Join The European Nature Trust on a breathtaking bike ride through Transylvania this September
The European Nature Trust (TENT) is hosting a unique guided cycling trip through the mythical lands of Transylvania in Romania this September. The five-day, 200km journey through the Carpathian Mountains will have guests winding through wild flower meadows, medieval villages, virgin forests, historic castles, panoramic views and bear watching opportunities.
Cycling mainly on wild tracks, forestry roads and backroads, this is an opportunity to experience a rare pocket of Europe’s last remaining unspoilt countryside in all its natural glory. Participants will spend time with Europe’s leading conservationists and stay in exclusive venues such as HRH The Prince of Wales’s private nature retreat, and on the historic estate of a Hungarian noble family. Good company, delicious food and drink, local entertainment and wild experiences combine to create an exceptional itinerary designed to immerse guests in the beauty, culture and unique environment of this remote region.
The enriching travel experience is an initiative TENT has developed in collaboration with Foundation Conservation Carpathia (FCC), and forms a part of TENT’s wider vision to promote the conservation of areas of natural beauty, and environmental importance that desperately need protecting throughout Europe.
‘Wild places provide clean air, pure water and healthy soils – essential for life on Earth,’ explains Paul Lister, the founder and trustee of TENT. ‘Yet still only 3% of charitable giving is directed to environmental causes. At The European Nature Trust we create unique experiences that connect people to nature and raise funds for leading conservation organisations.’
The Carpathian Mountains, Romania
Romania is home to some of the most important conservation areas in Europe, encompassing more than half of the vast Carpathians – Europe’s second longest mountain range – and over half of the continent’s original virgin forests, where brown bears, wolves and lynx coexist in one of the world’s rare remaining natural ecosystems.
TENT and FCC are working together to raise funds to protect over 200,000 hectares of forests and Alpine meadows, and create a world-class wilderness reserve that would become ‘the Yellowstone of Europe’. By encouraging the development of sustainable tourism initiatives – in areas that are at grave risk of being irrecoverably destroyed by illegal logging and deforestation – the two organisations are seeking to show local communities the longer-term value in the natural beauty of Romania’s precious landscape, and the hugely important role it’s ecosystems play in the environmental health of Europe and the wider world.
Over the past decade, the FCC has purchased, and fully protected, over 21,000 hectares of forests and meadows in the south-eastern Carpathians, restored forest ecosystems on 500 hectares and now employs more than 6o staff, including rangers, foresters, biologists, education specialists, protected area specialists, legal advisers and accountants.
The cost of the Ride Romania trip is £1,250 per person, inclusive of all accommodation, meals and airport transfers. Flights to and from Bucharest must be booked separately. Participants of Ride Romania are also required to fundraise a minimum of £2,000 per individual. These funds will go directly to the Foundation Conservation Carpathia, helping to support their conservation work to preserve the biodiversity of this unique landscape – one of the last remaining pockets of natural wilderness in Europe, and a critically important ecosystem.
The Ride Romania travel experience will take place from 15-20 September 2018. To register your interest for the trip, and discover more about the work of The European Nature Trust, visit theeuropeannaturetrust.com
