“Several times I noticed car keys stuck in the ignition, a nostalgic reminder of Ireland of years past” – The Irish Times

Standing on a sun-drenched Transylvanian mountain trail, I paused as my GPS directed me to leave the dusty path and head into the field in front of me. Normally I prefer to stay on one path, and this detour might have been okay if there hadn’t been an electric fence blocking my path and a big sign saying “Caution!” Bivoli Periculosi”. I didn’t need Google Translate to figure it out. The photo of a huge horned buffalo stopped me in my tracks.

When I was planning my hiking holiday in Romania, dangerous buffaloes weren’t necessarily on my radar. Bears, yes – maybe I worried about them more than necessary. But buffalo? That was a surprise. I booked the trip with a company called The Natural Adventure. They took care of accommodation and some meals, organized daily luggage transport and created a self-guided hiking route. The route included GPS coordinates downloaded to an app and detailed written instructions in case technology failed.

After many conversations with my hiking friends, we entered the field. I opened the electric fence and looked for any signs of threatening buffalo, half expecting an angry, horned creature to appear. We walked hesitantly across the field and luckily got to the other side without any animal charging towards us.

I received mixed reactions from friends when I told them I was going on vacation to Romania. Yes, it’s off the beaten path, but the biggest surprise is why. When it comes to natural beauty, history and culture, it has a lot to offer and can easily compete with the more popular European destinations. But what sets Romania apart is that it has not fallen victim to excessive tourism. And if you’re on a hiking holiday, that’s music to your ears as the trails are mostly empty.

The tour is aptly named “Medieval Castles and Villages of Transylvania” and the itinerary promised 84km of walking in six days. The actual distance was 119 km, which is quite doable for the average hiker. The paths took us through medieval Saxon towns and villages in the southern part of Transylvania. The Saxons settled in this area in the 12th century, and although many of them left after World War II, their cultural heritage remains.

We spent the first three nights of the trip in Badiu’s guesthouse in Rășinari, a charming Saxon house with characteristic “eye” windows. The guest house’s rustic comfort, cozy rooms and lively garden were the perfect retreat after a day in the mountains. Led by the hospitable Mr. and Mrs. Badiu, the hospitality was first class, even though I didn’t know Romanian or English. “German?” Mr. Badiu asked me hopefully. I immediately regretted saying I had “a little” when my poor German final certificate let me down. Google Translate came out and soon we arranged a dinner prepared by Ms. Badiu. Her cooking was outstanding and every evening she served a hearty three-course meal with dishes like sour soup, sausage stew and Hungarian goulash – the perfect reward after a long day of hiking.

The next morning we set off from Badiu and walked the cobbled streets of Rășinari. The sleepy village was a world away from what you would expect from a gateway to such a stunning mountain range. Refreshingly, there were no tourist shops or restaurants, just a quiet, old-fashioned charm. Locals shared the day’s news on street corners as farmers drove past with horses and carts. It’s the kind of place where you can feel the curious stares of the locals. Nevertheless, everyone was very friendly. Several times I noticed the car keys stuck in the ignition, a nostalgic reminder of Ireland of years past. The streets were lined with neatly stacked walls of chopped wood as locals prepared for the harsh winter ahead. However, the weather in September was still summery, reaching daily highs of 20°C.

The air was clear and fresh, a freshness that you only experience in the mountains. We followed the path out of town, through farmland and into a dense forest, where a stream led us to Cisnădioara. Perched on a hill overlooking the town is a beautifully preserved, crumbling 12th-century church. An informative audio tour is available via a QR code and the panoramic views from the top make the extra climb worthwhile.

We then walked through a forest before tackling a steep climb for over an hour, following what appeared to be a dry riverbed. The terrain was muddy and rocky, making the climb even more challenging, especially under the unrelenting heat of the midday sun. We arrived in a clearing just in time for our packed lunch. As I ate my sandwich, I enjoyed the view: rolling green hills dotted with woolly sheep and the distinctive triangular shepherds’ huts. We returned to Rășinari through the Roma village of Prislop, where excited children greeted us. The dilapidated houses illustrated the social and economic challenges facing the Roma community.

