Ioana and I finally have an itinerary for our sketch trip to Romania!
Romania is a beautiful Eastern European nation with gorgeous castles, cities, towns, and landscapes.
Whether you are a seasoned professional or just getting into sketching as a hobby, there is nothing like experiencing a place through observation and drawing.
Write ioana.travels2@gmail.com for additional materials and to arrange the deposit.
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Sketch by Christina Wald |
THE DATES
June 3-17th 2022
THE ITINERARY
Friday Day 1 2022
June 3
Arrive at OTP Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport – transfer to
hotel: see appendix 1
Accommodation Hotel Capitol
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Sketch by Christina Wald |
Saturday Day 2 2022 June
4
Breakfast & accommodation at Hotel Capitol
Bucharest =
București
Group Dinner
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Peleș Castle TiberiuSahlean |
Sunday Day 3 2022 June 5
Breakfast at Hotel Capitol
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Peleș Castle ~ 2 ½ h
Peleș Castle youtube 37 min
before Peleș visit - Group
Lunch Complex Turistic Furnica
https://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses-romania-peles-castle-sinaia.html
Brașov
https://romaniatourism.com/brasov.html
The location of the city at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and western Europe, together with certain tax exemptions, allowed Saxon merchants to obtain considerable wealth and exert a strong political influence in the region. This was reflected in the city's German name, Kronstadt, as well as in its Latin name, Corona, meaning Crown City (hence, the coat of arms of the city which is a crown with oak roots). Fortifications were erected around the city and continually expanded, with several towers maintained by different craft guilds, according to medieval custom.
Accommodation Casa Wagner Brașov
Build 1477 (Last renovation: 2012) Casa Wagner, the
third oldest building in Brasov's Council Square, was initially named Casa
Wallbum, after the name of its first owner, a Saxon pharmacist. Built of stone,
brick and oak beams this solid construction later housed the 'Industrie Bank', and more recently it served as an office building.
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Sketch by Christina Wald |
Monday Day 4 2022
June 6
Breakfast & accommodation Casa Wagner
Brașov
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Râșnov Fortress ~ ½ h
https://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses-romania-rasnov-fortress.html
Râşnov Fortress (Rosenau in German), is located on a rocky hilltop in the Carpathian Mountains, 650 ft. above the town of Râşnov. First mentioned in an official document in 1331, the fortress was built by Teutonic Knights as protection against invading Tartars and was later enlarged by the local Saxon population. Strategically located on the commercial route linking the provinces of Transylvania and Walachia, Râşnov differs from other Saxon fortresses in that it was designed as a place of refuge over extended periods of time. As such, it had at least 30 houses, a school, a chapel, and other buildings more commonly associated with a village.
Tuesday Day 5 2022 June
7
Breakfast & accommodation Casa Wagner
Brașov
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Bran Castle ~ ¾ h
http://www.bran-castle.com/dracula.html
Build between 1377 and 1388 atop a strategic site overlooking a heavily trafficked mountain pass between Transylvania and Wallachia by the Transylvanian Saxons of Brașov = Kronstadt. The castle is owned by the descendants of Queen Marie, to whom it was given in 1920 as a token of appreciation for her efforts to unify Romania. After her death, Bran Castle was inherited by her daughter, Princess Ileana, who ran it as a hospital during World War II. In 1948 the castle was seized by the Communist regime, then returned to Dominic von Hapsburg, Princess Ileana’s son, in 2006.
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Sketch by Christina Wald |
Wednesday Day 6 2022 June 8
Breakfast Casa Wagner Brașov
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Sighișoara via Fagaraș ~ 1 ½ h + 2 h
before fortress visit group lunch
Fagaraș
Fortress
https://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses-romania-fagaras-fortress.html#land
In 1948, Fagaraș Fortress was taken over by the communists and functioned as a political prison until the early 1960's when it was turned into a museum.
Throughout the years, Fagaraș Fortress functioned mainly as a residence for various princes and their families. Transylvanian Prince Gabriel Bethlen (1613-1629), strongly influenced by the Italian Renaissance, brought architects and glassmakers from Italy who rebuilt the fortress, bestowing elegance and beauty to the construction.
During the rule of Georg Rákóczi (1630-1649), the castle's fortifications were doubled and the moat was enlarged. Ráckózi had the bastions bridged and covered, the moat paved with stone, the drawbridge, and the casemates repaired.
Records show that, in the 17th century, the interior must have been quite luxurious; unfortunately, little of the former grandeur has been preserved. The castle was deprived of its original decorations and furniture when it was turned into a military garrison, in the 18th century.
Today, the beautifully preserved fortress houses the Fagaraș County Museum. Roman artifacts, a collection of medieval weapons and traditional folk crafts as well as a beautiful collection of icons, painted on glass are on display.
Sighișoara
https://romaniatourism.com/sighisoara.html
Accommodation Hotel Sighișoara
Construction of present-day Hotel Sighișoara started in 1520, which was first a private residence. It survived the great fire of 1676
when the citadel almost burned down. The building carried through centuries
one of its oldest treasures is the hunting fresco in black ink which is still
alive from the Renaissance onwards. The building was home of nobility and one
of the most famous owners was the Saxon Bishop George Paul Binder (1784-1867).
