Day 2:
You may not awake to the howling of wolves, but after breakfast a mysterious
and fascinating country awaits you. A guided city tour shows you the
highlights of Brasov, one of three major centers of Transylvania established
in Vlad's time. It was in Brasov that Vlad enjoyed his meals while hundreds
of villagers died on stakes at the base of Timpa Hill. Continue to Bran
Castle, “Dracula’s Castle”, which was originally a stronghold built by the
Knights of the Teutonic Order in 1212.
Today it is an important national
monument and landmark of Transylvania, due not only to the majestic beauty
of the castle and the uncanny landscape, but also to the legend of Count
Dracula. Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, used Bran Castle as headquarter for his
incursions into Transylvania. In 1920, the people of Brasov who owned the
castle offered it as a gift to Queen Maria of Romania, and it soon became
her favorite
residence. Bran is home to a rich collection of Romanian and foreign
furniture and art items from the 14th-19th Centuries.
After
lunch (not included),
travel on to Sighisoara, where, the famous Vlad the Impaler was born in the
15th century in one of the more stately houses. Check in to the hotel for
the night before heading out for an unforgettable Halloween Dinner at a
rustic and traditional restaurant. Get some sleep
in advance, because you'll be up late howling at the moon tonight. Bring
your favorite Halloween costume, so you
are not an easy target for those creatures roaming by night.
Day 3:
After lunch (not included),
begin the long drive back to Bucharest through picturesque winding mountain
passes.
In the evening a festive dinner with folklore show will be a great setting
for a last group-get-together to share the thoughts and emotions of the last
few days. Overnight in Bucharest.
Day 4:
After
breakfast there is still time for a short tour of the city of Bucharest and
a visit to
the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch’s Church and the
Palace of Parliament, the most famous building in Romania and known
universally as Casa Poporului - The House of the People. The imposing
“palace” was built during the darkest days of the Ceausescu’s regime and
comprises a total of 64,800 sq.m. Standing 84 m above ground level on 12
floors, the Parliament is the second biggest administrative building in the
world! From the standpoint of volume, the People's House is the
third in the world, after the building of Cape Canaveral where the
spaceships are assembled, and the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl in Mexico.
Transfer to the airport in
the afternoon, and say goodbye to the land of Dracula.
Bid all your new kindred spirits and friends a fond farewell. By the way, if
you were smitten and bitten by a local vampyric villager or fellow traveler,
you may opt to fly back to Germany on your own! (Please just let your tour
escort know!) Late afternoon arrival in Frankfurt .
