The impressive and untouched surroundings of the 'Pangarati' reservoir

Pangarati stuwmeer

Holiday spot Romania

One of the delights of Romania is that there are, as yet, few foreign visitors. Some destinations, Sibiu / Hermannstadt and other medieval towns in Transylvania, the Danube delta, and one or two Black Sea resorts are just beginning to feature on the tourist itinerary. But, even those could hardly be described as overflowing. Going east over the mountains, you really do find yourself off the beaten track. It is here, in the foothills of the Carpathians, overlooking a vast lake, on the edge of a traditional village, that we have built our Romanian holiday home.

Our holiday home

The house itself is designed to provide comfort, space and a welcoming atmosphere for up to 10 guests at a time. Upstairs, there are 4 double bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A fifth bedroom with bathroom is located downstairs. On the open-plan, split-level ground floor, there are areas for cooking, dining, sitting and writing which are subtly separated from each other. French windows lead out onto a long, broad terrace from which there is a breathtaking view over the lake and along the valley. On balmy summer evenings, it makes a heavenly setting for a leisurely dinner among friends or, during the day, a calm and secluded place to soak up the sun, relaxing with a book and a glass or two of excellent Moldavian wine.

Surroundings

It is tempting to lounge around the house day after day, but the area offers so much to see and so many things to do. You could start gently by stepping out of the house, back in time, into the village where little has changed for hundreds of years. The farmers’ houses belong to a unique vernacular style of architecture and are decorated with astonishingly intricately carved eaves.

In the gardens, you will see people scything grass by hand, tossing hay on to ricks, geese and ducks wandering through the lanes and horses pulling carts. The people are genuinely friendly, eager to meet strangers and, provided you show willing, someone is likely to invite you into their house to admire their treasured embroidered cloth and to try some fiery tuica. If you are here in early May, you could be lucky enough to witness huge flocks of sheep being driven up into the hills, where they and the shepherds stay until 1st October, following an ancient pattern of transhumance.

Wildlife

Beyond the village, you can walk for miles across the hills and meadows, which are carpeted with wild flowers in an abundance that seems scarcely credible to western eyes. Perhaps even more astonishing is the proximity of wildlife: wild goats, deer, wild boar, even lynx and some of Romania’s famous Carpathian bears live in the surrounding forests and mountains. So often, holiday brochures wax lyrical about the presence of animals in their natural habitat and, when you get there, none are to be seen. Here it is different; we know which guides have studied the animals’ hunting grounds, routes and the best times to observe them.

Scenery

We also know the area’s cultural, historical and physical sites. If you ask our advice for an interesting day trip, we might suggest you visit lacul rosu, the red lake. The road to the lake, at the top of the pass, takes you through and awe-inspiring gorge, three hundred metres deep and just six metres wide, which was created a hundred and thirty million years ago. The lake itself is a unique phenomenon: the water can appear blood red in certain lights and the stumps of submerged trees protrude eerily from the water. Needless to say, there are spooky legends about the lake and other geological formations with which we and our guides will regale you.

Culture

Another day, you might visit one or more of the forty orthodox monasteries in the county. Neamt, founded by Stephen the Great in 1497, is the oldest and largest monastery in Romania and rightly famed for its ceramic tiled walls. But, to our mind, the early nineteenth century Agapia monastery is unmissable. Here, many of Romania’s literary heroes found the peace and seclusion to compose their works; nuns flit from carpet weaving looms to the vast sewing room along balconies and across the rough cobbled courtyard. There is an indescribable atmosphere of purpose, timelessness and spiritual fulfilment.

A heaven on earth

One could easily spend the whole holiday in and around the village. Alternatively, you might use it as a base from which to explore other regions of Romania. We can arrange your travel so that you can start your break in Transylvania to take in such cultural gems as the fortress churches of Biertan / Birthälm and Viscri / Deutschweisskirch (a UNESCO world heritage site) and the multi-ethnic city of Medias / Mediasch. If you want, we are equally happy to organise a trip to the Danube delta, a heaven on earth for anglers and birdwatchers. But you might decide to save that for another year, because if you have been here once, you will certainly be returning for a next visit.

Questions or reservation

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