'Stop, bear!' Our first day of horse riding through Transylvania's beautiful Carpathian Mountains comes to a sudden halt. A few metres ahead on the trail, a brown bear plays with her three cubs. Startled by our presence, she stops and stares as eight equally surprised riders look on. The bear quickly gathers her cubs and disappears into the protection of the forest. We are unable to suppress our excitement, but our well-trained horses take the encounter in their stride. The experience is a particular highlight of the trip.