TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
• Fourteen-day/twelve-night program
• Round-trip, economy-class air from New York

Bucharest
• Four nights at the deluxe Inter-Continental Hotel
• City sightseeing tour
• Visits to the National History Museum; Stavropoleus Church; and the House of Parliament, Ceausescu’s billion-dollar residence
• Tour to the Cotroceni Palace, former home of the royal court, currently the National Art Museum
• Leisure time

Sibiu, Transylvania
• Two nights at the first-class Imparatul Romanilor Hotel
• Visit to Hurezu’s splendid Brâncovian monastery*
• Excursion to Saxon Sibiu’s Old City;medieval Sighi_oara, Dracula’s birthplace; and the Sibiel Icon Museum
• Curator-led tour of Cluj-Napoca’s Art Museum and Orthodox Cathedral

Baia Mare, Maramures
• Two nights at the first-class Carpati Hotel
• Visit to a local pottery studio, exploration of Sapânta’s "Merry Cemetery", tour of the Communism’s Victims Museum in charming Sighet, and visit to the quaint village of Surdesti with its magnificent eighteenth-century wooden church
• Visits to the picturesque villages of Rozavlea and Bogdan Voda with their extraordinary wooden churches, and Bârsana with its beauriful carved wooden gate

Câmpulung Moldovensc
• Two nights at the standard-class Zimbrul Hotel
• Visits to the enchanting painted monasteries at Moldovita*, Sucevita*, Humor*, and Voronet with a stop in Marginea, center for black pottery

Poiana Brasov, Transylvania
• Two nights at the first-class Sport Hotel, a beautiful mountain resort
• Scenic drive through the spectacular Bicaz Gorge with stops at the bizarre natural wonder of Lacu Rosu; Miercurea Ciuc, stronghold of Szekely culture; and the Saxon Prejmer Peasant Fortress and fortified church
• Excursion to Brasov including the medieval citadel, the Romanian Schei section, the Gothic Catholic Black Church, the Orthodox St. Nicholas Church, and to Count Dracula’s castle in Bran
• Tour to Sinaia’s Pele_ Castle, former residence of the Romanian royal family

*UNESCO World Heritage Sites

EXCEPTIONAL VALUES
• Study Leader throughout and area guides
• Professional Tour Director
• All meals, including wine with lunches and dinners
• Air-conditioned motorcoach transportation
• All transfers and handling of two pieces of luggage per person
• All entrance fees, taxes, service charges, and most gratuities
• Visa acquisition
• Extensive cultural and practical guide
• Flight bag, name badge, passport wallet, and luggage tags
• Additional gateways and airline upgrades available

Much more than a land of eerie castles and vampire folklore, today’s Romania is an extraordinarily rich tapestry of unique artistic expression and vibrant cultures. Bucovina, rich in tradition, abounds with elaborately painted unique churches and monasteries, graced with exterior frescos resembling illustrated Bibles, a breathtaking blend of Byzantine art and folk lyricism. Transylvania’s mountainous vistas are dotted with picturesque villages where the region’s medieval Saxon heritage is alive. In Maramures, ancient customs are a way of life for a populace clothed in bright, hand-woven traditional dress. Everything from the most exquisite church to the humblest abode is made of wood, often carved with hundreds of symbolic motifs. Bucharest, with its lilting, Parisian flavor, offers wonderful museums of art and Romanian culture. Join us as we experience the spectacular painted monasteries and culturally diverse regions of this remarkable nation.