2 Wheels Transylvania Discovery Adventure 10 Days from/to Oradea

DAY 1 ORADEA ARRIVAL DAY

Your local expert 2 Wheels Adventure Manager will welcome you at the hotel. Check in for 1 night. Short vicinity orientation walk if desired. Welcome Dinner. Overnight in Oradea.

DAY 2 ORADEA – WEST CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS – CLUJ NAPOCA (277km / 172mi)

Hotel check out after enjoying the delicious breakfast. Meet your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager at the bikes and start a spectacular riding day through the picturesque West Carpathian Mountains, the first of your 2 Wheels Transylvania Discovery Adventure.

The West Carpathian Mountains or Apuseni Mountains as they are called in Romanian language, are a rather low mountain range with the highest elevation at 1849m / 6066ft, with rounded crests contrasting with deep river valleys, and extensive limestone formations shaping some impressive gorges and canyons, spectacular waterfalls, and fascinating caves. Pastureland and settlements are scattered all the way to the picks of the mountains. The inhabitants, called “moți”, are considered descendants of the Celts or of the Germanic Gepids Tribes, because of their blonde hair and blue eyes. Their unique way of life, in a perfect symbiosis with the nature, the ancestral traditions, and the old customs, are making them the most representative traditional mountain communities of Romania.

Today’s ride is going to be an excellent adrenaline full warmup for this great 2 Wheels Adventure. The tracks we have selected are ranging from remote secondary roads to constantly twisting and turning mountain roads, following the mountains valleys, or snaking up and down over the scenic meadows of to the West Carpathian Mountains, a total delight for every motorcycle rider. The scenery is going to be mind-blowing.

The descent towards Cluj-Napoca is going to deliver the grand finale of the day, giving you the opportunity to charge yourselves with an explosive adrenaline kick.

Hotel check in at a centrally located hotel in Cluj-Napoca. After getting refreshed, you will meet a local expert cultural guide who is going to take you on a guided walk of Cluj-Napoca, along the charming streets of the historical center and reveal to you the historical landmarks, standing for the long and rich history of this city which was once the heart of Transylvania. Being the largest city in Transylvania, its history goes back all the way to the Roman time.

Later, during the medieval time, Cluj-Napoca was home for German tradesmen, but also home of the Hungarian dukes ruling Transylvania. It is also the birthplace of the 15th-century Hungarian Renaissance King Matthias Corvinus. For the importance and the fame of the city in those times, still stand today a huge number of historical and architectural landmarks, like for instance the Union Square, dominated by the St. Michael’s Church, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Transylvania, at the same time being surrounded also by Neo Classical Renaissance, and Baroque buildings including the Banffy Palace – Romania’s most representative Transylvanian-Baroque structure.
Nowadays, with a population of around 330,000 and one of the fastest growing economies in the country, Cluj-Napoca, developed into a vibrant cultural center, a dynamic and youthful university city.

Dinner at an excellent rated restaurant in the city center. Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.

DAY 3 CLUJ NAPOCA – TRANSURSOAIA PASS ROAD – HUNEDOARA (274km / 170mi)

Enjoy your breakfast, check out and join your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager for another sensational ride in the West Carpathian Mountains.

You better warm up your tires right away after we will escape the morning traffic in Cluj-Napoca, as we will start the day in full power, with a spectacular ascend on a road snaking uphill in never-ending turns and twits, through the forests, the slopes of the West Carpathian Mountains.

The Transursoaia Pass Road, winding up the mountains for approx. 80 km/50mi, through an incredible scenery, to an elevation of 1300m / 4265ft is going to be the riding highlight of the day, as it is going to delight you with steep uphill and downhill sections, spiced up with endless twist and turns. Here and then we are going to stop for enjoying the spectacular panoramic view over the landscape.

After a well-deserved lunch break, we will continue riding along the mountain roads snaking through an incredible scenery, following the valleys of the mountains, at times climbing mildly over the scenic meadows, some other times steeply descending in serpentines the mountain slopes. The adrenalin full twist and turns will be a delight and will make the ride, a memorable one.

