luxury property for sale Viforâta, Romania

Sinaia is the Romanian city with the largest number of buildings classified as historical monuments per inhabitant. Not incidentally, the way the city looks today is the result of the work and signature of some of the most important Romanian architects: Ion Mincu, Toma Socolescu, Paul Smărăndescu, Duiliu Marcu or Grigore Cerchez, to name just a few of them. The Anastasie Simu House, or the Retezat Villa, as it is now known, is designed and built in the German Renaissance style of the early twentieth century by Czech architect Karel Liman. He was a good friend of King Carol I, for whom he designed the Pelișor Castle and the Honor Lobby of the Peleș Castle, all of them having in common elements specific for this artistic style. Chief Architect of the Royal House of Romania between 1894-1929, Karel Liman was born in the Czech Republic in 1855, in a family of carpenters. Inheriting the passion for woodworking from his father and grandfather, Liman follows the courses of the Fine Arts Faculty in Prague and then the Bauakademie in Munich. Established in Vienna around 1880, Liman gains experience through the collaboration with the Fellner&Hellmer Architecture Workshop in the capital of Habsburgs. He contributed to the projection plans of the Albert Rothschild Palace in Vienna, conducted under the guidance of architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur and of the Hunting House of Prince Christian de Hohenlohe-Ohringen in Javorina, Slovakia. Recommended by Destailleur to André Lecomte du Noüy, a French architect also established in Romania, Liman is employed by the Architecture Service of the Ministry of Cults and Public Instruction at the Commission for Historical Monuments in Romania, where he participated at the restoration of churches „Saint Nicholas” and „The Three Hierarchs” in Iași and the Episcopal Church in Curtea de Argeș. In the service of the Royal House, besides Pelişor Castle and the complex project for the rearrangement of Peleş, Liman also signs other projects such as the „Princess's Nest” (1894), the extension of the Cotroceni Palace, the house of Prince Carol in Bucharest, King Ferdinand’s cottage in Lăpuşna, the rearrangement of the Bran Castle and several other buildings in Sinaia: The Economat Villa, The Guard House, The Royal Stables or The Retezat Villa. After the architect's death, the house was bought by academician Anastasie Simu (1854-1935), a P.h.D in Political and Administrative Sciences, a great art lover and passionate collector, the first Romanian to build a private museum in Bucharest in 1910. In 1927, Simu donated to the Romanian state over 1.200 works: paintings, graphics, sculptures and decorative arts gathered over the years. A part of the collection is exhibited today at the National Art Museum of Romania, and another at The Simu Collection at Bucharest Pinacoteca. The architecture of the house, typical for the German Renaissance, impresses both on the outside and on the inside. The façade is predominantly of stone, dotted with corner bossages and vividly colored ceramic decorations. The interior is exuberant, highlighting the richness of wooden decorations, the coffered painted ceilings, and especially the beautiful stained glass, perfectly preserved to this day. The location in Sinaia is an ideal one, being close enough to the city centre so that it can be reached by a few minutes’ walk, but at the same time, isolated enough to offer privacy and detachment for a mountain holiday. The villa is renovated and functional, currently offering accommodation in 8 rooms, 2 apartments and 1 studio, rated with 8.8/10 on one of the most important online booking platforms. The future destination remains commercial, a hotel/boarding house or it can become a permanent personal residence or a holiday one with a lot of charm and full of history.

