Horseback riding in Romania

By: Pablo Imberti Posted: 12/06/2020

Today, we invite you to embark on a riding journey through the mysterious forests of Transylvania! Let’s discover Romania, a land of castles and legends, on the back of a horse.

Romania is famous all over the world thanks to Transylvania and the famed castle of Count Dracula. Transylvania is actually a land of mountains and forests, steeped in local customs and traditions, hospitality and mystery.

Transylvania continues to be Europe´s best kept secret.

In Romania, you can gallop across extensive green fields while enjoying tunning views of its rugged mountains and the incredible Romanian history.

Equestrian routes and trails will take you to old monasteries and the vestiges of ancient Romania.

Equestrian tourism in Romania

Equestrian tourism in Transylvania allows us to discover the traditional folklore of its peoples, in places where horses are still used for ploughing the soil. Incredibly, in Transylvania horses outnumber motor vehicles.

Here you will see how local herders spend their days and nights in the fields harvesting unique fruits, sometimes under a dark star-studded sky and sometimes under the scorching sun.

It’s a place where food is grown locally in small traditional productions and rural tourism is beneficial to local communities, not to multinational companies.

We highly recommend this country for your next horse riding holidays. But, who can be your horseback guide in Romania?

Of all the possible options, we have selected two, Conde Kalnoky and Carpathian Escapes. In this article, you can see what they have to offer in Romania.

Count Kalnoky's Riding Treks

With the “Count Kalnoky’s Riding Treks”, group, located in the enigmatic region of Transylvania, you can enjoy its historical landscape of endless rolling hills adorned by wild flower meadows, forests and tiny villages, set against the backdrop of the Carpathian mountain range. Europe’s last unspoiled paradise.

What are their Equestrian Tourism programs like?

The concept of their treks is to introduce their guests right into the heart of this ancestral culture, where horses have kept their main original role.

Their rides lead you through unmarked terrain, over hills and through forests, connecting one small village to another by unnoticeable tracks that horses and carts have been using for hundreds of years.

Up to 8 riders are led by 2 local guides. The small mixed groups (often made up of a number of people who have booked separately) make for friendly and interesting riding. They also often run private rides for closed groups of up to 12 riders.

The full trail rides take 5 days in the saddle, a shorter 3-day version and day-rides are also possible on request.

To participate in these rides you should have a reasonable amount of previous riding experience. The terrain is varied and you will cover about 150 km during the course of the week. You should be comfortable and secure in the saddle at a walk, trot and canter and used to riding in open country and over different types of terrain. Their options are basically two: the long ride and the short ride.

Long Ride

This is the standard itinerary available from the beginning of April to the end of October. Around 4-6 hours are spent in the saddle daily and around 30 km of varied terrain are traversed as you travel through wild hills and forest landscapes.

Its duration is 7 days, 6 nights and 5 days, riding approximately 120 km.

The villages are situated at 450-700 m, the hills reach 800-900 m above sea level at their highest peaks.

This region is called Erdővidék, or “Woodlands”, and has been looking very much the same for the last centuries, including its charming ancient villages.

Short Ride

The duration of this program is seven days, six nights and three days in the saddle. It is a shorter version of the previous ride with two days to visit the local castles.

Accommodation

Accommodation on the ride is quite varied and you will experience life as the locals live in the village when you stay with them, but also enjoy the vernacular charms of Count Kalnoky’s and The Prince of Wales’ cottages. The main attractions in Romania have often been described as a Tolstoy-esque experience.

Many guests are also fond of getting an insight into the reality of the region by staying 2 nights in villager's homes during the 5-day ride (Long Ride). It’s another way of discovering this ancient European country.

In these simple houses, alive with history, meals are cooked locally and served as table d’hôte, shared by everyone – guests and hosts. Dietary requirements can be met with prior notice.

Romania is a place that must be explored on horseback before it changes too rapidly.

Their horses

The Kalnokys set up their first formal Regiment of Hussars (light cavalry unit) in 1741. Horses have always played an important role for them, as they have for their people: the Szeklers; the hosts, claim to be descended from Attila and the Huns.

Their current breeds are the Hussar’s Shagya Arabian, Lipizzaner, the Hungarian Cavalry’s Gidran, and Lipizzaner’s sure-footed crosses with mountain ponies.

Their horses are sensible and well-mannered to ride in this area, so they are well suited to people of intermediate riding ability and above.

