Via Transilvanica - Bucovina

We'll pick you up from Suceava around noon, either from the airport or your hotel if you're arriving the night before. From there, we'll drive to Putna, where we’ll visit the burial place of Stefan the Great, which is also the starting point of the trail. Then, in the late afternoon, we begin our ride. This section includes a very steep uphill for about 100 meters, requiring you to push your bike and then a stretch of about 1,5 km of technical single trail, rooty and narrow uphill, then narrow on the flat on top of the hill and then a section of downhill single trail with roots and narrow and steep sections. This track leads us into the neighbouring valley to Sucevița, where we will spend the night.

Today's steep terrain means it is more suited to hiking than cycling. First we will visit Sucevița's painted monastery, built by three brothers in 1583. Then we will head through the forest into the mountains, where we’ll enjoy fabulous views over the terrain we'll cover in the following days. We will have lunch with a local farmer next to his meadow before making our way along the ridge before descending into Vatra Moldovitei. Time depending, there will be the opportunity to visit the Museum of Painted Eggs, which exhibits over 11,000 intricately painted pieces of art that are traditional of the Bucovina region. Dinner is at our guest house.

During our third and final painted monastery visit in Vatra Moldovitei, we’ll see the predominantly gold and blue exterior murals, one of which depicts the Siege of Constantinople. Then it's onto the bikes for a short ride across alpine flower meadows where cattle graze. At some point we will leave the bikes behind and walk up into a spruce forest, climbing over a mountain that sees us at our highest altitude of the entire journey. We will have a picnic by a small lake before jumping on the bikes again and cycling all the way to Fundu Moldovei, where we’ll have a hearty dinner washed down with local homemade spirits. Our guest house is La Moara.

After breakfast we will set out from our guest house up and over the rim of the valley, passing fairytale meadows, old wooden barn and classic Romanian haystacks. Aside from a quick coffee stop in a small town, we will stay off-road all the way to a remote mountain cabin where we will stop for lunch. We’ll continue on quiet tracks through an ancient forest, home to brown bears, deer and even lynx. We will pass through Vatra Dornei and end the day with a steady climb up a ski hill with rewarding views of neighbouring valleys. We’ll spend the night in Poiana Negri, which is situated in a tranquil valley and known for its mineral spring water.

This morning will begin with a gentle roll out of Poiana Negri before we ride an excellent singletrack trail through the forest. We will stop in Lunca Ilvei to have lunch at a small restaurant owned by some friends. This afternoon we will once again head off-road, this time leaving Bucovina's borders and entering the fringes of the Rodnei Mountains. We'll cycle through a beautiful mix of meadows and forests to Piatra Fantanele whilst surrounded by stunning views. This evening we’ll be treated to a feast and live music to celebrate completing our journey along Bucovina's section of the Via Transilvanica.

Today we enjoy a traditional lunch with a local host who has an amazing collection of Romanian painted pottery. We’ll say our goodbyes and drive you to the airport to meet the recommended flight.