Saxon Heritage Trail: Cycling Through Transylvania

Most convenient is to fly into Brașov, Sibiu or Cluj, where you can spend a couple of days exploring before or after the tour. You can arrange your own transfer to the start, or we can handle it for you (not included in the price).

We begin our cycling in Avrig, just 30 minutes from Sibiu. A 5-kilometre bike path eases you into the saddle before we stop at the Bruckenthal Palace to learn about the family whose mark is all over this part of Transylvania.

Heading away from the Olt valley and into the hills, we pass through Hoșman with views back toward the dramatic Făgăraș mountains. We finish the day in Alma Vii — a quiet, tucked-away Saxon village that feels like it's barely changed in centuries.

We start the day by climbing out of Alma Vii, and then descending on the most fun switchbacks into the next valley. The highlight of our day will be in Biertan, a town famous for its 13th-century fortified church, which has been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1993. A gothic masterpiece with 3 levels of walls forming rings around it, arguably the most beautiful church in Transylvania.

We'll fill up with local delicacies before heading toward Mălâncrav, where we'll spend the night like royalty at the Apafi Manor.

From Mălâncrav, we'll follow the road to Criș, home to a nicely restored 15th-century renaissance castle. Hidden between the hills, it used to be the residence of the Bethlen family. From Criș, we'll ride through the quaint Stejărenii valley before arriving in Sighișoara, our final destination for the day.

Sighișoara is perhaps the quintessential Saxon town in Transylvania, with a beautifully preserved medieval citadel. It's also the birthplace of Vlad Țepeș, ruler of Wallachia and inspiration for Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. We'll spend the rest of the day wandering the cobblestone streets of the old town, listening to mysterious stories and legends.

Today is a long day through some of the quietest backroads in Transylvania. We'll ride through villages where time feels like it stood still toward Viscri.

Viscri is probably the most famous village in Transylvania, thanks to Prince (well, King now) Charles, who owns a house here.

Viscri also has a beautifully preserved fortified church, our final World Heritage List spot. While in the village, we can visit blacksmiths and artisanal shops and see the craftsmen at work.

We leave Viscri and continue south on quiet roads, stopping in Cobor along the way. Once a cluster of abandoned Saxon farmland, Cobor has been transformed into a thriving biodiversity farm by a Romanian NGO that is creating a world-class wilderness reserve in the Southern Carpathians. It's a rare place where organic farming, conservation and community all pull in the same direction.

From Cobor, we ride through the Carpathian foothills to Bucium, where we'll spend our last night before the final stage.

As we ride toward Bran, the dramatic ridge of the Piatra Craiului (King's Rock) comes into full view, one of the most striking mountain backdrops in Romania and a fitting finale to our week in the saddle.

Our destination is Bran Castle, perched on a rocky bluff above the town. Known worldwide as Dracula's Castle, it's even more striking in person than in photographs. We'll explore the castle and its grounds before settling in for our final night, with plenty of stories to share over dinner.

Our time in Saxon Transylvania has unfortunately come to an end. From Bran, you can transfer to Brașov, an exciting city to explore. If you need a guide, you know where to look!