Bucharest 
     - the Little Paris Tour
 


Greek Byzantine and French heritage
- a half day or  evening tour

From your Bucharest residence drive through the main
boulevards:
Calea Victoriei ( Victory Avenue), under its old name
"  Mogosoaia Bridge" was laid down in the 17Th century
in order to link the Princely Residence in Bucharest
to the summer residence of Prince Constantin Brancoveanu
at Mogosoaia.
It developed,  in the 19Th century, when it became
"the Princely Road"


Cantacuzino Palace on Calea Victoriei belonged to
a famous princely family who came in Wallachia
from Greece in the 17Th century.
The widow of G.G. Cantacuzino, former prime-minister
and leader of the Conservative Party, married the greatest
Romanian musician, George Enescu, against her family wish
and nowadays the Palace became the Music Museum. 

Along Stirbei Street we arrive at Cotroceni Palace,
a princely residence build by Carol I on Cotroceni Hill
next to a former monastery.
The edifice had become later a second royal residence.
After ample renovations following the earthquake
that damaged it in 1977, Ceausescu made of it
an official 'guest house'.
In 1991 the Cotroceni Palace became the residence of
the president of Romania.

A necklace of lakes surrounds Bucharest and almost
near all of them there is a monastery or a castle.
Same as Brancoveanu's Castle build by the Lake Mogosoaia.
The founder of Mogosoaia Castle, Prince Constantin Brancoveanu,
was a great art lover and imposed in the Romanian architecture
the style called Brancoveanu.

Outside glimpse of: Elisabet Palace, Victoria Palace,
Cantacuzino Palace, Romanit Palace, the Royal Palace,
the Romanian Athenaeum, the Saving Bank Palace,
the old Palace of the Parliament,

 - Museums included: 
   Mogosoaia Palace,
   Kretzulescu Church 
  

- Major sites, museums not included,
   to be visited optional:

• Cotroceni Palace

• National History Museum,
• National Art Gallery Museum (inside Royal  Palace)
• Romanian Atheneum
• Museum of Art Collections
  
  services & rates  

   
  

  ^{4 hours Bucharest City tour departing  JW Marriott hotel}

  
  

  <sup>Military Academy Carol I 1926 learn about Romanian history   
  
  Prince Dracula national hero, Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula and Bela Lugoj’s Dracula
  
  Royal/Presidency Residence Cotroceni
  learn about Monarchy versus republic in Romania
  Botanic Garden
  University- National School of medicine and Pharmacy learn about public health
  St. Elefterie church,   Opera House and Law University
  Parliament House learn about People's House history, Ceausescu's epoch
  Patriarchal Hill: Patriarchal Church, learn about first modern Romanian Principates and religion
  in Romania with Orthodox Church history
  Unirii  Square - first settlement of Bucharest trade city center Manuc Inn, Old Court
  University Square. University and Architecture and Urbanism University
  Modern National Theater, Coltea Church and Hospital, Sutu Palace
  Revolution Revolution square : Sq Royal Palace1812- 1882. 1927 -1937 learn about last ruling days of King Michel
  ,and Ceausescu former Comunist Party Headquarters,  former Security  and Secret Service HQ
  Romanian Atheneum 1888, Cretzulescu Byzantine Church 1720-1722,
  Roman sq.:  Romanian Academy of Economic Studies 1913
  Victory sq.: Government Building 1937 /1944. Natural History and Peasant Museums 1906, Charles DeGaulle Sq, : Residential district, Herastrau Park and restaurants Pescarus
  Triumph Arch Sq.,
  Village Museum 1936
  Victory Ave.: Music Museum Cantacuzino Palace 1899.,
  Casinos, National Museum,
  Saving Bank 1875 , Carul cu Bere - The Beer Cart Rest 1879,
  Elsabeth Bulv : Officer’s Circle /Club  House 1912 , Mayor Town Hall,
  Cismigiu Garden</sup>

•  

   

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  Snagov and
   
  
  
  
  Caldarusani Monasteries
  
  
  - - Half day tour
  
  services & rates
  
  
  

   

Week-end in Bucharest
Romanian - capital city

Thursdays:
Arrive in Bucharest airport.
You will be met and transferred to your hotel choice by
our guide who will assist you with the check-in formalities.
Welcome dinner at local restaurant in Bucharest
(transfers included) and overnight.

Fridays:
Half a day tour of Bucharest followed by
visits to Village Museum and/or  Parliament’s Palace.
Free evening in Bucharest to explore the city on your
own or to relax. Overnight.

Saturdays:
A free day in Bucharest for exploration on your own.
You may choose as well to take  a  full day tour, too  
Accommodation in Bucharest,

Sundays:
Breakfast and transfer to Henri Coanda or Baneasa airport.



Week-end in Busteni
Romanian -  youth mountain resort 

The Carpathian Mountains are the eastern wing of
the great central mountain system of Europe
curving 1500 km (~900 miles) along the borders of
the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and
the Ukraine.
The Carpathians, which only in a few places attain
an altitude of over 2500 m,  are nowhere covered
by perpetual snow, and glaciers do not exist,
so that the Carpathians, even in their highest altitude,
recall the middle region of the Alps, with which,
however, they have many points in common as
regards appearance, structure and flora


The mountain resorts offer unlimited entertainment
  possibilitiesboth in summer and in winter time
services & rates

Week-end in MAMAIA
- Romanian - Black Sea seaside resort

With an eastward orientation and a record
number of sunny weather days, no tides,
wide beaches covered with fine golden sand
and sloping gently into the sea,
the Romanian Black-Sea Coast has become to
be one of the favorite vacation places for people
of many meridian.

