Pensiunea Craiul

I stayed for 4 nights around Christmas at Craiul Pension, in the middle of the Apuseni Mountains. After a rather long journey by car, we arrived to find a quiet, beautiful place surrounded by snow and forests. The pension is situated in the middle of Lunca village, among traditional peasant houses, which gives it an air of authenticity. The roads are narrow and winding, often on steep hills, which can make the access by car quite challenging, especially in the winter time (it is worth mentioning here that the snow had not been removed from the roads, so it was slippery at times). The pension is small, but well equipped, the hosts are very warm and eager to serve guests with anything that might make their stay more enjoyable. They prepared several activities for us to participate in, such as a sleigh ride, visits to local attractions, meeting carolers and a camp fire. It is true that the area offered little distractions apart from walking, visiting a few local sites, such as a waterfall or a memorial house or climbing on the surrounding hills. Therefore, the schedule proposed by the hosts was more than welcome. It is worth mentioning that the pension is not very far from other more renown touristic attractions, such as Scarisoara Cave. The food was very well prepared and varied, and the prices were accessible. Also, the rooms were clean, warm, although rather on the small side. The pension met the minimum requirements for a pleasant stay, while not surprising in style or accessories. For a mountain cottage, at any rate, it offered all the comfort one might expect. I would recommend it, especially for the quiet and remoteness of the place. Also, the views are spectacular and the nature around is worth enjoying. Though it can become boring at times due to lack of amusements, for people looking for a retreat from the city and for traditional cuisine and activities, it can be a well inspired choice.