1600. The Hungarian name of the village, “Olasztelek”, means “Italian village”. This is due to the fact that the village was founded by Italian colonists. Later, it became a village inhabited mostly by Szeklers.
You will then arrive in the beautiful village of Miclosoara. Its main attraction is the Kalnoky Castle, built in the 16th century and having a Renaissance architecture. Take a tour of the property and enjoy a delicious dinner at Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouse. This place is also used by HRH Prince Charles as accommodation, when he visits Romania.
Overnight at Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouse in Miclosoara.
DAY 8 – END OF THE SELF GUIDED CYCLING TOUR IN TRANSYLVANIA & TRANSFER TO BUCHAREST
Early in the morning, you will be picked up from Miclosoara and you will be transferred back to Henri Coanda International airport in Bucharest, for your flight home.
If you want to extend your holiday, you can choose to cycle back to Brasov on low traffic roads or you can choose to explore more of this fascinating region of Transylvania. Just ask us and we will provide you with possible routes and indications or maybe we can even personalize the itinerary so that it suits your needs.
What’s included
- Transfers (Bucharest – Brasov / Vulcan on Day 1, Bunesti – Archita on Day 6, Miclosoara – Bucharest on Day 8 or Miclosoara – Brasov on Day 8, if you want to extend your holiday)
- Trekking bikes with racks for panniers
- 7 nights accommodation, in double / twin rooms, as per itinerary
- 7 breakfasts
- Cheese tasting tour in Meresti, in Day 6
- Maps & route information
- Local contact number for assistance 24/7
What’s not included
- Lunches & dinners
- Snacks, water, drinks
- Personal expenses, souvenirs
- Entrance fees along the way
- Luggage transfers (available on demand, for an extra fee). We recommend bringing your own panniers
- eBike rental on Day 5 (~32 Euro/ bike/ day)
- Helmet (for safety and hygiene reasons, we recommend bringing your own helmet)
- Cycling water bottle (we recommend bringing your own bottle)
- Other services not included in the schedule
- Travel insurance
- Extra nights
- Flights
For more information or inquiries, please contact us.
We can arrange this tour as a guided tour as well.
