The route that connects people, places and cultures
Via Transilvanica
Video: Tasuleasa Social
Some call the route Romania's El Camino. Some consider it a personal spiritual journey. Others see it as a physical challenge. The Via Transilvanica route calls for any explorer - hiker, cyclist, horse rider, or long-distance runner, experienced or beginner. Solo travelers, families with kids, or those forever in search of the toughest challenges - are all welcome on Via Tranilvanica.
The full route can take about 2-3 months, days off for resting and sightseeing included. Most of the legs can be covered in any season, with the appropriate equipment. Yet, to fully enjoy the beauty of nature (certain flower species for instance) you might want to be picky about the period. Don't hesitate to also use the route's official guide; all the given information has been tested by the core team.
Bucovina
The Bucovina leg on Via Transilvanica route is the most popular, for several reasons. The starting point of the route, Putna Monastery, is a landmark for Romanian spirituality, but also for religious pilgrimages. This leg takes you through a hotspot in local tourism, which attracts thousands of tourists annually, regardless of the period.
The development of the route began with this leg and so tourists and travelers started exploring it from its earliest stages. Bucovina is a delight for any traveler with its large villages, stretched over green hills, dense forests, and log fences through which you have to undo to pass through.
Attractions on the route:
Highland
The main attraction in this segment is probably the Tihuța pass, still shrouded in the mystery outlined in Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Although in case of rough weather, the landscape here is not very far from the one in the book, researchers are still debating whether the exact location in the novel is this pass between Transylvania and Moldova.
Attractions on the route:
- Tihuța pass
- The Roman Road
- The Călimani Mountains overseeing the route
- Colibita lake
- the Teleki Mansion from Posmuș
- Jelna winery
- Snake's head Reserve (Pădurea de Șes, in April)
- the Kemeny Castle, Brâncovenești
A mandatory stop on the route must be at the Tășuleasa Social headquarters, the place where the Via Transilvanica project started. Here you will a charming quiet place, excellent accommodation and food, and enchanting scenery.
Terra Siculorum
If you haven't traveled through the Szeklerland yet, the Terra Siculorum leg walks you through the must-see places here, so you don't miss anything the region has to offer: hilly nature, a culture rich in folklore elements, and delicious gastronomy.
You will learn what Hungarian hospitality means, and pass through lots of quaint Hungarian villages, with particular architectural features. Salt continues to be a very valuable resource in the land, not for commercial, but for tourism purposes.
Tourist attractions along the route:
- Sovata and Praid resorts
- Praid salt mine
- Corund pottery
- the statue "the Heart of Jesus"
- Kovats photo workshop, Odorheiul Secuiesc
- Mărtiniș House-Museum (a museum of the Hungarian village)
- "Popasul păsărilor" protected area, Sânpaul
- the fortified churches of Dârjiu and Archita
The route through Szeklerland is less about natural landscapes, although nature is not to be ignored here at all, and more about another culture, with a different language and other customs. The route is not physically difficult and is highly recommended to adventurous bikers, even to the less experienced ones.
Terra Saxonum
The Terra Saxonum leg needs little introduction, since its covers a region invariably present in any tourist guide. Set in an unmistakable natural setting, the land of the Transylvanian fortified churches is a mixture of cultures and ethnicities, with a rich, but also tumultuous history, full of legends and stories.
The Via Transilvanica route passes here through the counties of Mureș and Sibiu, crossing the tourist micro-region Valea Târnavelor. Unlike the previous legs, here you will enjoy a richer tourist infrastructure, which includes many opportunities for outdoor activities that you can combine. The locals are famous for opening their doors to just about anyone.
Tourist attractions along the route:
- Lots of fortified churches, many of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the most famous is the fortified church at Biertan
- Sighisoara Fortress
- Breite Reserve
- The fortress-cities of Mediaș and Sighișoara
- Apafi Mansion, Mălâncrav
- Bethlen Castle, Cris
If time is not an issue, Terra Saxonum is the ideal leg to alternate trekking with urban explorations in the cities along the route. Take your time to admire the Saxon villages part of the UNESCO Heritage, and rent a bike in various villages (if you travel on foot, of course). You could even try a spa treatment in Bazna or a longer stay on a local farm. Those who prefer camping will find various camping options along Terra Saxonum.
Terra Banatica
With Terra Banatica leg, Via Transilvanica passes through the enchanting mountainous Banat micro-region, a paradise of adventure tourism. One of the highlights of the segment is the plateau nearby Gărâna, where the acclaimed international jazz festival is being organized for over 20 years.
If you fully cover this leg, either on foot or by bike, you get the unique opportunity to cross approximately from north to south the entire Semenic - Caraș Gorges National Park. Along the way lie a couple of enchanting natural attractions: caves, gorges, and even the Izvoarele Nerei protected area, part of the UNESCO Heritage. So the natural landscape will surely blow you away.
Tourist attractions on the route:
- Semenic - Caraş Gorges National Park
- Semenic Mountains
- Lindenfeld abandoned village
- lakes Trei Ape, Breazova, and Gozna
- Steam Locomotive Museum in Resita
- the Croatian village of Carașova
Unlike the previous segments, Terra Banatica stands out through large, seemingly deserted areas, fully exposed under the heat of the sun. One of the main challenges on the route is the lack of springs or water resources; so you'll have to turn to the locals in the villages if necessary.
Although the route avoids some of the popular tourist attractions in the area - the Bigăr waterfall or the water mills - don't hesitate to take a short detour to admire them.
Terra Romana
The last leg of Via Transilvanica is unique due to the natural landscape influenced by the Mediterranean climate of the area, but also due to the challenges encountered. The horned viper is one of the main enemies for hikers, so watch out where you set foot! Accommodation options are limited here, but solutions can be found.
On your way, you pass through the legendary land of Cloșani, rich in stories about treasures (still) hidden in inaccessible caves, but also through the now-famous isolated settlements above the Cerna Valley, that you can only reach after climbing a wooden stairs.
Tourist attractions on the route:
- The isolated settlements Ineleț and Dobraia, in the Cerna Mountains
- Mehedinți Plateau Geopark
- Drobeta-Turnu Severin promenade in the touristic port
This last leg shortly crosses the Domogled - Cerna Valley National Park, just above the Băile Herculane resort, only to explore more in-depth the karst and arid relief of the Mehedinți Plateau. Although the tourism sector is almost inexistent here, takes this opportunity to admire the region's beauty while still untouched by mass tourism.
The route ends on the seafront of the tourist port of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the place where Prince Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen set foot incognito in the country on May 8, 1866. From here, he was taken to Bucharest, where, two days later, was proclaimed Prince of Romania. His coronation as King Carol 1st took place only in 1881, in Bucharest.