EN: Recently we decided to make a new visit to Transylvania and we had a 5-star experience in the middle of a Saxon village. Where? At Valea Verde (The Green Valley). Although Valea Verde seems a generic name, nothing suits better this place located in the heart of nature, far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
At Valea Verde we experienced for the first time the Italian concept „albergo diffuso” or „scattered hotel” with houses scattered throughout the village of Cund. We and our friends from the Travelling Sisters stayed in one of the houses in the village and practically we didn’t felt that we are staying in a hotel but in a holiday home since these houses are old Saxon houses, so the experience is much more authentic.
The houses have an eclectic style, combining traditional elements with modern elements, derived from a fusion of German, Romanian and Hungarian cultures.
The village of Cund was put on the Romanian tourism map by Ulrike and Jonas Schäfer who are responsible for the Valea Verde Retreat- which comprises a large complex on the outskirts of the village of Cund, Mures County and several Saxon houses scattered through the village.
The main complex stretches over a very large area so if you decide to stay at the Valea Verde during this period it will be quite easy to keep distance from the other guests. Also, all necessary measures for this period have been taken:
– you can eat only outside, and the tables are spaced- you can dine on the terrace, in the garden, by the lake or even in the room;
– Check-in and check-out can be done online;
– besides soap, all rooms are also equipped with disinfectant;
– employees wear the mask even outside and all the distance measures are respected, you really have nothing to fear from this point of view.
One of the main attractions of the Valea Verde is the carriage stroll, which we loved it. The chosen route it’s fantastic, it’s starts in the village and continues through a small forest, among the sunflower fields and then into the meadow where the Wild Animal Observatory is located. The coachman was extremely kind, both to us and to the horses, he caressed and talked to them, we really admired him that he was very attached to the animals.
If you want to have a really special moment, you can have dinner in the Observatory. As we were visiting around noon, we enjoyed a cold glass of rose wine, which was not only very savory but also perfect for photos, as you can see below 🙂
If you want to be more active you can play various games such as petanque, shooting or riding, but for riding lessons you will need reservation in advance. We had fun playing Frisbee, then backgammon and in the evening we had a huge campfire. Valea Verde also have a very extensive relaxing area with hammocks and sofas, the seating area by the lake where are also sun loungers.
Another aspect for which we recommend the Green Valley is the absolutely delicious food. Fresh local ingredients are used, and when they created the original menu, Jonas and Ulrike turned to the help of a chef who has a Michelin star and then trained the employees in the same style. And since it came to the employees we liked very much that all the employees were from the village and Jonas and Ulrike decided to invest in them and let them experiment, giving them only guidance, not very strict rules.
They have an a la carte menu, but it changes daily, only breakfast is the same (fresh buns, several kinds of butter – the most delicious is the one with chives and greens, zacusca and brilliant aubergine salad to name a few dishes). Bread is homemade and is one of the tastiest we’ve tried so far. And if you are vegetarian, vegan or have certain dietary restrictions, you will also find dishes to enjoy at Valea Verde. Truffles are the specialty of the house because these precious treasures are found in the forests of the area, and if you go to Valea Verde during fall you can even go hunting.
If you want to have a great experience this summer we really recommend you go to Valea Verde for an unforgettable weekend (take a look on their Instagram account and you will fall in love with this place). The beauty of the area, the architecture of the houses, the delicious dishes, the cultural heritage will give you a wonderful experience where you can enjoy the authenticity of the Saxon villages.
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RO: Recent am decis sa facem o noua vizita in Transilvania si am avut parte o experienta de 5 stele in mijlocul unui sat sasesc. Unde? La Valea Verde. Desi Valea Verde pare un nume generic, nimic nu se potriveste mai bine acestui loc situat in inima naturii, departe de agitatia orasului.
