"One of the most thrilling horse riding tours in europe!"

Transylvania is Europe’s great undiscovered trail riding destination, where Cold Mountain was filmed. You ride in beautiful mountain scenery, quiet and unspoilt, the last place in Europe where working horses still outnumber vehicles. The horses are tough, agile local breeds with kind temperaments. The meadows are scattered with wild flowers. The food is locally grown, organic and flavoursome. People are kind and hospitable. This is a trip back into the past, into the authentic rural Romania, where you can experience a horse-drawn rural society that has scarcely changed in generations.

Your holiday will be more than just a riding adventure. You will be given the opportunity to experience the rich history of Transylvania, including the medieval Saxon citadel town of Sighisoara, the Byzantine Painted Monasteries, fine Austro-Hungarian architecture, and Roman remains.

The rides are run by Julian Ross, an Englishman, and Kelli Fremming, an American. Julian is an officially qualified Romanian equestrian tourism guide and the only non-Romanian rider to hold this qualification. Kelli is a highly experienced equestrian guide and wilderness instructor with over fifteen years experience. Together they offer a unique blend of experience, knowledge and culture in a beautiful Transylvanian setting.

Theirs is the longest established trail riding centre in Romania, and operates year-round with qualified guides and experienced staff. They are licensed as an incoming tour operator. Their horses are characteristic of the area, including the robust Hutzul mountain horse found only in the Carpathian range, Lipizzaners and Arabians.

The scenery here is attractive and varied. Close by stand the impressive Calimani and Rodna mountains, whose multiple peaks reach over 8,000 feet. North lies the Suhard ridge, once the border between the Austrian and Russian Empires. To the east lie the unique “Painted monasteries” and the historic spa town of Vatra Dornei. To the south is the “Borgo pass“ immortalised by Bram Stoker in “Dracula“ – a real place. The nearest big town, Cluj-Napoca, the former Austro-Hungarian provincial capital, lies over 100km to the west.

During April and May, you can enjoy the onset of Spring after the long mountain Winter. June and July are months to enjoy a profusion of wild flowers. August and September are times of hay-making and harvest, with the countryside busy with traditional horse-worked rural activities. Late September and October are times to enjoy beautiful Autumn colours.

As a responsible tourism business, they support the surrounding rural community through purchasing supplies and services from local people at fair prices, minimizing the environmental impact of our activities, and upholding high standards of animal welfare. They promote training of farriers using the most up-to-date Natural Balance techniques, and collaborate with international equine charities. Also they promote development of modern horse-drawn farming, and farm organically using our horses.