luxury house for sale Dobra, Romania

Holiday house on the hill Brad, Hunedoara With the forest at the back, the property has a special charm to which the location on a hill contributes greatly- the view towards the small town of Brad in the valley is stunning both in late summer, when the meadows are strewn with haystacks, and in winter, when the snow covers the houses, the fields, and forests. The architecture is typical of the mountain with the solid, stone-hewn ground floor and wooden balconies with cheerful geraniums hanging from the railings. The interior also respects the convention of mountain interior design having the walls clad in wood; their warm and understated hue provides the perfect backdrop for relaxed living. It is a rustic minimalism, dewormed from classic intrusions that slip easily into kitsch. Elegant crocheted curtains and wooden furniture add charm. The inviting kitchen and generous terraces with hammocks make for relaxing afternoons, and in the evening the panorama is magical – the lights of the valley look like fireflies dancing in the night. On the ground floor are the living room with open kitchen, the toilet and the separate technical room; the first floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom with bathtub and shower and on the second floor there are two bedrooms, one of which has both a double bed and a sofa and space for an extra bed, with access to the 100 sqm balcony that surrounds the building. In addition, there is also a generous storage space of 36m2. On the property there is also a workshop/storage shed for tools, bikes, ATVs (area 16.5 sq m), a 92 sq m terrace with lawn, built-in bathtub for 10 people, relaxation corner with campfire and a summer kitchen covered, with a terrace of about 30 sqm. The lodge has a camera system with mobile phone access (5 cameras), alarm system, fiber glass internet connection and drinking water connection from the municipal network. One can also reach the cottage from the road using the picturesque wooden stairs. In addition to guaranteed relaxation on the property, the area also offers the possibility of mountain hiking, mountain bike rides or fishing; skiing can be done in the neighboring county, on the slopes of Alba. In Brad there is an interesting gold museum that documents the history of the mining industry in the area; currently the mines are closed, wood processing being the predominant activity in the region. Some of them can be visited on an organized tour, and the Retezat National Park and the city of Deva with its fortress are not even an hour away.

The castle was built during the 17th century by Gyulay Ferencz, an Austrian general, the only child of Hungarian nobleman Gyulay Ignacz. Ferencz built the mansion on the site of a smaller building. The general’s family ruled the town called Mintia, that was renamed Marosnemeti, a term derived from the Hungarian word nemet, that translates to German. Several descendants of the Gyulay family lived at the castle. Historical documents from 1806 state that the Mintia mansion was owned at that time by Gyulay Istvan, followed by Albert and K.R Gyulay. Countess Gyulay of Mintia, who married Ladislau Kuun of Osdola, later inherited the domain together with her brother, Ludovic. In 1848, the Gyulay family took refuge at Cluj and, after the revolution, Ludovic, Ladislau Kuun, his wife Constance, and their children, Irene and Geza, returned to Mintia. Ludovic was the last heir of the Gyulay family. He wrote over 100 journals about the mansion and about Mintia. All of them are preserved at the Cluj-Napoca history museum. Ludovic Gyulay modified the building in 1834, giving it the shape it has today. Ludovic Gyulay never got married and, therefore, never had any heirs. His fortune was inherited by his brother-in-law, Ladislau Kuun, followed by his son, Geza Kuun. Geza studied Hungarian and German literature at the Universities of Budapest and Gottingen, and was a member and vice president of the Budapest Academy of Sciences. He was part of Vienna’s elite social circles, and became friends with the famous composer Franz Liszt – one of the most prominent pianists of all time. It was then that he also met writer Elena Ghica – daughter of Mihai Ghica, niece of Grigore Ghica the 4th, and the first woman to have climbed the Mont Blanc peak, on June 1st 1860. After 1870, Geza Kunn settled at Mintia and married Vilma Kemeny, the daughter of baron Kemeny of Magyar-Gyeno Monosto. His presence here transformed the town into a gathering place for eminent representatives of the cultural and scientific scenes, which included V. Zakrzewski – professor at the Cracovia University, Al. Szilagyi – secretary of the Historical Society, baron Balazs Orban, A. Szecsen –Imperial Court marchal. The beauty of the mansion located on the bank of Mureș River was also admired by the president of the Archeological Society – Solyon Fekete, the director of the Deva History Museum – Teglas Gabor, and by scientist Samuel Brassay – regarded as Transylvania’s last polymath. The immense library of the Mintia Castle and the salon, decorated with family portraits and precious objects, were visited by prefect George Pogany, subprefect Coloman Barcsay, count Coloman Esterhazy – director of the Transylvania Museum, by Otto von Keller – professor at the University of Prague, Zsolt Beothy – professor at the Budapest University, and by Norwegian scientist Conrad Nielsen. Baron Miklos Josika also traveled from Brănişca to Mintia, either on foot, by car, or on horseback. He also traveled by boat on Mureş River in order to admire the park that surrounded the castle. The rare species of plants and trees that embellished the park were mesmerizing. Count Kuun named the trees after the most important Hungarian writers, many of whom had been his friends. One of the trees, for example, bore the name of Attila, in the memory of Attila Gerando. Amid the rose bushes, the visitor could also discover numerous honorary or mortuary shrines. Geza Kuun died in 1905, on April 10th, and was entombed at Cluj. Legend has it that, although the body of count Geza was inhumed at Cluj, his heart was buried in the cemetery of the Mintia Reformed Church, alongside other members of his family and former owners of the castle. The Mintia domain, that comprises the castle and the park, is classed as a historical monument of national and universal importance, class A.