Today, we speak about adventure tourism in Brasov County. To learn more, we talked with the managers of two Brasov-based travel agencies that provide such services. Radu Vatcu, from one of the agencies, told us that it is mostly foreign tourists who fancy adventure travel. He also mentioned some of the travel packages provided by his agency:
“We offer one- to three-day programs throughout Romania and locally, around Brasov. A three-day weekend program can begin on Friday, with a two-night stay at a guesthouse, mountain shelter or in a tent. The routes we promote are generally off the beaten path. Some of them are marked, some aren’t, but we have routes for all tourists, regardless of their hiking experience. The price for the three-day package is 125 euros and includes lodging and half board. We also have lower cost options. A two-day package is priced at 70 euros, while a one-day trip costs 40 euros. Our guides speak English and French, and upon request, we can also provide a German-language guide. We have more customers coming in from abroad than from Romania. Visitors from Germany, Britain, Bulgaria and Russia are drawn by Romania’s wilderness.”
Marian Tirla is a licensed mountain guide and manager of Active Travel in Brasov. A mountaineering enthusiast, Marian also promotes photography field trips, biking tours, city tours and green tourism:
“Our most popular travel package, especially among foreign tourists, is the one offering hiking trips in the Piatra Craiului and Bucegi Mountains. Trips can last between 1 and 7 days. Accommodation is provided in mountain lodges. Hiking routes are pretty long. There is a well-known path in the Piatra Craiului Massif where hikers need to descend using chains to support themselves. The ridge is very rugged, posing a challenge for any tourist. The views are spectacular and you can even spot the chamois here.”
Marian told us that the mountain bike travel package is also very popular, taking tourists around the Piatra Craiului National Park and the less-traveled Doftana Valley. This route runs from around Brasov, across the Carpathians, into Wallachia, near the town of Campina. Here is some practical information:
Track VM: “Prices for the Piatra Craiului and Bucegi Mountains package start from 442 euros per person for a group of eight people. It includes six nights of accommodation and full board, the services of a licensed guide, as well as transportation from one point to another. Next week, we will begin a tour by mountain bike of the fortified churches of Transylvania. Prices start from 760 euros per person for groups of six people. This package includes six nights of accommodation with full board, a licensed guide, along with bicycles and bicycle helmets. Usually, these trips are not very cheap because they are more unusual and you need specialized guides.”
A cultural centre in Fundata organises for tourists glass painting and photo workshops, as well as traditional dance and cuisine courses. The guides usually speak English, French and German, but if necessary guides speaking Dutch and Spanish can be provided for the cultural tours.
“ Most of the requests come from England, Germany and Australia. These are tourists who like mountaineering. We also have a few French tourists. Many of these foreign tourists come with lots of preconceptions to Romania, but their image of Romania changes once they get here. Unfortunately, Romania is not very well promoted abroad, that's why tourists are surprised when they come here. They all say it's sensational, superb, unique. Food is great and cheap. Last week I went with two Americans to Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains and the fortified churches, and they were very impressed with what they saw.”
We learnt that usually tourists don't like running from one tourist site to another. Thy like going through the mountains for 6 or 7 hours, take pictures and see traditional mountain villages. One of the packages also includes a stop at sheepfold in Piatra Craiului, where tourists can see the shepherds at work and learn how cheese is made, for example. This authenticity is precisely what most tourists are interested in. In case you've become interested, you should go to your local travel agencies and ask for adventure tourist offers in Romania. And, don't forget, do participate in our contest. This is a good opportunity for you to win and thus visit Brasov and its surroundings. We end today's edition with one final recommendation made by our guest Marian Tirla:
“I recommend a tour that is a combination of nature and history, of Romanian and Transylvanian Saxon history. Tourists can visit one of the most important mountains in Romania, Bucegi, home to the Sphinx and Babele peaks and also to the Piatra Craiului National Park, where wild animals can be seen. Next we go to the Tarnave Plateau where Saxons used to live. They built there fortified churches, seven of which are now on the UNESCO heritage list. They were built in 1200 for defence purposes. People used to find shelter there and hide food. One of them is the fortified church in Prejmeer, where there are 270 rooms built for each family in the village. This is what I recommend, active tourism, combined with culture and history.”
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2010-09-10
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