The modern world is still living with the consequences of World War II, the bloodiest conflict in history, involving every major world power. At the end more than 60 million people had lost their lives and most of Europe and large parts of Asia lay in ruins. The Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact of August 1939 squeezed Romania between the territorial ambitions of Germany and the Soviet Union. After losing its most important allies, France and United Kingdom and one third of the territory – Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and Northern Transylvania in 1940, Romania decided to enter the war. Mistake or a choice of honor... history would decide... But the truth is that Romania and its army had an important contribution at carrying on the war and no one could have a complete picture of the Eastern front in Europe without the battles fought by Romanian soldiers. The tour program is customized for all former commrades of arms, their family, friends, and history enthusiasts and explores different sites on Romanian territory and possibly Republic of Moldavia and Ukraine connected with this momentous time. We visit a range of museums and memorials and tour the battlefields where to pay few moments of remembrance near the tombs of fallen heroes of war. Join us on this truly nostalgic journey back in time and you will have a unique opportunity to share insights into history with Romanians Veterans who were there.
Day 1: Arrival in Bucharest Arrival in Bucharest, transfer of the guests to 4* Hotel downtown. Meeting the guide, short briefing and free dinner. For groups over the Atlantic there will be free time to relax and adjust to the time difference +7 hours EST, if consider necessary.
Day 2: Bucharest – Iassy
Transfer by bus to Iassy (if you don’t come directly to Iasi), a 5 hour trip. On the way we might stop at the most important monument for the heroes died in WW1 at Marasesti and have a discussion about Romania in WW1.Accommodation in Iassy in a 4* Hotel. Welcome cocktail and briefing on the trip schedule in the evening. Special dinner in a monastery followed by a cultural surprise.
Day 3: Breakfast in the hotel. Visit to Moldavia History Museum in Iassy, where a military historian or a retired officer – maybe a former war veteran will be invited to present the strategic concept for the offensive campaign to the East, by Romanian point of view. On June 22, 1941, Romania’s third and fourth armies, a total of thirty divisions, joined Operation Barbarossa, Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union. On 2 July Romania’s army went over Prut starting the offensive campaign against the soviet army. We will travel to and after that along the border with Republic of Moldavia, that was the general offensiveline on the Prut River of Army Group South lead by field-marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. Stops across Sculeni and Tziganca bridgeheads created over the Prut River during the firs days of the offensive against Soviet forces. Battlefield analysis. We cross the border in Republic of Moldavia and visit the Romanian memorial cemetry in Tziganca. After that we continue our drive to Chisinau the capital of the Moldavian Republic. Special dinner with wine tasting in Milestii Mici the biggest wineceller in the world. Accommodation to a 4* Hotel.
Day 4: For this day we will „jump” three years through the WW II history to visualise a piece of Russian offensive in the summer of 1944 - Iassy- Kishinev Operation. Having penetrated northern Bukovina at the end of 1943, the Red Army launched the operation mentioned before in mid-August 1944 by sending eight armies with more than 1 million men across the Prut River along two convergent axes from Iasi and Kishinev in Bessarabia to drive through the Focsani Gap to capture the Ploiesti oil fields and Bucharest. We visit battle fields and cemeteries along the Nistru river. Arrival at Odessa late evening. Accomodation to a 4* hotel. Dinner.
Day 5: After breakfast we get on the outskirts of Odessa to see the remains of the former defensive lines. Battlefield analisys. Visit several cemeteries like the one from - Bilaefca (1.104), or Dalnic (365), and Libenthal (1.254), and obvioulsy we will visit the nice city of Odessa. The Romanian third and fourth armies fought at Odessa and Sevastopol but became bogged down with a German army group in front of Stalingrad in October 1942. During this tour we will visit one of those battlefield - Odessa. The city had a heavily fortified position, which, thanks to the superiority of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, could not actually be completely surrounded. It took the Romanian army three months of siege and four attempts to take the city due to the strong defense system organized on three lines with trenches, AT ditches, pillboxes etc., and to the heavy resistance of the Red Army forces. After lunch we depart to Galati, when we arrive late evening. Accommodation to 4* hotel in Galatzi, on the Danube shore.
Day 6: Breakfast at the hotel. On the way to Bucharest visit the remains of the fortified bunkers and other defense works along Focsani – Namoloasa – Galati fortified line, one of the
strongest in that period of time.Arrival at Bucharest around noon. Accommodation in a 4* hotel. After noon, visit to the National Defense University, where the German Military Mission headquarters was located during the war. Here a military historian will present the facts regarding the events on 23rd of August 1944, when Romania exits the war along Germany joining the Allies. Later, if the time permits, visit to the Cemetery of Honor - „Pro Patria”. During the evening a walking tour of the old town and dinner at a traditional cuisine restaurant.
