Harmonia Mundi (the Castle), the place to feel at home

I bumped into this castle-looking B&B when I was looking for accommodation in Cluj. I don’t remember why we opted for an accommodation outside of Cluj, but it totally made sense in my head since in just three days, we visited Turda salt mine, the city of Cluj and went trekking to Tarnita lake.

Situated at just 20 km outside of Cluj, in the village of Vlaha, Harmonia Mundi (the Castle) made it so totally worth it. The village is close to the city that never sleeps and yet far enough to enjoy the silence of the countryside.

I can easily understand everybody’s love for Cluj. Besides being one of the most vibrant cities in Romania, it is blessed with beautiful surroundings, so rejoice if you spend more days at the Castle. In fact, to be precise, Vlaha is situated in Călata region, an area where you encounter the strong essence of Transylvania. A land where you will hear Hungarian; a place where Romanians and Hungarians live in perfect harmony.

Show Contents:

Directions
Rooms and apartment
Prices
Services and facilities
Top things to do in the area

Directions

Coming from Cluj Napoca on highway, turn south on and continue for 7 km. The B&B is located on the left side approximately 300 m uphill from the main road.

Rooms and apartment

Before visiting, I saw that Harmonia Mundi guesthouse was very well rated on Booking, but rankings don’t always fulfil my expectations…. I know, I’m difficult to please… However, I had high expectations.

But reality exceeded my expectations. In the sense that we stayed in the apartment (me and my daughters) which looked as cosy as a house can be. Harmonia Mundi doesn’t offer the typical hotel room. It is obviously made from the heart. To fulfil the saying make yourself comfortable.

This is exactly how you feel in Vlaha.

At home.

In the homey guesthouse you can see the care and preoccupation of the hosts:  a couple passionate about history and art. They envisaged the Castle as a place of socializing, exchanging ideas and tasting delicious Transylvanian food. The preoccupation for the guests transpires everywhere. Architectural details, such as the tiles or tapestry are made by artists from Cluj.

Harmonia Mundi is marvellously placed at the edge of a forest, adding to the peace and calm of the guesthouse. It has only 5 rooms, and a splendid apartment.

Rooms are spacious and full of light. Though quite similar, rooms are somehow different, hence their different tariffs. There is also a room specially equipped for people with disabilities.

The bathroom combines the classic and modern styles, and has an organic design. The whole guesthouse is great and offers premium services, this explains the exceptional 9.5 ranking on booking from hundreds of reviews.

Still, I’d like to talk about the apartment; I was totally blown away! We spent there a few nights and I was absolutely stunned. First of all, the price was really decent. Second, the whole apartment gives you the impression of cosiness and comfort. It is as if your home had been dislodged and moved to Vlaha. In a fairy setting… this is the closest feeling.

The apartment has a separate entrance. It comprises a large open living with a fully equipped kitchen. You can stay here longer if you please, in the kitchen you’ll find a washing machine and a dishwasher to help you. The second room is a large bedroom, while the apartment has a huge bathroom and a spacious hall. I liked a lot the huge windows ((luckily there’s staff to clean them) covered with shades that showed or camouflaged the hills that stand proud. Another advantage of the apartment is that you have a terrace just for yourself to enjoy the pleasant summer evenings.

Insider tip!: From the guesthouse you have an open sky. Amazing place for star gazing!

Prices

You can find the best offer on Harmonia Mundi site. Here you will see that the tariff for a room can vary from 49 euro (standard room) to 80 euro (apartment) /night/2 persons. It is advisable to book from the site, this way the hosts can make a customized offer tailored to your needs.

Breakfast is included in the price and is tasty. You can imagine that the staff tries to do their best and offers mostly organic produce. Meals are delicious, there’s the opportunity to have barbeques as well.

You can have access to relaxation (sauna, jacuzzi and an outdoor tub) for 30 lei (6 euro)/h/person or send an email ahead for a personalized offer!

Insider tip!: Check the facebook page for offers. They never stop coming.

Services and facilities

The relaxation area comprises a sauna, jacuzzi and an  outdoor tub. Excellent in winter!

It is quite unusual for Romania to accept pets. Well, the Castle does. So, you can bring your furry friends if they are house trained.

A traditional indoor oven made of clay is featured in the kitchen and used for traditional and international meals (homemade breads, cakes, sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), pizza, etc.

There’s also a conference room, as well an area destined for board games.

Top things to do in the area

The area is rich in beautiful destinations. Here’s what you can do:

• Visit Cluj Napoca, the vibrant city of Transylvania that never sleeps (20 km)
• The medieval Liteni fortress
• Apuseni mountains
• Turda gorges
• Turda salt mine
• Tarnita Lake
• Rimetea village and the Castle from Coltesti