RO: Ei bine, am citit cu totii la-nceput de an ca Lonely Planet a clasat Transilvania taman pe locul 1 ca recomandare de vizitat pentru 2016. Si recunostem, a crescut inima-n noi cand ne-am vazut numele tarii fix in fruntea topului. Si suntem intru totul de acord cu mai marele Lonely Planet si adevaru’ e ca ar fi o idee buna ca si noi, romanii, sa incepem sa ne vizitam tara. Sa fim turisti in Romania, nu de alta, dar avem o tara frumoasa tare, ce merita promovata! Asa ca daca tot e weekend, unde sa mergem intai si-ntai? Ei bine, zice txt-ul nostru cu cazari frumoase din Romania sa dam o fuga pana-n Covasna, ca tot n-am mai trecut prin zona de cand eram copii. Si unde anume mai exact? Pai de ce sa nu-ncercam Pensiunea Contelui Kalnoky? Daca si Printului Charles ii place de nu se poate sa vina la Miclosoara, inseamna ca e musai sa vedem ce minunatie se ascunde aici!

EN: Oh well, we all read earlier this year that Lonely Planet rated Transylvania as number 1 travel destination for 2016. We have to admit it, we really got above ourselves when we’ve seen the name of our country on the top of the list. And we totally agree with holy Lonely Planet and to tell you the truth… it would be quite a good idea that we, the Romanian people, started visiting our country more. To be tourists in Romania, because in the end, we have a really beautiful country that totally deserves to be promoted! Sooo, it’s weekend, so where should we go? Looks like our txt file (full of nice places to visit in Romania) tells us about Covasna county. And that sounds quite appealing, as we haven’t been there since childhood. And where in Covasna more precisely? Why not try the Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouses? If Prince Charles loves to come here, at Miclosoara, then we definitely have to see what’s hiding in this village!

RO: Si sa incepem cu inceputul. Casele de oaspeti ale Contelui Kalnoky sunt niste minunatii de casute traditionale in inima satului Miclosoara, la vreo 50 km de Brasov. Vechi de pe la 1800, fiecare casa a fost restaurata si renovata, insa s-a pastrat stilul original si traditional sasesc. Si in arhitectura, si in decoratiuni. Casele sunt mici, intocmai cum erau pe vremuri, cand erau folosite de sateni, si au tot soiul de elemente traditionale ce ti-amintesc de vacantele de vara petrecute la bunici. Ai bancuta de lemn pe prispa, coceni de porumb la uscat prinsi de marginea acoperisului, vase de lut vopsite manual, usi de lemn masiv cu zavoare de fier si ferestre cu tamplarie de lemn si draperii groase de panza, cu margini dantelate, crosetate manual. Si uite-asa ai senzatia ca te-ai intors in timp, si vezi ce inseamna sa traiesti mai simplu si mai autentic 🙂 Ca intre noi fie vorba, la Miclosoara auzi doar clopotele bisericii sunand din cand in cand si nechezatul poneiului din spatele curtii. In rest e liniste deplina.

EN: But let’s start with the beginning. Count Kalnoky’s Guesthouses are some amazing traditional cottages in the heart of Miclosoara village, at 50 km away from Brasov city. They date back from the 1800s and each of them has been restored and renovated, but keeping the original and traditional style. In both architecture and decorations. The houses are small, exactly as they used to be in the old times, when they were used by the locals, and they have all sorts of traditional elements that remind us of our summer vacations at our grandparents. You have a wooden bench on the stoop, corn cabs hanging on the edge of the roof, hand painted mud bowls, sturdy wooden doors with iron latches, windows with wooden carpentry and thick linen curtains with handmade laced edging. So everything looks like you’re back in time, and you see what it feels like to live simpler and more authentic 🙂 Between you and me, at Miclosoara you’ll only hear the sound of the church bells ringing from time to time and probably the neigh of the pony in the back of the yard. As for the rest, there’s complete serenity. 














