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0845 3000 247 +44 (0)1539 531258 |
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ON THE TRAIL OF DRACULA - THE FICTION |
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"Borgo" (Bargau ) Pass Hotel Castel Dracula Jonathan Harker's Journey (Carriage ride to Castel Dracula) Bistrita ("Bistritz") "Golden Krone Inn" (Hotel Coroana de Aur) Cluj ("Klausenburg") |
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- THE FACTS |
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Bucharest (Curtea Veche) Targoviste (Princely Court / Chindia Tower) Curtea de Arges Arefu Poienari Castle Ruins Sighisoara (Schässburg) Brasov (Tampa Hill) Fagaras Snagov Monastery |
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DRACULA HOLIDAYS 2008 with Transylvania Uncovered |
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Scheduled Tours - Ultimate Halloween (NEW) Tours for Groups/ Societies (on request) Brief Encounter (Short-break holidays) Trail of Jonathan Harker (Carriage Ride to Castle Dracula) Dracula Trail (Bespoke Tours) |
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BESPOKE DRACULA TOURS We can organise flights, accommoddation, car hire & provide information to assist you should you prefer to travel independently If you want just a taste we can incorporate parts of the Dracula Trail into any Romanian itinerary |
Dracula - Discover the Truth!
Follow in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker to Count Dracula's castle in the "Borgo Pass"
... or, discover that fact can be stranger than fiction on the trail of the real-life Dracula
"Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road - a long, agonized wailing as if from fear. The sound was taken up by another dog, then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night. ... Then, far off in the distance, from the mountains on each side of us began a louder and sharper howling - that of wolves!"
[ Bram Stoker "Dracula", 1897 ]
Superstitions, myths and legend are rife in this part of Transylvania
- a fear of the unknown in this remote corner of Europe
0845 3000 247
+44 (0)1539 531258
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT DRACULA - TAKE ONE OF OUR SPECIAL TOURS
Whether you are a serious Dracula enthusiast or you just want to discover the truth about Dracula
these are the tours for YOU - researched in great depth, tried and tested
and escorted by professional experts in the field;
these are the tours that will bring you closest to unravelling the truth - and they are also great fun!
In our opinion these are by far the best Dracula Tours available today
ALL TOURS CAN ALSO BE TAILORED FOR CLUBS & SOCIETIES
COUNT DRACULA
THE DRACULA COLLECTION 2008
The well-known Dracula, a vampire count, subject of
hundreds of horror films, was created by an Irishman,
Bram Stoker, in 1897.
The book begins with the journey of Jonathan Harker,
a naive English lawyer dispatched to Transylvania
to finalise the deeds on the sale of a property in
London for the Count.
He stays at the Golden Krone Hotel in Bistritz
before travelling up the "Borgo Pass" to Castle Dracula
despite warnings to the contrary.
Although Stoker had never been to Transylvania
the locations used are real and surprisingly accurate.
Stoker describes the orchards of Bistritz then
"beyond the green swelling hills of the Mittel Land
rose mighty slopes of forest up to the lofty peaks
of the Carpathians themselves".
In our opinion the remote "Borgo" Pass is
one of the most beautiful places on the continent
of Europe - the dark forests, the peaks of the
Caliman, Suhard and Rodnei mountains and yes,
in the autumn and winter the night air is filled with
the chilling howls of the wolves!
ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN 2008
Halloween 29.10.2008 to 2.11.2008 & 3.11.2008
5-6 days/ 4-5 nights
This is the Ultimate Halloween Dracula tour blending fact and fiction as we make our way through the wilderness of northern Transylvania. We do not fool you with the fake castle at Bran, nor do we expect you to spend Halloween in the safety of an international ski resort! Rather, we take you in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker to track down Count Dracula in the remote Borgo Pass, Our tour starts Cluj, the cultural capital of Imperial Transylvania. The Hungarians called it 'Kolozsvar', the Saxons 'Klausenburg'. But we have no time to explore it treasures just yet since we have a train to catch, to take us to old Bistritz (Bistrita) where we dine, and spend a night in the 'Golden Krone'. There is barely time to pray for forgivemness since, despite the warnings, we must push on further and deeper into the remote Carpathians to seek out the Vampire Count in his homeland. We ride through the infamous orchards of the Mitteland (in springtime ' a bewildering mass of fruit blossom') and ascend into the Bargau Mountains. When the road becomes impassable we transfer to horses and carts to ascend the 'Borgo Pass', by cart and forest tracks following in the footsteps of Jonathan Harker ever deeper into the wolf-ridden forest. We pause at a woodcutters hut for a picnic before finally reaching the summit as the day draws to a close. The nght is spent in the pass, at Hotel Castel Dracula, legendary home of Count Dracula. For those that have survived so far, we journey onwards through the beautiful, but mysterious, Transylvanian Highlands. Note the numerous roadside crosses, protection for travellers. We pass near to 'Dracula' village to reach the old 'Hungarian' city of Targu Mures. Our Halloween tour reaches its apogee in the extravagant 'Vampires Ball' amidst the fortified citadel of Târgu Mures - we are even expecting a visit from the Count himself. After all, this was the place where the last witch was burned in Transylvania! The following morning we venture into the historic domains of Vlad the Impaler to visit his birthplace in Sighisoara, perhaps the best preserved mediaeval walled town in central or eastern Europe. Those on the 5 day tour will leave us now, travelling by train back to Cluj for a final night before their early morning flight back home. For those on the extended tour we explore Sighisoara and enjoy lunch in one of the Saxon villages before spending a night in one of the historic hotels in the old citadel. In the morning we travel onwards to Biertan where we visit the impressive UNESCO listed fortress church. Our final leg takes over the Transylvanian heath back to the lights of Imperial Cluj for one more night.
Cluj - train to Bistrita (Bistritz) - Carpathian 'Mittelland' - Bargau Mountains - Jonathan Harker Trail (Horse & Cart) - Borgo Pass - Hotel Castle Dracula - Bistrita - Târgu Mures (Vampire Ball in the Citadel) - - Sighisoara - Brasov - Cluj. The 5 day tour allows more time for Sighisoara and visits the spectacular fortress at Biertan
2008 DATES:
- HALLOWEEN - 29.10.2008 - 2.11.2008 from £ 559.00 per person FURTHER DETAILS
- HALLOWEEN - 29.10.2008 - 3.11.2008 from £ 644.00 per person FURTHER DETAILS
Note: short break holidays incorporating the Vampire Ball are available on request
2. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS (Short-Breaks) 2008
The following short breaks have been designed to be incorporated into your Romania holiday or can be taken as stand alone holidays. Prices are quoted without flights. However, we can also book all scheduled flight requirements and offer you full cover under our ATOL licences. Please note these are examples - they can be extended or modified as required. We can also offer group tours or even incentives or treasure trails for clubs or businesses.
(A). SEMI-INDEPENDENT SHORT-BREAKS
1. BEAUTY & THE BEAST
(Painted Monasteries + Jonathan Harker Trail + Transylvania)
FROM £ 479.00 per person
7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Bucharest (excludes flights)
2. JONATHAN HARKER TRAIL
FROM £ 319.00 per person
5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
Daily Departures from Bucharest (excludes flights)
3. PINT-SIZE DRACULA
FROM £ 239.00 per person
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Cluj (excludes flights)
This tour has been designed to fit in with MALEV or WIZZ flights to Cluj Napoca
FLEXIBLE DEPARTURES - prices available for groups or families FURTHER DETAILS
ALL PRICES ARE £ STERLING AND ARE BASED ON EURO EXCHANGE RATES.
THEY MAY BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY DUE TO CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS
(B). FULLY-ESCORTED SHORT-BREAKS
4. DRACULA: REALM OF VLAD THE IMPALER
FROM £ 249.00 per person
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Bucharest (excludes flights)
A Special intensive tour embracing the territories of Vlad Dtacula with Transylvania. Highlights include Curtea de Arges, Poienari - the rewal Castle Dracula, Bran Castle, Sighisoara and Brasov
It can be organised and adapted for groups or individuals alike.
5. DRACULA: DOMAIN OF THE VAMPIRE COUNT
FROM £ 269.00 per person
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS - Daily Departures from Târgu Mures (excludes flights)
A Special intensive tour combining the domains of Stoker's Count Dracula: Bistrita & the Borgo Pass
with the mediaeval birthplace of Vlad the Impaler - Sighisoara
FLEXIBLE DEPARTURES - prices available for groups or families FURTHER DETAILS
ALL PRICES ARE £ STERLING AND ARE BASED ON EURO EXCHANGE RATES.
