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When: Year round. Length of visit: an itinerary of two weeks is proposed, though a visit of any length is possible. Number of guests: Two or more Fee: The 14-day-itinerary costs 945 Euro per person in a double room. For two, THE LODGING Comfort is a priority, and we have paid particular attention to bathrooms and by building a sauna. Furniture is all antique and original. The heating system is also original and based on wood-stoves.As this remote village has no infrastructure, we do not claim technical perfection
The guestrooms are furnished exclusively with antique Transylvanian furniture. We have taken particular care in making beds and seats comfortable, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. All rooms have double beds with specially manufactured mattresses of pure wool and duvet covers. Each room has its own electric kettle, with both tea and coffee provided. The bathrooms respect western standards of comfort ( most with bidets)and some are as beautiful as the rooms. Nevertheless, as we are in a transylvanian village, please understand the fact that not every room has its bathroom en-suite and some have to be reached through the courtyard. Those rooms that do not have direct access to a bathroom are equipped with elegant water bowls and pitchers - as they always have been. But in any case, a bathroom is only a few steps away and you have the choice of taking a bath or a shower. The sauna is heated from a vast old bread oven.
Our wine cellar is a place not only to enjoy drinks but also some of your meals. It has
a very rustic atmosphere with a fireplace in the middle and impressive oak beams as
ceiling. You will learn to know the reality of village life in today’s Transylvania. Depending on the season, we will show you how to milk a cow; plough the fields with a horse; cut hay in the meadows and get it in the barns; harvest potatoes, crops, etc… without a tractor; bake bread; guard the fields in the night against wild boar; keep cows, sheep, horses and goats on the pastures; forge iron and lots of other long forgotten activities. Life in the Village Wildlife and Nature Through every season you can observe birds already rare in other parts of Europe. Black storks nest here, as well as night-jars, bee-eaters, kingfishers, wall-creepers, corncrakes, lesser spotted eagles, ural owls and a large variety of other birds of prey, etc… This is due to the multitude of different habitats situated nearby. During migration, thousands of storks, birds of prey and others can be watched passing directly above our houses. We have available high-tech spotting equipment and binoculars, suitable even for astronomy. According to the legend told in rhymes by Robert Browning, the lost children of Hamelin emerged from the Almási cave in Transylvania, which happens to be right to the north of Miklósvár. The cave is huge and set in a particularly wild and picturesque landscape. A deep canyon has been formed by the river Vargyas, which carves its way through miles of steep cliffs pierced on different levels by a hundred caves. Some of them are still being fashioned by underground streams. This is one of the most important speleological sites of Transylvania with 7,5 km under ground. The exploration of the canyon itself from one end to the other takes a whole day, repeatedly crossing the stream wading through the water or balancing over tree-trunks. Speleologists will need several days to explore the depth of the cave systems. We usually explore for one day the more accessible, impressive halls that are populated by colonies of bats. Our guide can also initiate you to cliff-climbing, as some of the caves open in mid-height dozens of meters above the ground (or rather the river...). Carts, Carriages and Horse-Sleighs We will take you on a tour around the village by horse-cart or carriage. You might even learn how to drive it yourself. We will pay a visit to the shepherds far up in the hills; discover a natural spring of sparkling water; see plenty of birds and wildlife and marvellous landscape sceneries. We shall also pass by a natural sulfurous well and watch out for crayfish in the little stream leading down to the village. In wintertime we also have horse-sleighs with fur blankets and muffs to keep your knees and hands warm. We also have mountain bikes at your disposal.
