Author: Marina - Andreea Alexandru
Whenever it comes to organizing a trip for children, parents have difficulties.
Whether they want the place to be dotted with spectacular scenery or give great importance to the cultural experience, parents often get stuck in choosing the right destination. Most of the time, the opinions and experiences of friends are very helpful. But what do we do when they can’t advise us?
Let's ask the children! What do they want?
To play. To learn new things. To have really special experiences.
The more fun, the better!
I can help you find a suitable place by sharing my experience as a student on a first trip to Transylvania, in the mountains.
It was autumn, and the school year had not begun long ago. It was a good time for a mountain getaway, because the colors of the trees are indescribable at the time. Together with the conductor, we decided to go to Șirnea, a village in Transylvania never heard of by me, from Brașov County.
After a journey of a few hours in which we all sat with our faces glued to the window, amazed by the beauty of that view, we arrived. We were a little suspicious when the bus stopped, because we couldn’t see any cottage where we could leave our luggage. Then I had a surprise. The class was divided into two groups. Each received a map and a compass. We were told that, together with a guide, we had to get to the accommodation, following the route shown on the map, and the only object that could help us was that little compass. It was like a competition between teams, the winner receiving the title of “Fearless of the mountains”. It was a great joy among us.
After we started to walk easily among the trees, we were informed that on the route we will meet some tests that we have to do to continue our trip, these being marked by some cards. The guide was going to explain the rules along the way.
The landscape was beautiful, and no one resisted immortalizing it through photographs to show to their parents on their return.
We got the first mission. It presumed that one of our teammates was injured, and until the ambulance arrived we had to transport him on a stretcher, made by ourselves from what we found on the hills. We, the students, initially thought it was a joke, because it seemed impossible for us to do such a thing.
“We put the bone to work” and took responsibility. I called someone who was supposed to be “injured,” and the others had the task of finding the logs and materials to tie them. Finally, we managed to carry our colleague a long way. That’s how we were able to prove to the guide that the job we did was really good.
How to have fun on a trip to the mountains?
In our expedition, we also encountered other challenges such as:
Jumping a fence without touching it.
We had to imagine it was electric shock. Through group work, we moved our colleagues to the other side of the fence, and the last child would go through a gate, having no colleagues to lift him.
Tea made by campfire.
Target shooting.
Going through mountain trails prepared for us.
After five hours of walking through the mountains, we finally reached the accommodation. We sat down at the table and the winning team was announced, a long-awaited moment for us.
The team I was on didn’t win. The others were faster than us by only 15 minutes, however, there was no room for envy or anger. We all enjoyed the unforgettable landscapes and especially the memories created.
When the sky darkened, I had another surprise. The hosts of the cottage invited us to a campfire with meringues. The experience felt like we were in a dream. A guitarist, invited to the event, delighted us with songs with and about outlaws.
We all danced and sang with the guest. An hour later we went to bed because we were broken.
Visiting locals' homes in Transylvania
The next day we visited some locals who introduced us to their yards. The houses were quite far apart. They were very excited that they had guests and with a big smile on their face they told us what a day looks like in a mountain village in Transylvania.
Tanti Doina also explained to us how she was left one day without flour. She had to walk far too far for an old woman (as she called herself) to her nearest neighbor.
We now know for a fact that the homes of the people of mountain Transylvania are scattered, it is real and not just a theory in the geography book. The villagers also delighted us with some homemade dishes, along with stories from their youth.
Nea Gheorghe, another charming man we met, made us croissants with jam. He told us that his wife used to make croissants for her grandchildren, but unfortunately she died and the grandchildren moved. That’s why nea Gheorghe is very happy when he receives visitors, missing the children’s laughter. It seemed to be a fairy tale in distant lands.
The saddest moment was the parting with the old people with whom we felt so good, and the small mountain village, Șirnea, in beautiful Transylvania
Back home: we leave mountaineous Transylvania behind, but we keep it in mind
When we arrived back home, everyone showed their parents pictures of the magnificent landscapes and told them what happened on the trip.
The two days were very, very special, we felt like a child of those realms.
This can be a model trip for parents looking for adventure for their children. From an experience like this, the little ones can learn how to orient themselves in space, how to react in the event of an accident and most importantly, how to develop their teamwork skills. Everything through play …
Where do we stay when we go on a trip to Transylvania?
Adults could visit any Transylvanian village and an interesting thing would be to give up accommodation in a hotel and opt for the house of some locals, because they will welcome you with open arms and it is also a good opportunity for children to listen to their stories and see what it’s like to live in such a special mountain village.
A trip like mine can be arranged by anyone. All you need is a nice little village and good cheer.
List of only good places to visit:
Ciocanu
Hillock
Cave
Poiana Mărului
You can wander among the scattered houses and benefit from many advantages. The landscapes will leave you speechless, the interesting conversations with the locals will recreate the thrill of memories of your grandparents and the experience of the traditional place will bring you closer to home.
The little ones deserve unforgettable holidays. Choose Transylvania with many unforgettable stories and landscapes!
Marina - Andreea Alexandru
I really like to read and I do it mostly in the summer evenings when the wind blows lightly, the crickets sing, and my room is covered by the starlight. I love to wander the streets of my city and photograph what I see in particular. Photography combines perfectly with another passion, traveling. I like to talk to the people of the places I visit, to listen to their stories, to see really special landscapes.
