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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

A Cultural Immersion in Romania

Location: Romania: Apuseni Mountains.
Date: From 3rd to 9th July 2010. Can also be arranged on request.
Duration: Seven nights and six days.
Group size: From four to ten people.
Price: Contact us for details.

Description: This trip introduce you to the unique nature of Apuseni Mountains and give you the opportunity to meet people and communities where old customs, traditions and crafts are still alive, despite the challenges of modern times. All designed as a learning experience in partnership with Apuseni Experience. The trails will take you through glades and forests, up to the mountains ridges or down to the caves and you will discover and learn about the nature wonders of karst world.You will meet people who still shape the clay with their restless hands like their ancestors did or play their traditional instruments or just work their land and live their lives like they did since ever. Listen to their unforgettable stories so full of meanings. Apusenig Mountains is located near the Hungarian border and the trip is a combination of trekking by foot and transfer by car or horse cart.

Do you have questions or want to book this trip here? Contact us here.

Day 1: Oradea: multiculturality and Art Nouveau.
Welcome to Romania and Apuseni! At arrival enjoy a tasty meal in a good restaurant followed by a flavored coffee or tea in a nice café or pub. You will visit and discover the identity of a multicultural city; marvelous Art Nouveau architecture and the fortress to learn about its glorious times. Departure to Suncuius. Enjoy dinner and accommodation at a guesthouse.

Day 2: Suncuius, Vadu, Crisului and Rosie Valley are: caves and white pottery craft.
Breakfast at the guesthouse before travel in an area ruled by mass tourism. Learn about the successes and failures of conservationist NGOs to minimize the negative impact of it. Visit a pottery workshop, discover the white pottery of Bihor county and have a craft demonstration of this almost disappeared craft. Afterwards take a trip to Unguru Mare Cave, a showcave that has been arranged for tourism within the framework of an EU funded project. Transfer to Rosia area for overnight.

Rosia Valley area: rural customs and traditions
The villages of Remetea and Rosia were included in a project by the Centre for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development Bihor where aim was to implement responsible and sustainable tourist development. In Remetea you will have a shot of palinka (traditional plum brandy) before a delicious meal based on a local receipt (Romanian and/or Hungarian). In Rosia village you will visit a century old water mill and a workshop where Mr. Codoban will tell us the story of the horn violin, special for Bihor area,. He manufactures and plays this instrument.

At the end of the day head to Runcuri Karst Plateau, home of a responsible private initiative where you will be accommodated in an old style mountain house. You will learn about the social and environmental responsibility this initiative displays. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Chiscau, Leheceni and Fanate
Chiscau: Bears Cave and ethnography
Enjoy breakfast and transfer to Chiscau. The village is well known for the Bears Cave and for the Ethnographical Museum established by Flutur family. Visit the museum, an impressive collection of old traditional objects telling the fascinating story of the communities living in the region for ages. Mr. Flutur, the host of the museum is a living history, a grey haired country man with his shiny face and wisdom in his eyes, always welcoming people who enter the largely open gate and visit the ethnographical museum he has set up.

Visit the Bears cave. The cave was visited by these large animals more than 15.000 years ago. Hear the story about the 140 bears that was tramped inside here and started to kill one another of hunger until all were dead.

Leheceni: the craft of red pottery
Leave Chiscau and head to a Leheceni which once was an important pottery centre in the area. Here you will visit a young man who is continuing the tradition of red pottery which the village once was very famous for.

Fanate: the story behind the old wooden church and its paintings
Visit the old wooden church and meet a young priest who will tell you the story about the beautiful church. Of course you will not miss the traditional cheese-pies (based on a famous local recipe) and a cup of fresh milk or a glass of local wine. Head on to Garda Seaca Valley and your guesthouse where you will end you day with a welcome rest and a good dinner.

Day 4: Garda and Casa de Piatra
After breakfast travel along Garda Seaca Valley and on the way will stop at Cotetul Dobrestilor Spring and at Tauz Sping. It seems to be a perfect clear green lake surrounded by white vertical stone walls but it is a spring from a river that has got lost through a waterfall in Coiba Mare Cave and bursts out here, 3 km downwards.

Check-in at a guesthouse run by a local family of Motzi, have a quick meal and start to discover the area.

Visit the Coiba Mare Cave with the impressive entrance of 74 m wide and 47 m high. Coiba Mica Cave can be visited inside only by specialists properly equiped and when the weather is drought. Vartop Ice Cave is actually not that famous for ice. Only one hall covered with ice, the rest is just snow. It is famous for its limestone jewelleries and for the 25000 years old footprints in the limestone ground left by Homo Fossils. On the way back visit the old wooden church which is probably the smallest wooden church you have ever seen. At the guesthouse relax, see cows being milked manually and later on enjoy a calm dinner on the guesthouse terrace.

Day 5: In the heart of Apuseni Mountains
Breakfast terrace and get ready for a new journey through typical Apuseni landscapes. Packed lunch for the day. Visit Calineasa Glade at about 1300 meters which is used by local mountain people as an impermanent summer settlement, mainly for forestry and raising animals. Learn about the way of living of these rough and strong mountain people in this harsh environment.

At Ghetar your hosts, Dinu and Iuliana, a young family of Motzi, will be welcoming you and invite for meal. Learn about the lifestyle these mountain people have. They are always welcoming, open hearted and deeply fond of people and mountains.

Day 6: Ghetar Karst Plateau: nature wonders, old crafts and customs
Breakfast with your host before a hike in the area to discover in the area. Later you will get an introduction to centuries-old traditional hay meadow management in Apuseni Mountains, including an easy 1-2 hour meadow walk. This is a WWF Arnica Montana Project which involves education and support of local community in sustainable Arnica Montana harvesting practices. At the Arnica Centre you will watch a presentation about this conservation project and visit the flowers drier.

Next stop will be the impressive Scarisoara Ice Cave containing the second largest cave glacier in Europe before visit the Ghetar Tourist Information Centre where you will hear the sound of tulnic (the local version of the alpenhorn) performed by our friend, Pasca Ilisie. At his age of 72 he has over 60 years of experience in traditional wood carving for Motzi which he will prove through a demonstration.
Enjoy your last dinner in Apuseni Mountains.

Day 7: A traditional travel back to the modern world.
After breakfast descend along Ordancusa Valley to Garda on a horse-pulled cart specific for Romanian rural and countryside areas. The valley first passes through an anonymous area to the steep and very high natural walls (200 m) which are so narrow in some sectors making it difficult to find its way between them.

From Garda travel further to Oradea. The journey ends in Oradea but the experience and memories remain.