RO: Si cand zicem ca timpul a stat in loc la Miclosoara, chiar nu glumim. Abia ce vezi cateva masini pe zi trecand pe drumul principal, in rest oamenii folosesc intocmai ca pe vremuri, carutele cu cai. Strazile laturalnice sunt mici, neasfaltate, pe alocuri pline de gropi si praf si pietroaie, insa exact asta face autentica experienta. Pana la urma, asta si este ideea Contelui Kalnoky, sa pastreze bucatica aceasta de pamant intacta, fara sa fie atinsa de prea multa modernitate si comercializare. Pentru ca hai sa fim seriosi, in curand se va prinde si vestul Europei ce minune se ascunde in Transilvania si-n mod cert zona va deveni mai cunoscuta, mai comerciala si mai turistica. Nici n-ar fi de mirare sa apara vreun hotel modern ori un Mc Donald’s pe Strada Principala din Miclosoara. Dar pana cand se va intampla asta, casutele de la Kalnoky raman autentice si tare am vrea sa nu isi piarda niciodata farmecul acesta traditional.

EN: And we’re honestly not joking when we’re saying that time stood still here at Miclosoara. You can barely see a couple of cars passing by the main road, as for the rest, everyone uses horse drawn carriages, exactly as it was in the past. Back roads are small and sometimes full of potholes and gravel and dirt, but this is what makes the experience more authentic. In the end, this is exactly what Count Kalnoky wants to promote. He’s keen to protect this piece of land intact, without being touched by too much modernism and commercialization. Because let’s be serious, in the end the Western Europe will finally understand what a treasure is hidden in Transylvania and the inevitable will happen. This place will become more popular, more commercial and more touristic. No wonder if a modern hotel or a Mc Donald’s will arise on the main street of Miclosoara. But until that happens, the Kalnoky guesthouses will remain authentic and we honestly hope that they will never lose their traditional charm. 





RO: Bun, si dac-ar fi sa zicem ce ne place cel mai mult si mai mult la casele de oaspeti Kalnoky, ei bine, am zice ca atmosfera. Pe langa camerele frumoase, casutele raspandite peste tot prin sat, pub-ul de la marginea drumului cu magazinul de suveniruri facute manual, pe langa castelul fascinant (pe care noi din pacate l-am prins in renovare) unde vor fi in curand locuri de cazare in turnuri!, pe langa toate acestea, ce iti atrage atentie este atmosfera de… familie. Mesele se iau la comun, in curte sau in crama, mancarea se imparte din platouri mari si generoase, oamenii se-aduna si vorbesc de parca s-ar cunoaste de-o viata. Si adevarul e ca genul acesta de turism este fix pe placul nostru 🙂

EN: Ok, and if we were asked to mention what we loved most about the Kalnoky Guesthouses, well that would be the atmosphere. Beside the beautiful rooms, the small spread houses all around the village, the pub on the side road, with its nice handmade souvenir shop, besides the fascinating castle where you’ll soon be able to accommodate in (unfortunately the castle was under renovation when we’ve visited it), beside all these, what draws your attention the most is the homelike atmosphere. Everyone dines together, at the same table, in the courtyard or in the cellar, the food is shared from large and generous platters, people get together and talk as if they would knew each other for a lifetime. And to tell you the truth, this is exactly the kind of tourism that we appreciate!






RO: Una peste alta, de va e dor de viata la tara, de vreti putina liniste si relaxare intr-un cadru cat mai romanesc posibil, de va place Transilvania si aveti chef de plimbari prin satuce si orase autentice, de vreti s-o luati pe urmele Printului Charles, care vine la Miclosoara an de an (apropo, se poate sta chiar in camera pe care o alege si printul :D), de aveti pofta de mancaruri traditionale, facute in casa, ori de va tenteaza o plimbare pe cal, le-aveti pe toate la Kalnoky. Si nu ne lasam noi asa usor impresionati, insa casutele de oaspeti de la Miclosoara sunt pur si simplu geniale. Nicaieri nu ne-am simtit atat de bine in Romania, si simplul fapt ca totu-i autentic, exact ca-n curte la bunica, ne face sa vrem sa revenim. Dar cand e gata si castelul, pentru ca musai vrem sa stam cazati in turn!

EN: All in all, if you miss living in the countryside, if you’re searching for some peace and quiet and some relaxation in a Romanian style, if you like Transylvania and you’re in the mood for wandering around small villages and authentic towns, if you want to follow Prince Charles who comes to Miclosoara each and every single year (by the way, you can stay in the room that the prince always chooses when he comes here), if you’re fancy for some traditional homemade foods, or if you’re interested in some horse ridding, you have them all at Kalnoky. And we’re not easy to impress, but the guesthouses from Miclosoara are simply amazing. We have never felt so good in Romania and the fact that everything is authentic, exactly as in our grandma’s courtyard, makes us want to come back. But we’ll do that as soon as the castle will be renovated, as we really want to spend the night in one of the towers!