History and geography conspired to make Transylvania in central Romania one of Europe’s most beautifully wild and fascinating regions. For centuries the locals have existed in harmony with a variety of wildlife, including Europe’s highest concentration of wolves, lynx and bears – almost half the European population of Brown bears is recorded in the Carpathian Mountains. Meanwhile, dense forests have remained largely untouched. Our days are spent on walks through spectacular canyons, virgin forests and Saxon villages. We go in search of Brown bears and explore the mediaeval town of Brasov as well as Bran castle, best known as the residence of Count Dracula.

We spend seven nights in Villa Hermani, a private guesthouse in the remote village of Magura. It’s ideally situated for our adventure, sitting at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains and within Piatra Craiului National Park. 



The property has twin and single rooms in a range of sizes and styles, almost all of which have private facilities (there are two rooms that share one bathroom). There is also wifi at the guesthouse; however, due to the weak internet lines in this remote location and the need to go via satellite, the hosts kindly request guests pay €5 for 750MB, which should be enough for a week of checking emails. Or you may prefer to just disconnect and enjoy the mountainous scenery from the garden or balconies.



Our friendly hosts, German couple Hermann and Katharina Kurmes, possess a wealth of knowledge on Transylvania, wildlife conservation and serve delicious homemade food.