Exclusive tastings, boutique vineyards, private tours with the winemakers: this vacation is handcrafted for connoisseurs and food and wine lovers, taking you deep into the heart of Romania. Indulge in unforgettable, locally produced food, bursting with flavor and sample our traditional drinks with the people you meet along the way.
*This is a sample tour. Please contact us for your very own tailored and hassle-free authentic journey with Romanian Thrills.
Our epicurean tour sets-off with a walking tour through the Old Town of Bucharest. Amongst the cobbled streets, old merchant houses, enduring churches and memorable French-style edifices we find out more about the history of this place and make two unforgettable stops. The first stop is Manuc’s Inn, a restored 2-century’s old hotel that serves to this day as a meeting place for foreign travelers and the Romanian elite. Our second stop is Caru’ cu Bere, a splendid neo-gothic construction with 130 years of history, richly decorated with paints, stained glass, mosaics and carved paneling, serving today traditional Romanian food at its best washed down by their homemade brew. In the afternoon we move towards Obor, the largest farmer’s market in the capital, where we get the chance to try authentic, staple foods in our cuisine and pick up local fruits and vegetables. Farmers from all over the country gather here to sell their best products, all we have to do is sample as much as possible.
After a gourmand day in Bucharest we seek to indulge our senses in a vineyard. We head to Buzau, where a cluster of vintners have taken advantage of the perfect soil conditions and started creating delightful wines. We visit two vineyards, we talk to the owners as we sample some of their best vintages and take a tour of the estates. This day is about relaxation and discovering the surprising Romanian reds, whites or rosés.
Advancing further into colder regions of the country, we discover that local drinks were developed by peasants to help them keep warm during harsh winters or to give them strength for long days of working in the fields. Such drinks are “palinca”, “tuica” or “rachiu”, strong liquors resulted from distilled fruits. There are multiple varieties you can taste and we know the best place for it. In true Romanian Thrills style, we have also prepared a bread-making workshop, that includes all the steps from grinding wheat in a traditional water mill to putting the kneaded dough in a stone oven. Think of that freshly-baked bread smell…mmm! We spend the night in a real nobiliary castle, with a massive estate, from where we can go bear or deer watching.
Welcome to Transylvania, where Saxons have left their mark over local foods and drinks. Today, we slow-walk Brasov, one of the most iconic mountain cities in Romania, with tumultuous history and excellent traditional restaurants. We have a soft spot for sour soups and meat platters, but fear not vegetarians, our cuisine has plenty of delicious options for you too. We guarantee that everything you try today, you will absolutely adore! Close to Brasov we find the unique Bran Castle, widely known as “Dracula’s” but is it really? During the tour we will try to debunk the real mystery behind it and discuss further while we enjoy a local food specialty.
Did you know that you can find buffalos in Romania? If you like dairy, you will love this tour of a local buffalo milk farm, that produces dairy products according to local, traditional recipes. Romanians are known for their passion for food and eating as much as possible home-cooked meals. We explore more of our epicurean curiosity and head to Viscri, a village part of the Unesco, that made Prince Charles buy a property here and spend his summer holidays in the Transylvanian countryside. A farm to table dining experience awaits in a restored Saxon barn. We spend the night in a local guesthouse, fully-renovated to resemble the living conditions of the German population, but equipped with all the modern necessities.
Our final stop in Transylvania is Sibiu, a city known for its Germanic architecture (the buildings have eyes!), medieval walls and towers and home to Astra National Museum of Folkloric Traditional Civilization, a startling travel through time, founded to define our own ethnic culture within the Austro-Hungarian Empire multiculturalism. This is a living museum, it hosts many events such as: traditional fairs, folk festivals, workshops, performances and much more. The exceptional natural landscape makes the open-air museum adequate for relaxing walks, rides in a carriage or sailing a boat. This city has also been named the 2019 European Gastronomy Capital. Needless to say, we have plenty of opportunities to try only the best local wines, brandies and cuisine.
We start early to thrill to the most epic part of our journey yet: Transfagarasan road, the passage between Transylvania and Wallachia, an entwined road that cuts right through the mountain peaks. At the top we make a stop to revel in the breathtaking landscape around us while having a picnic with homemade food, purchased from local producers encountered during our trip. In the evening we arrive in Bucharest and finish our epicurean adventure in one of the most exquisite eating places in Bucharest, which we save as a surprise. Happy dieting when you get home! 😀
