The first Romanian destination of Prince Charles
It has been a while since we found out the story of the Kálnoky family, historically certified for the first time in 1252, in the eastern part of Transylvania. The noble family is linked today to a story of coming back to the Transylvanian lands, rebuilding, giving birth again and to the involvement in the community. In time we have been deeply grateful to understand the family history and the things the actual inheritor is doing today in these beautiful lands, changing the face of the traditional Romanian tourism, of the community of all kinds and of all the people living here. More than this, we have been also honoured to meet in person Count Tibor Kálnoky, an elegant, passionate and open minded personality, who is literally changing the world right now, impacting the life and future of all the people and lands he meets.
Tibor Kálnoky is also linked today to HRH The Prince of Wales, as the trustee of The Prince’s Foundation in Romania, friend and host of Prince Charles at his yearly visits to Transylvania. Of course, Count Kálnoky has an important role in the built passion that Prince Charles manifests for the beautiful and untouched lands of Transylvania.Tibor Kálnoky owns in this moment two properties in Micloșoara, in Covasna County, where we found some beautiful traditional Transylvanian houses transformed in guesthouses. The first property we visited couple years ago got us so close to the basic feelings of living at the countryside and enjoying every moment of peace, every corner of nature and every season at its best.
The little houses dated from 1800 have been beautifully restored, keeping in the same time the original elements, the beauty of the past and the Transylvanian details. Each yard is wide, keeping a large open space between the little houses of the property.
We stayed in The Blue House on one the count’s properties, a little cozy one. We remember the winter days we spent there, surrounded by the first big snowfall of the year, living everything just like in a white fairytale.
The other property where you can find accommodation is located in the same village, actually the first location that HRH The Prince of Wales used during the Transylvanian trips and stays. The same Transylvanian lifestyle brought to the present, the green open yard and the untouched tranquility and nature that made for sure Prince Charles to fall in love with these magical lands.
What to do
During your stay at Count Kálnoky’s guesthouses make sure all you really need to do is to rewind. There is no time for too much technology, modern life or daily habits. So prepare yourself for the simple living and feeling that we all need in order to return to ourselves, from time to time.
So find moments to stay in nature, to admire the green yards, to enjoy a good meal or to visit the beautiful village. In Micloșoara, close to the guesthouses, discover the new built Stone Pub, a beautiful traditional house transformed into a local pub, with both Transylvanian and British influences, as we could see and feel. This is a common place for the guests, having an amazing old style fireplace and stove, typical furniture, Transylvanian objects and old architecture and details. Here you can have a drink, coffee or tea, enjoy good Transylvanian food and of course, meet passionate travelers and beautiful people searching for the same things as you do.
What to eat
Breakfast and dinner can be served for all the guesthouses inside the basement of one of the locations, a quiet and rustic place where you can explore and enjoy the simple but tasty Transylvanian food, with many vegetarian options. Breakfast is a colourful table, full of local products for all tastes, including fruits, vegetables, traditional appetizers, dairy, jams, juices and sweets. For sure this part of the day is our favorite inside the guesthouses of Micloșoara. So do not skip the breakfast! 🙂
Where to go
The first thing you need to see close to the guesthouses in Micloșoara is Kálnoky Castle, built for the family as a hunting manor, in the 17th century. After hard times during the communist period when some parts of it had been destroyed, the beautiful castle was rebuilt in the last decade and transformed today in The Transylvanian Life Museum. It beautifully reveals inside the old Transylvanian lifestyle, the historical and cultural details and more than this, the culture of aristocracy, with all the influences that Transylvania had in the past: from the Habsburg Empire, Byzantine Empire, to the Ottoman Empire, image and history also destroyed by the communists. You will also have the chance to see inside the museum old stoves, a Streicher piano, Biedermeier furniture, old clothes and different family objects.
Travelling for 10 minutes by car you can reach Tălișoara where you find the beautiful Daniel Castle, a special and elegant place with accommodation, good food and lovely people. Also in Tălișoara visit the original Daniel Castle from Vârghiș, a beautiful property with a manor built in many architectural styles and an amazing open park, unfortunately all of them in ruin right now. Still, it worths seeking the beauty of the place behind all this.
Also 40 minutes from the guesthouses from Micloșoara we recommend you to reach the amazing Valea Zălanului where you find exactly at No. 1 the property and the guesthouses of HRH The Prince of Wales, a green natural paradise that convinced Prince Charles to restore some beautiful traditional old houses and to come and stay here every time he visits Transylvania. More than this, The Prince of Wales discovered the property thanks to Count Kalnoky who suggested that this is the place in Transylvania that could reach His Royal Highness’s dreams.
There are so many beautiful places that Romania and especially Transylvania has to offer but not so many people willing to restore, preserve and rebuilt. Count Kálnoky became the symbol of the recreated Transylvanian life, of the luxury of living simply and full of other kind of satisfaction and motivation in life. Coming back to Romania in 1987, in a dark period for the Romanian history, after growing up and studying in Austria, England and France, feeling at home like never before and deciding to build something lasting here, are signs of commitment, care, passion and an internal fulfilled duty. More than this, we appreciate the involvement in the community of all these personalities who change for real the world in which they are living. Besides restoring old traditional houses and lands, Count Kálnoky is also helping poor communities to involve their children in activities such as horse riding, art or music, educating them in many ways, giving them chances and hope and promoting understanding and peace in many areas where the cultural, ethnic and historical diversity might represent problems or origins of conflicts.
Count Kálnoky’s Transylvanian Guesthouses in Micloșoara are just a proof and an example of what can be done in order to change not only the image and course of the Transylvanian traditional tourism but also our perception regarding life, work and devotement in general. All these redesigned lands, brought to life again or for the very first time, tell a story that each of us should know and understand: it can be done; we can start again each time; we need to always return to the roots; we must save, preserve and keep alive what we still have beautiful and unique.Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouses in Micloșoara, Strada Principală 186, Micloșoara, Covasna County
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