Those of you reading my blog posts will instantly know that under the column Feel, I only add accommodations that were dear to me by the splendour of location, the guesthouse itself, or the outstanding services!
Therefore, I am pleased to share with you one of my favourite guesthouses of Transylvania that charmed me by the beauty and care that gave it a new life!
The village of Cincsor, situated halfway between Sibiu and Brasov, is the average Transylvanian village. However, it has the privilege of beautiful surroundings and Saxon background. It also boasts a renovated fortified church, even if more modest than the ones of Harman and Prejmer.
A true story – the story
The accommodation
Prices and crafted meals
What to do around
A true story – the story
Cincsor Transylvania Guesthouses, as you must already presume, has a story. And true stories are better than the movies.
In a nutshell, Carmen, a young Saxon woman born in Cincsor, oppressed by the communist regime, leaves Romania for Germany, a free country. Some years after the Revolution, the Saxon woman returns to Romania to pursue her career in banking started in Germany. But unexpectedly, she notices an ad on the internet. Her former school from Cincsor is getting sold, after becoming the trash bin of the village.
Getting emotional and sensing a moral duty in the story, Carmen purchases the former school in a village with basically no potential. The story winds in the direction of bureaucracy and paperwork which keep lingering, but perseverance and patience finally pay off.
Since then, the guesthouse turned into more guesthouses after the purchase of the parish house, the peasant house and Frank house. Luckily for the tiny village, they are all together!
And luckily, this was also the fate of the parish house and school in Crit, today wonderfully prepared for tourists!
The accommodation
Before visiting, I looked at some pictures and observed an amazing living room/library that I instantly labelled as the piece de resistance! And no, I didn’t change my mind upon visiting. I just identified other pretty places in the buildings (and around).
Insider tip!: If you wish to accommodate in a certain house, it is better to write an email/give a phone call and be specific about your choice!
The former school is the most charismatic and photogenic building, I think. It was renovated and arranged by preoccupied people and has on display a large, lovely library with an old piano and a restaurant placed in an old veranda.
We were accommodated in Frank House – former village store, building of the agricultural cooperative and the village pub. Like all properties, this one looks just as swell and has large rooms. I particularly liked the care for every detail, from the freshly restored staircase, however faithful to old times to the matching picture on the wall. The bed is large and very comfy. Bathroom alike.
But the guesthouse is not complete without the nature that is present all over: huge garden, organic produce right in front of your eyes, blackberries waiting to be tasted, or hammocks in the shadow for reading a good book!
Insider tip!: And yes, although we had internet, the whole property lacks televisions, as the place is destined for relaxation and peace of mind.
Prices and crafted meals
Breakfast is included in the accommodation price. I have to tell you that here I tried some unexpected dishes for the first time. If you’ve never tasted pork scratching/crackling dip (I know it sounds strange, but it’s good, although a bit too fat), pickled courgette or trout zacusca (a vegetable spread made of eggplant and pepper usually), this is the place to do! It goes without saying that everything is homemade and organic.
If you wish to have lunch or dinner there, you have that option as Transylvania Guesthouse has a chef. But the menu is fixed and so is the tariff. The 20 euro/person/ lunch offers you a traditional lunch and a shot of tuica. Dinner is flawless (Transylvanian gourmet) for 22 euro/person in a pleasant atmosphere and has three courses. Water and coffee are included.
When we visited (August 2021) we paid 350 lei/70 euro/double room for one night, which is not cheap, but it was worth it. For fully updated prices, check here.
What to do around
A few km away you can visit the Orthodox Monastery from Sambata de Sus and the stud farm from Sambata de Jos. Heading just a few more km towards Sibiu, you’ll find Carta, the unique Cistercian monastery I particularly liked. Not to mention that the road to Transfagarasan is also waiting for you in the vicinity. However, in the direction of Brasov, there’s the town of Fagaras which has a large citadel that has just been renovated.