Day 7: After breakfast visit to the National Military Museum, where a retired officer - maybe a former war veteran could be invited to present the strategic concept for the offensive campaign against the Axix forces, after 23rd of August 1944, by Romanian point of view. Following this visit, we spend some remembrance moments at the National Memorial of Heroes and the Grave of Unknown Soldier in King Carol’s Park. After lunch visit the remains of the fortified works around Bucharest situated on the out skirts of the city and the Popesti-Leordeni Airfield (one of the most important airfield during the war). Possible meeting with a former Romanian airman, veteran of WW II. By the way, have you known that speaking about size, Royal Romanian Air Force (FARR) was the no.3 air force of the Axis and later, starting with 24 August 1944, the no. 4 air force of the Allies. Yet its operational history has been covered for decades in almost impenetrable secrecy, unavailable to researchers and historians abroad Romania. Evening transfer to Ploiesti. Dinner and accommodation to a 4* hotel in Ploiesti.
Day 8: Ploiesti city is in the middle of an oilfield and refineries area, 60 km North of Bucharest, the subject to heavy and repeated allied bombardment raids during the war. The most known - Operation “Tidal Wave”, one the deadliest mission of the war is even today studied in military universities in USA. Military analysis. Due to the tough aerial defenses put up by Romanians and Germans in the area (including massive Flak, fighters, balloons, flak train, artificial fog generators etc.) it took over 20 air raids and fierce airbattles before Ploiesti and Romanian oil production which supplied 35 percent of the oil used by Germany were turned into ruins. Only on this operation, from 176 B-24s bombers that flew into Romania seventy-three airplanes were lost and 500 airmen were killed or injured. Lunch in Ploiesti. After noon drive on through Prahova Valey. On the way, visit Peles Castle in Sinaia (don’t miss it) - former summer residence of the King’s family in Romania (built in 1875 and the most beautiful in the S-E of Europe). In the evening, arrival at Brasov. Accomodation to a 5* hotel. Special dinner with classical music.
Day 9: After breakfast we leave Brasov and drive to the Mures River, where the frontier with Hungary was established in 1940, as a result of Vienna Dictate. Stop at Oarba de Mures, the place were one of the fiercest battles against German and Hungarian forces took place, between 05.09 – 10.10.1944. Battlefield analysis. Visit the WW II Memorial Complex. Beside the military cemetery and the commemorative monument, the complex also consist of more than 111 artworks dedicated to the memory of the fallen heroes, made by Romanian contemporary sculptors during a series of summer art workshops. Lunch in Targu Mures. Afternoon continue the travel to Cluj. Accomodation in a 4* hotel in Cluj. During the evening, a tour of old medieval city, and a dinner into a Transylvanian traditional restaurant.
Day 10: After breakfast we leave Cluj to follow the romanian troops over the Somes Gates – a strategic area for further development of the offensive to the Western Plains and Tisza
River. On the way, stop at Sarmas and Simleu Silvaniei to visit a Jewish memorial cemetery and the Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum. Stop at Carei, the last Romanian city liberated on the 25th of October 1944. Visit the War Memorial in Carei. Final briefing on the offensive campaign concept after the eliberation of Romanian territory.We continue our journey over the border and overnight in Debrecen. Accommodation in Debrecen, Hungary.
Day 11: After breakfast we start our last day of the tour driving to Budapest. Stop at Debrecen, another bloody clash of the WW II and the place of the last German important offensive on the eastern front. Battle field analysis for the liberation operation of the city. After that continue the drive westward and next stop at Szolnok on the Tisza River bank to visit the place of the last German defense line before the red army will siege Budapest. Battlefield analysis for the operation to force the river. Arrival in Budapest. Accomodation in a 4* Hotel . Visit at National Military Museum. Briefing on the Budapest operation. The Battle of Budapest, one of the bloodiest sieges of the World War II, started on 29 December 1944 when Budapest was first encircled by the Soviet forces. Romanian divisions successfully participated in this operation as part of Rodion Malinovsky’s 2nd Ukrainian Front, even though the Russian military history does not mention too much of that. The siege ended when the city was unconditionally surrendered on 13 February 1945. During the evening, the farewell party in a special Restaurant or on a cruise on Danube.
Day 12: Back home.
Going back home from Budapest airport.
Services:
• 11 night B&B accommodation at 4* and 5*
Hotels
• Full board with special dinners as per program
• Professional guide in military history
• Local guides in Bucharest, Odessa, Prahova
Valley area
• Luxury Bus or minibus with A/C
• All entrances paid
Price: (min. 10 persons)
2634 Eur single supliment 589 Eur
1. This program can be changed upon request.
2. For further information please contact:
Cultural Romtour, ofce@culturalromtour.ro
