The place everyone's heard of and nobody really knows.
You've probably heard the story of the bloodsucking Count. Well, it's just a story. But Transylvania's charm is very real. Transylvania means "the land beyond the forest." A region in the heart of Romania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains, home to medieval villages that time forgot and forests where bears and wolves still roam freely. One dawn here and you'll understand why the stories exist. You'll be surprised there aren't more of them. Magic in Transylvania is very real (there is literally a witchcraft tax). It has never been mass tourism territory and hopefully it never will be. Which is exactly why it still feels like this.
I'm Andreea
photographer, story teller, bridge between worlds
I was born in Sibiu and spent my first six years in Transylvania. We went camping on weekends, fishing and explored forests that felt endless. Those are my earliest and favorite memories. Nature taught me to see before I even knew what seeing meant. When I got my first camera, a love story began. I didn't know it then, but looking back, I was always trying to capture a feeling. One that I could only ever fully feel here. Even after my family moved to Vienna, every time we came back I could feel it, that freedom, somewhere deep in my bones. I am deeply rooted in this land. And after twenty years of being away, I am still finding my own way back to it. I got married in the fortified church of the very village where we are taking you. Matthias and I return to Transylvania whenever we can because the stories, the people, the landscapes give you something rare: a perspective shift. A slowing down that only seems to happen here.
This retreat is my way of sharing that feeling with you. One I've spent my whole life trying to put into a photograph.
This is your invitation
Five days designed around one thing: having nowhere else to be. For photographers and non-photographers alike. For anyone who slows down for the light on an old wall, or the texture of a wooden door. Whether you shoot on a professional camera, a film camera or your phone doesn't matter here. What matters is that you see beauty and feel the urge to hold onto it somehow. We'll spend five days exploring authentic Transylvania together. Learning to notice before we capture. To find the extraordinary in what most people walk straight past.
She has this wonderful way of showing you that beauty is everywhere, if you’re willing to really look.
She has a rare ability to capture the soul of things and places in her photography.
Transylvania needs voices like hers, people who show the real richness of the region.
Where we're staying
The place where we got married
We got married here. Three whole days, friends and family came from all over the world and every single one of them fell for this place the way we did. The hosts make you feel at home instantly. The food is unforgettable. (We've gone back just to eat it.) And the village itself is the kind of place that makes you exhale properly for the first time in months.
Cincșor's fortified church dates back to the 13th century and is part of a network of Saxon defensive churches built by German settlers who shaped this region's identity for centuries. Many fell into ruin. This one didn't. The restoration managed to preserve not just the walls, but it's soul. You feel it the moment you arrive. That's why it made perfect sense to share this with you!
Five days that will
change how you see
Designed around time, deliberate exploration and the kind of access to authentic Transylvania that only a local can give you.
5 days of photography and slow living
Daily guided photography practice with Andreea Mercurean
Focus on observation, light, rhythm and depth
Access to curated locations and quiet village landscapes
Visits to fortified churches and Saxon heritage sites along the Via Transilvanica
Cistercian Abbey of Cârța (one of the oldest in Romania)
Private transportation throughout the entire retreat
All meals included (locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared)
Time for individual work, reflection and rest
Small group of maximum 10 people
DAY 1 –– ARRIVAL & WELCOME
Cincșor, you've arrived.
· Arrival at Cluj (CLJ) or Sibiu (SBZ) airport
· Private transfer to Cincșor Guesthouses
· Check-in and time to settle
· Leisure time: breathe, wander, arrive properly
· Welcome dinner together
DAY 2 — LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY DAY
Today is about landscape and light.
· Breakfast
· Slow photography practice in the surrounding hills and open landscape
· Visit to the Cistercian Abbey of Cârța (founded 1202–1205)
· Șomartin, Gherdeal trail
· Return at sunset with panoramic views at Rucăr
· Lunch, local food in a Saxon village
· Evening group conversation
· Slow dinner at Cincșor Guesthouses
DAY 3 — CULTURAL & HERITAGE DAY
Today is about human traces.
