Transylvania

In Transylvania, Saxon rhubarb cake, hearty pork stews, wood-fired flatbreads, cheese from the milk of cows that graze in the wild meadows of the Carpathian Mountains, charcuterie from Transylvanian mangalitza pigs and chimney cakes rolled in cinnamon will introduce us to Saxon Transylvania. On this trip with Irina Georgescu, a James Beard Award-winning author and Christopher Kimball’s guide in Romania, you’ll visit and cook with renowned cheesemakers and homesteaders at Gastro Locals, a network of slow food restaurants and cooking schools in people’s homes; learn about Romanian wine, beer and brandy and picnic in ancient oak forests. We keep the tour focused on food and culinary traditions, but you won’t miss the local landmarks everyone needs to see, like the region’s famous frescoed fortified churches, forests and working self-sufficient Saxon villages.

Trip highlights: Surrounded by the Carpathian mountains of Romania, cook traditional Saxon dishes in private homes and Hungarian heritage foods with local experts. Sample the culinary past and present of urban Transylvania. Stay in a working, self-reliant Saxon village. Visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Picnic under ancient oak trees and get to know this bucolic landscape of meadows, horse-drawn carts, ancient forests and alpine peaks.

Who you’ll travel with: Irina Georgescu

A sample of what you’ll eat and make: Saxon rhubarb cake, a seasonal speciality. Hearty stews. Mushroom-stuffed flatbreads. Cheese from the milk of cows that graze in the wild meadows of the Carpathian Mountains. Charcuterie from Transylvanian mangalitza pigs. Bread baked in traditional Transylvanian outdoor ovens. And the famous kürtőskalács chimney cakes rolled in cinnamon.

Per person cost: $5,500 (Single room supplement: $750)
Nonrefundable deposit due at booking: $500