Our small Saxon Trek project got to its third year of existence in 2021. With some changes this time, it was way shorter (a weekend instead of a week) and we managed to convince friends to join us. Beginning of October, with pleasant temperatures, with trees playing with their autumn colors and with the usual Saxon villages and their stories, we walked for about 40 kilometers in two days, avoiding concrete roads but instead following small roads and forest paths.

Day 1 – From Viscri to Cloașterf (25km)

We drove from Sibiu to Viscri on Friday evening and settled in in one of the Experience Transylvania Saxon Houses. After having a delicious local ingredients dinner at Viscri32, one of our favorite places in Viscri, we stayed up late talking to the owner of the house where we were spending the night and asking too many questions about the village, about the Saxon heritage, about how people get along and tasting his homemade beer.

On Saturday we woke up early, a bit tired after not having slept enough but gathered our energy, had a quick breakfast and started our trek. We had a full day ahead with the final aim to arrive in Cloașterf, where we would spend the night.

The weather was acceptable, it was raining a bit in the morning and only a few degrees when we left Viscri, but it got warmer and more pleasant as the day continued. We started our trip at 9AM and by 12PM we were already arriving in Meșendorf, our first stop. The route is marked with a red line sign so we just followed the signing until getting to Meșendorf. The marked paths around Viscri are, mostly in summer, quite frequently used by trekkers, but also by bikers. As for our trip, we didn’t meet anyone on our way, only a few locals when getting to villages. It was only us, the forest and some rustling leaves, just to let us know that animals are around.

In Meșendorf we had a pit stop for some fresh water and some homemade cheese from Meșendorf 65, a small gastro place, where the owners make matured cheese and also prepare meals based on local recipes and ingredients for people coming over. As we hadn’t made a reservation in advance and as they were soon having a big group coming over for lunch, we had to skip the meal experience and only get some cheese on the go.

After a quick picnic just on the outskirts of Meșendorf, we continued our trip in the direction of Cloașterf, following the red cross path and in the end getting back on the red line path. It took us 4 more hours to get to our final destination for the day, passing again through forests and over the Transylvanian Highlands.

25 kilometers later after leaving Viscri in the morning we were enjoying a well deserved beer and a delicious dinner made by the lady taking care of Dominic Boutique, the small guest house where we also spent the night. After a full day of walking, we started the fire in our room and had a well deserved sleep.

Day 2 – From Cloașterf to Viscri (15km)

Sunday we enjoyed the breakfast that the lady from Dominc Boutique prepared for us and started our trip for the day. The aim was to get back to Viscri where we had left our car and get back to Sibiu. We left Claoșterf behind and followed the Via Transilvanica path in the direction of Criț, again via forests and over the hills.

The big surprise for us was that a baby cat started following us when we left the village and didn’t want to go back where it belonged. So in the end we had a pet joining the trip, who, by the end of the day, got to be adopted and to be part of our family ever since.

In about one hour and a half we arrived in Criț and made a quick pit stop at the local store to get fresh water and some snacks for the road. By the way, for some reason, water in these villages is not good for drinking so everyone drinks bottled water.

We left Criț behind around 11 AM and walked for another 4 hours until getting back to Viscri. We had a nice lunch break at the middle of the way, enjoying a warm October sun and absorbing the silence around.

This was it for 2021 and our Saxon Trek. Two full days and some 40 kilometers of walking. It was less stressful than the previous years, I felt safer as we had some extra company and it wasn’t just the two of us and all the wilderness. Plus, we passed by not so many farms and that kept us away from crazy dogs. We didn’t get lost at all, we only decided to take quick shortcuts through some forests, but nothing worth too much mentioning.

Here’s a map of the trip and the photo gallery :