Legends and Sacred in the Somes Region

The first stop is Bontida, the summer residence of the Bathory family, the former governors of Transylvania. The castle was built in the 18^th century in the Baroque style and was known as "the Versailles of Transylvania". During World War 2, parts of it burned down and during the Communist era, a large part of it was destroyed. Currently, several organisations, including the "Mihai Eminescu Trust", led by Print Charles of the U.K., are restoring it and bringing it back to its former glory.

The next stop is Gherla, a small town, founded by the Armenian population, who came from Russia in the 18^th century. Some buildings still reflect the history of this merchant community and the Armenian-Catholic church stands as a symbol of their religious beliefs. In this church lies one of the most important and precious altars of Transylvania, painted by Peter Paul Rubens.

After having already seen the two ethnic groups of this region, you enter the sacred and mysterious world of the Orthodox Church. Nicula, a small village just outside Gherla, is home to one of the most beloved pilgrimage destinations in Romania. The monastery was founded in the 15^th century, burned down many times and still hosts over 50 monks today. There is a very important icon of "Virgin Mary and Jesus" painted on glass, which is said to have magical powers. Legend has it that during some hard times for the monastery, the icon cried over several days. It is believed ever since, that it has the power to heal various diseases.

Having seen Nicula, the tour leaves for Sic, a Hungarian village, a couple of kilometres away. People here still hold their traditions and have many stories to tell. The traditional clothes of the women are red, the colour of the blood their men spilled in 1717, when the Mongols last attacked. Here, you leave the bus and take a walk down the narrow streets of the village to see how the people here live and get a chance to talk to them.

The tour returns to Cluj in the evening.

The itinerary is as follows:

• pick-up at 9 am and departure to Bontida
• visit to the castle of the Bathory family
• drive and tour to the Armenian city of Gherla
• visit to the Armenian Catholic Church, whose altar was painted by Peter Paul Rubens
• visit to one of the most beloved pilgrimage places in Romania -  the Nicula Monastery
• tour of the Hungarian village of Sic, rich in Hungarian traditions and customs
• return to Cluj in the evening.