After the Timișoara Marathon: Recaș

The Route: Timișoara → Recaș → Timișoara Logistics: A pre-booked driver or winery transfer. Do not plan to drive yourself after a tasting. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip

Timișoara ──(road, driver or tour)──> Recaș (Cramele Recaș)
                                         │
Timișoara ◄──(same route)────────────────┘

A winery tasting is a reasonable reward for a runner who has spent hours on the road from Otelec. The catch is that you cannot walk home from it, so a driver is part of the plan.

October in Recaș: the regional monthly mean is roughly 10 to 12°C, so dress for standing in a cellar.

Getting there

The county tourism route runs from Timișoara through Recaș, Lugoj, Buziaș and Nițchidorf and back. Recaș is the first stop, so it is the easy half of the circuit. Check public transport options on the day, or book a driver through your hotel or through the winery, and agree the return time and fare before you leave.

The day

Recaș is known for the wine made in the surrounding hills. The sunny slopes, the soils and a temperate continental climate with a slight Mediterranean influence suit the vines, and viticulture here goes back to the 15th century. The town itself is small, at 8,347 inhabitants at the last census, and became a town after a local referendum in April 2004.

Cramele Recaș, founded in 1991, is described as the largest producer and exporter of wine in Romania. Its grape list runs from Merlot and Syrah to the local Fetească Regală and Fetească Albă. Visits and tastings need booking in advance, so contact the winery directly for the October schedule and the price.

The oldest written mention of Recaș dates from 1318, and Serbs from Bačka settled there in 1650. German colonisation followed in the 1760s to 1780s, and a brick factory was built in 1894.

The town has a House of Culture and a town library if you want to see more of it, though one winery and one meal is plenty.

Getting back

Return to Timișoara by the same driver. If you are flying out the next morning, Timișoara Traian Vuia airport publishes E4 buses to the centre and E4b to the station. Check the current fares and the first and last services.