Once arrived in Hunedoara, we will check in at an excellent rated hotel. After getting refreshed, it is you to decide, if whether joining your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager for a visit of the impressive 15th century Corvin Castel or rather relax at the hotel until dinner time

The Corvin Castle is considered the most spectacular Gothic-style castle in Romania and the largest medieval castle in Transylvania, surpassing even the Bran Castle. It is also one of the largest castles in Europe. The castle served as a fortress until the mid-14th century when it became the residence of Transylvania’s ruler, Johannes Corvinus of Hunyadi, the father of the famous Hungarian Renaissance King Mathias Corvinus.

Johannes Corvinus of Hunyadi became famous for stopping the Ottoman Empire from conquering Belgrade and advancing towards Western Europe, a victory still celebrated nowadays, by having the churches ringing the bells, every day at noon time, all over Europe. The Corvin Family transformed the fortress into a stunning castle featuring a sumptuous Knights’ Hall, a Council Room, a chapel, an impressive drawbridge, high buttresses, inner courtyards and over 50 rooms.

Dinner and overnight in Hunedoara.

DAY 4 HUNEDOARA – JIU RIVER GORGE – TRANSALPINA PASS ROAD – SIBIU (315 km / 196mi)

Check out after breakfast, meet your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager, and get ready to start another spectacular riding day. Today’s highlight is the “Kings Road” the famous Transalpina Pass Road.

We will spend the morning, riding through the region of Hațeg, famous for its historical and cultural sites covering in time a history of more than 4000 years. Impressive are the ruins of the ancient Roman capital of the Roman Province Dacia at Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Traiana. The numerous medieval churches and fortresses, as well as the remains of more recent castles, are enhancing the cultural heritage.

Winding, traffic free secondary roads, along the forested foothills of the South Carpathian Mountains, will take us to the Jiu Gorge a spectacular savage valley separating the Parâng and Vâlcan mountains. The road is snaking on a length of 33km / 20mi, being always joined by the whirling Jiu River, combining the adrenaline kick offered by the turns and twists with the visual delight given by the exceptional beauty of the scenery.

We will continue riding towards the Transalpina Pass Road on winding secondary countryside roads along the foothills of the South Carpathian Mountains.

With a length of 148km / 91mi, the Transalpina Road, is the highest pass road of the Carpathian Mountains, counting at its summit 2145m / 7037 ft elevation, after following the mountains pick line for almost 20 km / 12.5mi. According to some sources, the beginning of this pass road goes back to the roman times, as it was apparently constructed by roman military legions. The road changed constantly its name over the time. From “the Devils trail”, as it was called by shepherds who used it for centuries to cross over the mountains with their herds, it became the “Kings Road” after the trail was enlarged on its entire length to a military road by the Romanian King, right before WWII started. Since 2010, after being asphalted on its entire length it became worldwide famous as Transalpina, the must to ride road of Transylvania.

After getting a massive adrenaline boost, while ascending the hairpins of the southern side, at the summit, we will have a quick lunch break, while getting at the same time also an impressive bird’s eye view over the Carpathian Mountains.

After lunch, the descent on the serpentines of the northern side, will get you another impressive adrenaline kick.

Just before arriving in Sibiu, you are going to get a final adrenaline boost for today on some other secondary roads snaking on the norther foothills of the South Carpathian Mountains. Riding through the picturesque Transylvanian villages will be a delight as well.

As a medieval city with 900 years of history, Sibiu, also preserved many testimonies of the past. The walls of the old fortification belts, the towers named after the guilds, the central squares with their rich history, the old buildings abounding in stories which occurred throughout time will totally impress you.

After checking in at the centrally located hotel and getting refreshed, you will meet a local expert cultural guide who will take you on a guided walk through the historical downtown. Known for its culture, history, gastronomy and diverse architecture, which includes the iconic houses with eyes that gave Sibiu its nickname, the city was ranked in 2008 “Europe’s 8th-most idyllic place to live” by Forbes.

Dinner is going to be served in the old town. Overnight in Sibiu.

DAY 5 SIBIU – TRANSFĂGĂRĂŞAN – BRAŞOV (300km / 186mi)

Check out after breakfast and meet your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager at the bikes, today we are going to ride on one of the best motorcycling roads in the world.

