# Romania: Painted Monasteries and Mountain Paths > Explore Romania on a small-group yoga retreat with Victoria Greene, combining painted monasteries, Carpathian hikes and historic Saxon villages. - URL: https://reclaimyourself.co.uk/our-holidays/romania-wellness-yoga-retreat/ - Published: 2026-09-12 - Updated: 2026-09-14 - Author: Jools Sampson --- Over seven nights, we’ll travel from Cluj-Napoca into Bucovina and across the Eastern Carpathians before finishing among the Saxon villages of southern Transylvania. The route combines active days on foot with local encounters, cultural visits and time to enjoy each place, rather than simply passing through. **The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina** Bucovina is known for its remarkable painted monasteries, whose exterior walls are covered with intricate religious frescoes dating back more than 500 years. We’ll visit Voroneț, famous for its vivid blue paintings, before continuing to the fortified monastery of Sucevița, where green frescoes cover the walls beneath imposing defensive towers. A countryside walk takes us into the hills above Sucevița, with far-reaching views across the monastery, surrounding villages and forested landscape. We’ll stop for a picnic before returning through the countryside. **Craft, Food and Village Traditions** Our time in Bucovina also introduces us to traditions that remain part of daily life in the region. During a hands-on workshop, we’ll learn the intricate art of decorating eggs using wax, dyes and symbols associated with nature, faith and protection, creating our own painted egg to take home. We’ll walk through the surrounding countryside towards a local farm and gather for dinner accompanied by local dancers. **Into the Eastern Carpathians** Leaving Bucovina, we travel into the Eastern Carpathians for the most active day of the retreat. A four-hour guided hike through Cheile Bicăjelului takes us along forest paths, across streams and small bridges, and up towards a viewpoint over the surrounding mountains. We’ll carry a picnic lunch to enjoy along the way before continuing to Lacu Roșu, or Red Lake. Formed by a landslide in the 19th century, the lake is known for the preserved tree trunks that still rise from its waters, surrounded by the peaks and forests of the Hășmaș Mountains. **Medieval Sighișoara** From the mountains, we travel west to Sighișoara, one of Europe’s best-preserved inhabited medieval citadels. Pastel-coloured houses line its cobbled lanes, while fortified towers built by the city’s Saxon guilds rise above the old town. We’ll explore the citadel with a local guide, discovering its Clock Tower, historic squares and centuries of Transylvanian history before continuing into the countryside. **Walking the Via Transilvanica** Our final stage takes us along a section of the Via Transilvanica, Romania’s long-distance trail through mountains, forests and rural communities. We’ll follow a manageable stretch through the Saxon landscape surrounding Alma Vii, where meadows, woodland and fortified villages sit far from the country’s busier visitor routes. Our final full day remains close to the village, with a slow guided walk through the surrounding forest and countryside and time to enjoy the peaceful setting. We round off the retreat with a farewell dinner in Alma Vii before returning to Cluj the following morning. **Yoga Throughout the Journey** Yoga with Victoria Greene runs throughout the retreat, with regular morning and evening practices arranged around our travel, walks and cultural experiences. **Spa Time** Spa time is woven into the journey, offering a welcome contrast to our days spent walking and exploring. At our first countryside stay, you can warm up in the sauna and soak in a hot tub surrounded by forest. Towards the end of the retreat, we’ll spend an afternoon at [Zen Barn Spa](https://zenbarnspa.ro/) in the Saxon village of Richiș, where three saunas overlook the Transylvanian countryside. --- Site index for agents: https://reclaimyourself.co.uk/llms.txt