Transylvania – A fairytale riding holiday across Europe’s most mysterious region (Romania)

A week riding through wild landscapes, staying in centuries-old castles, and sharing meals with locals in one of Europe’s most mysterious regions. To check dates and book this riding holiday, visit our Transylvania ride page.

Day 1: Arrival and Candlelit Dinner in a Castle

Count Kalnoky’s Castle

We started our journey by flying into Bucharest, where we met our fellow riders coming from all over the world and joining  this ride. After a three-hour drive, we arrived at our base in Mikloshvar, a charming village with a history that goes back centuries. Our hosts welcomed us with a candlelit dinner at their castle—complete with live Renaissance-style music! It was the perfect start to our adventure, and we got to know each other while sharing our riding experience and excitement for the week ahead.

Day 2: Meeting Our Horses and the Ride to Malnas Bai

Our first morning was all about meeting our horses. I was paired with Regalo, a sweet Andalusian-Shagya Arab-Lipizzaner mix. Our guide, Mathyas, led us through unspoiled plains and forests on a five-hour ride to the village of Malnas Bai, once a famous mineral spa destination. The landscape was untouched, with no roads, no villages—just nature. As we rode, Mathyas told us stories of local legends, even a few Dracula tales, famous in this region.

Day 3: Riding to Batanii Villages and a Dinner with Locals

On Tuesday, we rode to the Batanii Villages, a route that took us through sunny hills and peaceful forests. This day was special because we were invited into a local family’s home for dinner. They served up a traditional meal: stuffed cabbage, potatoes, homemade sausages, and local wine. Our host shared local customs with us, including a humorous ritual of tasting the wine to make sure it wasn’t “poisoned.” Before dinner, we visited a working water mill and learned about the area’s history, from medieval times to the Communist era.

Day 4: Return to Miklosvar and Bear Watching

Wednesday’s ride took us back to Miklosvar and its majestic castle. Just as we emerged from the forest, the castle came into view, giving us that classic Transylvanian fairytale feeling. After getting settled back into our rooms, we headed out again—this time for an evening of bear watching (note: this is an extra on the tour, which costs €90 per person). Our guides took us to a cozy forest cabin, where we had dinner while watching wildlife. Seeing brown bears and foxes roam in their natural habitat at dusk felt so surreal- Our guide shared that Transylvania is one of Europe’s richest regions for wildlife, especially bears and lynx.

Note about encounters with Bears:

Romania is home to over 8,000 bears, many of which roam the forests of Transylvania. We saw bear tracks nearly every day, a reminder of the wildness of the region. Locals often mentioned recent bear sightings, and on our last night, the count and countess even saw a mother bear and her cubs near King Charles’ retreat. Though bears are protected, recent changes allow for limited hunting due to a tragic incident. Only older or sick bears may be targeted, and there is a strict quota to protect the population.

Day 5: Touring the Count’s Castle and King Charles III’s Retreat

Thursday started with a guided tour of the count’s castle, filled with beautiful 17th- and 18th-century furniture. Afterward, we saddled up and rode to Zalanpatak, where King Charles III has a retreat. This shorter ride led us through an autumn-colored forest that opened up to reveal the King’s fairytale-like cottage, smoke curling up from its chimney. We let our horses graze nearby and enjoyed tea inside. Learning that King Charles and even Prince Harry had explored these same paths made the experience feel even more surreal. The cottage was charming, and our hosts shared that the count had restored it himself for the King to enjoy the simple, quiet lifestyle Transylvania offers.

Day 6: Farewell Ride and Dinner

On our final day, we took a shorter ride back to the stables. Our horses seemed to sense our journey was coming to an end - We had a few spirited gallops and even tried some small jumps along the way. We returned to King Charles’ retreat for a farewell dinner with the count, countess, and our guide. It was a wonderful evening, sharing laughs and memories from the week.

Early the next morning, I headed back to Bucharest via Brașov, a beautiful train journey with excellent Wi-Fi (turns out, the train journey is actually more comfortable than the taxi on the way there!).

I absolutely loved this week and can’t recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys nature, horses, and diving into history in a lesser-known part of Europe. Having historians as guides was an incredible addition to an already fascinating discovery ride!

Want to join the next ride? 2025 dates are available for bookings! Click here for more info.