Tour of Banat region in Romania: nature and quaint villages

Daily schedule:

Day 1

We start our tour in Timisoara, Banat’s main city. From here we travel to Gărâna (Wolfsberg), a mountain village once inhabited by Germans, now empty most time of the year except when a Jazz or Folk Festival take place. In the afternoon we hike to Lindenfeld, a village totally deserted but worth the effort.

Day 2

In the morning we row the boat on a lake, relax and even take a swim if weather allows. In the afternoon we travel to Anina through wonderful mountainous landscape. From here we take one of the oldest trains in Romania through a picturesque 34km route carved through mountain by hand and going through 14 tunnels and over 10 viaducts.

Day 3

Early breakfast followed by a wonderful hike along the river until we find the turquoise Beului Lake and further on through a butterfly-rich meadow. We’ll have a picnic lunch near a small waterfall and in the afternoon we’ll hike on a path with tunnels built by Romans.

Day 4

Welcome to the past! In Eftimie Murgu village we find 20 water mills, many of them still functioning and locals using them for grinding the flour they use for baking. We’ll join a family in grinding some corn and then cooking polenta and eat it with a traditional dish. If weather allows we can go to a sheepfold and have the meal there. We’ll also visit some locals who are concerned with preserving the local heritage so they created their own little museums. We’ll spend the night with locals.

Day 5

Our tour of Banat continues with a drive and then a hike to  an even more remote village of some 50 people who live without electricity. To get there we hike and then climb a 40m wooden stairs leaned against the mountain. We learn about their living conditions and way of life and have lunch there.

In the afternoon we pass by Baile Herculane, a famous spa from named after Hercules. We’ll have a bath in its warm thermal waters and spend the night by the Danube.

Day 6

We’ll have a 2 hours boat ride through the mighty Danube Gorge. It is here that the Danube is the narrowest and deepest, passing through mountains, a truly magnificent place. After lunch we drive to Făget, visit a wooden church (of many in that part of Banat) and meet local craftsmen: some of the last potters from a village with a long tradition and a wood carver.

In the evening we’ll have a wine tasting dinner, trying some of the best local wines from the Miniş-Măderat vineyards.

Day 7

Relaxing morning, drive to Timişoara, the capital city of Banat region where our tour will end. Here we will have a city tour to discover the rich history of the city and of the Banat region and how the 1989 revolution which lead to the fall of communism in Romania began.

Detailed tour information