Romania

Birds and Medieval Monasteries

Romania.jpg
This unique tour combines some of Europe’s more elusive birds with the medieval landscape of one of the most attractive areas of eastern Europe.
Photo by: Barbara Hitt
2025 Tour Price
$3,090
2025
Single Room Supplement $530
Maximum group size ten with one leader.
Tour balances paid by check/bank transfer may carry a 4% discount

The remote province of Bucovina in the north of Moldavia is a land in a time warp. Far from the rush of the 21st century, White Storks follow black-clad nuns as they scythe hay while Black Redstarts sing from nearby monastery rooftops. These beautiful monasteries, founded in the 16th century, are remarkable enough to distract the most ardent of birdwatchers from matters avian; the condition of their frescoes, covering the entire walls both inside and out, can only be described as miraculous. We’ll combine relaxed visits to these rural monasteries with birdwatching nearby among remarkably rich forest, hay meadows, and hill villages. On the second part of the tour we’ll spend three nights afloat on a modern houseboat in the Danube Delta, the largest wetland reserve in Europe, followed by an exploration of the western edge of the Asian Steppe.

This unique tour combines some of Europe’s more elusive birds—Pygmy Cormorant, Pallid Harrier, Dalmatian Pelican, Pied Wheatear, Sombre Tit, and many more—with the medieval landscape of one of the most attractive areas of eastern Europe, the Carpathians and their foothills. This tour is tailor-made to appeal to a variety of interests: the villages, mountains, and hayfields of Bucovina are notably rich in flowers and butterflies, as well as rural traditions in dress, farming practice, and building. We have chosen our accommodations so that those who would prefer to study the human history of the area rather than its wildlife can do so—right outside the door.

Tour Team
Itinerary (Click to see more)
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Tour Notes

Maximum group size ten with one leader.