Born in Sighișoara, educated in Latin and Greek at the citadel’s evangelic high
school, continuing his studies in Cluj and Tubingen where he studied theology,
philosophy, and philology. In 1806 he came back to Sighișoara where he worked as
a teacher at the School on the Hill, becoming a rector in 1821. Starting in 1840 he
was a priest in Saschiz and bishop in Biertan till the end of his days.
From the end of the 19th century till the
middle of the 20th century the building continues to be a symbol of
Sighișoara being the city hall.
Thursday Day 7 2022 June 9
Breakfast & accommodation Hotel Sighișoara
enjoy Sighișoara
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Sketch by Christina Wald |
Friday Day 8 2022 June
10
Breakfast Hotel Sighișoara
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Corvin Castle 3+ h & Alba Iulia ~ 1 ½ h
before castle visit group lunch
Corvin Castle youtube ~ 1 min
https://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses-romania-corvin-castle-hunedoara.html
One of the most
spectacular Gothic-style castles in Romania, Corvin was built by the Anjou
family on the site of a former Roman camp. The castle served as a fortress
until the mid-14th century when it became the residence of Transylvania's
voivode, Iancu de Hunedoara (Ioannes Corvinus in Latin, Hunyadi in Hungarian).
Iancu upgraded the fortress transforming it into a stunning Transylvania
castle.
The beautifully preserved
structure features a sumptuous Knights' Hall, the Council Room, a chapel, an
impressive drawbridge, high buttresses, inner courtyards, and over 50 rooms
resplendent with medieval art and furniture. During the 14th and 15th
centuries, Hunedoara was the main iron extraction and processing centers in
Transylvania. Swords and spears manufactured here during this period were
renowned across Europe.
Although a museum, Corvin Castle
occasionally hosts private functions and special celebrations.
Bus to Alba
Iulia ~ 1 ½ h
Accommodation Hotel Medieval Alba Iulia
Hotel Medieval is housed in a 300-year-old
building located in the middle of the citadel at Alba Iulia. The classic image,
elegant furnishings, and vintage outfits of the staff bring to mind the great
noble courts of Europe. Its 28 rooms are furnished with epoch furniture. Here
the staff wears suits of the era and at the post of majordomo, you will find a
soldier dressed in an Austrian military outfit that will give honor upon arrival
and departure. Medieval Hotel has a terrace where you can eat, admiring Alba
Iulia from above.
Saturday Day 9 2022 June
11
Breakfast & accommodation Hotel Medieval Alba Iulia
enjoy Alba-Iulia
https://romaniatourism.com/alba-iulia.html
https://thesanetravel.com/travels/romania/alba-iulia-citadel-romania
One of the oldest
settlements in Romania, known in ancient times as Apulum, Alba Iulia served as
the largest military and economic center during the Roman occupation. Temples,
mosaics, thermae and statues, amphitheaters, the governor's palace
"Daciarum Trium" – all rendered the original Dacian Apulul as the
miniature copy of the mother Rome.
An Episcopal citadel and an important political, military and cultural center, Alba Iulia reached its peak between 1542-1690, serving as the capital of the independent Principality of Transylvania and the residence of the Transylvanian princes. In 1599, Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) achieved here for a brief period of time the union of the three main provinces of Romania: Walachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia. The town later became an important printing center. Nowadays the local universities continue the tradition of the old academic schools.
The peasant revolt led by Horea, Closca, and Crisan, executed on February 28, 1785 on Pitchfork Hill (Dealul Furcii) turned the city into a symbol of the fight for justice and freedom.
It was here that on December
1st, 1918 the province of Transylvania announced its unification with Romania.
In 1922 Prince Ferdinand was crowned King of Romania in an act which mirrored
the union achieved more than four centuries earlier by Mihai Viteazul.
Alba means white and comes
from the time when the Slavs called the settlement Belgrade ("White Castle"). Iulia comes
from the name of Romanian Prince Gelu (Iulius in Latin) who ruled over the land around Alba Iulia during the 10th century. The Habsburgs tried to impose the
name Alba Carolina (Karlsburg) in honor of the emperor
Charles VI. In 1918 the town became once again Alba Iulia.
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Sketch by Christina Wald |
Sunday Day 10 2022
June 12
Breakfast Hotel Medieval
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Sibiu ~ 1 ½ h
Accommodation Hotel Am Ring Sibiu
Am Ring Hotel
is situated in The Large Square (Piața
Mare) of Sibiu where the heritage has been very well preserved spreading
the atmosphere of the merchants from the 19th century. This atmosphere is
discovered even in the rooms where you can find some original restored
furniture pieces dating from 1800s. Amber
Caffe comes up with a wide range of cocktails, coffees, alcoholic
/ non-alcoholic beverages and dishes to satisfy even the most exigent of our
guests. With an outdoor terrace in the Large Square, this place turns out to be
an ideal place for people to enjoy some quality time in the city center. Gothic Restaurant - the wine
cellar invites its customers to spend some moments full of charm enjoying
delicious culinary specialties.