THEY MAY BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY DUE TO CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS
5. Alternative Tailor-made itineraries for individuals (only part-guided)
JONATHAN HARKER TRAIL 2008
We can create a wide variety of tailor-made tours for travellers who would like a degree of independence. The "Jonathan Harker Trail" is a flexible, tailor-made tour designed for individuals or small groups, featuring an ascent by horse-drawn caleche up to the "Borgo" Pass summit and Hotel Castel Dracula, the Painted Monasteries and Sighisoara. It can be extended or otherwise modified to meet your needs. Please contact us for further details. An example itinerary follows below:
See also our BRIEF ENCOUNTER section for a selection of bespoke short break ideas
SAMPLE ITINERARY
(7 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS – Available throughout the year) FURTHER DETAILS
DAY 1 Scheduled flight from UK to Bucharest; Meet & Greet service, transfer to Bucharest Nord station
Intercity train to Suceava (1st Class) – Arrives late evening
Hotel Classic 1 (3*), Suceava - bed & breakfast for 2 nights
DAY 2 Personal tour of the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina with a car and professional guide (full day)
DAY 3 Scenic train ride to the pretty village of Lunca Ilvei in the Bargau Mountains
"Footsteps of Jonathan Harker" - by horse-drawn caleche following forest tracks up to the
'Borgo' Pass (4 hours); Hotel Castle Dracula - bed & breakfast for 1 night
DAY 4 Guided tour/ transfer by car via Bistrita (Bistritz) to Sighisoara; Hotel Casa Wagner (3*), Sighisoara
DAY 5 Explore Sighisoara in the morning; train to Brasov in the afternoon
Hotel Casa Wagner (3*), Brasov - bed & breakfast for 2 nights
DAY 6 Free time to explore mediaeval Brasov; optional: taxi or bus to Bran Castle (45 minutes)
DAY 7 Morning Inter-city train to Bucharest; Transfer to Airport and scheduled flight back to the UK
PRICE RANGE 2008: £ 679.00 - £ 769.00 per person
Based on two people sharing a twin/ double room, and subject to availability
Includes scheduled flights, airport taxes, transfers as indicated, trains to/from Bucharest, flexible, personal guided tour of the Painted Monasteries (excluding entrance fees or meals), Caleche journey to the Borgo Pass, car and driver from Castle Dracula to Sighisoara, bed & breakfast accommodation throughout
Extra days can be added,
ALL PRICES ARE £ STERLING AND ARE BASED ON EURO EXCHANGE RATES.
THEY MAY BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY DUE TO CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS
NEW: JONATHAN HARKER TRAIL + TOUCH OF CLASS PROGRAMME FURTHER DETAILS
VLAD DRACULA
"THE IMPALER"
PRINCE OF WALLACHIA
Stoker drew his inspiration from a number of sources
but following his discovery of a pamphlet about the
15th century Prince of Wallachia - Vlad Dracula
- his vampire count gained an identity.
Vlad was born in Sighisoara in Transylvania in 1431
- the house where he was born still stands today
and now contains a restaurant.
He lived during a time of great conflict.
Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire
of the Turks in 1453 and his father joined the
Order of Dragon - a union of eastern and central
European rulers - to repel further expansion.
Years were spent as a hostage of the Turks
before Vlad took the throne of Wallachia
in Targoviste and attempted to rid his country
of subservience to the Turks.
Knowledge gained from captivity enabled him
to use terror tactics against wayward landlords
to gain obedience and against the Turks
who attempted to invade Wallachia and capture him.
Dracula means "Son of the Devil",
and this nickname, in addition to "the Impaler",
were soon applied to Vlad.
On one occasion they were repulsed by the sight
of a forest of the victims of a previous invasion
impaled outside the capital Targoviste.
He was later deposed by his brother, who
sided with the Turks and he fled from his castle
in the gorge of the Arges at Poienari,
aided by the villagers of Arefu, across the
mountains to Transylvania, where he was sheltered
for while in the mountain castle of "Königstein"
(Piatra Craiului), now a ruin above the Rucar Pass
Vlad returned to the throne of Wallachia
only to be murdered a few months later.
His decapitated remains were buried at
Snagov Monastery near Bucharest,
which he had once partly converted into a prison.
The capital itself was first recorded during the time
of his first reign when he built a citadel there.
is a Division of BCD Meetings & Incentives
1 Atkinson Court, Fell Foot, Newby Bridge, Cumbria, United Kingdom LA12 8NW
Tel. +44 (0)1539 531258 or UK local rate: 0845 3000 247; Email. travel@beyondtheforest.com
ATOL 3319 - IATA 91267691
The air holidays and flights shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL nrmber is ATOL 3319.
ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.
Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more.
