Experience Transylvania – from ancient times to the present

We will depart in the morning from Timisoara and will drive towards the mountains, where our first stop will be Ulpia Traiana Sarmisegetuza, the remnants of the Roman Dacian capital.

With an area of 30 hectares, a population between 20,000 and 25,000^[ and strong fortifications, Ulpia Traiana was the political, administrative and religious centre of Roman Dacia in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.The city was destroyed by the Goths. Today Ulpia Traiana remains in ruins, with a partly preserved forum, an amphitheatre, and remnants of several temples.

Not far away from Ulpia Traiana, we have a very special Romanian gem, one of the oldest Romanian churches still standing. The church is situated in Densuş, a small village, close to the antique Dacian and Roman settlements. This is the reason why most of the material used to build this church, comes from antique pagan temples. The interesting fact is that the old Roman (marble/stone) gods and tombstones are standing right next to Christian icons and frescoes.

Our next stop will be the magnificent Corvin’s Castle. The construction and expansion of the castle took place in several phases starting with 1440 when Johannes of Hunyad considerably enlarged the existing 14th-century fortress. The castle was the witness not only of his accomplishments, but also of his ambitions, becoming until the death of its owner, one of the finest in Europe of the time. The castle is today a rare historical and architectural example even in a region so rich in medieval heritage like Transylvania. It will take you from the Renaissance and Gothic years to 19th-century additions, guiding you through a past world of great military and political achievements. All you have to do is let yourself be carried away and discover the knight’s hall, the throne room or even the dungeons.

Our last stop of the trip will be half an hour away from the castle, where on top of the hill, in the city of Deva we will discover another medieval fortress, that also presents us with a beautiful panorama over the city and the valley of the Mures river.

After this, we will return to Timisoara.