Wish you were HEIR
Discover Charles’ Transylvania
DEEP in a distant land with a storybook name where wolves and bears outnumber the villagers, Prince Charles has a guesthouse. their monarchy is restored, he adds, Charles should be their king.
And wandering through the village that evening, I can feel its Charles-appeal.
Scythes
decorated with rustic hand-painted wardrobes and carved oak bedheads. There’s also the main house where guests gather for meals and drinks.
It feels a bit like a genteel country house party where the host may be absent, but is on everyone’s mind.
Charles comes to Zalanpatak to revel in its unspoilt nature. The day after I arrived, I did exactly the same in the company of local guide Csaba.
We walked up through the prince’s wildflower meadows, which have as many as 60 species per square metre. We passed a mineral water spring, which is naturally fizzy, and spotted evidence of overnight bear activity. Then I was greeted by the whole sweep of the Carpathian Mountains – home to half of Europe’s brown bears.
On another day, we visited the
charcoal burners, a cheerful community encamped in a forest clearing on the other side of the village. It looks like a scene from the Middle Ages, with all the soot, smoke and the figures risking life and limb by clambering over huge domes of earth-smothered wood.
On my last evening in Zalanpatak, a Transylvanian Count joined us for dinner – but not the blood-sucking sort. On the contrary, Tibor Kalnoky is a well-mannered remnant of the old-fashioned European aristocracy who used to be widespread before communism turfed them out.
The Count is Charles’s ally in Transylvania, and the force behind the restoration of Zalanpatak.
As he poured the palinka – a homemade plum brandy – I asked about the prince’s attitude to hosting the hoi polloi like me.
The Count replied that Charles is keen “to share his enjoyment of this precious place” with others.
Then we talked of food, drink and world affairs. Much, perhaps, as Charles might have done. If only he’d been there. FACTFILE: Flights from Luton to Sibiu with Wizzair cost from £50. See wizzair.com. An all-inclusive stay at Zalanpatak, including food, drinks and activities, costs from £115pp per night. See transylvaniancastle.com.