Armchair Traveling: Miklos Banffy & Transylvania

The final book in Miklos Banffy's Transylvania Trilogy came in the mail today.  I'm excited to conclude this nearly 1, 500 page story set in the years leading up to World War One.  I wouldn't suggest it to everyone, and I realize that I have a vested interest in Transylvania after living there for more than a year, but if historical fiction is your thing, do not miss.

Banffy's trilogy is part soap opera and part primer on pre WWI politics and social history. But what has kept me turning pages is his descriptions of the unforgettable landscape of Transylvania.

About ten years ago I visited my friend Nelutu in his Grandfather's village of Hosman in Transylvania.  We climbed up the 800 year-old church tower to survey the rolling hills and forest surrounding the neat rows of the Saxon village. At sunset, after dining on spicy sausages dipped in cheap yellow mustard,  the intoxicating smell of freshly scythed grass mingled with the tinkling bells of pigs and sheep making their way home along the main village thoroughfare.

Earlier this year I came across a website promoting a series of guesthouses in Transylvania owned by HRH Prince Charles. If I recall correctly guesthouses start at the very reasonable rate of $50 USD a night. Follow this link for pictures and inquiries: http://www.transylvaniancastle.com/viscri.html

The Prince's house at Zalanpatak

 “Ever since I first visited Romania in 1998, I have been doing my utmost to ensure a sustainable future for the Saxon villages of Transylvania and their people. Tourism clearly has a vital role to play in this.” -Prince Charles