Cycling tourism in Romania

In recent years, cycling tourism has developed a lot in Romania

Daniel Onea, 02.11.2023, 14:00

In recent years, cycling tourism has developed a lot. New bicycle routes and tracks have been created, and the number of tourists discovering Romania on two wheels has increased. Always, depending on the route, this form of tourism is combined with a foray into the world of the Romanian village and visits to important tourist attractions.

Ionuț Maftei is the director of a Romanian tourism company, which deals exclusively with the promotion of Romania through bicycle touring. 17 years ago, when he set out to promote active holiday offers on two wheels, the world looked at him with skepticism. Meanwhile, cycling tourism has developed in Romania. More and more people have bought a bicycle and already know their preferred environment for pedaling: on the road, in the mountains, on rough terrain or on unpaved roads. And unpaved roads began to be increasingly sought after by foreign tourists.

“We are an agency for which usually the number of tourists in a group is somewhere between six and twelve, but all of a sudden we found ourselves turning into a kind of little paradise for a certain niche of cycle tourism, what is now called “gravel cycling”, meaning pedaling on unpaved roads. Statistically, more than half of the roads in Romania are unpaved, and the lovers of this kind of cycling have found out about that. So, whenever we need, almost everywhere we go, if we need unpaved roads, we find them. The problem is that, indeed, a lot of tourists have been coming. In our country, the infrastructure part is problematic. It is difficult to find in a village where we walk or in the forests where we like to cycle a place that can accommodate 50 people. And most of them want single rooms. We still have work to do in this regard. On the other hand, its nice to see all the rooms available in two villages taken entirely by our group of tourists. Although logistically it is very difficult, we are glad that we have managed.”

The seasonality of this form of tourism consists in the fact that the number of days with optimal conditions for pedaling is greater in spring and autumn. However, Ionuț Maftei says that the tours are organized in all four seasons. Modern bicycles and equipment allow you to pedal almost any time of the year, including on snow. A great opportunity to discover new people and places.

“Our tours are less about sport and more about tourism. The idea is to visit the people first, to see how they live, to see things that you dont see in Europe or any other country. The world should know who we are, because often we have tourists who, on the first day, only know that they are somewhere in Europe. They dont really know where they are and who the people they see are. We explain it to everyone over the course of six days or 10 days while theyre here so they can discover things and leave with a good impression. In the area of ​​the fortified churches in Transylvania, it seems to me that the infrastructure has also developed quite a lot. The people there understand and are not surprised by this form of tourism, knowing what the expectations are. In Sighisoara, for example, we were able to set up a hydration point in one of the towers of the fortress. We were kind of surprised, but its happening and we can only applaud that aspect.”

The youngest participant in the tours organized by Ionuț was three months old. He came with his grandmother. These are the cases when parallel programs appear. The assistance car is used and additional visits to tourist attractions and surroundings are provided. One of the ideal areas for such complex tours is Maramureș. There, tradition, nature and the number of tourist attractions always delight. Another area preferred by tourists is Bucovina, comparable in terms of traditions. On the other hand, Transylvania stands out for a higher level of services. We asked Ionuț Maftei how a bicycle tour is organized.

“Theoretically, tours start in Bucharest, because most tourists arrive in Bucharest. We offer, either at the beginning or at the end, the opportunity to spend a night in Bucharest and visit the capital of Romania. We have a sightseeing route by bike for a few hours and that matters to them, especially since Bucharest is nothing like the rest of Romania. They are two quite different images for them. Then, we go to Transylvania. There, the routes are on secondary roads or forest roads. Sometimes we even use what are called “single trails”, that is, some special routes for bicycles, on a kind of bicycle paths, through the forests. Is very beautiful. Luxury with us is in the forest. If someone is looking for luxury in our tours, they will find it there, because there are also animals and plants. Everything that is beautiful about these tours is there. Of course, from place to place, we stop to visit either local workshops or some places of historical importance, cultural sites, and that matters a lot.”

Although such tours mean a lot of activity, they are not sports tour, as Ionuț Maftei told us:

“The distances we cover are between 30 and 80 km per day, depending on how many hills there are, how steep the slope is, how difficult the route is, whether it is asphalt or unpaved road and how many places we have to visit. I can use as an example Transylvania. The fortified churches there are quite well known and are prepared to receive tourists often and in large numbers. There is a road of Transylvanian fortifications. Then there is the mineral water route. We try to promote it and its always attractive and impressive. We try to use local resources as much as possible. That is, the local people are the ones who introduce us to the attractions, they are the ones who provide the food and wine, and we use as much accommodation as possible in guesthouses, so that we also ensure sustainability. This combination is pleasant for tourists, especially foreigners.

Themed cycling tours can last from one day to seven days. For one-day tours, around Bucharest, the price is approximately 35 euros per person. For more complex programs, the cost is 200 euros per day per person, including accommodation, all visits, transfers, support and assistance. (MI)