CALATA REGION
The area known as Calata may be rich in traditions but it also has some unexpected sides. In among the sleepy Transylvanian villages and farms the well preserved medieval churches and the peasant handicrafts, there are a few unusual things that stand out. Calata is known as an area populated by Hungarian – speakers and it is famed for its extraordinarily colorful and richly decorated folk costumes.
ITINERARY
Transfer Cluj Napoca – Leghia 45 min. Leghia – Manastireni – Valeni – Sancraiu – Domosu – Horlacea – Nearsova – Jebucu – Stana – Nadasu – Leghia – 62 km
We will start our day with a half an hour transfer to the starting point which is situated 40km to Cluj.
Just a short warm up ride and we get to the first church which will be visited in Manastireni. This is the oldest church in Cluj county dated from XIIIth century. It follows a 5 km ride to get to probably the most beautyful church in Calata region, in Valeni.
We are going to have our lunch in one of the following villages. It might be a picnic lunch or traditional meal with locals.
The next highlight of our trip will be a decorated room with painted furniture, which is a very important tradition in this area.
Leaving Jebucu and crossing a very picturesque field we arrive to Stana, an isolated village. From Stana a little uphill on field road and we get to the crow castle. This bulding was the summer house and a favourite place of the famous transylvanian architect Kós Károly.
After Nadasu a beautyful valley leads to the main road and our starting point. At this section we might see some gipsy charcoal burners.
THE PRICE INCLUDES
- Bike
- Guidance
- Entrance fees
- Transfer to Cluj
- Picnic lunch
Difficulty level: difficult
DATES & PRICE
We are organising cycling tours to Turda Gorge & Salina Turda during the whole season. Don’t hesitate to contact us for any further details.
- 2 pers – 120EUR/pers
- 3 – 4 pers – 110 EUR/pers
- 5 + pers – 90 EUR/pers
A friend and I took this tour on the 4th of July, and it was amazing! We were picked up from our hotel in Cluj and transported to the place where the tour would begin. The tour was through some rural Romania villages and it was beautiful. We stopped and talked with many local to find out more about the amazing culture and way-of-life of the villagers. The guides were awesome and even organized a lunch for us of traditional food that was home cooked! The tour guides were extremely nice and accommodating. They had very good English and were very nice to talk to. If you are not sure if you want to take a bike tour or not, THIS IS A MUST. This bike tour was one of the best things we did while visiting Cluj and was very much worth it. The next time I visit Cluj I will definitely take another one of their tours!
Cole S, USA