YOU WON ' T FIND DRACULA HERE
“ What comes to your mind when you think of Transylvania ? What comes to my mind are mountains of savage beauty , ancient castles , werewolves , and witches - a land of magical obscurity ,” says Elizabeth Kostova , the American author best known for her novel The Historian , that blends folklore and history in a tale of Dracula , vampires and Transylvania .
Transylvania , the mysterious land " beyond the forest " best known for the bloodthirsty vampires and howling wolves , is definitely more than that , which lead to Gabriel Rotar creating Transylvania Discoverer , a company specialising in planning and delivering exquisite tailored travel experiences in Transylvania , aiming to reveal the region for the truth , the mystery , the people and landscapes , all authentic and spectacular .
Gabriel has been riding for years and believes there ’ s no better way to explore , discovering new adventures through an experience of feelings and emotions .
“ No other vehicle demands such a high focus on adapting your reactions to what surrounds you ,” explains Gabriel . “ At the same time , it allows you to dive into your surrounds filling your senses with delight .”
Gabriel says for him there ’ s no better feeling than the smell of fresh grass or the forest and the occasional scrape of a boot or footpeg when riding the twisties . It ’ s heightened with the chance meetings that immerse you in culture , people , heritage , and flavours of those areas newly discovered .
With a love of motorcycling and what it can offer Gabriel adapted his business to include Transylvania Moto Discoverer , a concept not new , yet unique to this part of the world as they offer planning and delivering tailor-made self-guided or fully guided motorcycle riding experiences in Transylvania . Transylvania Moto Discoverer offers unforgettable experiences on carefully selected tracks on either your own or supplied bikes through Transylvania Moto Discoverer ’ s rental partners . The fleet includes BMW R1250GS , F850GS and F750GS or Honda Africa Twin 1000 / 1100 machines . Yamaha ’ s and KTM ’ s are also available on request .
The roads taken are considered some of the world ’ s best ; the Transfăgărăşan Pass ( the Transalpina Pass ) or it ’ s sister road , the off-road version , Strategica .
With a length of 148 kilometres , the Transalpina Pass , is the highest road in the Carpathian Mountains , and reaches a summit of 2,145 metres , after following the mountain ridge line for almost 20 kilometres . History suggests that this road dates back as far as Roman times and at times has been referred to as “ the Devils Trail ” by shepherds , later known as the “ Kings Road ” when it was enlarged for military use prior to World War 2 . Know as the Transalpina today , it ’ s regarded as Romania ’ s must ride road .
The sister Strategica , deviates from the Transalpina to the east and follows the mountains to an elevation of around 1,900 metres , and for those a little more adventurous features 45 kilometres of unsealed track that challenges in the dry and tortures when wet .
TRAVERSE 9