The history of the villa is closely connected to the development of tourism-related activities in Sinaia in the second half of the 19th century. Its first owner, the Austrian Jóseph Ungarth, who had been prince Dimitrie Ghica’s valet, became in 1870 the first “hotel-keeper” of the Podul Neagului town (Sinaia was only declared a city on December 1st 1874). After managing Sinaia’s first hotel, Ungarth started his own business and built the Carola villa in 1896. As a hotel owner and a highly-skilled restoration expert, after quitting Caraiman hotel, the Austrian Josef Ungarth was in charge of Villa Carola. Luxury and comfort were the key words for those who came to Villa Carola, as the Austrian knew how to make each stay as pleasant as possible. Thus, the villa garden was being taken care of by a gardener, there was a carriage that took guests wherever they wanted to go, and a horse was put at the disposal of those who wanted to learn how to ride. The small hotel bears the name of Jóseph Ungarth’s daughter, Carola, who, years later, would become Constantin Noica’s mother-in-law. In 1934, the great philosopher married Wendy Muston, the daughter of Walter and Carola Muston. He had known Wendy since her childhood, and had courted her whilst he was enlisted at Sinaia (1931-1932). A chic and select place, the hotel also became the secret meeting place for Elena Lupescu and Carol, the crown prince. The two had met in February 1925, and the Carola villa, which was then Elena Lupescu’s residence, served as their refuge. The hotel has a long history – in 1927, one of its guests was the young Yehudi Menuhin, the future great conductor and violinist. When he was eleven years old, he spent two months at the Carola villa, during which he visited the Luminiș villa in order to take violin lessons from George Enescu.

The history of the Predeal Resort is undeniably linked to the Romanian Principalities’ modernization process; the city became well-known when the railway line was drawn up by means of the Convention between Romania and Austria-Hungary, dated 31st of May 1874. The Predeal Station, located on the railway line connecting Ploiești and Brașov, was to become the turning point in the settlement’s development, and set off the first steps towards a prosperous period in terms of industry and tourism. The villa, built in the second half of the 1920s in Cioplea, the city’s area known for sports and tourism-related activities, was one of the first recreational buildings constructed in the area, and subsequently became the winter residence of Professor Teodor Vasilescu. It later on became the property of the Ploiești school committee (1937), which was the last owner before the communists came to power. Built in a traditional style, similar to that of front porch houses in the Wallachian region, the “Ceaușescu” villa got this nickname because it was used by Nicolae Ceaușescu between 1950 and 1958, when the residence was administered by the Ministry of Armed Forces. At that time, Nicolae Ceaușescu, an army major general, had the functions of Deputy Minister at the Ministry of National Defense, and Head of the Army’s Superior Political Department. This villa thus became Ceaușescu’s first protocol residence in Predeal before he took full control of the country. After 1965, the protocol villa’s supervision was transferred from the Ministry of Defence, and started being managed by the Recreation Department, in the same year when Ceaușescu became general secretary of the Communist Party.

Located right at the feet of Ciucaș Massif and surrounded by the stunning landscapes of the Balaban, Babeș and Zăganului mountains, the small depression of Cheia offers an exquisite painting of meadows, shady forests and clear waters. Initially developed as a small settlement around Cheia Monastery, Cheia Mountain Resort gradually increased due to the expansion of logging. The name Cheia and Cheița actually reflect the narrow aspect of the steep-walled valleys. In the middle of the resort, on the bank of Teleajen river is situated the Villa with Birch Trees, with its large garden, in terraces, decorated with statues of Roman inspiration, from the 19th century. The building is composed of 3 distinct units, with different height regimes, built in a traditional stylistic manner, specific to the mountain area. The interiors are richly decorated with art and collectibles, from hunting trophies and popular objects, to traditional ceramics and works of art. The construction was completed in the late 1970s, with improvements done up to 1990. The Villa with Birch Trees can function both as a residence or a multi-family holiday house, as well as a tourist accommodation unit, following a conversion project. The property is located in the heart of the many birch forests with mountain flowers that unfold during the spring an idyllic landscape, while in autumn, in the mountain valleys, the spruce trees portray marvelous autumnal paintings through their rusty crowns. The main tourist attractions in Cheia and its surroundings are: Cheia Monastery, built between 1835-1839 by two shepherds from Săliștea Sibiului; The Mine Flowers Museum, which houses a valuable collection of 170 pieces with a wide variety of shapes and colors; The Francisc Rainer Museum of Anthropology, the former holiday home of the great scientist, founder of Romanian anthropology, the Suzana Monastery, founded by Suzana Arsicu in 1770, along with the numerous mountain trails in the Ciucaș Mountains. A fairytale house, in a dream location... would be the perfect description for the Villa with Birch Trees. Recently, a 429 sqm plot of land was added to the property in addition to the beautiful existing garden of 1,416 sq m. Sources: Maria Rodica Niculescu, Masivul Ciucaș: ghid turistic, Munții Noștri Collection, Bucharest: Sport-Tourism Publishing, 1986 tvr.ro, Cheia, o stațiune cu potențial turistic editiadedimineata.ro, Descoperă România. Stațiunea Cheia, locul perfect pentru iubitorii de natură

