February 2015 – Original Travel is delighted to announce a five-day cycling trip to Romania in proud partnership with Global Heritage Fund (GHF). The trip will see participants take to two wheels for a one-of-a-kind adventure, discovering the threatened medieval villages and outstanding natural beauty of Southern Transylvania. They will also support the work of Global Heritage Fund UK by fundraising for its Carpathian Villages Preservation Project (CVPP).
As part of Original Travel’s ethos to encourage sustainable travel and provide experiences that engage with and contribute to local communities, the company is delighted to support Global Heritage Fund UK’s work to protect ‘the very last example of an untouched medieval landscape in Europe’ by curating a five-day itinerary exclusive to their clients. The trip, led by expert local guides and GHF UK’s Project Manager, Brian Curran, will be culturally challenging as participants explore Europe’s lesser known territories. This initiative will offer privileged access to the Saxon villages that Global Heritage Fund UK is working to protect and see participants raise £750 each for CVPP.
Cycling Wild Carpathia
‘There is off the beaten track, and then there is Romania’ says Original Travel Founder Tom Barber (please advise if you would like to add anything). Often misunderstood and underrated as a travel destination, the historic villages of Southern Transylvania and wild beauty of the Carpathian Mountain region is home to a rich Roman, Saxon and Gypsy cultural legacy, some of Europe’s most stunning landscapes, and a wealth of wildlife including Lynx, wild Brown Bears and Grey Wolves.
From 2nd to 6th June 2015 a group of fourteen will adventure their way through ten villages, cycling and trekking the surrounding hills and forests. Guided by Romanian brothers Stefan and Eugen Vaida, participants will start their journey in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sighisoara, taking in ancient towns and villages such as Archita, Roades, Daia, Richis, Biertran and ending in Bratei. Along the 70km route cyclists will stay in traditional guest houses, dine in local Transylvanian kitchens and enjoy entertainment from Romanian music and dance troupes.
Experiencing a Land Out of Time and Place
Whilst Transylvania has sustained relative significance through myths and legends of vampires and werewolves, in recent years the destination has gained increased popularity thanks to preservation of a way of life that no longer exists in Modern Europe. The area is home to nearly 200 villages dating from 12th Century - these now representing the last vestiges of European Medieval culture and a community that has preserved its traditions rather than join the race to modernity. Farmers still scythe by hand, villagers collect water from wells and horse and carts are still more useful than cars. These villages now face destruction from rapid modern development, adverse economic conditions and lack of financial and regulatory support from the government for heritage protection.
Saving Carpathia’s Endangered Cultural Landscape
Since 2013 Global Heritage Fund has been actively working to save the endangered cultural landscape of Southern Transylvania and Carpathian Mountains through the CVPP. By repairing and restoring traditional buildings, expanding documentation of the area’s most significant rural heritage sites and encouraging public outreach to promote heritage protection through education the CVPP is working to conserve this area of Romania. Original Travel is thrilled that funds raised via this exciting initiative will contribute directly to the project.
There are 14 spaces on Original Travel’s one off Cycling The Saxon Villages trip which runs from 2nd – 6th June 2015. Participants are asked to fund-raise £750 towards the Global Heritage Fund UK and prices for the trip itself start from £957 per person sharing, with a £150 single supplement. Prices include flights to Romania from the UK, accommodation, transfers, guides, activities, bike hire and helmets. To book this trip contact 020 3582 4990 / www.originaltravel.co.uk.
Editor’s Note
Original Travel
Since its launch in 2003, Original Travel (www.originaltravel.co.uk) has become one of the UK’s fastest growing bespoke travel companies firmly establishing itself as ‘one to watch’ in the luxury travel industry. The company now offers holidays to 90 countries worldwide. These include bespoke adventure holidays and expeditions in unusual locations, safaris on seven continents, inaccessible private properties, opulent city breaks, skiing in all its guises and simple flop and drops on the best beaches in the world. In 2009 Original Travel completed the successful acquisition of Tim Best Travel, luxury long-haul travel experts specialising in Africa, Latin America, the Indian Ocean Islands, Australia and India.
