Riding Holidays in Transylvania-equestrian tourism in the land of Dracula
Additional Activities
Stefan cel Mare’s tours are not just for riders. Non-riders are also welcome and the centre will be happy to arrange activities such as hiking or walking, cycling, and bird watching.
The centre farms with horses as well and in the appropriate season, guests may try ploughing, harrowing, operating a horse-drawn mower, or cutting hay with a scythe (all under experienced supervision). It is also sometimes possible to see the on-site blacksmith at work.
More domestic activities are also available, such as demonstrations of regional varieties of cooking, baking bread in a wood-fired oven, milking cows by hand, and distilling (and drinking) homemade spirits.
Additional sightseeing in Transylvania and beyond may also be arranged. The equestrian centre’s Sightseeing Transfer includes visits to the Bucovina to see the UNESCO-protected painted monasteries, as well as sightseeing in Sighisoara and Bucharest.
In addition, the following trips can be arranged by Stefan cel Mare (in collaboration with other licensed travel agents).
• Transylvania Revealed—Experience more of Transylvania on an extended sightseeing trip by road, including the historic medieval Saxon towns of Brasov, Sibiu, and Sighisoara; 14th century Bran Castle; the spectacular Bicaz Gorge; and the unique painted monasteries of the Bucovina. Individual itineraries may be arranged.
• The Painted Monasteries—Experience the world-famous painted monasteries of the Bucovina, approximately 100 kilometres east of the equestrian centre. A visit to the 600-year old Lucina Hutzul stud or to the Radauti Arabian horse stud is also possible.
• Sauna and Therapeutic Massage—Visit a spa hotel in a spa town such as Sovata or Bazna or the medieval city of Sighisoara.
• City Breaks—Enjoy one of the historic Transylvanian centres, such as Cluj-Napoca—with fine Austro-Hungarian architecture and interesting museums containing Roman gold artefacts, Romanian and Hungarian folk art and textiles, and vernacular wooden architecture—or Sibiu—with atmospheric medieval German architecture and the famous Brukental museum.
• Stay with a Count in his castle—Sample the hospitality of Transylvanian Count Tibor Kalnoky at his aristocratic residence near Brasov (on the way to Bucuresti airport). Best enjoyed over two-to-three days after the riding trip. Activities include carriage driving, wildlife tracking, and visits to historic Saxon villages.
• The Danube Delta—Be amazed by the watery landscape of the Danube Delta, Europe’s largest wetland and a great centre for bird watching.
• Steam Trains—Visit the unique 50 kilometre-long, steam-worked, narrow-gauge logging railway at Viseu de Sus, which operates Mondays to Saturdays and carries passengers as well as timber.
• Ornithology—Discover the wide variety of native birds on a bird-watching trip that includes the world-famous Danube Delta.
• Large carnivores—See the habitat occupied by bears, wolves and lynx—with the possibility of seeing tracks and other signs of these elusive animals—in the company of an experienced nature guide.
• Vineyards—Taste local vintages at the number of vineyards open to visitors.
• Architecture—Be enthralled by a range of fascinating medieval architecture, including the painted monasteries, historic churches, and the Saxon towns and villages of Transylvania.
• Beach holidays—Combine a riding trip with a visit to one of Romania’s Black Sea resorts.
