In an attempt to spend more time outdoors with our daughter and driven by a personal childhood dream, this summer we spent 3 nights in a remote, yet easy to reach by car, sort of wooden tree cottage, with noting else around, but trees, pastures and all the attractions that nature provides: fresh air, beautiful views, lots of plants, insects and mushrooms to observe and discover.

A perfect description for the Carpathian Cottage is its story told by Codrin, the owner of the place : ” I was never a fan of mass tourism, so my dream was always to find a way to offer guests a very individualized, nature-focused holiday experience in Romania while still providing the modern day comforts and assistance one would need. The Carpathian Cottage finally came into existence during a road trip, shortly after I left my job. It was during that trip that I came upon this 100-year old country house in the Apuseni Mountains and I immediately fell in love, not only with the house itself, but with the peaceful location, the stunning scenery and the welcoming people in the surrounding village. I purchased this property and soon began renovating it, using a combination of enthusiasm for traditional remodeling, a true love of nature and a handful of motivated friends to transform the core structure and its surroundings into the sustainable and Eco-friendly holiday dwelling that I had envisioned. In 2017 I decided to create a second accommodation, The Tree Cottage. This is a tiny wood cottage built in a minimalist style on top of the hill for an unique nature experience. ”

This is exactly what we are also looking for when traveling, small guesthouses, in villages, surrounded by nature and quiet, allowing us to slow down and to absorb everything around us. The Tree Cottage experience was rewarding for us in all aspects. The cottage itself has all the comfort you would need, a lovely terrace to enjoy your meals, a place to start a fire, beautiful views and no trace of humans around – just trees, green grass and lots of shade for the hot summer days.

Normally Codrin, the owner, is around and can show you places or tell you stories about the village, but as we went there in a time with a world pandemic going on, we didn’t get the chance to meet in person. Still, he did offer directions and suggestions of how to fill our time while at the cottage.

Carpathian Cottage is a self-catering guesthouse, meaning you should do all the groceries and prepare your meals. Which for me, passionate about cooking, was not too bad. We enjoyed cooking meals by the fire so much and we also enjoyed having dinner and breakfast on the lovely small terrace just outside the cottage.

The days spent there were extremely relaxing, even with our daughter around. On one of the days, we did a long walk, as there are marked trails starting right next to the cottage. We explored a bit the area, admired the view, ate lots of wild strawberries, foraged for some mushrooms to cook for dinner and got our share of wilderness and fresh air.

It was a bit unfortunate that we got a full day of raining, but we also survived that with board games, free play and good books spiced up with warm coffee. Plus a breathtaking view over the valley.

Photo Gallery: