| Romania Adoption Homeland Tour |
 |
 |
 |
For prices and supplemental information please see below. For those who have adopted from a foreign country, a visit back to the place of adoption is very special. The long hard road to adoption - all of the paperwork, the months and years of waiting, hopes raised and then dashed - culminated in a strange place a world away from their normal lives in the United States. The visit to the orphanage, the emotions involved, the moment when the new son or daughter was finally in your arms, the trip to the clinic, the embassy, and then the long plane ride back home are all important memories. For those who were adopted from Romania things are a little different! Most have no memory of their life in Romania and for them Romania is a great mystery. What does Romania look like? What are the people like? Where is my biological family now? Do I look like Romanians? These are all common questions asked by those who were adopted. Now they have normal lives in the United States: parents, schools, teachers, habits, likes and dislikes…but they still ask themselves, "where do I come from, who am I, where is my place in the world"? For these reasons, and many more, many families strongly desire to make a trip back to the place of adoption - Romania!
Our twelve-day Romania Adoption Homeland Tour is designed to take you on an unforgettable journey of exploration. You will discover Romania as it really is! Your tour will be led by an American missionary living and working with orphans in Romania. Throughout your trip he will be your constant guide through the history, culture, language, cuisine, and, of course, the people that are Romania! You will visit all of the major regions of Romania and will see its most spectacular sights! You will even have the opportunity to meet Romanians and spend time with orphans in Oradea. Special sessions will be held where questions can be asked and answered regarding Romania, adoption, reasons for child abandonment, differences between ethnic Romanians and Roma (Gypsies), and much more. Much attention and time will be spent making this a thorough learning experience for all involved and a visit never to be forgotten!
Itinerary
What a strange land Romania is. Although recently accepted into the European Union and on its way to recovering from the scars of the communist party, led by the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania remains a unique country and very different from other countries in Europe.  Medieval Sibiu in Transylvania!Medieval cities like Brasov, Sighisoara, and Sibiu are unforgettable. The Carpathian mountain range carves a U-shape through Romania and offers some of the most remote territory left in Europe…complete with bears and wolves! Quite different is crowded Bucharest, Romania's capital, which before Communism was called the Paris of the East and is home to the world's second largest building after the Pentagon! And could you really come to Romania without being able to say you saw Dracula's castle?! A trip to Romania is a unique experience - but be careful! Romania has a way of grabbing a hold of you and not a few have found it hard to leave, and have come back again and again. Day One Bucharest is the capitol of Romania and has a population of around two million inhabitants. It is, like much of the country, a study in contrasts. Before communism Bucharest sported the nickname "Paris of the East". Then came Ceausescu! "Inspired" by a trip to several communist countries in the 1980's, especially North Korea, Ceausescu returned to Romania determined to create his own socialist empire. He set about destroying a good portion of the historic city center and building the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon in Washington D.C., the People's Palace. The Ceausescus (Nicolae's wife, Elena, was very active in running the country along with her husband) ruled until 1989 when the people finally had enough, revolted, and executed them. But their horrible legacy has scarred the country and many years will be necessary to recover from their megalomaniacal rule. While in Bucharest we will see the old and the new. A tour of the People's Palace is a must but we will also see some of the old city in order to understand why Bucharest was called the Paris of the East.
Ceausescu's Palace of Parliament (People's Palace) Building
Upon arrival at Otopeni International Airport in Bucharest we will provide transfer to our hotel and then an optional walking tour of Bucharest for those too excited to sleep! In the evening we will have a welcome dinner where we will get to know each other, go over our itinerary, have a question and answer session, and get ready for our unforgettable twelve-day adventure! Day Two Our tour of Bucharest today will take in all of the important sites including Revolution Square, Calea Victoriei, and the monstrous Palace of Parliament. Bucharest is an excellent city for walking and that is just what we will do!
Our day will be happily spent meandering around the city, taking in the atmosphere, and sampling the local food. Day Three After a good night's sleep we will make our way to Brasov, one of Romania's big three medieval Saxon towns. But on the way, one of Romania's top destinations awaits us - Peles Palace.
Home of Romanian monarchs until World War II, a tour of Peles is a must! Its mountainous location in the resort town of Sinaia located in the Prahova Valley sets the stage for an educational tour of the palace. Also here we'll have the opportunity to take the cable car far up into the Bucegi Mountains, a part of the fabulous Transylvanian Alps, to view the high alpine scenery! Upon leaving the Sinaia area we will be passing over into Transylvania! The word "Transylvania" usually conjures up images of Dracula, werewolves, spooky castles and blood-sucking bats - nothing could be further from the truth! In reality, Transylvania is one of the last places where you can see Europe as it was. After a hearty meal in Brasov we'll take an optional abbreviated walking tour of the historic center to see the sights at night! Day Four Day four will start with a visit to the 14th century Rasnov fortress. Built to protect against Tatar and Turkish invasions, Rasnov makes an interesting morning day trip from Brasov before we tour the city!
Brasov is rightly one of Romania's top tourist destinations! Its medieval center, baroque architecture and interesting history will keep us busy for the rest of the day.
Brasov is, like Bucharest, a walking town, so we'll stretch our legs and see the sights which will include: Piata Sfatului (Council Square), Biserica Neagra (the Black Church), the old defensive walls with the White and Black Towers, the Schei District, St. Nicholas' Cathedral and, for those who still have the energy, a hike up Mt. Tampa for breathtaking views over Brasov! (Well, maybe we'll cheat and use the cable car!) Day Five Day five is chock full of sights, the first of which is the famous Dracula's castle! Officially called Bran castle, this is the tourist destination for those on Dracula tours, even though Vlad Tepes never lived here! However, for most this little piece of information is irrelevant as Bran Castle is, indeed, a fascinating medieval castle which can be a little spooky also!
Yes, Dracula is a legend created by Bram Stocker's 1897 novel, which was set in Transylvania. However, there was a real Dracula whose name was Vlad Tepes.
In reality Vlad Tepes was a great Romanian prince who defended his country against the Ottoman Turk onslaught of the fifteenth century, albeit in an extremely cruel manner. His preferred method of terrorizing the Turkish hordes was to torture them by impaling them, thus his moniker, Vlad "The Impaler". The Transylvanian Alps form the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, two of the three principle areas of Romania, along with Moldavia. We will briefly leave Transylvania to cross back into Wallachia between the magnificent Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountain ranges.
Here you will have ample opportunity to sample the local handicrafts and delicacies. Cheeses and wool products abound here, as do Dracula souvenirs! A short stop in Curtea de Arges will allow us a visit to a working Romanian Orthodox monastery of whose beginnings are the stuff of legends taught to all Romanian youngsters. Heading back up towards the mountains and into Transylvania we will stop off at Poienari, the real Dracula's castle (as opposed to Bran Castle). Those braving the 1480 steps up to the top will be rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. On up higher into the Transylvanian Alps and toward Romania's highest peak, Mount Moldoveanu, we go as we cross the high mountain passes on the TransFagarasan road on our way to Sibiu! This road was built in the 1970's, in case of a Soviet invasion, by Romania's megalomaniacal dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu.
The Transylvanian Alps are the highest mountain range in Romania and are the last extension of the famous Austrian and Swiss Alps much further west. The mountain scenery here is breathtaking! Day Six Today we will tour one of Romania's most beautiful cities, Sibiu! Called Hermannstadt in German, Sibiu is, along with Sighisoara and Brasov, one of Transylvania's big three Saxon cities.
In the twelfth century peoples from western Germany, called Saxons, were invited to settle lands in Romania. They thrived here and were an integral part of Romania until the time of communism. Now very few Saxons still live in Romania, but their architecture and influence remain for us to see! Sibiu was designated "Capitol of Culture" by the EU in 2007 and thus received a complete makeover. The old town has been renovated and Sibiu is a wonderful place to stroll around and enjoy the European atmosphere. Our tour will include the three major squares in Sibiu - Piata Mare, Piata Mica, and Piata Huet; a climb to the top of the Gothic Evangelical Church, the Council Tower, and the Liar's Bridge.
The houses have eyes in Sibiu! In addition, we will take an optional afternoon tour of the Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization. This interesting outdoor museum boasts dwellings, churches, and other traditional buildings from different areas of Romania relocated here and arranged in a pleasant forest setting just outside of Sibiu. Day Seven Day seven leads us to one of the most unique areas left in Europe and one that will most certainly be a highlight of your Romanian trip - The Fortified Saxon Church Villages! The threat from the Turks in the 15th and 16th centuries resulted in the construction of fortress-like churches that doubled as houses of worship and places of refuge in times of need.
This area is not heavily travelled and the villages, churches, and surrounding countryside are pure magic! We'll have a wonderful time wondering around this area exploring the many villages and churches along the way.
Sighisoara's narrow, medieval streets and gothic architecture will have you thinking of knights and maidens as we stroll around this hilltop fortress! The birthplace of Vlad Tepes, Sighisoara is a medieval paradise that brings in the tourists who eat up the Dracula-themed restaurants, hotels, and souvenirs. Day Eight On our way from Sighisoara to Piatra Neamt today we will pass through Szekely Land. What in the world is Szekely Land? Szekelys are ethnic Hungarians living in this region of Transylvania. The Szekelys speak Hungarian (sometimes to the consternation of Romanians) and have their own newspapers and culture.
Miercurea Ciuc in Szekely Land!
We will pass through Szekely Land and its principal cities of Odorheiu Secuiesc and Miercurea Ciuc (pronouncing lessons will be provided on the tour!) before crossing over the Carpathian Mountain range for the first time on our way to Bicaz Gorge and the Red Lake! Bicaz Gorge is one of the most stunning natural features in Romania. 1,000 foot cliffs tower over us as we snake our way through the gorge on our way to the earthquake-formed Red Lake. We'll stop at the "Gates of Hell" section of the gorge to gaze upwards and to do a little tourist shopping at the artisan stands next to the road. Piatra Neamt is our destination for this evening and after getting settled in to our hotel and a nice meal we'll take an optional stroll around the old town!
Day Nine On day nine we will arrive at the spectacular Painted Monasteries of Bucovina. These monasteries are recognized by UNESCO as world heritage sites and are among the most important artistic sites in Europe! But what are the Painted Monasteries? When the Ottoman Turks invaded in the 14th and 15th centuries the monasteries became a gathering place for the armies and the local peasants. Being illiterate and unable to understand the Slavic liturgy of the church, the beautiful monasteries were decorated on the inside and out with paintings of Biblical events intended to educate the people.
The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina remain a mystery, however, as the extraordinary colors remain to this day despite being exposed to the harsh Moldavian weather conditions. It is still undetermined how some of the dyes were created and, even with modern science, no one has been able to duplicate them.
Day Ten Today's tour will take us to one of the most unique rural areas left in Europe - Maramures! Maramures is likely to be as far away culturally as you have ever been from the United States. Britney Spears, video games, shopping complexes, skyscrapers…not here!
One of the highlights of our Maramures trip will be the many UNESCO recognized wooden churches, magnificent structures constructed with craftsmanship and the pride of local artisans. Another wooden highlight of this area, who's main industry is logging, are the intricately carved gates that stand in front of peasant houses throughout this splendid area.
In Sighetu Maramatiei we will take a sobering visit to the former prison, now turned museum, where the cruel communist regime incarcerated and tortured many innocent people in their bid to take over control of the government and force the people into submission. The highlight of Maramures, however, has to be the Merry Cemetery of Sapanta. This most unique place is the life work of a man named Stan Ioan Patras who carved colorful wooden crosses for the village cemetery with humorous epitaphs related to the life of each person interred!
We will, sadly, leave the Maramures region but, happily, our destination this evening will be the capital of the Crisana region of Romania, Oradea, where baroque architecture dominates and the Hungarian influence will be felt. Day Eleven After a late breakfast we'll take a fascinating walking tour of Oradea. This whole region is very different from most of Romania and the Austro-Hungarian Empire's influence is strongly felt here. The baroque architecture is unique to this part of Romania and very different from what we have seen in Transylvania, Moldavia, and Bucharest!
One of the highlights of our tour today will be a private meal with a Romanian family! This family originally came from a small village but moved to Oradea to work. They have many stories of what Romania was like under communism and you'll being able to interact with them and ask questions about their lives - all the while eating a traditional, home-cooked, Romanian meal! Day Twelve Our last day may perhaps be our best as today we will enjoy a picnic (and an optional hike) with a group of orphans from Oradea! These young people were not adopted and have grown up in Romania in the state-run orphanages. This is an excellent chance for those adopted from Romania to interact with orphans, learn more about their lives in Romania…and to have a lot of fun at the same time! This evening we will have our farewell meal and our last question and answer session. Our day with the orphans is likely to bring up many questions about Romania, orphans, and adoption. We will do our best to explain these very delicate, and extremely complicated, subjects in an adequate and professional manner. We realize that Romania and the situation there can be very confusing for Westerners and so at our last meal, and indeed throughout our twelve-day adventure, we will strive to communicate the complexity of the social problems that exist. Sadly, the next day we must leave! Our tour ends at Ferihegy International Airport in Budapest, Hungary. (For information on extending your Romanian trip in the magnificent city of Budapest please click here.)
Our twelve-day Romania Adoption Homeland Tour is a life-changing, unforgettable experience through the land of your adoption. The memories and friendships made will last a lifetime. By the time our tour is over you will have been completely immersed in your homeland - the great country of Romania!
We are also pleased to offer Personalized Tours. These tours allow us to concentrate fully on your personal wishes and desires and are tailor-made so as to maximize your trip to Romania allowing us more freedom to go to places important to you such as orphanages and birth cities. Please see our Personalized Tours page for more information.
We are looking forward to seeing you in Romania!
|
