Returning
We all live in a paradox of the present time; the tendency to retreat to the simple, steady and authentic, a past time and the small pleasures of it, instead of living until the end the modern life we actually possess.
There is a clear trend, perhaps stronger today, of finding refuge in basic things, of longing, melancholy or curiosity, in the case of those who have not experienced it, regarding what a life close to nature, tradition and values can offer.We go back in time every time, just to live it once more or to slow down the pace that may sometimes not be right for us.
As traditional Romania still offers a slowdown and a return, we have the chance, with each place, to stay here a moment longer.
It also happened in Richiș, the beautiful Saxon village in Sibiu county, where time gave us a pause to rest. At number 119 we discover a quiet oasis, a small green courtyard that can be seen every morning from the porch that surrounds the entire old house.
The community that saves villages
Richiș 119, another property saved and managed by Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation, transformed into a guesthouse, has a rich history. The original name of the house is Tinnen Marz Hof, which comes from the village butcher who used to work here in the past and was among the wealthiest people in the village. It is said that in those days if anything happened to one of the domestic animals belonging to the community members and had to be sacrificed, it was brought here. They all then bought a piece of meat to somehow support the animal’s owner.
During the communist period, the house was transformed into an administrative building, then into a kindergarten. Richiș 119 has become a guesthouse today, being brought back to life with a new purpose: elegantly furnished rooms, attention to detail, original furniture and objects, Saxon spirit, warm atmosphere, a beautiful library, the old-fashioned air you breathe here.
What to do
We stayed at Richiș 119 one night but spent time enjoying the house. One by one, the generous and elegantly arranged library, the rustic kitchen where we had the meals, the quiet porch, the warm rooms.
Former kindergarten, today a guesthouse
We find out how the lady in charge of the house did the kindergarten here, describing in detail how the rooms were divided then and what exactly existed in the past in the places we see today.
Where to go
In the village there is a Gothic basilica over 500 years old, with an altar decorated in Baroque style. At the same time around the village there is a real route of old Saxon villages that can be discovered: Biertan, Moşna, Alma Vii, Floresti, Mălâncrav, places full of history, beauty given by the fortified churches built hundreds of years ago and evidence of a beautiful multiculturalism.
What to eat
The soul of a house
We had our meals inside the house, in the welcoming kitchen, somehow the center of the whole guesthouse, because here things happen and at the same time you pass here regardless of the area of the house where you choose to spend your time. It is really a central element of the personality of this property, always bringing people together: food of Saxon origin, delicious traditional soups, rice, pumpkin, pies, dishes for every taste, just good to be shared with friends and loved ones.
At Richiș 119 we felt that need we have more and more often, as people of the present times do: detachment, separation from the known world, the well-deserved break. And as there are places where detachment happens naturally, we always experience the pleasure of being in new stories. At Richiș the story and the surprise came, as always, from where we did not expect: the history of the special house, people who grew up inside seeing every stage of its life, the carefully recreated interiors that take you to the past we miss or love. Richiș 119 is another proof that saving a place is in fact the chance of some new lives, people, traditions, heritage and value.
- the terracotta stoves in the rooms
- the home style stove in the kitchen
- the inner yard
Richiș 119, Richiș Village, Sibiu County
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