Global Heritage Fund
[SIZE=11pt]Global Heritage Fund UK’s ([/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]www.globalheritagefund.org[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]) mission is to preserve and protect humankind’s most important archaeological and cultural heritage sites in developing countries. The aim is for sites to become economic generators for the people who live around them and simultaneously become sustainable.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Through forming new alliances, establishing partnerships and building a network of conservation and development leaders, Global Heritage Fund UK is providing this project with new ideas, resources and supporters that will exponentially benefit these sites and build momentum for our global campaign to save vanishing heritage sites in developing regions.[/SIZE]
As part of Original Travel’s ethos to encourage sustainable travel and provide experiences that engage with and contribute to local communities, the company is delighted to support Global Heritage Fund UK’s work to protect ‘the very last example of an untouched medieval landscape in Europe’ by curating a five-day itinerary exclusive to their clients. The trip, led by expert local guides and GHF UK’s Project Manager, Brian Curran, will be culturally challenging as participants explore Europe’s lesser known territories. This initiative will offer privileged access to the Saxon villages that Global Heritage Fund UK is working to protect and see participants raise £750 each for CVPP.
Cycling Wild Carpathia
‘There is off the beaten track, and then there is Romania’ says Original Travel Founder Tom Barber (please advise if you would like to add anything). Often misunderstood and underrated as a travel destination, the historic villages of Southern Transylvania and wild beauty of the Carpathian Mountain region is home to a rich Roman, Saxon and Gypsy cultural legacy, some of Europe’s most stunning landscapes, and a wealth of wildlife including Lynx, wild Brown Bears and Grey Wolves.
From 2nd to 6th June 2015 a group of fourteen will adventure their way through ten villages, cycling and trekking the surrounding hills and forests. Guided by Romanian brothers Stefan and Eugen Vaida, participants will start their journey in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sighisoara, taking in ancient towns and villages such as Archita, Roades, Daia, Richis, Biertran and ending in Bratei. Along the 70km route cyclists will stay in traditional guest houses, dine in local Transylvanian kitchens and enjoy entertainment from Romanian music and dance troupes.
Experiencing a Land Out of Time and Place
Whilst Transylvania has sustained relative significance through myths and legends of vampires and werewolves, in recent years the destination has gained increased popularity thanks to preservation of a way of life that no longer exists in Modern Europe. The area is home to nearly 200 villages dating from 12th Century - these now representing the last vestiges of European Medieval culture and a community that has preserved its traditions rather than join the race to modernity. Farmers still scythe by hand, villagers collect water from wells and horse and carts are still more useful than cars. These villages now face destruction from rapid modern development, adverse economic conditions and lack of financial and regulatory support from the government for heritage protection.
Saving Carpathia’s Endangered Cultural Landscape
Since 2013 Global Heritage Fund has been actively working to save the endangered cultural landscape of Southern Transylvania and Carpathian Mountains through the CVPP. By repairing and restoring traditional buildings, expanding documentation of the area’s most significant rural heritage sites and encouraging public outreach to promote heritage protection through education the CVPP is working to conserve this area of Romania. Original Travel is thrilled that funds raised via this exciting initiative will contribute directly to the project.
There are 14 spaces on Original Travel’s one off Cycling The Saxon Villages trip which runs from 2nd – 6th June 2015. Participants are asked to fund-raise £750 towards the Global Heritage Fund UK and prices for the trip itself start from £957 per person sharing, with a £150 single supplement. Prices include flights to Romania from the UK, accommodation, transfers, guides, activities, bike hire and helmets. To book this trip contact 020 3582 4990 / www.originaltravel.co.uk.
Editor’s Note
Original Travel
Since its launch in 2003, Original Travel (www.originaltravel.co.uk) has become one of the UK’s fastest growing bespoke travel companies firmly establishing itself as ‘one to watch’ in the luxury travel industry. The company now offers holidays to 90 countries worldwide. These include bespoke adventure holidays and expeditions in unusual locations, safaris on seven continents, inaccessible private properties, opulent city breaks, skiing in all its guises and simple flop and drops on the best beaches in the world. In 2009 Original Travel completed the successful acquisition of Tim Best Travel, luxury long-haul travel experts specialising in Africa, Latin America, the Indian Ocean Islands, Australia and India.
Global Heritage Fund
[SIZE=11pt]Global Heritage Fund UK’s ([/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]www.globalheritagefund.org[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]) mission is to preserve and protect humankind’s most important archaeological and cultural heritage sites in developing countries. The aim is for sites to become economic generators for the people who live around them and simultaneously become sustainable.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Through forming new alliances, establishing partnerships and building a network of conservation and development leaders, Global Heritage Fund UK is providing this project with new ideas, resources and supporters that will exponentially benefit these sites and build momentum for our global campaign to save vanishing heritage sites in developing regions.[/SIZE]
