The most beautiful form of travel in authentic Romania is the one that brings you, at the end of the road, to an oasis. The tranquility of a nature existing in its best form, the delicate and discreet human intervention, the good air, the inner and outer peace. You can find yourself, calm, stop for a few moments from the rhythm of life in a place like this. Just like we did, on the porch of our room at Terra Carpatica – Conacul Grigorescu. A family location, developed around a carefully reconstructed mansion in Neo-Brâncovenesc style. Its own farm and premium local products, wines from Dealu Mare region, slow food & typical Romanian travel. Just to linger for a while in a time and space that seems to stand still, to give us a break.
At Terra Carpatica, the story began with the superb Grigorescu Mansion. Built in 1930 by C.C. Grigorescu, in Neo-Brâncovenesc style, both the mansion and the courtyards and lands here were used to produce wine and cognac. The mansion was also a hospital for soldiers wounded in World War II and a shelter for the villagers. Abandoned for more than 20 years, the building was rediscovered in 2011 by the family that owns it today. The renovation meant architectural work, local artisans and using materials from the area, to recover the original structure and beauty of the mansion.
You will find Terra Carpatica at the entrance of Buzău river valley, near Dealu Mare wine region and the Muddy Volcanoes. It is surrounded by the wonderful flora and fauna of the Subcarpathians and is also the host of handcrafted culinary products from the Carpathian Garden. The mansion is the family home, so it cannot be visited.
But the accommodation options for guests at Terra Carpatica are just as generous. Five apartments with a capacity of 10 adults and 10 children, arranged as cottages. Casa Noelia, Casa Bunicii, Casa Sophie, all old buildings, today traditional Wallachian guesthouses, with Romanian verandas with wooden floral details, made by local wood craftsmen.
“Terra Carpatica is a way of life. We promote the unknown culinary riches of the Carpathian Mountains. Our philosophy is based on the concept of slow food that uses fresh, regional, seasonal and top quality products. We collaborate with local farms, small producers, wine producers from the region. We combine old forgotten Romanian culinary traditions with international influences to create a fusion cuisine. The different side of Romania!”
Juranda is passionate about cooking, everything that can be wonderfully prepared at home. She recreates the traditional Romanian recipes with influences from the cuisines of the world. She is Romanian-Polish. Thorsten was born in Germany and in 2008 he moved to Romania where he continued the background of his family. His grandparents being the owners of a restaurant in a rural area of Germany and his father of a grocery store specialised in sausages and regional products.
So the experience at Terra Carpatica is first of all culinary. Most of the fruits and vegetables used come from their own garden, everything being grown organically. Herbs, truffles, mushrooms and berries grow inside the household. There is also a summer kitchen, with a beautiful view of Buzău valley and the Carpathian Mountains. A covered cooking space, a wood oven and grill, for team cooking and artisanal cooking workshops.
Then at Terra Carpatica we discovered the orangery and the terrace, an extension of Grigorescu mansion. The two can be used for private meals and there is also space for breakfast.
The outdoor pool, the most popular area for children, is heated. There is also a bar for 16 people, used for wine tastings, cooking workshops, pizza workshops or simply for relaxation.
We spent our time by the pool, on the terrace outside and in the garden and orchard of Grigorescu mansion. Aromatic herbs, spices, tomatoes, eggplants and plums. The meals were obviously delicious at Terra Carpatica. Among the wonders produced here we mention the homemade bread, babic, goat cheese with truffles, smoked trout from Buzău river or the butter with truffles. Here you will also find a shop of artisanal delicacies from where you can buy home-made fruits and vegetables, products from local producers, souvenirs from Buzău region, wines from Dealu Mare or fresh truffles.
Buzău is an area rich in natural beauty, generous activities loved by the whole family, a geopark that aspires at UNESCO. It includes the Muddy Volcanoes, the Living Fire, the salt domes and Babele from Ulmet.
Here you will discover everything about the Romanian wine and about one of the most beautiful wine regions of Romania: Dealu Mare. The forests in Buzău region are also the ideal place for truffle hunting. The area around Grigorescu Mansion also offers sports and adventure: rafting, paragliding, mountain biking or hiking.
Terra Carpatica was stillness, peace and disconnection. We once again appreciated the simplicity of living in connection with nature, the ingredients and foods that come to life in your own orchard, the charm and magic of doing everything in your own universe. Grigorescu Mansion and Terra Carpatica as a whole certainly have the essential components for a perfect experience in that forgotten Romania or perhaps not yet discovered. To work the land with your own hands, to produce locally, with passion, to give life to a place, to be gentle and kind to yourself, but also to all those who step on your doorstep, in search of eternity.Terra Carpatica, Rățești/Berca, Buzău County
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