3-Day 4x4 Adventure Tour in Szeklerland

You can take part in the tour with your own car or even by joining our car, but you can also rent an SUV from us if required. The tour can be completed with an average SUV equipped with off-road tires. Medium practice is required, we always help each other through the more difficult stages. We provide radio for communication between the cars.

Detailed program:

Day 1: Meeting in the morning in Miercurea-Ciuc, Piatra Nierges, Valea Uzului, Vârful Viscol and Ghimes

Meeting and discussion in the morning in Miercurea Ciuc. Our first destination, the site of one of the last battles of the War of Independence in 1848-49, is the Nierges Roof. From here, following a small forest road on the ridge, we reach the hidden csango settlement, Cinod, and then, following the flow of the Uz, we descend to the Mathias fortress in Valea Uzului, where we pay homage to the fallen heroes in the military cemetery. Crossing the hill, we descend on a forest road into the valley of the Ciobanis stream, from where we conquer the 1495 m high Viscol peak by wading through the riverbed several times. We will consume the contents of our picnic basket, admiring the panorama that unfolds in front of us and after some resting we will head towards Ghimes on the ridge. At the Pagan Snow Cap we get acquainted with the biodiversity of the meadows in Ghimes, then at the Szephavas chapel we remember the former pilgrimages and the Tartar invasions. In the evening we arrive to our accommodation in Lunca de Sus. If there is still time, we will take another small tour to the World War II bunkers of the Fortress of Owls situated on a rocky hill.

Dinner and accommodation in Lunca de Sus in the Bagolyvar (Fortress of Owls) pension. 

Day 2: Naskalat, Trei Fantani, Bicaz Gorges and Red Lake, optional via ferrata and bear watching 

 After a hearty breakfast, we climb up the ridge of the Ciuc Mountains again. Our first stop will be at the Kondra Cross, where we will revive the 1944 Gyimes battles and the history of the retreat. In the direction of Naskalat, we meet the people living at a sheepfold and have a glimpse into their everyday life. On the mountain pastures, between herds of sheep and flocks of cows, we move on to Tarcau field, from where we descend on a forest road to Trei Fantani, where a local family awaits us with freshly fried trout, and then we pass through the Bicaz Gorges and learn about the legend and history of the Red Lake. In the afternoon, we can test our rock climbing skills on the via ferrata routes of different difficulties, or go bear wathing under the guidance of a local gamekeeper. In the afternoon/evening we arrive at our accommodation in the Erdoszeli Szekely Pension in Gheorgheni, where a delicious dinner, a swimming pool, a sauna and a salt bath await us. 

Day 3: Amza, Varsag, Harghita-Madaras, Miercurea-Ciuc 

After breakfast, we ride in the forests of the Gurghiu Mountains, and then descend in a narrow valley to the remote settlement, Varsag, at the headwater region of Tarnava Mare. Here, people still live as they did 50-100 years ago, and most of the houses are scattered, settled several kilometers apart. After a rest at a small local shop, we visit a working watermill, where the host tells us about the village and the everyday life of the locals, but we can also watch the mysteries of grain milling and millstone whetting. After this, we will discover the sights of Varsag: cool off at the Csorgoko waterfall, take a panoramic photo from the Lookout Tower, meet locals in a small pub called the Parliament or learn a trade with a blacksmith or shingle maker. Passing the Zetea reservoir, we reach Izvoare, where we can learn about the past and present of wood processing with a water saw. From here we climb up to the top of Harghita-Madaras, one of the most iconic places in Szeklerland, from where, in clear weather, the wonderful view rewards all our efforts!
In the afternoon, we descend into the Ciuc Basin on a dirt road, among pastures and dense forests, and return to the starting point of our tour, Miercurea-Ciuc.