Tourism Operation Licence no. 3854 / 2010
Romania as a destination
Transilvania as a destination

 
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One day tour of visiting an old Armenian city, the unique monastery of Nicula and the traditional village of Sic!
 
Gherla
has been an Armenian settlement since 1672 and was called Armenopolis; carved Armenian family crests are still visible over many doorways.
The Baroque Armenian-Catholic cathedral, built between 1748 and 1804, sits in the city center. To the right of the main square is the town museum, which houses a collection of Armenian manuscripts and icons on glass.
The tradition of painting icons on glass derives from fourteenth-century Venice, from where it spread through the mountains of the Tyrol and Bohemia to the Carpathians.
Nicula Monastery
In the year of 2002, Nicula Monastery celebrated 450 years since its first documentation (1552), and at least as many years of existence, taking into account the fact that the name of the village and the forest originates from the hermit Nicolae who dates from 1326.
It was initially erected as a modest hermitage, possibly by a single monk, as a place where the peasants could have taken refuge from maurading Tartars, and later on, became a religious school (1659) for "caring about the soul and learning the commandments". It became a place of miracle when the image of the Holy Virgin, an Icon painted by the orthodox priest Luca of Iclod in 1681, cried with tears for 26 days in 1699.
After this miraculous event, foreboding great sufferings for the Romanians in Transylvania (Austro-Hungarian occupation, the religious disunion, natural calamities, etc), the monastery soon became a well-known pilgrimage place and which even today hosts up to 300,000 believers on its dedication day of August 15th.
The evidence of weeping, confirmed with signatures and seals, brought about the inauguration of the first school of painting on glass in Transylvania, turning Nicula into a village of painters of icons, which is still continued.
The wooden church that dates to 1552 burnt down in a fire in 1973. It was replaced with one brought from Nasal-Fanate hamlet, dated 1650.
For those interested in Orthodox rituals, seeing a Holy Virgin Icon considered to be miraculous and visiting one of the largest collections of icons on wood and glass, Nicula Monastery is the place to visit.

traditional room in Sic village
Sic village (Szek for the Hungarian comunity) -an important Hungarian village that is spread over several hills, boasts a number of churches and municipal buildings, testifying to its former importance as a center of salt mining. Sic is considered to be a kind of repository of Hungarian folk culture. The Magyars there wear costumes, the kind you would only see in Hungarian museums. Hungarian cuisine may be tasted at one of the local traditional restaurants.
After visiting the monastery of Nicula, we will stop in Sic village and indulge in a Hungarian lunch. Then after we'll go walking on the thiny little streets, enjoying a local event if the case, or visiting a local Hungarian traditional farm house.


Tour information:

- duration - between 8 and 10 hours;
- validity - thoughout the year;
- minimum persons required - 2.


PRICES :
- 105 euros / person for minimum 2 people;
- 70 euros / person for 3 people;
- 52 euros / person for 4 people;
- 63 euros / person for 5 people;
- 52 euros / person for 6 people;
- 45 euros / person for 7 people;
- 39 euros / person for 8 people;
- 44 - 29 euros / person for 9 - 14 people;
- 30 - 42 euros / person for 15 - 20 people;
- 40 - 27 euros / person for 21 - 31 people;

Note: get over 20% off the total price by being accommodated at Retro Hostel!


Prices includes:
- transfer and tour Cluj - Gherla - Nicula monastery - Sic village - Cluj, by car, minibus or bus;
- English, German, Italian or Hungarian speaking guide;
- snack and refreshings, in the car;

Prices excludes:
- entrance tickets throughout the day;
- the meals during the day;
- personal expenses.


 
 
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Maramures - 2 days tour
Bucovina - 2 days tour
Maramures & Bucovina tour
Country life in Maramures
Dracula tour !!!
Brasov-Sinaia-Bran-Prejmer

  Outgoing - Excursii elevi
Circuite elevi in Cluj
Circuite elevi in tara
Hiking the Retezat Mountains
Hiking the Southern Carpathians
   
 

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