We will start the day with a short warmup ride through some picturesque Transylvanian villages, crossed by a lovely secondary road winding over hills of the Transylvanian Highlands.

Soon after, we will start ascending the 90km / 55mi long Transfăgărășan Pass Road which rises to an altitude of 2042m / 6699ft. After taking a break at the Bâlea glacier lake to get a spectacular eagle’s eye view over Transylvania, we will ride through the longest (875 m/0.53miles) and highest tunnel of Romania.
Shortly after, we will begin our winding descent on the sharp hairpin turns of the southern side, a delightful challenge for every rider.

Next, we are going to ride, along scenic countryside roads along the foothills of the South Carpathian Mountains, passing by typical Wallachian villages, for crossing later during the afternoon again the South Carpathian Mountains from south to north on a road famous for having some of the most spectacular natural views in Romania.

A must be is a quick stop at Bran Castle, which surrounded by an aura of mystery, owes its fame more to the myth created around Bram Stocker’s Dracula than to its imposing towers and turrets… Built at the end of the 14th century as a border stronghold, on the site of a Teutonic Knights stronghold, the castle served for a while during the last century as royal residence. It is you to decide on the spot if joining your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager on a quick visit of the castle, or if you rather take a picture of the castle and enjoy a coffee.

At the end of the day, you will have the opportunity to treat yourselves with a final adrenaline boost while taking the twists and turns of the road that crosses the Postăvarul Mountain towards Brașov. After checking in at the centrally located hotel and getting refreshed, you will meet a local expert cultural guide who will take you on a guided walk through the historical downtown.

Founded in 1211 by the Teutonic Knights between the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains, Brasov is one of the most beautiful cities in Transylvania. The medieval massive stone walls and several bastions around the city are still visible today. The gothic, baroque, and renaissance architecture, as well as the wealth of many other attractions are making the city one of the greatest highlights of Transylvania. Dinner is going to be served at one of the best restaurants in town. Overnight in Brașov.

DAY 6 BRAȘOV – MUȘAT (OJDULA-LEPȘA) PASS ROAD – BALVANYOS (297km / 184.5mi)

Check-out after breakfast, meet your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager at the bikes and get ready to head towards “the high-altitude Moto GP Track of the Carpathian Mountains”.

The relatively short ride we will have to reach the Musat (Ojdula-Lepsa) Pass Road is going to be just enough to warm up the tires and get ready to start hitting the pass road. Famous for being nicknamed “the high-altitude Moto GP Track of the Carpathian Mountains”, this pass road is going to be one of the very highlights of your 2 Wheels Adventure. Having had the tarmac completely renewed in 2015, the road is crossing the East Carpathian Mountains on a length of just a bit more than 50km/ 31mi of endless turns and twist going up and down the mountains, mostly cutting through deep forests, at other times ascending mildly in wide curves, with very good visibility, the scenic meadows. The quite low car traffic, the wide curves with good visibility, and the quality of the tarmac are making it very popular between the local motorcycle rider community. It will put for sure a smile on your faces as well and it will make you wish that the turns and twists would never end.

You will get the chance to catch your breath while having a well-deserved lunch break, after which we will go for the maximum adrenaline boost and ride back the Mușat (Ojdula – Lepșa) Pass Road to get to Balvanyos. To your surprise, riding back the pass road, from the opposite direction, is going to be a totally different experience, even more enjoyable than the morning ride, as by now you know already the turns and twists, therefore, the pace can be much faster and the adrenaline kick more intense.

Our hotel for tonight is remotely located in the vicinity of the St. Anna Lake, the only volcano lake in Central and Eastern Europe, formed in the southern crater of the extinguished Ciomatu Vulcano. Near the lake, the northern crater, is housing a reservation of rare Ice Age relict plants. We will have a quick stop at the St. Anna Lake, just before heading to the hotel for checking in. It is you to decide if joining your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager on a 20 min walk to the lake and another 20 min back to the bikes, or rather staying at the terrasse for enjoying a refreshment drink until the rest of the group is getting back.

