Four Unforgettable Days with Cristian as our Driver/Guide

Travelling as a couple over summer, we opted to engage Cristian as our driver come guide for our four days in Transylvania, as opposed to hiring a car and driving ourselves. Choosing Christian was easily the best decision as Cristian is genuine in sharing his deep love and knowledge of Transylvania. In person, his command of English is comprehensive and easy to understand.

In our early emails he was responsive and helpful in offering alternative ideas. Upon meeting Cristian his professionalism was obvious. He also has the uncanny knack of knowing when to withdraw and when to engage with his clients and as importantly, he does not offer any tourist “spin”. We initially wondered if Cristian understood our Australian accent only to realise that when asked a question, he doesn’t regurgitate a throw-away tourist line from a tourist guide's handbook but contemplates the question and pieces together a thoroughly well-rounded and thoughtful response. His core belief is one of being sound and genuine, all part of his rural Transylvanian way of life.

As a guide, Cristian took us to the main, must-see places of interest. They were all very agreeable and indeed, not to be missed. The pièce de résistance was finding ourselves in the out of the way places where only the locals - and his family - head to for relaxation, food or fun.

At one stage we were sitting outside on a rough-hewn bench beside an old, twisted oak table on a small mountainous plateau encased by a forest of 700 to 800 year old oaks, enjoying a late afternoon picnic of local delicacies that Cristian picked up from his neighbourhood farmers market, complimented nicely by a regional bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. To our surprise, as we were relaxing in to the beauty and solitude, out of the dense forest came an old shepard and his long flock of sheep, his two enormous dogs and two donkeys. They slowly rambled around and past us, no more than a few metres away, the clanking bells hanging off the necks of the sheep echoing off the surrounding countryside, as the flock of sheep slowly nibbled their combined way off to a distant pasture. Magical.

There were so many more timeless moments that Cristian’s knowledge and thoughtfulness provided. Ask him about his favourite coffee shop in stunningly beautiful Sighisoara. Unforgettable.

Cristian is more than just a driver. If you have the time, spend a day or more with him as your guide and delve into the wonderful world of Transylvania. It is a whole discovery of enchantment.