Tag Archives: romania

August 21, 2013

In Pictures: Transylvania, Romania

6 Comments | tags: balea lake, brasov, inn on balaban, romania, transfagarasan, transylvania | posted in Uncategorized

July 15, 2013

The Danube Delta Experience

Leave a comment | tags: birdwatching, danube delta, green village, nature holidays, romania, wildlife trips | posted in Uncategorized

June 17, 2013

In Pictures: The Mighty Bear Tracking Experience in Romania

By marionkatrina

Bear Tracking in Romania www.untravelledpaths.com

Bear Tracking in Romania
http://www.untravelledpaths.com

2 Comments | tags: adventure trips, bear tracking, brasov, bucharest, libearty bear sanctuary, nature trips, romania, zarnesti | posted in Trips, Uncategorized

April 3, 2013

The Mighty Bear Tracking Experience

By marionkatrina

Leave a comment | tags: bear hide, bear sanctuary, bear tracking, brasov, bucharest, romania | posted in Uncategorized

January 3, 2013

Bucharest Mini-Break with VIP Tickets to Romeo and Juliet Ballet on Ice

By marionkatrina

We’re offering an exclusive cultural city-break to Bucharest that features prime seat-tickets to the stunning performance of “Romeo & Juliet on Ice” by the world-famous St Petersburg Ice Ballet troupe on 19th January 2013.

The St Petersburg Ice Ballet was formed in 1967 by choreographer Konstantin Boyarsky, who combined the art of ballet with techniques of figure skating to create a magical visual experience. The show’s artistic director is the former soloist of the internationally acclaimed Mariinsky Ballet, and the ballet itself features 80 ice-skating dancers, many of whom are international award winners.

The two-night mini break departs 18-20 January and costs just £199pp.

The price includes VIP tickets to “Romeo & Juliet on Ice” as well as B&B accommodation at the boutique-style Rembrandt Hotel in Bucharest and private airport transfers. Also included is a City Walking Tour of Bucharest with a private guide and a tour of the Palace of the Parliament.

The package excludes flights although various airlines fly direct from the UK to Bucharest with prices starting from £48.99pp one way from London Luton via Wizz Air.

Call us on 0871 662 9521 or email marion.poerio@untravelledpaths.com

Leave a comment | tags: ballet on ice, bucharest, romania, romeo and juliet ballet, special offers, st. petersburg state ballet on ice | posted in Trips

October 9, 2012

In Pictures: The Astra Museum, Sibiu, Romania

By marionkatrina

Leave a comment | tags: astra museum, holidays romania, romania, rural romania, sibiu | posted in Travel Photos

October 2, 2012

Ghost Story: The Real Dracula

By marionkatrina

Thanks to Bram Stoker and Hollywood, Count Dracula is famous throughout the world as the bloodsucking vampire-count of Transylvania. But who was the ‘real’ Dracula and was he really as terrible as people imagine? While we’re on the subject, what about vampires? Are these bloodthirsty creatures merely based on myth and legend or is there some truth behind the tales?

So let’s start from the beginning. A real-life ghost story. Once upon a time…

Vlad Dracul

A little boy called Vlad is born…

Around 1431, a boy called Vlad was born in the three-storey house in Sighisoara within the shadow of the Clock Tower. He took his name from his father, Vlad Dracul, who was a member of ‘The Order of the Dragon’ although ‘dracul’ also derives from the word for ‘devil’.

He didn’t have a very nice childhood…

Vlad, along with his brother, was sent to the Turkish Sultan in 1442 as a hostage where he spent five years in Turkish captivity exposed to the terror and violence of the Ottomans. Years of exile in Moldavia and Transylvania only further informed his education in guile and terrorism.

Transylvanian Saxon engraving from 1462 depicting Vlad Țepeș

He ruled by the stake…

Vlad Tepes became ruler of Wallachia in 1456 and adopted methods of extreme violence to punish law-breakers. He ruled ‘by the stake’ using his signature execution method of impaling his victims. Hammered onto a stake through the rectum, victims were raised aloft and left to die in agony, for all to see.

And did some pretty nasty things…

In 1459, Vlad the Impaler invited Wallachia’s disabled and unemployed to feast with his at his palace, asking them if they wished to be free of life’s sufferings. Given an affirmative response, Vlad the Impaler proceeded to have them all burnt alive, citing that he never wanted his subjects to suffer from illness or poverty.

German woodcut showing Dracula dining among the impaled corpses of his victims

Some very nasty things…

In 1460, having defeated his rivals in battle, Vlad dined among his impaled enemies using a holy icon as a dish. On occasion he was also reported to have eaten bread dipped in blood. Yuck! To scare off his Turkish enemies, Vlad prepared a forest of stakes 1km by 3km wide, upon which 20,000 captives were impaled.

Then he got his just desserts…

Vlad the Impaler was betrayed and killed. His head is thought to have been sent to the Sultan as a gift while his decapitated corpse was buried inside Snagov Monastery in Transylvania.

Elsewhere, vampirism choked the nation…

Dracula’s Castle

Vampire epidemics broke out across Eastern Europe. In the 1720s within an Austro-Hungarian village, a dead man who had been buried ten years previously returned as a vampire to his son’s cottage and touched him on the shoulder. By morning, the man was dead. Other reports claimed that long-dead villagers were returning to suck the blood of the village children, which led to several graves being exhumed. Not one of the corpses within showed any sign of decay. Spooky. In 1727, a soldier claiming to have been attacked by a vampire died shortly after his return home. Villagers who had either seen him that evening or had dreamt about him suffered from inexplicable weakness weeks later. When the body was exhumed, the mouth of the decaying soldier was found to be filled with blood and so a stake was driven into the heart.

