Europe: Romania

We’ve recently discovered the gem that is the Transylvania region of Romania, and in particular, the third largest city of the country – Cluj Napoca. Thanks to one of our Pals – Petra, we’ll soon be offering a four day trip to Transylvania which will include running (obviously!) but also a bit of the amazing culture and history that the country offers as well as the peace and tranquility of the beautiful resort of Marisel.

Flying into Cluj, and you’ll meet us at the airport. Flights tend to get in quite late, so we’ll find our accommodation and leave you to settle.

Day 1

We’ll spend the morning and early afternoon doing some exploring of the city and having our first taste of the amazing Romanian cuisine.

In the afternoon, we’ll travel out to the stunning resort of Marisel and our accommodation at Cabana Motilor where our hosts Ela and Sebastian will have laid on some typical food of the region, as they say:

We offer a traditional Romanian menu, with healthy dishes made from quality and, as far as possible, local ingredients. From soups and broths to desserts, all are cooked according to grandma’s recipes. Homemade breads, syrups and sweets made from berries, homemade cakes, spicy wine or peppercorns will all delight your taste buds.

Day 2

We’ll have a hearty breakfast and then a chat about the plan for the day. Broadly this will be an out and back run of up to half marathon distance on local tracks and trails. Be prepared for jaw dropping views at every twist and turn in the road, and waving to local farmers on horse drawn carriages along the way.

Depending on how long we take (and there’s absolutely no rush!) we’ll be back to our Cabana for afternoon tea or dinner and the opportunity to relax. There’s also the opportunity to take a walk to the local ski resort to look at the views down towards Tarnita Lake.

Day 3

There’s various options on day 3 including the chance to do a 10k run in the morning and a race down (or up!) the ski slope at the resort nearby. Additionally, there is the chance to go for a relaxing trip via horse drawn cart around the local tracks and further explore the resort of Marisel.

Any spare time really is for admiring the view, or catching up on any reading, writing, or photography you might want to do, in amongst the hospitality provided by Ela and Sebastian.

Day 4

We’ll emerge as late as needed and pack up for a slow journey home. We’ll travel to the frankly remarkable Salt mine at Turda, with plenty of time to have a go on the underground lake or big wheel, then we’ll stop off at Iulius Mall to get any shopping we might need, and to have our last taste of Romanian food (or indeed, any of the other foods on option).

We hope you’ll be able to join us in Romania, and fall in love with the people, countryside, and culture in the same way we did when we first visited in 2019!