Between Ceptura and Fântânele, Prahova County, spread over 23 hectares of soil rich in siliceous clay, with a climatic condition similar to that of Bordeaux or Tuscany, The Rotenberg Wine Cellar offer the ideal conditions for obtaining the maximum potential of fruity, expressive and strong aromas of wines. The plantations are predominant in Merlot, but Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties are also present. What gives the grapes an exceptional quality is the separate harvesting depending on sunshine, soil and planting density, together with the vine age- over 50 years old. The rigorosity of grapes harvesting offers the highest quality aura to the drinks flavour. Here, the grapes are fermented on separate plots, the ‘’Single vineyard’’ wines being obtained by this technique. The red wine is fermented in semi-open pots, with a submerged ‘’hat’’, while the seeds are kept in the ‘’pigeage’’ hat, being eliminated most of the bad, bitter and herbaceous tannins, leaving behind the intense taste of a quality red wine. Although it is expensive and non-industrial, this process gives the wines a special and deep fineness, unattainable in ‘’stainless steels”. The Rotenberg Winery offers 2 overlapping cellars with 400 barrels that allow a gravitational techonogical flow in which the wine is not attacked by pumps. Its passage from the fermentation vessels into barrels, then into bottles is done under the influence of its own weight, avoiding mechanical filtration, giving it a special texture. The wood is strictly selected- it has no white, permeable fibers or decays. The wood is aged for at least 18 months in wind and rain, in order for the sap and some of the tannins to be washed. Some barrels are deep burned, giving the complex and deep taste, so characteristic of the Rotenberg wine. The burning process time and intensity represents the secret of the premium wine that can be found only at The Rotenberg Wine Cellar. The property also offers a manor for tastings and events (oenotourism), in an exceptional ambiance. The Rotenberg Winery was founded in 2007 and produces 1000HL of premium wine per year from the grapes cultivated on 23 Ha of land (18 Ha of Merlot, 3 Ha of Cab. Franc, 2 Ha of Cab. Sauvignon). Awarded at ‘’Mondial du Merlot’’- Switzerland, in 2010 and 2014, the wines can be found in most of the retail networks, which absorb about 75% of production. All these make The Rotenberg Wineries not only the place where the perfect combination of softness and stature of internationally awarded wines is born, but also a brand and a bussines ready to be exploited. Photo & video: Tudor Prisecaru

