A brand new tour itinerary from MIR Corporation promises an immersive 16-day experience in Bulgaria and Romania full of legend and lore. Along with a visit to Bran Castle in Transylvania — the model for Dracula’s family home in the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker — participants on the Bulgaria & Romania: Frescoes & Fortresses tour will trek through these two fascinating Balkan countries. The path begins in Sofia, Bulgaria, with a visit to the Rila Monastery. Dating to 927, it was once home to a community of hermits. Next is Plovdiv to see the blend of ancient Roman and 19^th-century architecture, followed by the Valley of the Roses on the way to Veliko Tarnovo and Tsarevets Hill, the location of the ruins of the Royal Fortress.

Across the Danube River, the tour continues in Bucharest, Romania, where sites include the 1,100-room Palace of the Parliament. Transylvania is next, with a tour of the 19^th-century Peles Castle; the citadel of Sighisoara and birthplace of Vlad Dracul; the Gothic, stone-walled Bran Castle; the painted monasteries of Bucovina; and the Byzantine-styled cathedral in Curtea de Arges Monastery. The tour also includes a visit with an acting troupe at a theater in Tirgu Mures, a traditional egg-painting demonstration in a private home and a meeting with a Romanian costume designer in the village of Salva. Expert, knowledgeable MIR guides lead the way. MIR has been named twice to National Geographic Adventures’ Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth. The new tour is planned for May 30–June 14, with prices beginning at $6,195.