La Valea Verde am experimentat pentru prima oara conceptul italian “albergo diffuso” sau “hotelul răsfirat” cu case dispersate in tot satul Cund. Noi impreuna cu prietenele de la Surorile Calatoare am stat in una din casele din sat si, practic, nu simti ca esti cazat la un hotel sau o pensiune ci ai impresia ca esti intr-o casa de vacanta, mai ales ca aceste case nu sunt construite special pentru gazduire, ci sunt case vechi sasesti, astfel experienta este mult mai autentica.
Casele au un stil eccletic, imbinand elemente traditionale cu elemente moderne, provenite dintr-o fuziune de culturi germane, romanesti si maghiare.
Satul Cund a fost pus pe harta turistica de sotii Ulrike si Jonas Schäfer care sunt cei responsabili pentru Valea Verde Retreat- ce cuprinde un complex mare la marginea satului Cund, judetul Mures si mai multe case sasesti rasfirate prin sat.
Complexul principal se intinde pe o suprafata foarte mare astfel ca daca decideti sa va cazati la Valea Verde in aceasta perioada va fi destul de usor sa pastrati distanta fata de ceilalti oaspeti. De asemenea, toate masurile necesare in aceasta perioada au fost luate:
– se mananca doar afara, iar mesele sunt distantate- puteti servi masa pe terasa, in gradina, langa lac sau chiar si in camera, dar nu v-am sfatui pentru ca e pacat la cat de frumos e locul- in caz ca va e racoare seara primiti si paturi cu care sa va acoperiti;
– check-in si check out se pot face online;
– pe langa sapun, toate camerele sunt dotate si cu dezinfectant;
– angajatii poarta masca chiar si afara si toate masurile de distantare sunt respectate, chiar nu aveti de ce sa va temeti din acest punct de vedere.
Una dintre principalele atractii de la Valea Verde este plimbarea cu caleasca, de care ne-am bucurat din plin. Ne-a placut enorm ruta aleasa, ce a inceput din sat si a continuat printr-o mica padurice, printre lanurile de floarea soarelui si mai apoi in poiana unde se afla Observatorul de animale salbatice. Domnul care ne-a condus a fost extrem de amabil, atat cu noi, cat si cu caii, se vedea cat de mult tine la ei, mereu ii mangaia si vorbea cu ei, chiar am admirat ca era foarte atasat de caluti.
Daca va doriti sa aveti parte de un moment cu adevarat special, puteti lua cina in Observator. Cum noi am fost in vizita in jurul pranzului, ne-am bucurat de un pahar rece de vin rose, care a fost nu doar foarte savuros ci si perfect pentru fotografii, dupa cum puteti vedea mai jos 🙂
Daca doriti sa fiti mai activi puteti juca diverse jocuri precum petanque, tir sau puteti calari, insa pentru lectiile de echitatie va trebuie rezervare in prealabil. Noi ne-am distrat jucand frisbee, mai apoi table, iar seara am avut parte de un foc urias de tabara. Valea Verde beneficiaza si de o zona de relaxare foarte intinsa, aveti o zona de lounge cu hamace si canapele, zona de relaxare langa lac, unde sunt asezate si sezlonguri si puteti sta la soare.
Meniul este unul a la carte, insa se schimba zilnic, doar micul dejun este acelasi (chifle proaspete, mai multe feluri de unt dintre care cel mai delicios e cel cu arpagic si verdeata, zacusca si salata de vinete geniale si ceai de lamaita pe care l-am gustat aici pentru prima oara). Painea este facuta in casa si este una dintre cele mai gustoase pe care le-am incercat pana acum. Si daca sunteti vegetarieni, vegani sau aveti anumite restrictii alimentare, veti gasi preparate de care sa va bucurati la Valea Verde. Trufele sunt specialitatea casei pentru ca aceste comori pretioase se gasesc chiar in padurile din zona, iar daca mergeti la Valea Verde toamna puteti sa mergeti chiar si voi la vanatoare.
Wwooww ce frumos e acolo
Autor
Da, este superb, ne-a placut foarte mult 🙂