Monday Day 11 2022
June 13
Breakfast & accommodation Hotel Am Ring Sibiu
enjoy Sibiu
https://romaniatourism.com/sibiu.html
https://adventurousmiriam.com/sibiu-romania/
Sibiu = Hermannstadt was the largest and wealthiest of the seven
walled citadels (Siebenburgen) built starting
in the 12th century by German settlers known as 'Transylvanian Saxons'.
The riches amassed by its guilds paid for the construction of both impressive
buildings and the fortifications required to protect them.
Sibiu's Old Town retains the
grandeur of its earlier days when rich and powerful guilds dominated regional
trade. Like Sighisoara and Brasov, it has a distinctly Germanic feeling.
Sections of the medieval wall still guard the historic area, where narrow
streets pass steep-roofed 17th century buildings with gable overhangs before
opening into vast, church-dominated squares such as Great Square and Little
Square.
Sibiu is a pedestrian-friendly city with two easily accessible
levels: the Upper town, home to most of Sibiu's
historic sights, and the Lower town,
lined with colorful houses on cobblestone streets and bounded by imposing city
walls and defense towers overlooking the river Cibin.
In
1797, Samuel von Hahnemann opened in Sibiu the world's first homeopathic
laboratory
Sibiu is home to the first hospital in Romania (1292), the first pharmacy
(1494) and the oldest museum in Romania, the Brukenthal Museum, opened in 1817
The first book in the Romanian language was printed in Sibiu in 1544
Traditionally, the Upper-Town
was wealthier and concentrated businessmen and tradesmen; the Lower-Town served
as the manufacturing area. Within the limits of Sibiu Old Town are Sibiu's
major attractions including the Great Square, Huet Square, the beautiful
Passage of Steps (which connects the upper town to the lower town), Goldsmiths'
Square, the Smaller Square as well as the Bridge of Lies.
Tuesday Day 12 2022
June 14
Breakfast Hotel Am Ring Sibiu
9:30 am leaving
by bus to Bucharest via Curtea de Argeș ~ 3 h + 3 h
Following centuries were harsh to the monastery,
fires, earthquakes, attacks, and pillaging almost destroyed the church. Luckily
it was restored several times: in 1681 by Prince Serban Cantacuzino, in 1804 by
Joseph the first bishop, while the most major changes were done between 1875
and 1885 when it was reconstructed. Carol the 1st hired French
architect Emile Andre Lecomte de Nouy, and according to the restoration
criteria of the time, the church was almost completely rebuilt and repainted.
Sadly, this controversial renovation destroyed the original impressive
frescoes. You can admire some of the remaining fragments at the National Museum
of Art in Bucharest. Following the restoration, the church became the
necropolis of the royal family of Romania.
Accommodation Hotel Europa Royale Bucharest
Located on Franceză Street, the oldest street in Bucharest,
facing the Old Princely Court and Church built by the infamous Vlad the Impaler
in the 15th century, Europa Royale Bucharest sits in the midst of history. Also
facing it is Hanu' lui Manuc (Manuc's Inn), the oldest operating hotel in
Bucharest, a must-see for its pretty balconied courtyard, and the bustling
Unirii (Union) Square. Instant access to the vibrant Old Town and its many
attractions is a big plus. You’re steps away from the cobbles of Lipscani
Street, the resplendent Stavropoleos Church, and to Cărturești Carusel
bookstore.
Wednesday Day 13 2022 June 15
Breakfast & accommodation Hotel Europa Royale Bucharest
group
dinner
enjoy București
Thursday Day 14 2022
June 16
Breakfast & accommodation Hotel Europa Royale Bucharest
OPTIONAL
– Therme Bucharest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQpfmv1w3dE&ab_channel=ThermeBucuresti ~ 1
min
Accommodation Hotel Europa Royale Bucharest
enjoy București
Friday Day 15 2022
June 17
Breakfast Hotel Europa Royale Bucharest
Bucharest Henri
Coandă International Airport
Each day will have a proposed set of sketch locations and we will also have some optional tours.
THE PRICE
Price: 3300 USD for double occupancy / 3800 USD for single occupancy
Includes:
taxi fare from and to the airport
hotel accommodation 14 nights at great hotels in the heart of
București, Brașov, Sighișoara, Alba Iulia and Sibiu
breakfast at the hotel
3 group lunches
2 group dinners
entrance fees, photo & video fee, guides at several castles, fortresses including:
Peles Castle, Rasnov Fortress, Bran Castle, Fagaras Fortress, Corvin Castle
Transportation with rented bus 10 days: day 3 to day 12
PAYMENTS
Deposit is $1200 by November 30
2nd payment is due January 31
Balance is due March 31
CONTACT
Write ioana.travels2@gmail.com for additional materials and to arrange the deposit.
Ioana and Christina at Fagaraș Fortress |
YOUR HOSTS
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