Railtrail A4 STEAM Brochure 2018

Romania, Dracula, Narrow- Gauge Steam Spectacular!

N E W T O U R

We have been asked many times for a tour to Romania and we hate to disappoint. This compact adventure to one of Europe’s most untouched nations combines the major cities and sights with no less than six narrow-gauge steam excursions, plus Sibiu’s Steam Locomotive Museum and a sprinkle of Count Dracula.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 1 Meet your Tour Manager at London Heathrow for our late morning flight with British Airways to Bucharest, from where we transfer to the 4* Mercure Unirii Hotel, Bucharest. (D) DAY 2 We begin our visit to Romania with a city tour of Bucharest in the morning, with an inside visit to the Parliament Palace, the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. Afterwards, we transfer to Brasov in Transylvania by train, checking into the 4* Ramada Hotel.(B,D) DAY 3 A city tour of Brasov. Afterwards we travel to Bran, where you visit the famous Dracula Castle. Your journey continues north towards Sighisoara by train, the only inhabited medieval citadel of Romania and a UNESCO World Heritage site. During a walking tour in the picturesque little town you’ll see the the famous Clock Tower, the Church on the Hill or the Birth House of Dracula. Our hotel tonight is the 3* Hotel Sighisoara. (B,D) DAY 4 After breakfast we drive to Sovata to experience a the narrow-gauge railway, known as “Mocanita” on a railway line built at the beginning of the 20th century and with a steam locomotive manufactured in 1949, covering 14 km of track. After enjoying a two hours roundtrip we drive to Piatra Neamt, a small town of Moldavia, one of the historical regions of Romania. After a short panoramic tour of the ★ ★ Steam excursion on the Moldovita including a traditional lunch with the locals ★ ★ ‘Vaser’ Steam Train excursion in Viseul de Sus ★ ★ Steam excursion on the Brad–Criscior route ★ ★ Steam excursion on the Abrud- Campeni route ★ ★ Final short steam excursion on the Cornatelu-Hosman route ★ ★ Traditional dinner at the locals in Sibiel including wine and brandy ★ ★ Bucharest City Tour including Parliament Palace ★ ★ Brasov City Tour including the Black Church ★ ★ Included visit Bran Castle ★ ★ Sighisoara walking tour including the Birth House of Dracula ★ ★ Entrance to Voronet Monastery ★ ★ Visit to the Turda Salt Mine ★ ★ Entrance to the Steam Locomotive Museum at Sibiu ★ ★ English speaking guide throughout the entire staying in Romania ★ ★ Transportation by rail and modern coach throughout ★ ★ Flights in BA Euro Traveller Class from Heathrow to Bucharest & return ★ ★ Half board throughout ★ ★ Included journey on the Sovata Steam Railway

Fares From £1795

Vaser Valley Forestry Railway

11 DAYS

city, we check into the 4* Hotel Central Plaza with dinner. (B,D) DAY 5 We drive towards Bucovina, the region famous due to its wonderful monasteries. We visit first the Voronet Monastery, also known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East” due to its magnificent fresco. Continuing our journey to Moldovita, we enjoy a traditional lunch with the locals. Afterwards, we continue by the “Mocanita” train Moldovita. The 760 mm narrow- gauge railway was built by a frame saw owner from Munich and put into operation in 1888 for the transportation of wood alongside the Moldovita river. After our 3 hours heritage train journey, your next visit will be at the Moldovita Monastery, continuing by road to Viseul de Sus for two nights at the 3* Hotel Gabriela. (B,L,D) DAY 6 After breakfast experience an adventurous ride by narrow-gauge steam train in the Vaser Valley. (”Vaser” originates from the local German word for water from the time when the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). It is said that CFF Viseu (“CFF” being the Romanian abbreviation for Forestry railways) is the last remaining forestry railway in Europe. The 760 mm gauge line leads through curves, bridges and tunnels, along the river in a forest wilderness. Our 40 km round trip enjoys a wild and scenic forest landscape, without villages or streets, but where bears and wolves are native. (B,D) DAY 7 Today’s tour of Transylvania begins with Cluj-Napoca, the biggest city of the region. Afterwards we drive to the nearby town of Turda, where you will visit the Turda Salt Mine. Now defunct, the site has been transformed into an amazing underground theme park with a ferris wheel, mini golf course and boating lake. We end the day in Alba Iulia with a walking tour through the beautiful Vauban Citadel. (B,D) DAY 8 In the nearby Apuseni Mountains there are two steam railways. The first route from Brad to Criscior was built in 1907 for the purpose of transporting coal, operating until 1998 and since 2001 as a tourist heritage railway. Today’s second steam excursion is on the Abrud-

DEPARTS Wednesday 18 July 2018

FARE From London Heathrow Airport Bucharest & return £1995 Join at & Leave from Bucharest hotel £1795 (Land Only) ** Single Traveller Supplement £250 10 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal, plus 1 lunch All excursions and admissions as detailed Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager ** Please note that this tour will operate subject to a minimum number of passengers being reached. Please do not book your own flights until the tour has been guaranteed as Railtrail cannot be held responsible for extra expense incurred in the unlikely event that the tour does not operate. Campeni route dating from 1912. After today’s steam adventure we transfer to Sibiu for two nights at the 4* Continental Forum. (B,D) DAY 9 Enjoy a walking tour through the Old Town of Sibiu before visiting the Steam Locomotive Museum, where you can see more than 20 steam locomotives from across Europe. In the evening we drive to Sibiel to enjoy a traditional dinner with the locals, including wine and brandy. (B,D) DAY 10 Before leaving Transylvania we enjoy one last steam excursion, this time on the Cornatelu- Hosman route along the Hartibaciu Valley near Sibiu. The locals have put a lot of effort in recent years to reopen this track and they succesfully inaugurated the first part of it in 2016. The rest of the route will hopefully follow and is being funded by tourist excursions such as ours. We then return to Bucharest and a final night at the Mercure Unirii, with dinner at a local restaurant in the Old Town. (B,D) DAY 11 We depart Bucharest, flying back to Heathrow. (B)

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