Culture and wild flowers in Romania

The Apuseni Mountains are home to ice caves, meadows of wild flowers and a culture unchanged in centuries. These eight-day tours of Romania give you a chance to get to know all three, with cultural shows, short walks and some light subterranean exploration.

Located in Western Romania and surrounded by the mighty Romanian Carpathians arch, part of Europe’s largest mountain chain, the Apuseni Mountains offer some of the most unspoiled natural beauty this side of Europe, as well as a culture unchanged in centuries. The Transylvanian region is arguably Europe’s last wild frontier – the mountains harbour the continent’s highest populations of lynx, wolves and browns bears, as well as over a third of its plant species – and rural life reflects this, with forestry, hay-making and livestock-rearing the major livelihood strategies. The landscape is almost unknown in Europe: meadows of wild flowers, soaring limestone cliffs, freshwater lakes and vast cave networks! More impressive still is the scale, with gently undulating hills as far as the horizon, punctuated occasionally by the odd hay wain or traditional wooden farmhouse.

These eight-day tours of Romania introduce you to the culture and nature of this awesome region. Starting from the pleasant town of Oradea, capital of Bihor Country, you’ll head up into the highland Country of the Moti, the ancient inhabitants of the Apuseni. Here you’ll explore the scattered villages and hamlets, watching and taking part in craft demonstrations and learning about local customs, including the use of giant wooden horns to communicate from one mountain to the next! You’ll also visit some of the region’s spectacular caves, such as the Scarisoara Ice Cave (containing the largest cave glacier in Europe) and the Coiba cave system, as well as the Tauz karstic spring. For floraphiles, meanwhile, there are meadow upon meadow of wild flowers, the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. On the subject of food, expect to eat lots, and well! From a simple shepherd’s dinner to a traditional banquet, you’ll be spoiled by the friendly guesthouse owners you meet during your trip.

This tour is for people with a genuine interest in understanding and experiencing the culture and natural beauty of this remote corner of Europe. If you’re not open-minded and curious by nature you probably won’t get so much from this; there’s loads to see and do but only if you’re willing to immerse yourself in the local culture and to get out and about in the countryside. This means not being afraid to get your hands dirty at the wood-carving workshop or to try some of the local delicacies. Ultimately, this kind of involvement can be really rewarding for everyone. These unique tours of Romania are kept intentionally small – between four and twelve people – so there’s no danger of things feeling voyeuristic. To the contrary, former guests have commented on the levels of intimacy and bonhomie between villagers and themselves, and on the reciprocal exchange of knowledge. We also hear only good things of the food and accommodation, not to mention the guides, who are always on hand to dispense local info and to accommodate any specialist interests that people might have.