The lake is part of the Mohos Nature Reserve. It is supplied with water exclusively from precipitations, therefore the degree of mineralization of the water is very low and the water purity is close to that distilled water. Also, there is no animal that can survive in the oxygen-filled water of Lake Saint Anne. Either way, the 7km / 4.3mi uphill ride and the 7km / 4.3mi downhill ride, on the spectacular twists and turns of the road snaking on the slopes of the former volcano will make it worth and will deliver you and incredible end of the day adrenaline kick.

Hotel check-in at an excellent rated spa resort hotel, with swimming pool and spa facilities, an excellent opportunity for you to unwind and relax. Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Balvanyos.

DAY 7 BALVANYOS – BICAZ GORGE – CÂMPULUNG MOLDOVENESC (294km / 182.6mi)

Enjoy your breakfast, check out and join your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager for a sensational riding day in the East Carpathian Mountains.

During the morning we are going to ride through the Székely Land, a historic and ethnographic region in the Eastern part of Transylvania, famous for the incredible high number of mineral water and thermal springs, as well as for the picturesque scenery, inhabited mainly by Székelys, a subgroup of Hungarians.

The twisting roads, we have selected, will totally impress you, as they are giving you the choice of either getting a sensational adrenaline boost if approaching the turns and twist at a faster pace, or to enjoy a relaxed ride for admiring the stunning scenery and the picturesque villages.

The adrenaline kick is going to increase more and more, once we will slowly leave Transylvania behind us, and start ascending towards the Red Lake, enjoying the turns, the hairpins, and the incredibly panoramic lookout points.

During a well-deserved lunch break you will find out the legends going around the Red Lake the only natural storage lake in Romania which formed after a big landslide.

After lunch, get ready for the riding highlight of the day, the 55km / 34.1mi long Bicaz Pass Road, one of the most spectacular roads in Romania, on which we are going to cross again the East Carpathian Mountains, for getting back in Transylvania. The most impressive part of the pass road is going to be the 8 km / 4.97mi long section on which the road twists and turns in serpentines, steeply downhill through the stunning Bicaz Gorge, cutting its way through 300m/984ft high limestone cliffs, which are rising right from the edges of the road. There are sections on which you will get the impression that the gorge is “closing” above you, at some points where the road runs beneath overhanging cliffs,  like for instance at the “Hells Neck” (Gâtul Iadului).

The road widens up, once we will ride along the shores of one of the largest artificial lakes in Romania, which superbly reflects in sunny days the mighty Ceahlău Mountain.

The grand finale of the day is going to be delivered by a 44km / 27mi long recently asphalted secondary road which is impressively snaking through the valleys and forests of the East Carpathian Mountains. The adrenaline boost you will get on it is going to be memorable.

We will spend the night over in Bucovina, another authentic historical region of Romania, mostly known for its picturesque landscape and the UNESCO designated medieval outside painted monasteries, built in the late 15th to the late 16th centuries. The region is rich in history, ancient traditions, and customs. The craftsmen are preserving the traditions handed over from generation to generation. Masks, traditional costumes, painted eggs, carved wooden objects, embroideries and carpets are still part of daily life.

Hotel check-in in Câmpulung Moldovenesc at an excellent rated hotel with swimming pool and spa facilities, an excellent opportunity for you to unwind after such an adrenaline full riding day and enjoy the famous local hospitality, as well as the delicious traditional cuisine. Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Câmpulung Moldovenesc.

DAY 8 CÂMPULUNG MOLDOVENESC – TRANSRARĂU PASS ROAD – PRISLOP & GUTÂI PASS – BAIA MARE (273km / 169,3mi)

 This morning is time to check out again after enjoying breakfast. Your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager is meeting you at the bikes, a spectacular riding day awaits you.

Today you are going to be hit by an incredible adrenaline boost while riding the twists and turns of three spectacular passes of the East Carpathian Mountains.

You better warm up your tires right away, as we will start the day with full power by reaching the Transrarău Pass Road soon after departing the hotel. The “Treasures Road” as it is also called, is considered the third most beautiful alpine road of Romania. Crossing the Rarău Mountain on a length of 26 km/16mi, climbing up to an elevation of 1.400 m/4593ft, the narrowness of the road and the sharp hairpins, will give you the impression that you are riding on one of the pass roads of the Alps. The scenery is going to be spectacular, don’t get lured though, as the extremely narrow and sharp bends will require your entire focus and riding skills.