· Breakfast
· Visit to nearby Saxon villages along the scenic route:
Biertan – Richiș – Copșa Mare (Via Transilvanica)
· Visits to fortified churches, some of the most atmospheric
and photogenic places in all of Romania
· Lunch, local food in a Saxon village
· Slow village walk and observation practice
· Slow dinner at Cincșor Guesthouses
DAY 4 — VILLAGE LIFE
The quiet magic of the everyday.
· Breakfast
· Photography practice within the village of Cincșor itself,
interiors, textures, details and traces of daily life
· Lunch at Cincșor Guesthouses
· Afternoon free time for individual work and reflection
· Slow dinner with TravelArte hosting at Cincșor Guesthouses
DAY 5 — SLOW GOODBYE
Leaving is also part of it.
· Breakfast and slow goodbye
· Transfer to Cluj or Sibiu airport
You won't leave the same way you arrived.
That's a promise!
This is for you if ...
You've always wanted to visit Transylvania and feel it in a real, meaningful way
You're drawn to slow travel and experiences a little out of the ordinary
You love photography in any form and care more about the feeling than the technique
You want to create, explore, and come home genuinely inspired
You're looking for something personal, not a workshop
You'd love to spend time with a local, learning how she sees and moves through a landscape
You enjoy connecting with like-minded people, sharing stories and growing together
And just so we're clear about what this is not:
× Not a technical photography workshop
× Not about camera settings or gear
× Not a fast-paced itinerary packed with must-sees
× Not about getting the perfect shot
If you've been craving an experience that goes deeper than a trip: this is it.
October in Transylvania is something else entirely
8–12 October 2026
4 nights · 5 days
Autumn in Transylvania is the most beautiful version of it you can experience. It's the kind of season that makes even the most seasoned traveler stop and go quiet.
Where: Cincșor, Transylvania, Romania
Cincșor Transylvania Guesthouses a 13th century restored Saxon complex in a village suspended in time. Our wedding location.
Group size: Small on purpose, 10 people.
INVESTMENT
This retreat was built the way we'd want to experience it ourselves with nothing left to chance and nothing left to feel generic. From the daily photography sessions designed to wake up your senses, to meals prepared fresh each day by Chef Adrian Boșcu using local, seasonal ingredients rooted in Transylvania's Saxon, Hungarian and Romanian traditions, to guided nature experiences, curated village routes and a closing dinner dressed in florals that feels more like a celebration than a goodbye. Every detail was chosen on purpose, handled by people who love this land and designed to give you five days that feel complete from the very first morning to the very last toast. Pricing is based on how you prefer to stay:
✓ 4 nights accommodation at Cincșor Guesthouses
✓ Private transportation throughout the entire retreat
✓ Airport transfers from Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) or Sibiu (SBZ)
✓ English-speaking guide on selected days
✓ Entrance fees to fortified churches
✓ All meals — breakfast, lunch & dinners, locally sourced and thoughtfully prepared
✓ Daily guided photography practice + mentorship with Andreea Mercurean
✓ Curated daily experiences and access to all locations
✓ Hosting and curation by TravelArte
✓ Personal creative support throughout
€2,100* — Double occupancy
(single bed in a shared room)
€2,300* — Single occupancy
(your own private room)
Every curated activity is included, along with all local arrangements and all meals during the retreat. You’ll also have 1:1 time and personal guidance with me whenever needed.
* Payment plans are available, just get in touch and we'll figure it out together.
TRANSFERS
Pick-up from Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) and Sibiu (SBZ) airports is included.
Pick-up from Bucharest (OTP) is available for an additional cost.
TravelArte takes care of all coordination so your journey into Transylvania
feels easy from the very first moment.
The real Transylvania is wilder, older and more beautiful than any story ever gave it credit for. Come see it with me, a local who was born in the heart of it and still returns every time, to remember that magic is a real thing.
MEET OUR PARTNERS
