Tour of Rural Romania

The Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania are home to a rural way-of-life unchanged in centuries and offer truly off the beaten track holidays. This fascinating seven-day tour takes you through the Country of the Moti (the Apuseni Highlands), with caves, mountain hamlets and an 800 year-old church among the many highlights.

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.

This fascinating seven-day tour takes you from Oradea, capital of Bihor Country, up to the highland Country of the Moti, the ancient inhabitants of the mountains. One day you’ll travel by traditional horse-cart to a remote hamlet with traditional wooden architecture for a lesson in local woodworking, the next you’ll have a chance to try your hand at pottery under the expert gaze of the village potter. The tour also includes a trip to Chiscau village, famous for its hearty pies and the nearby Bear Cave, an orgy of stalactites and stalagmites so-called due to its impressive range of Cave Bear fossils. Other highlights include a local dance show, a visit to a horn and violin workshop and having a weave on a traditional loom! You’ll stop each day in one of the cosy guesthouses, where you’ll be treated to some terrific cooking and a few cups of the local teas and tipples, best served on the terrace as the sun sets over the meadow.

This tour is for people with a genuine interest in understanding and experiencing the culture and traditions 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. This means not being afraid to get your hands dirty at the potter’s wheel or to try some of the local delicacies. Ultimately, this kind of involvement can be really rewarding for everyone. The tours are small – between four and eight 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 have made this kind of two-way cultural education their raison d'être.