15

Ruth and Mattijs, you have focused us well. Spring will be Romania and Bulgaria. The others in September.

I will start a new thread for more specific questions.

Thank you.

16

I'm guessing you can fill up a 4-6 weeks vacation in Romania, especially if you prefer to stay 2-3 nights per location.
According to what you folks like to do, Romania, (yes I admit, I'm bias) is a prime destination.
Staying in guesthouses is the way to travel in small towns and countryside. Every time I travel to foreign countries I do the same; get to know the real people, what they eat, their stories and traditions; and is reasonable too.
Focus your vacation on three main regions, Maramures, Bucovina and Transilvania (in this order). I would suggest you to fly into Baia Mare Airport.
In Maramures you can visit the following sites: the famous wooden churches (some of them are inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage list), the Marry Cemetery of Sapanta, the Memorial Museum of the Victims of Communism and Resistance from Sighet (a terrifying place), Mocanita (the steam train) from Viseu de Sus (a must see; you can get an extended package, which includes: dinner, accommodation, breakfast and the steam train ride, all for about $50/person).
In Bucovina, experience the kindness and hospitality of people, as well as the magnificent painted monasteries (eight of them are Unesco enlisted) and the bucolic countryside.
In Transilvania, in order to avoid big cities, is preferable to wander in the south part of this region, where you can find, you got it, other Unesco sites, like the fortified churches and castles.
If you need I can give you detailed info on sites, hours of operation, public transportation routes (train or buses), guesthouses and so on.

17

Thank you, RomanianBackroads.

How extensively would we be able to hike in April-May?

18

Hello csdcsmith. Sorry for the late reply.
Extensively is the right word to describe the abundance of choices you have for hiking. While Maramures and Bucovina offers a leisurely hike, Transilvania is more challenging, especially in the southern part, the Fagaras Mountains, with plenty of peaks over 2000 meters (6500 feet). This is a very general description and I assume you lean more towards an easy hike, so if you have decided which sites and destinations you'll visit I might be able to help with a few nearby trails, including the grade of difficulty, points of interest along the trail and the flora and fauna from that region.

19

Thank you, RomanianBackroads. I'll probably start making definite plans after the new year.

Presently, we're contemplating flying into Sofia and home from Budapest. That could change.

Our primary hiking concern is snow in the mountains, and of course that is impossible to predict.