Following we will get slowly ready to leave Bucovina behind us, by relaxing a bit the pace while riding through some picturesque villages. Soon it is going to be though the time to speed up again the pace and enjoy the adrenaline full ride on the turns and twist of the 70km / 43mi long Prislop Pass Road, the highest road of the East Carpathian Mountains, which is winding up to an elevation of 1.416m / 4,646ft. You should take your time though to enjoy the spectacular scenery as well, as the pass road is surrounded by mountain picks going over 2000m / 6561ft in elevation.

Once you have descended the western side of the Prislop Pass, slow down and catch your breath, it will be a total delight to ride through the incredibly picturesque historical region of Maramureș, one of the most authentic regions of Romania. It is a place where time seems to have stopped, where century-old traditions are still part of daily life, a region where the rural culture, the ancestral customs and crafts have been carefully preserved, being passed from generation to generation.

As more than half of the region is still covered with woodlands, the local craftsmanship has used wood since immemorable times, for building their houses and churches, as well as for their ancestral artwork. Maramureș, is identifying itself with woodworking and woodcarving, best represented by the impressive architecture of centuries old, unique wooden churches with tall spires and shingled roofs, many of them being UNESCO designated sites, or by the carved wooden gates decorated with ancestral geometrical and vegetal symbols.

Short before calling off the riding day, we will ride along secondary countryside roads, crossing picturesque villages to reach the Gutâi Pass Road. With its 28.5km / 17.7mi of serpentines and sharp hairpins, the Gutâi Pass Road is snaking up to an elevation of 993m / 3,257ft offering spectacular views over endless forests.

Hotel check-in in Baia Mare at an excellent rated hotel with swimming pool and spa facilities, an excellent opportunity for you to unwind and relax after such a demanding riding day. Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Baia Mare.

DAY 9 BAIA MARE – ORADEA (266km / 165mi)

Enjoy your breakfast, check out and join your 2 Wheels Adventure Manager for a last riding day in Transylvania.

During the morning we will follow scenic countryside roads crossing picturesque villages in the western part of the Maramureș Region. Here and then you will have the chance to treat yourselves with enjoyable adrenaline kicks on the twisting sections of the roads.

Our lunch break is planned, to your surprise, at a Slovakian restaurant, surrounded by an idyllic scenery, in the vicinity of few villages inhabited by a large Slovakian community. Their ancestors were broth here in the 19th century as workers at the glass factories in the area.

After having the opportunity to treat yourselves with the traditional specialties of the Slovakian cuisine, a memorable adrenaline kick awaits you, as we are going to ride a spectacularly twisting and turning secondary road that goes mildly up and down over the relatively low northern outskirts of the West Carpathian Mountains. Although you will tend to increase the pace, for getting the maximum adrenaline boost out of the ride, don’t forget to slow down from time to time and enjoy the spectacular scenery.

After checking in at an excellent rated hotel in Oradea and getting refreshed, you will meet a local expert cultural guide who will take you on a guided walk through the historical downtown.

Oradea is an old hub of many European trade routes with an impressive history. You will discover a welcoming and vibrant city, which will surprise you with a stunning architectural mix of beautifully restored Art Nouveau buildings displayed harmoniously across the city, among secession, baroque, and medieval architecture.

In the Unirii Square, after having spotted some of the must-see attractions like the Baroque Moon Church, and the “Black Eagle” Palace, the most representative Art Nouveau monument of Oradea and Transylvania we will follow the cities recommendation, made on its official webpage, and we will take a seat on a terrace of one of the cozy cafés, and we will simply ” enjoy the moment”.

It is going to be you to decide if getting back to the hotel after the guided stroll or rather extending the “enjoyment of the moment” at the terrasses until we will be gathering for the farewell dinner in the evening.

The Farewell Dinner is going to an excellent opportunity to celebrate the completion of this spectacular 2 Wheels Transylvania Discovery Adventure. Overnight in Oradea.

DAY 10 ORADEA DEPARTURE DAY

Enjoy your breakfast and check out, today is time to say goodbye to the 2 Wheels Adventures Team, which is going to join you though for a short last ride to the border crossing between Romania and Hungary. Have a safe ride to your homes!