Horse Riding Holidays

Introduction

 

Many of our clients book horse riding holidays in Europe and there are numerous countries within which great horse riding holidays can be taken.

Going beyond Europe, horse riding holidays are particularly popular in the USA, Kenya and various countries in South America.

On the following page, you can see a sample itinerary for a horse riding holiday in Transylvania. You may also be interested in the sample itineraries for Horse Riding in Kenya or Horse Riding in the USA. However, these are purely illustrations and most Medway Travel clients have bespoke requirements, which is what we specialise in. So just contact us without obligation and allow us to help you choose the type of horse riding holiday that is perfect for you. 

Transylvania's beautiful mountain scenery offers fabulous riding in a region where horses still outnumber vehicles. Step back in time to witness a land rich in history, culture and wildlife. Workhorses are used daily on the many small farm holdings, ploughing the fields, pulling carts full of hay and dragging the logs from the surrounding forests. Wolves, bears, lynx, boar and deer as well as a multitude of birdlife inhabit the region. Old Roman roads and medieval trails, ruined fortresses and relics of the Habsburg era, and the areas folklore and traditional music can all be experienced during your stay.

Overview

Transylvania is home to some of Europe's best-preserved medieval towns, most notably Brasov, featuring Old Saxon architecture and citadel ruins; Sibiu with its cobblestone streets and pastel-coloured houses, and Sighisoara, adorned with a hilltop citadel, secret passageways and a 14th century clock tower. Tiny shops offer antiques and fine hand-made products by local artisans and artists.

Visitors to Transylvania will also encounter stunning castles such as Bran, near Brasov, - a Gothic fairy-tale structure, often associated with 15th century Walachian Prince Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. While the connection with Vlad is tenuous, the deep bond of local villagers with the legend is not.

In close proximity to Brasov and Bran are the fortified churches at Harman, with its massive 13th Saxon towers, and Prejmer, the largest fortified church in South Eastern Europe. The 15th-century Corvinesti Castle, the most beautiful in Transylvania, located nearby Hunedoara, has a sumptuous Knights Hall, as well as towers and buttresses reminiscent of the medieval times.

Transylvania's multi-ethnic heritage is delightfully apparent in the folk costumes, architecture, cuisine, music and festivals.

The Apuseni Mountain range, in the western Carpathians, is a landscape of exquisite beauty and mystery. Here, you'll find ancient legends of mountain spirits and rare species of wildlife, along with 4,000 caves, many of which can be explored.  Scarisoara Glacier, a national monument, shelters the second largest underground glacier on the continent.

Traditional Food

Transylvania's cuisine displays a variety of flavours with dishes spiced with thyme, red pepper or tarragon.  Meats, such as pork, mutton, veal, are among the most popular ingredient in Transylvania's cuisine. The soups, to which sour cream and egg yolk are often added, also include flour dumplings or homemade pasta.

Romania is one the world's leading producers of cabbage (varza).  Make sure you don't leave the region without trying the delicious "Varza a la Cluj" - the Romanian version of lasagna - prepared from several layers of finely shredded cabbage (fresh or sour) and minced pork or veal mixed with rice and bacon and baked in the oven. 

The trail ride takes you to the finest areas of Transylvania, through the quiet rural countryside alive with traditions of old. Well-schooled horses familiar to the terrain are used, including the rare Huzul mountain horse breed. The riding covers mostly open spaces, forests and mountains. The pace depends on the terrain though expect some enjoyable fast riding across plains and forest tracks. Riders need to be comfortable in the saddle over various terrain and able to control a horse in the open. Riders may be required to dismount and walk over rough ground.

Accommodation is in comfortable local guesthouses with a night in a hotel by Dracula's infamous castle. Food in this rural area is mostly organic and locally grown with numerous regional specialities. Romanian cuisine is also famed for its vegetarian dishes. All luggage is transported by vehicle.

A typical itinerary could look like this but remember we will tailor-make your trip to suit you.

Day 1. Depart London

Depart London for Bucharest. You are met on arrival and transferred to the train station for an overnight sleeper train to Lunca Ilvei.

Day 2. Lunca Ilvei

On arrival transfer to the stables to be greeted by your hosts followed by a welcome dinner.

Day 3. Hotel Castle Dracula

Accompany your guide to Bram Stoker's Borgo Pass. The route takes you over a succession of gentle peaks with the possibility of visiting a monastery and museum about Dracula. Overnight at Hotel Castle Dracula.

Day 4. Poiana Negri

Ride through the deep forests of the Dorna Valley, home to numerous carnivorous plants and bears. Spend the night in a guesthouse in the small village of Poiana.

Day 5. Ciocanesti

Ride over panoramic mountain ridges and through forests and farmland, then along an old Habsburg road and next to the old Austro-Hungary and Tsarist Russian border. Overnight in Ciocanesti.

Day 6. Nistors Lodge

Follow the Habsburg border trail, built to patrol the perimeter of Empress Maria Theresa's growing empire. This remote area hosts immense views with great riding. Spend the night in comfortable forest accommodation.

Day 7. Lunca Ilvei

Return to Lunca Ilvei with a picnic lunch by a Habsburg fortress. Admire beautiful views over the three glacial Rodna Peaks. Follow the 'Plaiul Moldovei', a medieval riding route between Transylvania and Moldavia, before descending from the mountains back to Lunca Ilvei.

Day 8. Sleeper train

Transfer to Bucharest on an overnight sleeper train.

Day 9. Homeward

You are met on arrival and transferred to the airport for your flight to London.

Essential Information

Weather 

Romania is a great year-round tourist destination. The best times to visit in terms of climate are the end of April to the beginning of July and from end of August to the end of October as temperatures are mild and pleasant. Summers can be hot especially in Southern Romania, including Bucharest, but along the Black Sea Coast, sea breezes offer moderate temperatures. Winters are coldest in the Carpathian Mountains where there is snow from December through to April. Snow also falls throughout most of the country. Winters are mildest on the coast.  

Passports and Visas

You do not need a visa to enter Romania. British citizens who enter Romania have the right to stay for a period of three months from the date of entry. You need a valid passport to enter Romania.

Health

For up-to-date health advice for Romania, please consult your GP.

Travel Insurance

We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions from the policy, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake whilst on holiday. Medway Travel can provide you with a quote for this – please contact a member of the Leisure team or use our Online Insurance Quotation System