The simple meadows of Transylvania are perhaps the best examples remaining anywhere in Europe, with a much wider diversity of species than the famous Polish meadows which attract so many visitors. Lots of botanical rarities survive in this untouched environment. In May wild narcissus-fields come out in bloom accompanied by spurge. Several varieties of wild orchids can be found in the region. The bogs in the volcanic craters are home to a large number of rare species, too. You will find an impressive variety of plants and flowers to identify and collect, especially in June. From June to October most species of European mushrooms can be found in large numbers. A journey through the woods will be generously rewarded in this period. All mushrooms you collect will be checked before being admitted to the kitchen! The region around Miklósvár is of volcanic origin. Not far from here are 1300m high craters of extinct volcanoes filled by several bogs and the Saint-Anna Lake. A sulfur cave with its yellow walls proves deadly to anyone exploring too far. Gas exhausts and sulfurous springs emanate from the earth in many places. The nearby situated medieval castle of the Barons Apor has suffered much from repeated earthquakes. The Nagykõhavas, Piatra Mare, ("Big Stone Mountain", 1844m) has an impressive waterfall that can be explored on a day's tour (climbing up a ladder close to the waterfall - you will need waterproof clothing). A day tour to the Királykõ, Piatra Craiului, ("King's Stone", 2240m) with one night in a mountain shelter will let you discover our high mountains. You need to be physically fit for these excursions. PROPOSED ITINERARYThe following example of a fortnight stay can give you an idea of how, according to your interests and time, your own programme could be tailored: Day 1 -Arrival in the afternoon, dinner together This programme is tailored to allow our guests to relax and visit the most valuable sites of our region without rush and tight time-schedules. And you will experience local life as well as our beautiful natural environment. According to your interests, you might add more wildlife or cultural aspects to your programme. Depending on the season of your stay, we can also go to watch bears and owls in the evenings. In case you wish to stay longer than a week, we offer as an option 3-day (2-3 night) tours by Land Rover Defender to more remote destinations, like the famous painted monasteries of Moldova. Our British friend and guide of "Roving Romania" will show you around and eventually bring you back to Miklósvár. |
Host: 
Count Kálnoky's guesthouses date back to the 1800s,
although parts of them are much older, as some medieval shooting embrasures reveal. They
are situated within the village in spacious gardens. Storks nest nearby and a little
stream crosses the garden. The houses have been extensively restored to regain their old
charm and character. Children are particularly welcome in Miklósvár.
The streets may be muddy after rain and occasional power cuts
might occur. Perhaps this adds to the originality and character of the place. The specific
atmosphere of the houses is full of its own charm and provides a similar experience as the
castle would do after renovation. The houses are also equipped for children of all ages.
Breakfast is served in a picturesque kitchen. Lunch and dinner
can be served either in the dining room, under the arbors in the garden or in the wine
cellar. We have extra living rooms and a play-room for bad weather or calm hours. You can
enjoy vintage liquors and fine books in comfortable armchairs in front of the fireplace
(and a satellite-TV set is also accessible if you really can't do without it!).Breakfast
is served in a picturesque kitchen. Lunch and dinner can be served either in the dining
room, under the arbors in the garden or in the wine cellar. 
Our cuisine is mainly based on products from our garden or
produced in the village. The bread is fresh from the oven. We do not use pesticides or
chemical products. Our menus also contain local dishes, which we feel you will be pleased
to discover. You will often have picnics during your trips and a rich dinner in the
evenings. The meat and milk comes mainly from animals raised in the village and on its
pastures
You will learn to know the reality of village life in
today’s Transylvania. Depending on the season, we will show you how to milk a cow;
plough the fields with a horse; cut hay in the meadows and get it in the barns; harvest
potatoes, crops, etc… without a tractor; bake bread; guard the fields in the night
against wild boar; keep cows, sheep, horses and goats on the pastures; forge iron and lots
of other long forgotten activities. 
Follow animal tracks in the wilderness of our hills. This is one
of the last places in Europe with a large natural bear population. At wish and
possibility, we will have a look in the woods at dusk and dawn. We shall also have
day-long hikes through the hills tracking their traces and footprints. As the animals live
in the wild, we cannot guarantee success of watching them, but chances are quite good to
see them in their natural habitat. We prefer to avoid watching the bears at rubbish dumps
or waiting for hours in hides to eventually see them being fed, as we believe similar
experience can be obtained in plenty of zoos. We prefer the more rare but genuine free
encounter in the wild.
Cross miles of uninhabited hills and woods, streams and pastures.
We can drop you in the wilderness by Land Rover and you’ll have to find your way back
to the village or enjoy the company of a guide. Discover sulfurous and mineral wells, wild
animals, rare plants, birds and mushrooms without meeting humans except the occasional
wandering shepherds.