Day 1
Individual arrival until 6 pm to the start hotel in Komarno (Slovakia, approx. 180 km east of Vienna and 100 km southeast of Bratislava)
Day 2 Approx. 395 km
Along the Danube, on pleasant roads with relatively little traffic, it goes over a small border crossing to Hungary. Alternating on smaller roads, now and then slopes and sometimes on major roads, we make our way across the vast plains of the Hungarian Puszta. At the Romanian border we set the clocks to CET + 1h. In the early evening we check into our hotel in Oradea.
Day 3 Approx. 250 km
Surely Oradea is one of the most beautiful cities of Romania, so we take about 2 hours after breakfast to take a little walk. Then we start with the first stage in Romania. In the valley of the Crisul Negru we drive along and enjoy the views of rolling hills, pastures and meadows. The first spectacular mountain roads follow. Great stretches, long curves on different surfaces, let us guess what magnificent stages await us on this journey. In a nice restaurant we have lunch, then we enjoy at Campeni on a pleasant curves swing. Typical Romania: Again and again we encounter horse-drawn carriages, flocks of sheep and cows crossing the streets on the way home. After Alba Iulia we reach our beautiful hotel outside the city. Now we have earned a good dinner.
Day 4 Approx. 150 km
Today's stage leads us directly through parts of Transylvania.
Through small side streets and the first gravel roads almost entirely without traffic, we pave our way through beautiful landscapes and old German villages with its almost archaic a seemingly life. Meadows, pastures and rolling hills characterize the picture. Already in the early afternoon we reach our stage destination: Sighisoara. This medieval city, where Germans, Hungarians and Romanians have left their mark, has the oldest inhabited medieval castle in Europe. We have enough time for the visit, a local guide shows us the most interesting places. Then it goes to dinner directly on the historic castle hill.
Day 5 Approx. 210 km
Also today is marked by green hills. About small winding lanes, gravel and pothole trails, we first head east, and a short time later, to beat the south. Again and again we see German village names, which shows that Transylvanian Saxons used to live here. In the early evening we reach our hotel in Bran, which is located on a hill and thus offers a magnificent view of the landscape. If you want, you can visit the beautiful castle of Bran, which is marketed as Dracula Castle. Although historically it has nothing to do with Dracula or Vlad Tepes, it attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every year. If you want, you can also go for a walk in the area.
Day 6 Approx. 270 km
After breakfast we are heading south today. We cross the Southern Carpathians for the first time over the Bran Pass. At first the road goes through many villages until it winds upwards. Along the ridge, we enjoy the beautiful views in all directions. After Campulung the road surface gets worse. Half way to Curtea de Arges, we turn onto a gravel road that can be adventurous in wet weather, especially when coaches make their way through the mud - and visit the impressive Orthodox monastery of Slanic. Afterwards we experience another highlight of our journey. The crossing of the Fagaras Mountains from south to north. According to "TOP GEAR" the "Transfagaras" is one of the most beautiful streets in the world. We now have the opportunity to judge for ourselves. From the south, we attack the Fagaras and gradually wind their way to about 2100 meters. The surrounding mountains reach in Moldoveanu with 2550 meters their highest elevation of Romania. Arrived at Balea Lac, we treat ourselves in a splendid scenery again with a coffee pause, then we tackle Serpentine to Serpentine the no less spectacular downhill pass. Arriving at the foot of Fagaras, we still enjoy beautiful routes, sometimes on brand new asphalt, sometimes on gravel roads until we arrive in Sibiu (Hermannstadt). Still overwhelmed by this wonderful stage, we eat our delicious dinner in the evening.
Day 7 Approx. 210 km
Today we start a little earlier, because we expect two spectacular highlights of our trip. The crossing of the Cinderel Mountains from north to south, as well as the legendary Transalpina. About 60 km long is the gravel road in Cinderel, which is sometimes very demanding and can be ridged and muddy, especially in wet weather. Again and again we encounter large trucks, which are loaded with wood, which makes the off-road passage all the more adventurous. We continue to drive south through the high mountains and enjoy wonderful views of mountains and valleys. South of the Oasa lake we come to the first part of the Transalpina. After our lunch in a very nice guesthouse near Obarsia Lotrului, we will head to the highest asphalted pass in Romania, the Urdele (2150m), which was graveled until a few years ago, but now shines with brand new asphalt. The view of the mountains and valleys takes our breath away. In Ranca, a ski resort, we have a coffee break. After the varied pass, we cross the Jiu valley on brand new asphalt. The ambiance of our hotel near Petrosani
fits in perfectly with the picture-book landscape of the Carpathians. If you want, you can have fun in the outdoor pool, climb a climbing wall or just enjoy a delicious beer in the sun.
Day 8 Approx. 290 km
Today we say goodbye to Petrosani and thus from the high Carpathians and drive at first alternately, sometimes on winding roads, sometimes on slopes to the northwest to Merisor. In a beautiful guesthouse in Sarmis we have our coffee break. Behind Caransebes we are surprised by a winding forest road that has been re-paved. In Resita we have our lunch break to cover the last few kilometers then alternately on main road and smaller roads to Timisoara. Once there, we can go for a walk in the city for a while and visit the impressive cathedral, or simply relax in our comfortable hotel.
Day 9 Approx. 390 km
Today we say goodbye to this beautiful country, Romania. After 80 km we reach the border to Hungary, where we put the clocks back on CET and thus "win back" one hour. After Szeged it goes on main, sometimes on side roads always northwest. Unfortunately, the landscape here is very flat, so we already miss the mountains of Romania. So we drive through the vast Hungarian plains and enjoy the delicious goulash in a restaurant. At Oroslany we can actually enjoy at least once again hilly landscapes. In the late afternoon we reach our starting point Komarno and enjoy a delicious farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 10
Individual home journey after breakfast.
