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Trekking the Lost World, Romania

Location: Apuseni, Romania
Date: På forespørsel.
Åtte dager og syv netter.
Group size: From four to fifteen persons.
Accommodation: Guesthouse, mountain Chalet and homestay
Activity level: Moderate.
Price: 688 euros,- including accommodation (based on 2 – 4 persons per room),
all meals, local guide, transportation (including return transfer to the airport) and
activities as per itinerary. Flight is excluded.

Description: A pack, a trail and yourself is everything you need. Think of it as Zen on foot: you eat when you're hungry, you trek and you sleep when it's time to rest. Despite the effort, roaming freely on the trail is satisfying in a way few things in our normally hectic lives can be. Crafted for the avid trekkers, the itinerary follows an imaginary line crossing the Apuseni Mountains, passing through forests, deep gorges, mountain pastures and karst plateaus, all in one: a true lost world. You’ll enjoy breathtaking views; gentle winds and great mountain people who live close to Mother Earth and always happy to share their view upon life with you, without asking you: “Why on Earth are you climbing the mountains?”

Day 1: Arrival and warm-up.
Arrival and pick up at the airport. Transfer to Stana de Vale Mountain Resort (1102m). Here you will spend the rest of your day resting and preparing for your trekking adventure. Enjoy your dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse.

Day 2: Stana de Vale fjellresort – Varasoaia Glade.
After breakfast get ready for your trekking. Enjoy a trail along the mountain ridge to reach the central part of Apuseni Mountains, Padis karst plateau. This is the ideal destination for backpackers willing to discover the exceptional natural attractions of the area. Enjoy your dinner and overnight at a Mountain Chalet.

Day 3 and 4: Padis karst plateau.
Discover the famous Padis plateau and its highlights: Varasoaia Glade and its lake – a typical karst lake; Padis Plain; Balileasa Glade (a karstic depression shaped like a valley formed by the unification of several sinkholes); Ponor Glade and the impressive karst phenomena, Cetatile Ponorului (Fortress of Ponor). Enjoy your dinner and overnight at a Mountain Chalet.

Day 5 & 6: Casa de Piatra hamlet- Ghetar plateau.
Explore the wilderness of the Lumea Pierduta (Lost World) plateau and discover its iconic attractions. Relax in Casa de Piatra hamlet, a typical mountain settlement. Visit Calineasa Glade, a place where hundreds of motzi people meet in summer while they bring their animals for pasturing. Spend the night here and learn about
the traditional way of living. Local dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse.

Day 7: Ghetar plateau – Arieseni.
Today you will have the opportunity to explore the underground wonders. Visit Scarisoara ice cave, the largest underground glacier in Europe. You will also visit the tourist information and its museum where you also can buy local handicraft made of wood. Enjoy the sound of tulnic (a local version of alpenhorn) which was used in the past as a communication instrument. Farewell dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse.

Day 8: Departure.
FBreakfast at the guesthouse before transfer to the airport.