ROMANIA & UKRAINE & HUNGARY 4 DAYS

On  this  day, we  will travel  through the northern  part of Romania, through  Maramures – a secluded, wooded, pristine rural area in the far north of the country, along the border with Ukraine. A lonely winding road leads through the wonderfully high passes and we marvel at fascinating sceneries. On the way, we will visit some of the numerous wooden churches, such as Borsa and Bogdan Voda. They are outstanding examples of sacred architecture, typical of the Northern Romania. It is understandable that in such an area, wood is the most important building material. With  their shingled  slender wooden church  towers, built without not  a single metal nail, the churches  are masterpieces of wooden architecture. Carved  wooden fences and richly ornamented courtyard gates  of the farmsteads are a true feast for the eye. They are furnished inside like orthodox churches. Afterwards we reach Sighet and explore the unique charm of this city. For centuries Sighet formed a cultural and geographic border between Ukrainian territories to the north and Hungary and Romania to the south. On the site of the former prison, we visit the memorial to the victims of communism. In the museum, in about 50 showrooms in the former cellblock, you will find an interesting collection of photographs, different objects and documents. Our next stop is the “Merry Cemetery” in Sapanta, which is said to be quite a queer attraction. There is a rhyme carved  on the blue-painted and patterned crosses just next to the portrait of the deceased, as an ironic tribute – a true carnival of death. In the evening we cross the Ukrainian border and come to Mukachevo to stay in this town for a night.

After the breakfast we will browse through the town of Mukachevo. The city is interspersed with its Hungarian and Austrian past – the modern town hall in Market Square, the white residence of the Rakoczi family and St. Joseph chapel. The showcase foundation of the castle “Palanok” is a 68 meter high dormant volcano. It watches over the city lying below, wide open to all eyes and winds. The fortress dates back to the 13th century and for a long period belonged to the Rakoczi family. The castle boasts of 130 rooms that now function as museum premises. During our lunch we will enjoy traditional Lemkos cuisine. Lemkos are small ethnic sub-group inhabiting the Carpathian Mountains. After the lunch break we will visit the biggest town of the Transcarpathian region and on top of this, we will have a time to taste true Ukrainian vine. Uzhgorod is located in the triangle area between Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. The city’s unique location and influence of many different cultures have made it definite destination on the tourist map. Uzhhorod is also well-known for its greenery – walking through city streets, you understand that Uzhhorod has its own, discrepant from other cities rhythm. You get a feeling of eternal peacefulness. It is no wonder that people here are happy as no one in a hurry. In the evening, we will return to Mukachevo and stay there overnight.

Right after breakfast we leave Mukachevo and head towards Budapest, the largest city in Hungary and one of the world’s most beautiful cities on the UNESCO’s World Heritage list. You will be amazed with its magnificent architecture, modern life style and old-fashioned charm simultaneously, delicious cuisine and wines of Budapest or as it is often called the “Paris of East” or “Pearl of the Danube”. There we have 2 hour long sightseeing tour that brings us to the most beautiful attractions in this remarkable city – Heroes’ City Square, the Park (Varosliget) with its Vaydahunyad castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Cathedral, where European royal families got married in the course of a few centuries, a monument to the Holy Trinity and the Royal Palace itself.