The next day we traveled by transfer to Păltiniș, the highest ski resort in Romania. We began our hike uphill under the eerily quiet chairlift and soon entered a dense spruce plantation that lacked the vibrancy of the native forests we had hiked through the day before. After an hour and a half we reached the summit (1,720 m) and there I spotted a sign warning us about the vipers. I wasn’t aware that there were snakes in Romania, let alone venomous vipers – another creature to add to my list of worries.

The second part of this day was worthwhile, with hours of walking in the most spectacular scenery of the trip. The rugged peaks of the Carpathians lay one behind the other, with deep valleys in between. There were more sheep and triangular huts; The only person we met on the way was an elderly shepherd and his dog. With a staff in hand, he wore the traditional wide-brimmed felt hat that seemed to balance effortlessly on his head. We tried to communicate but the language barrier struck again and with Google Translate unavailable we resorted to gestures. He understood my request for a photo, which he generously agreed to, and we continued on our way.

The hiking schedule for the third day was short, giving us plenty of time and energy to explore the impressive Astra Museum and the beautiful city of Sibiu. Astra is one of the largest open-air museums in Europe and houses more than 400 traditional buildings, including windmills and churches, from different regions of Romania. Each structure has been preserved and carefully relocated from its original location. The museum offers workshops and exhibitions and the few hours I spent felt far too short to fully enjoy everything it had to offer.

It was a pleasant, flat 6km walk through a forest into the Saxon city of Sibiu. We arrived suitably famished and enjoyed hearty Turkish food in our old town hotel. After refueling, we set out to stroll the sidewalks of Sibiu, known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and charming squares. The old town is divided into two levels; The upper floors contain most of the historical attractions, conveniently located in three interlocking plazas. On the lower level there are colorful old houses and cobbled streets. The two levels are connected by stairs, bridges and tunnels, making them fun to explore. The city was clean and uncrowded, and the sun-drenched squares were bustling with market stalls, street performers, and lots of outdoor diners.

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The next day, as we walked a dusty path from the village of Richis, I saw my first “Beware of the Bears” sign. I was somewhat reassured that it said “after sunset” and was relieved that they might have been too sleepy to disturb us during the heat of the day. We hiked through lush countryside on part of the 1,400km Via Transilvanica trail before seeing the town of Biertan emerge in the valley below. With its terracotta roofs and the remarkable fortified church that towers above it, Biertan looked like something out of a fairy tale. The church dates from 1468 and its towers and towers are more like a castle. The “prison for arguing couples” was an innovative way to deal with marital problems; The couple were placed in a room for several days, each with a single item of supplies, from a single pillow to a single table setting. Whether it works or not, I suppose.

We spent the following night in Mălâncrav, a village with the highest proportion of Saxons of any town in Transylvania. As we descended the hills, we stopped at the fortified Lutheran church where a choir was practicing hymns in German. One of the staff there kindly showed us to our accommodation, a restored Saxon house managed by a monument protection foundation. That night it felt like sleeping in a very cozy museum. If only these walls could talk.

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Luckily, it wasn’t until the last day that we came close to a bear – so to speak. Near Sighisoara we came across a huge pile of bear scat that was still steaming! A few hundred meters later, a fresh paw print greeted us. We immediately picked up the pace and were walking in no time to the medieval town of Sighisoara, the famous birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula, adding an eerie appeal to the town’s historic charm. Just when I thought we had made it safely, an emergency alert sounded on my phone: a bear was in town. Arriving in one piece was nicer – and happier – than I imagined.

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Deirdre Mullins was a guest of The Natural Adventure on the tour of the medieval castles and villages of Transylvania. Prices start at €910 and the tour is available from May to October. For more information and to book please visit thenaturaladventure.com