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Rimetea Apuseni Romania

The golden quadrangle of the Apuseni mountains

For thousands of years, the Metaliferi Mountains(Ore Mountains) have been a European "El Dorado" from where gold has spread to most of the Roman empire and than the western world. The "gold rush" gathered together a melting pot of cultures bringing their spiritual and material heritage from all around the world. Our journey proposes a blend of scenic and cultural landmarks intended to get you a glance at these remote and history rich mountains.

  • Day 1 - Timisoara to Rimetea
    Following a 3 hour car transfer from Timisoara, we arrive in the charming village of Rimetea, a UNESCO world heritage, living museum renown for its ethnographic, spiritual and material historic heritage. After lunch, we have the option of visiting several museums and local craft shops or taking a 4-hour hiking circuit to the "Székely rock" peak impressively dominating the Rimetea valley. In the evening our hosts will prepare us a unique dinner with typical "Szekely" dishes.
  • Day 2 - Rimetea to Geogel
    Our first day of biking takes us on a high alpine road with breathtaking panoramas. The ride on mixed tarmac and gravel roads take us above 1000 a.s.l and offers incredible views of remote villages with hay covered houses and centuries-old wooden churches. We will have a picnic lunch "on the road" with famous local cheeses. The day ends and in an agritourism pension with a delicious dinner prepared by a local host with traditional Shepard dishes.
  • Day 3 - Geogel to Bucium
    Meet the "The people of gold" the "Buciumani" timeless inhabitants of the "Golden quadrangle".They make up a special world, with unwritten laws following sacred rules. For millenniums they have been hunting without exhaustion, the "mother" of all treasures: Gold itself. After spending the morning on saddles we will visit the "Museum of the Buciuman people" and end the day in a typical village in the company of our welcoming local host eager to share the stories of the gold miners.
  • Day 4 - Bucium to Rosia Montana
    Today we enjoy a wonderful scenic biking day on non-paved mountain paths with impressive views of the "Detunata" peak a natural organ made of hexagonal basalt columns, the "Rosia Poieni" surface mining facility and finally arriving in Rosia Montana UNESCO heritage site described by the committee as follows "The Roșia Montană mining cultural landscape is the largest and most relevant example of underground gold mining in the world, dating back to the Roman occupation of Dacia." For the next two nights, we will be accommodated in an authentic local farm with a panoramic view of the surroundings where our hosts will prepare us their typical farm products.
  • Day 5 - Rosia Montana
    Day 5 is dedicated to visiting Rosia Montana and its surroundings. We will visit a Roman gold mine, the museum of mining, the churches of different confessions and the typical mining architecture of the village. In the afternoon we spend 3-4 hours on a biking roundtrip organized in collaboration with our local partner guide, visiting a group of scenic lakes resulting from the mining activity.
  • Day 6 - Brad and return to Timisoara
    The last day takes us to The Gold Museum and Mineral Collection of Brad the capital of the gold mining region. Founded 100 years ago, the museum contains a collection of over 2,000 exhibits gathered from all around the world. Some of the museum’s most remarkable exhibits are those made of native gold, found in the local Metaliferi Mountains. Following the visit to Brad, a 2-hour car transfer takes us back to Timisoara.

What is included?

  • English, German, Hungarian and Italian-speaking local guides

  • Fully equipped mountain bike

  • Helmet

  • All accommodations & meals

  • Snacks (sandwiches, fruits, nuts) and water during riding

  • Assistance car

  • Entrance fees

  • Car transfer in the from/to Timisoara (following prior agreement other locations may be arranged)

How to get to us

Our team is based in Timisoara the European Cultural Capital 2023 and we strongly advise you to reserve a day to visit our city and learn about the place where the fall of Romanian Communism was initiated. We gladly organise an intimate guided tour with our partners "Timisoara la cutie".

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By plane

Timisoara international Airport is one of Romania's main airports. Timisoara is well connected with most of Europe by air.

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By car

Timisoara is connected to Budapest and Vienna by motorway. The journey takes around 3 hours from Budapest and 5 hours from Vienna.

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By train

One of our sustainable suggestions are traveling by train(link to Eco-Tourism). Timisoara and the neighboring city of Arad are connected to Budapest and Vienna by train.

Bikes and gear

We offer fully equipped mountain bikes, best fitted for the mountainous landscapes we are visiting. We choose Romanian-produced bikes in order to support and promote the local economy. Our offer comes with complete accessories for your safety but we suggest bringing along a small backpack for carrying the personal belongings.


In case you decide to bring your own bike, we will support the logistics of the bike boxes, we just have to discuss the details during the booking stage.

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