Love at first bite

Much later…

In 1899, despite the law against exhuming graves, Romanian peasants in Carasova dug up thirty corpses and tore them limb from limb in an attempt to stop a diphtheria epidemic. In 1909, a Transylvanian castle was burned to the ground by locals who believed that a vampire living within the castle walls was causing the deaths of their children.

Vampires in Twilight

More recently…

In 1988, in a Serbain village, a girl of thirteen years old was murdered by her family who believed her to be a vampire. And who can forget the recent vampire-movie and -novel craze?! You cannot fail to escape the hype around gorgeous-looking vampires.

Becoming Dracula…

Inspired by the reports of vampirism that were sweeping Eastern Europe, Bram Stoker conjured up his terrifying Count Dracula using the Transylvanian landscape as inspiration for the setting. Nowadays, Looks just how a vampire count’s castle should: a grim façade, perched high on a rock bluff, its turrets and ramparts rising in tiers against a dramatic mountain background.

Frances Dade and Bela Lugosi in Dracula

The facts:

There was a Vlad Dracul born in the medieval town of Sighisoara, Romania.
Vlad Dracul earned the grim nickname “The Impaler”.
Vlad the Impaler later became known as Dracula.
Vampire epidemics actually existed.

For trips to Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania, Romania, please click here. We dare you!

1 Comment | tags: bram stoker, count dracula, dracula, romania, transylvania, vampirism, vlad tepes, vlad the impaler | posted in Travel Features

October 1, 2012

Get Spooked: Dracula Castle Escape this Halloween

By marionkatrina

Head to Transylvania, Romania this Halloween for a few days of spine chilling experiences with Untravelled Paths. Enjoy two nights in Bucharest and a visit to the infamous Bran Castle for just £275 per person.

Let us transport you deep into the stony heart of the Romanian countryside to a remote corner of the Carpathian Mountains where a castle looms high amongst razor-sharp peaks. Receive a cold welcome to the legendary Bran Castle, commonly known as Dracula’s Castle, and real life setting of Bram Stoker’s sinister novel where you’ll unravel the secrets of the castle. Said to have been the possible residence of Vlad the Impaler during his bloodthirsty reign of terror, you’re invited to explore the eerie corridors and deathly cold rooms at your peril!

Get your fangs into a hearty Romania lunch before climbing up to the crumbling ruins of Rasnov Fortress and admiring some truly spectacular views of the bleak Transylvanian landscape. Discover the medieval town of Brasov before settling in to your warm hotel room for hot chocolate and ghost stories. Other highlights include a guided tour of the decadent Peles Castle in Sinaia and two nights in Romania’s buzzing capital city, Bucharest.

Get spooked this Halloween at Dracula’s Castle. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

3 Night Dracula Castle Escape from £275 pp includes:

3 nights accommodation and breakfast
All transfers (in-country & airport)*
All day trips & excursions
Private, bi-lingual guide

*Flights not included

If you think you’re brave enough, get in touch with us at info@untravelledpaths.com, or you can give us a ring on 0871 662 9521. Go on, we dare you.

Leave a comment | tags: bran castle, dracula, dracula's castle, halloween, halloween trips, romania, spooky holidays, transylvania | posted in Tips

August 1, 2012

Travel Deal: The Mighty Bear Tracking Adventure

By marionkatrina

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Get your claws into our latest and greatest travel deal.

Looking for a real adventure or a holiday with some bite? Look no further than our Mighty Bear Tracking Adventure. Step into the wild and experience the thrill of tracking the mighty Brown Bear in the depths of Romania’s extensive forestland.

With OVER 20% OFF for a 4 night trip in Romania, the offer includes all airport and in-country transfers, boutique-style accommodation, a Bucharest city-break and a tour around the infamous Dracula Castle. All this for a cool £399. Go on… what are you waiting for?

The experience begins with a bang in Romania’s buzzing capital city, Bucharest. After a night dazzled by the city’s vibrant mix of history, culture and entertainment, guests are whisked through the scenic Transylvanian countryside, stopping at the mountain town of Sinaia to admire the breathtaking beauty of Peles Castle before lunching in Brasov. Located on the cusp of the Carpathian mountains, the medieval town of Brasov is picture-postcard-pretty and the perfect spot for a taste of authentic Romanian grub. Stoked up and ready for action, guests travel to the heart of bear country to get up close and personal with the animals in their natural habitat from the safety of secrete tree houses.

Guests re-embark on the adventure trail at dawn, cutting through thick forests in pursuit of the mighty Brown bear. With the help of an experienced local tracker, recognising the presence of wild animals becomes second nature. Inspecting the bark of trees and searching the muddy ground for footprints, guests are likely to catch a glimpse of other wildlife including the grey wolf, lynx and various birds of prey. Rounding off the adventure, guests explore the eerie corridors of Dracula’s legendary abode before returning to Bucharest for a final night of excitement.

An absolute must for wildlife lovers and adventure seekers. Please note, a reasonable level of fitness is required.

This offer is valid until 30 Aug 2012 so get your skates on. To book, you can email us at traveldeals@untravelledpaths.com or give us a bell on 0871 662 9521, quoting “BEAR TRACKING”.