Romania small group holiday

Arrival and warm-up Transfer from the airport to Albac village where we will have a short rest, meal and refreshments. Then we will start hiking in the fresh, mountain spring air, towards Runc hamlet – a typical mountain settlement, hidden somewhere in the heart of the mountains, with traditional wooden little houses and warmly welcoming people. The trail will take us through forests and glades with large perspectives upon Bihor Mountains revealing the beauty and charm of Apuseni landscapes in this season. Arrival at the guesthouse. Warm-up, rest, dinner and accommodation in hotel.

Breakfast at the guesthouse and then prepare for reaching our next destination – Ghetar hamlet. The 5 hours trip will continue our yesterday adventure. Our destination is Scarisoara guesthouse where Dinu and Iuliana, a young family of Motzi, will be welcoming us and invite for lunch/dinner. Motzi is the name given to people living in Apuseni Mountains in very small communities – hamlets – spread over the montain. Good opportunity to start knowing each other and learn about the lifestyle these mountain people have.

Today we’ll start our trip with a short walk in the village,through meadows covered with amazing flowers and hay covered wooden houses. Once in the center of the village we will stop at Ghetar Tourist Information Centre, located in an old traditional wooden barn. Here, besides detailed tourist information about the area we will hear the sound of tulnic (the local version of the alpenhorn) performed by our friend, Pasca Ilisie. At his age of 77 he has already 60 years of experience in wood carving – traditional occupation for Motzi – and he will prove this through a demonstration of this amazing craft, showing how everyday domestic or ritual objects have been made since centuries, here. Then, we will continue our hike to the Ice Cave, no more than 10’-15’. The impressive Scarisoara Ice Cave contains, according to last researches, the largest cave glacier in Europe. The cave, with an entrance of 48 meters deep and 60 meters large hosts Scarisoara Glacier – an impressive block of ice of 110.000 cubic meters, 22 meters thick and 3500 years old. Certainly, a lesson of geology that should be not missed, especially during spring time, when the ice formations are in their best shape. After return to the guesthouse and enjoy a good rest before lunch. Later, we will start to discover the area. A 3.5 – 4 hours hiking through Ocoale and Hanasesti hamlets will reveal a classical picture of these special mountains: small traditional mountain communities living according to their own time and rhythm of life, somewhere up in the mountains.

Today we will leave Ghetar Plateau and will hike, following a marked tourist trail, towards Casa de Piatra (the Stone House) – a hamlet where most of the houses were wooden made, decades ago and where archaically architecture is still alive. Being quite far from “civilization”, the hamlet remains an isolated and picturesque settlement with a romantic name given by the place – a large glade surrounded by spectacular white stone walls. It is said that the whole settlement is actually a stone house. Once we’ve arrived, we check-in at a guesthouse run by a local family of Motzi, have lunch and a short rest and then start to discover the area. After lunch, we’ll have a short walk in the area and visit Coiba Mare Cave. The impressive entrance is 74 m large and 47 m high. Large halls, narrow galleries, underground stream, lakes and waterfalls – in total the cave is 5050 m long. We will explore only the first hall, which is easily accessible for any visitors. Coiba Mica Cave can be visited inside only by specialists properly equipped and only when the weather is drought. There is a connection gallery between the two caves – Coiba Mare and Coiba Mica through a stream which springs out further on. On the way back to the guesthouse we will take a hike around and visit the hamlet – a small community of 14 families. We will not miss the old wooden church, probably the smallest wooden church you have ever seen.

Another cave is waiting for us – Vârtop Ice Cave. Despite its name, the cave is not that famous for ice (actually there is just one hall covered with ice, the rest is just snow) but for its limestone jewelries and more, for the 25000 years old footprints in the limestone ground left by Homo Fossilis. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch on a meadow and, after a short rest, we will head on towards Calineasa Glade. A pleasant trip, not too long and not very demanding, through typical Apuseni landscapes with forests, meadows, sinkholes and glades. Scattered at around 1300 meters, Calineasa Glade displays a typical Apuseni Mountains landscape and is used by local mountain people as an impermanent summer settlement, mainly for forestry and raising animals. From here, if we are lucky enough to have a clear weather, we will be able to have a great perspective upon the southern part of Apuseni Mountains, including the highest peak: Cucurbata Mare Peak (1848 m).

Departure After a traditional style breakfast, we will descend to Gârda de Sus on a horse-pulled cart (still specific for Romanian rural and countryside areas), along Gârda Seaca Valley. Once arrived in the village the group will be transferred by car to its next destination (airport)