8 Day tour from Sibiu to Sibiu
Introduction
Prince Charles: “Transylvania is in my blood. I have family connections here and that's why I am very interested in this region - that's what Prince Charles of Wales said during one of his visits to Romania. The truth is Prince Charles believes that Romania's villages are among the country's most valuable assets. He likes the simplicity and the naturalness of life in these villages, where people live off the land, growing food, knitting clothes and weaving carpets. He also eats with great pleasure Romanian traditional food.
The magnificent mountain country of the Carpathians is now justly famous worldwide, and alone would justify a trip to Romania; however, such a visit is immensely enhanced by exposure to the wide range of historic monuments and art works, stretching from sophisticated Bronze Age pottery up to the works of Brancusi.
Ancient Dacia was the last province to be added to the Western Roman Empire but a high material culture had already been achieved long before the legions moved in. Romania was a ‘late developer’ in the middle ages, and strong feudal principalities did not emerge till the 14th century, when the Turks were already penetrating the Balkans.
The legendary Transylvania region presents a different picture, having since the early Middle Ages been largely under the suzerainty of Austro-Hungarian Empire, and thus essentially part of a Central European cultural world. Hence the gothic churches of Brasov and Sibiu, the Teutonic appearance of Bran Castle, the Bavarian look of Peles Castle, all of them evidence of the prosperity of the German dominated merchant guilds. An unusual feature of this area is the peasant fortresses erected by the Lutheran villagers around their local churches, as bastions against Turkish aggression. Austrian Baroque makes its appearance under the Habsburgs, e.g. in Sibiu (Hermannstadt, former 2007 European Cultural Capital).
Finally, one is struck by the quality of Romanian popular art, whose vitality is still very much alive today. Lively pottery designs, bright textiles, carved woodwork are all part of a long-established tradition and a unique product of peasant creativity is the delightful naive art of icon-painting on glass. The appreciation of all these things is much heightened by experiencing the equally vital traditions of friendliness and hospitality of Romanian country people.
Period of validity: 18th of April – 31st of October 2018/2019 for groups of 20-35 guests
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