Casa Albastră

Village Pietris is like a time capsule and I hope it will remain as it is with no paved road, no internet and shops. I hope more people will save the old houses. We have been here in all seasons and each time is perfect. The wood stove warms the house pretty fast. There is an area in the wood where you can run, in the right side. You can also explore the other houses and the forest by a walk on the hill behind the house. Can't wait to come back!

Amazing views! Quaint old village off the beaten track. Traditional, rustic little house, old but lovingly refurbished and equipped with all the amenities of modern life. Friendly neighbors. Grill. Shaded terrace for eating outside. Monasteries in the area. One evening we spotted a doe in the garden across the street.

Rather steep gravel road. Can be a bit problematic without 4WD, especially if you intemd to drive back and forth every day. Neighborhood dogs sometimes loud at night. Small beds and no drapes/shutters, so pack earplugs and sleeping masks if you're a delicate sleeper. One night there were bed bugs, but we caught them in time..

What a discovery - this traditional house is like staying in a museum in the countryside! Baile Olanesti is a small local spa resort, and not at all on the "tourist map". We seemed to have been the only forigen visitors in the whole region as we met no others. My family loved this - spending happy days with a book in a hammock reading, walking in the nearby beechwoods or down to the monastery (the nuns are very welcoming) and watching the wildlife (be careful - 2 days before we arrived a girl was killed by a bear!) as well as meeting the friendly local dogs and cats. Despite the simple setting - the house was clean and tidy, the bathroom is great with plenty of hot water and fresh clean towels; the beds are comfortable for two in each room (although there isn't much spare room in a country cottage). There is a basic kitchen in the house and a good fridge, and in Baile Olanesti there are small simple supermarkets. Just beware the complicated local traffic regulations with pedestrian only streets and a lack of car parking spaces. Day drives from here take you to some beautiful locations - especially the monasteries of the Hurezi valley...but mostly, my family wanted to stay put or take local walking trails into the hills or down to the monastery and river. The family all have said they would like to go back and stay again. If we could rate this an 11, we would do so for the totality of the holiday experience. Sophistication it is not - but for simple pleasures the house and its location is very hard to beat.

Staying "off the beaten track" in the countryside means some difficulties - but accept these as the way to preserve the peace of the place! The road beyond Baile Olanesti soon becomes a single track loose mud, earth and loose stone track - with some very steep ascents and descents and very tight corners and very few passing places to reach the house location at the end of the "road". As this lasts for several km it is a big puncture risk - and almost certainly will invaliadte your car hire insurance (check the spare tyre before you set off). Lighten the load and get the passenders out to reduce the risk or hire a 4w-drive! We managed the route with a mid-sized 2WD car by going very slowly, and getting passengers out to walk on the difficult sections of the journey. Those without a car face a long uphill and stony walk from the town. Yes it's a slow, hard journey - but that keeps 99.99% of the tourists away from the place and creates the haven of peace here, so it is a bonus as well as a challenge! There is almost no mobile phone signal - and no internet; some may hate this - I loved it. Just stock up on books and get to the hammock first before the others! Bring earplugs - in the heatwave of July 2024 we slept with the windows wide open; this was great until the local dogs discoverd a family of wild boar coming down the track and the frogs started up singing in the local pond! I say this is way better than sirens and cars and buses that make up city noises but light sleepers be warned! Mosquito repellant is needed - yes woods and farmland and wildlife mean insects. Also, beware ticks in the long grass as Lyme Disease has now become widespread in Romania. Come prepared and this is no difficulty.

We have stayed in the Blue House which shares the yard with the Brown House. The house has everything you need and all kind of details we have really liked to discover. We have ordered also some local food and bread and loved it!

Just so beautiful. Stunning forest to explore by foot ~ The house was so warm & cody with every facility we needed. For other guests, the Imperial hotel in the town has a magnificent hot spring spa that you can enjoy.

The remote location and the traditional house. Bonus: We heard a stag roaring at night and saw wild boars in front of the yard. The night sky is simply amazing at this location. The off-road driving experience in getting to the property :) Works fine with a 4x2 (we used a Dacia Duster) unless there is heavy rain, snow or ice - but the driver shouldn't be faint of heart or lacking experience.

The neighbors in the adjacent house, who live there permanently, were quite loud and additionally doing construction work from early morning to night fall. Fortunately we were not present at the location during the day - otherwise it would have been a nightmare. The public illumination right in front of the house makes stargazing somewhat challenging (but doable) due to light pollution. Additionally, the presentation of the property mentions nowhere that there are actually two houses that share a common yard and that look like they are rented out independently. So if you are looking for a quiet place where you don't want to be disturbed by the presence of other people you should clarify this with the owner beforehand.