The house at 9 Verde Street (today Gheorghe Manu street) was built between 1911 and 1923, initiated by Tațiana Niculescu-Dorobanțu. One of the four daughters of Ion C. Brătianu, Tațiana (1870-1940) married in 1900 Ilie I. Niculescu-Dorobanțu (1873-1943), liberal political figure and prefect of Ilfov. Through their properties will also feature the Darvari manor, close to Bucharest. The plans designed by architect Grigore Cerchez (Cerkez) specified „a building with 2, 3 and 4 levels, massive walls, covered with tiles”, occupying 668,29 square meters. In a letter from 9th of May 1910 addressed to her sister Măriuţa Pillat, then in Paris, Tațiana confessed: „I believe we will have a truly beautiful mansion, Louis XII style, with carved stone and exposed brique”. On 25 September 1913, Taţiana was in France, writing to Sabina Cantacuzino: „The castles on Loire I am not even mentioning, I am amazed by so much beauty and very proud to realize that, without possible comparation to these, my house is very beautiful. Unfortunately, the narrow street makes the palace look crammed.” To furnish the interior, Tațiana chose Romanian traditional art objects and pieces from Antique shops in Paris and Munich. From Spain she brought furniture and tapestries. She wanted everything to be perfect and told her close friends: „I will show you this room only when it is completely furnished.” The imposing building bears the allure of a Gothic cathedral, with exquisite constructive and decorative elements: the exposed brick façade, in several shades of red, the towers’ silhouettes, the entrance portal, the imposing windows, with carved stone elements in Neo-gothic fashion, the cornices, gargoyles, stained glass windows and pointed arches that mark the exterior and interior. In his will, Ilie I. Niculescu-Dorobanțu donated the building to the Ion C. Brătianu Establishment, provided that it became the museum „Ilie, Tațiana and Ion Niculescu-Dorobanțu”. Between 1948-1957, the house hosted the canteen of the employees of the Minister of Industry. In 1956, following the pressures of the Direction of Historic Monuments, that considered the building „one of the most valuable in the Capital from an architectural point of view”, it was classified as part of the heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Education, undergoing consolidation works. Starting 1958, it hosted the Technical school of choreography, with 300 students. Today, more than one century after its construction, the impressive Gothic Revival residence maintains its mysterious allure, fascinating the passers-by with its imposing dimensions and unique construction details, crafted by one of the most important Romanian architects. Sources: Simina Stan, „Reședința Ilie I. Niculescu-Dorobanțu, monument istoric”, în Revista Arhitectura, iulie 2015 Narcis Dorin Ion, ”Memoria unui oraș – București”, ed. Institutul Cultural Român, București, 2012

Located on Dinicu Golescu Boulevard, The Villa with Gorgons is one of the few buildings from the beginning of the 20th century that has been preserved on this important artery of Bucharest. The building was built in 1913 and bears the signature of Ion D. Berindey, one of the most famous and prolific Romanian architects of the first three decades of the 20th century. Among the 29 works classified as historical monuments of Ion D. Berindey are the Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino Palace (today the headquarters of the George Enescu National Museum and the Romanian Composers Union), the George G. Assan House (today the House of Scientists), Palace of the Journalists' Union (today the Very Small Theatre). The Villa with Gorgons was built as Colonel Andreescu's private residence as explained by Revista Poporului, a newspaper of the time, which emphasizes how a good architect can with a modest amount easily obtain a completely satisfactory construction from the aesthetic and comfortable point of view. From an aesthetic point of view, the building is tributary to the romantic style and has as a distinctive sign the gorgonles, sculptures that decorate the facade. Gorgons are taken from Greek culture where symbols on doors, walls, windows, floors and shields were intended to protect the ancient Greeks from evil. In terms of use, the villa is truly versatile and can be set up as a home, office space or a bohemian restaurant. Located on a land area of ​​309 square meters, with a footprint of 101 square meters, Vila cu Gorgone is a slim building, with a D+D+1E+M height regime. The spaces are generous and balanced on levels. The ground floor and first floor have three rooms each and spacious entrance halls. The rooms have wide windows and are bright. The same generous space also exists in the mezzanine, and the attic is open space and perfect for a bohemian design. The villa has two access ways: one pedestrian and another for car access. The building is strengthened and the facade is completely restored. Photo: Tudor Prisecaru, Alex Canjea.

In Bățanii Mici, a village located between Bățanii Mari and Herculian, in the Baraolt depression, there is this intimate mansion - an elegant and solid building, well maintained, with a high ground floor and a fence matching the stone of the property. Set back from the street, surrounded by a lawned courtyard and a generous paved area, the building impresses with its entrance under a portico with majestic, classicizing columns. The facade is exquisitely decorated with elegant boxes showing plant elements and fine window frames. The annex also has a special charm with its exposed brick façade and discreetly carved reddish wood pillars. Inside, the rooms are spacious and bright, what impresses is the huge library - the mansion belongs to the daughter of Elek Benedek, publicist, writer, educator, creator of Hungarian children's literature and collector of Szekler folklore.