Unlimited entertainment possibilities

Medieval and Modern
 Romania : Bran & Peles
 Prahova Valley and across Predeal Pass 
  to Transylvania

- 12 hours tour

At the end of the 19-th century, another prince,
future king of Romania, Carol I, enchanted by
the beauty of the surroundings built in Sinaia  
Peles Castle, his summer residence.
The castle is one of the nicest in Europe.

Built between 1875-1883, mainly in
German Renaissance style, the castle has 106 rooms,
decorated with fine ornaments of inlaid wood,
Murano and Venetian chandeliers and mirrors,
a rich collection of arms and weapon,
more than 800 stained glass windows and
an original heating and cleaning system.


In the park surrounding the big castle, there are
the Castle Foisor, the Hunting Castle and Queen Maria
  favoritecastle Pelisor.

We will visit the city of Brasov,
one of the seventh Saxon citadels of Transylvania,
"Kronestadt" the largest Saxon town of Transylvania,
in the Middle Age.

 Driving through the main roads,
you will discover its beauty and picturesque:
the combination between new and old,
blacken stone buildings and red bricks chimneys
above the colored tile roofs.
Old fortification ruins of the former burg,
the narrow and tortuous streets,
the old baroque houses with their bulky arched gates,
still, keeps in the downtown the medieval patina.

The Black Church (14th - 15th centuries),
the largest construction in Gothic style from Romania,
has very important collection of Turkish carpets and
one of the largest organ in Europe.

In the afternoon, we arrive at Bran, where the waters
hollowed their way in the rock stands Bran Castle,
where Vlad the Impaler, Dracula spent some frightful times,
on his way to Transylvania.
Originally built by master masons of Brasov as a fortress,
according to the privilege granted to the town
on November 19th, 1377, by Louis I d'Anjou,
who was ruling of Transylvania at that time.

In 1920, the fortress was donated to the royal family
and became its summer residence.
Arranged by Queen Maria into a most romantic castles:
the old garret became the fourth floor,
the old cylindrical tower with defense gallery became
an apartment, Gothic stone arches framed the entrance doors,
stairs and boarded floors were rebuilt.

Departure from your hotel or business residence
Drive through Prahova Valley to Sinaia, Bran or Rasnov and Brasov

Evening arrival in Bucharest
- In Sinaia, visit of Peles Castle

- Sightseeing tour of Brasov including the Black Church
and St. Nicolas Church and  lunch stop;

- in Bran, visit of Bran Castle or Rasnov Citadel;

services & rates






Jewish heritage


and


Jewish roots:




- half day in Bucharest


Bucharest has lots of reminders of Romania’s Jewish heritage

 and Jewish roots:
 
- The Jewish Cemetery

- The Choral Temple, built in 1866

- The Great Synagogue built in 1846,

  nowadays hosting the Holocaust Museum

- The ‘Holy Union’ Temple, built in 1836,

nowadays hosting the Romanian Judaic Community Museum,

with a most fascinating collection, inaccessible until recently,

of ritual objects, collected by Rabbi Rosen during his period

as Chief Rabbi of Romania.

Of particular interest, there are the fine parochot

(Torah curtains), and Torah crowns,

pointers and rimonim (Torah Finials), some of which are

characteristic of the local style.

This museum traces the history of the Jewish people in

Romania from AD 1000 through World War II






The tour   Includes  services & rates:
- Guide and transport along the route
- Entrance tickets  
 Departure, Pick up / drop off: on request / your hotel

Saxon   Heritage -
Castles and Citadels and Fortified Churches
in Transylvania

Transylvania,  whose name derives from the Latin
"TRANS-SILVA " (the country beyond the forests)
lies in the center of Romania, being surrounded
with the forest covered Carpathian mountains.

Its very name brings to mind visions of mountain peaks
rising up to the sky above wooded valleys and sparkling streams,
visions of high-roofed wooden churches, legendary castles
and a troubled history

But there is much more to it,
 a 3 - 5 days  Saxon Heritage tour will include:

•  Bran Castle (also called Dracula Castle by Hollywood
  screen players) or Rasnov Citadel,
  Peles Castle summer residence of the former King Carol I, 
•  Saxon Citadel Cities like Brasov, Sighisoara, Medias, Sibiu  
•  fortified Churches  built in Saxon villages of Prejmer,
  Herman, Birtalan ,Viscri .

Dracula                         

Of course in none of the tours
we will not forget to mention the world famous Dracula.

From a member of former 1980 British Royal Dracula Society
you will learn fascinating stories about possible links between:









- Prince Vlad the Impaler Dracula 
  one of the national heroes of the Romania
.













- Count Dracula an infamous
but suffering character









 Count Dracula a horror movie character



Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries Wallachia and Moldavia

offered strong resistance to Ottoman Empire expansion towards Europe.

During this struggle the prince of Wallachia,

Vlad Tepes (known as the Impaler),

because he rarely had time to eat a meal without

a Turk withering on a stake in front of him), became a hero;

He later became associated with Dracula  and made famous

by Bram Stoker's Book - an Irishman that had never visited Transylvania..

Truth, legends historic places an imaginary ones

will carry you from Bucharest in Walachia and  Sighisoara

in Transylvania to a different world

tour provided by  AVOCADO TRAVEL
services & rates







<sup>Guided tours 

Balkan Countries

Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey,

Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia  and Baltic Countries,

Nordic countries Finland,  Sweden, Denmark, Norway

  Mediterranean Countries Italy, Spain and UK

and Moldova Republic</sup>



Please note that  museums are closed for public on Mondays excepting
Parliament Palace which is available daily excepting periods of important
events hosted by this venue