Riders should also be reasonably riding fit to take part. In order to maintain their horses’ well-being, they only accept riders of up to 90 kg.

You can learn more about them, their horses and rides, if you visit their web site: https://riding.transylvaniancastle.com/

Carpathian Escapes

Is a local travel agency that was funded with an EU grant obtained by their group of local enthusiasts joined together to provide various trips for those seeking an active holiday. Their programs are full of breathtaking sights throughout their rides.

The Escapes daily programs offer snow mobile trails, horse riding tours, hiking and biking routes, wildlife and photography tours and ski touring to challenge all levels.

These Escapes take you back in time to where the local people still live as they have for the past fifty years. Accommodation has been selected to allow you to experience true rural life.

English speaking guides are provided and always at hand, if you need them. Their offer is for those seeking a true adventure in nature, something completely different. They will show you the Transylvanian Carpathians in depth.

In addition, they can tailor all programs to your individual or group needs and budget. We will now present some of their horse riding holiday programs.

Red Lake Trail - One Week Trail con Lipizzaners

The Red Lake one-week trail ride takes you to pristine mountainous landscapes with ancient pine forests, pure creeks, dramatic  limestone rocks, hidden farming villages, vast fields and lush meadows still cultivated traditionally by the locals. Let’s experience this unspoilt nature and step back in time!

Near the Bicaz Gorges, the rider who chooses this equestrian route in Romania, can marvel at the most picturesque karst (limestone formations) scenery in all of the Eastern Carpathians.

Short overview of the tour:

Runs May to October on set departure dates or on request for private groups of more than 6 riders.

Icelandic Horses and Carpathian Wilderness – Harghita Mountain Riding Week

Horseback riding is an integral part of the traditional Carpathian scene and the naturally gentle Icelandic horse provides excellent riding opportunities.

The Harghita rolling hills, fresh streams, rich wildlife and dispersed mountain villages provide a great setting where you can get acquainted with the Icelandic horse in a relaxing riding week in nature.

The Icelandic horse’s friendly disposition and calm manner make them a delight for anyone to ride, over rugged or snowy terrain.

You will spend long hours in the saddle more comfortable surrounded by these beautiful landscapes.

This 5-day centre based riding program is available all year round and each season adds its own specifics and beauties to the tour experience.

Short overview of the tour:

• Cross-country riding, suits intermediate to advanced riders.
• The duration is 7 Days / 6 nights (5 days 4-7 hours or 20-50 km riding per day).
• Well trained and tempered Icelandic trail horses with 135-140 cm heights and age between 10-12 years old.
• Age limit: 14 years and up.
• Weight limit is 100 kg.
• Included: lodging in double rooms, 3 meals a day, some drinks, riding and tölt (typical gait of Icelandic horses) lessons.
• Excluded: some drinks, travel insurance, airport transfers, flights, other non-riding activities.

Carpathian Nomad Tour – One Week Ride with Camping

The Carpathian Nomad Tour starts from the Kovacspeter ridge (1375 m high), where dispersed summer shelters and weekend houses can be found.

The trails follow the dense forest roads leading to steep hills and mountain peaks, through mountain pastures and deep valleys.

This tour is perfect for those who wish to feel close to nature and experience that feeling of disconnection since, during this horseback tour, you will meet very few people beyond your fellow riders.

Short overview of the tour:

• Guests joining this tour should be prepared to camp in tents.
• Runs June to September on request for private groups of more than 6 riders.
• The program includes three days of trail riding, two days star riding; it suits intermediate to advanced riders.
• Duration: 7 Days / 6 nights (5 days 4-7 hours riding per day).
• Horses are robust, local breeds unique to the Carpathian Mountains.
• Age limit: 14 years and up.
• Weight limit is 100 kg.
• Included: wild camping in nature, meals, some drinks, riding, guides, horses and logistics.
• German, English, Romanian and Hungarian speaking guides.

See all these special horse riding holiday outfitters in Romania have to offer on their web site: http://carpathianescapes.ro/en

/ Photos from: https://riding.transylvaniancastle.com, http://carpathianescapes.ro/en /

Are you also passionate about the idea of travelling Europe on horseback?

There’s no doubt that Romania will charm anyone who wants to ride among mountains and valleys. At the same time, we’d like to recommend otherhorse riding options from our eBook of Europe.

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