Bear Sanctuary & Rasnov Fortress - Private day tour from Bucharest
Description
See the Carpathian Brown Bears in Transylvania & visit an amazing fortress! A private day trip to see the Bear Sanctuary in Transylvania, travel through the beautiful countryside. Visit Rasnov Fortress - a medieval peasant fortress dating the 14th century. Learn about the history from an expert local guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The sanctuary was opened in 2005, nowadays over 70 bears enjoying a new life in the Libearty Bear Sanctuary – 70 hectares of oak and hazel forest in the Carpathian Mountains above the Transylvanian town of Zarnesti. Here, the bears climb trees, swim in fresh water pools and forage on the vegetation. These forested areas contain hibernation dens and hundreds of trees with lush natural vegetation. For many of the bears, having been caught from the wild as cubs, this is a new and stimulating experience.
The town of Rasnov was founded around 1225 by German Teutonic Knights. Rasnov’s impressive fortress - was built in the 14th century to protect the people of Rasnov and surrounding villages from the numerous Ottoman invasions happening at the time. During periods of war, the townsfolk would pick up their cattle and retreat into the fortress.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick-up from any hotel or apartment rental in Bucharest. Your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for children under 5 years old as they are not allowed to enter the Bear Sanctuary.
Reviews(4)
Although a lengthy drive to get to the bear sanctuary from Bucharest it was definitely worth it. A wonderful experience to see the bears finally in a safe and caring environment. Great photo opportunities too. The drive was comfortable and my tour guide was very knowledgeable, courteous and good company. All due consideration was given for comfort stops and to break up the journey. Going to Snagov to see the resting place of Vlad the Impaler was an added bonus.
Our private driver/guide was willing to take us back a different route than the one we came in on so we could see different parts of the mountains. We ate lunch with him at Rasnov and had good conversations. The bear sanctuary was a highlight of the trip; we all loved hearing how these bears are now being cared for and no longer exploited. The fortress in Rasnov was closed but we were able to walk around the walls and look over the city and its stunning views.
Thoroughly enjoyed my visits to the bear sanctuary and the fortress. The bear sanctuary , in particular, was of interest. The best part of the tour was the guide, Claudiu. It was a bit of a drive to the region from Bucharest and during that time he answered questions, pointed out different towns and structures and shared information. He was also an excellent driver. One of the 3 best private tour guides I have had. Thank you for a great experience.
Christian was a brilliant guide really friendly and answered all of our questions although we didn’t get to the bear sanctuary due to the traffic been terrible Christian changed the tour and took us to see brown bears in the wild 😀 which was absolutely amazing we also saw the mountain road made famous by top gear and had lunch in one of the mountain restaurants a really big thank you to Christian for making our day memorable with an alternative tour.
