Romania during WW1 Battlefield 6-day Tour
750€ per person
Battlefield Tour on request for 6 people
Tour Highlights:
- 6-day tour to the Carpathian Mountains
- told from a historical and cultural perspective
- a guided walking tour in the center of Brașov
- guided tours of the Bran and Peleș castles
- guided tours of WW1 battlefields, monuments, and memorials
- Rommel in Romania – The Forgotten Story of The Great War
- wine tasting in the Vrancea region
- small group tour: no more than 6 people for a more personal experience
Included:
- a modern minivan with AC
- guided by a professional specialized guide
- 4X4 ride to the WW1 trenches & traditional lunch at Mount Coșna
- accommodation with breakfast in superior 3 & 4 stars hotels
The Context:
Initially, in 1914, Romania didn’t join WW1, mostly because King Carol I supported Germany, while the nation’s political elite favored the Entente. The best decision they could have made was to remain neutral. After King Carol I died, his successor, King Ferdinand I, decided to join the Entente in August 1916, where the main goal was to liberate and unify all the foreign territories populated by Romanians.
After declaring war, Romania launched “Hypothesis Z”, an offensive against Austria-Hungary in the northwest and a defensive stance against Bulgaria in the southeast. In the end, even though the Romanian Army faced initial defeats and partial occupation during the war, the aim of Hypothesis Z, the national unification of the Romanians, was achieved and the Greater Romania (România Mare) was born in 1918.
About the Tour:
Most important battles of The Great War in Romania were fought in the Carpathian Mountains, so on our 6-day tour, we’ll be visiting various WWI monuments and battlefields, beautiful cities, old castles, and some of the most gorgeous scenery, accompanied by Romanian hospitality!
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Destination
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Departure
Bucharest -
Dress Code
Casual. Comfortable clothing, hiking shoes, hat and warm jacket. -
Included
AccommondationAll Museum TicketsBreakfastPersonal GuideTransportation/Car -
Not Included
AirfareMeals
From Our Gallery
The battles for the Carpathian passes
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Day 1. Bucharest - Mateiaș – Bran Castle (210 km)
Our tour starts in Bucharest. First, we will stop at the Mateiaș Mausoleum, close to where the fierce Battle of Dragoslavele was fought in 1916 and where the Romanian army managed to hold the Bran Pass for 45 days against the Austrian and German troops. Here, more than 2000 Romanian heroes are buried. After lunch, we will continue with the visit to Bran Castle, built in the 14th century and frequently associated with Count Dracula’s legend. Dinner and accommodations will be in Bran.
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Day 2. Bran – Peleș Castle – Bușteni – Predeal – Brașov (93 km)
After breakfast, we will depart for Sinaia, the jewel resort of Prahova Valley. Here we will visit one of the most famous landmarks of Romania, the Peleș Castle, built by King Carol I in the 19th century in a Neo-Renaissance style as his summer residence. Next, we go visit another castle, Cantacuzino castle in Bușteni, where we will also have lunch. We continue to Predeal, a city which in 1916 was the border town between the Romanian Kingdom and the Austro-Hungarian Empire and where the Battle of Predeal Pass was fought. Here we will stop at the Railroad Heroes Monument. After that, we continue to Brașov where we will have dinner and our accommodations.
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Day 3. Brașov – Oituz Pass – Slănic Moldova (145 km)
After breakfast, we will walk through the center of Brașov, one of the oldest medieval cities in Transylvania. Here we will visit Piața Sfatului (Town Hall Square), Biserica Neagră (The Black Church), Bastionul Țesătorilor (Weaver’s Bastion - part of the medieval city walls), and the beautiful 16th-century Catherine's Gate. After some free time in the Brașov old town, we drive east and stop at the Oituz Pass to have lunch. After, we will visit the WW1 International Cemetery in Oituz town. Here, in this mountain pass, no less than 3 battles were fought and won by the Romanian army against the Austrian and German troops in 1916 and 1917. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive in Slănic Moldova, where we will have accommodations for two nights. Dinner included.
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Day 4. Slănic Moldova – Coșna (57 km)
After breakfast, we depart to visit the battlefield where the last Battle of Oituz Pass was fought in August 1917, and where Lieutenant Erwin Rommel led the German assault on Mount Coșna (basically just a hill with a height of 789 m). Rommel depicted the events in his book, “Infantry Attacks”. From Nicorești village, we will drive with 4x4 vehicles up to the hill and we will see the beautiful Coșna Monument, built by volunteers to honor all the soldiers who fought and died on this hill during WW1. Here we will discuss this important battle in Romanian history, and we will see the old and the rebuilt trenches on the ridge. Traditional Romanian food will be served for lunch directly in the middle of nature. In the afternoon, we depart for return to Slănic Moldova where we will walk through the central park. This beautiful town and spa resort has a tumultuous history. In WW1, it was occupied and destroyed by the Germans, and during WW2 it was the HQ of the German Army during August 1944 when Romania changed sides and joined the Allies. In the central park, we will see the Casino (19th century) and other beautiful buildings from the last century. Dinner with locally grown trout and accommodations in the same hotel as the previous night.
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Day 5. Slănic Moldova – Mărășești – Mărăști – Panciu (166 km)
After breakfast, we depart for Mărășești, the place where one of the most important defensive allied battles on the Romanian Front was fought in August-September 1917. We will visit the imposing Heroes Mausoleum where more than 5000 Romanian soldiers rests, along with their general, Eremia Grigorescu. After the visit, we will have lunch and continue with a short stop at the WW1 German Cemetery in Tișița. Our last stop will be at the Mărăști Mausoleum, where an important offensive allied battle was fought in July-August 1917. At the Mărăști battlefield, the Romanians and Russians led by General Alexandru Averescu managed to win a tactical victory. We continue to Panciu vineyards, where we will have dinner and wine tasting. The vineyards in this region are one of the best in Romania —accommodations in Panciu town.
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Day 6. Panciu – Buzău – Pietroasele – București (240 km)
After breakfast, we depart for Buzău, a town that the German administration occupied during 1916-1918, and where we will make a short stop in the city center to see the beautiful Town Hall, built in 1903. We continue with Pietroasele Winery where we will have lunch and a wine tasting. In 1837, the Pietroasele Treasure was discovered in this area, which is now on display at the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest. After lunch, we drive back to Bucharest and will have our last stop at the Arch of Triumph, inaugurated in 1936 in honor of the Romanian victory in the Great War.