The buildings in the Old Center incite, attract, tempt; we stare at the facades trying to take in everything with our eyes and hope that a heavy door opens, a window with the curtain drawn to see, understand, discern the mystery of these merchant houses that make up the Old City. At number 27 is one of these, large and stylish enough to attract attention and give rise to curiosities. Its French-influenced facade features the typical first-floor wide wrought-iron balcony, floor-to-ceiling windows, and false balconies/balustrades on the second floor. The attic has elegant arched protective gables. The ground floor is a commercial space – traces of the bar can still be seen and echoes of recent laughters can be heard. It is a high space, about 92 square meters; an additional level was built on its side. On the upper floors there are rooms and bathrooms - on the 1st floor we find 6 rooms of 8-30 sqm and 5 bathrooms; the 2nd floor has 6 rooms with surfaces between 7 and 32 m plus 5 sanitary groups and passage spaces. The high and functional bridge measures 391 sq m. Each floor has its own individual cadastral number. The basement also adds ample space, the function of which remains to be explored through the lens of current regulations. There is also an inner courtyard. The apartments are accessed through a separate entrance from that of the commercial space. The building requires repair and renovation and can be converted into an apart-hotel, residential units or space for commercial and cultural activities. An old street of the city, Smârdan street appeared in the 17th century, being known a century later as Uliţa Târgului din Năuntru, then in the 19th century as The bridge that goes from the Old Court to the Şerban Vodă Inn, German or German Street It was called Smârdan after the war of independence. Not far from the property, at number 39, was the old Hotel Concordia in whose room 5 Alexandru Ioan's double election was decided on January 23, 1859. In the villa at number 27 we know that in 1927 Anette Horoviceanu was making haute couture creations parisiennes and in 1938 the Gla Company operated Trade ind. and the representative Electrical items, offices, Electro-Technical - Electrotechnical, enterprises; Romanian Technical Warehouse - Technical Offices, Company Flă. Ind. and Rep. Central heating. Sources: https://turistinbucurestiro.blogspot.com/2014/02/strada-smardan.html Photo: Tudor Prisecaru.

The French Street connects Piata Unirii with Calea Victoriei; it appears in documents since 1649 when it was known as Curții Street; over time the name varies - one part of it was Podul cel Mare din Curtea Veche (1763), Podul Curtea Veche (1804) and Uliţa Curții Vechi (1854), the other - Uliţa cea Domnească in 1690 or Işlicarilor & Boiangiilor Street in 1804. Under Constantin Brâncoveanu the street becomes as long as we know it today. The French name comes from the time when the French consul resided on it. The street was also called Carol until 1947 and then 30th December. After the 1989 revolution, it became Iuliu Maniu and since 2007, when a boulevard was named after the politician, it has become French Street again. It is one of the first lit and paved streets in the city, but also the one that entered history as the place where the great fire of 1847 started, when over 2000 buildings disappeared; the fire broke out thanks to the son of a stolnic (local clerk) who played by shooting his father's gun into the thatched attic. On this historic street, at no. 58, in 1938, Schrems Broderie, a weaver, and Karmann I – Carol, a dentist, were operating (it seems that Lev Tolstoi lived at no. 12 in 1854 when accompanying the Russian troops to Wallachia). Today, at no. 58, there is an elegant building with tall glass sheets and wrought iron balustrades that rhythmically punctuate the facade; denticles, short half-columns and other vegetal and geometric elements complete it. The building has two commercial spaces on the ground floor and 14 apartments on the upper floors, with areas between 38-113 sqm. The attic (384 sqm) and the cellar (211 sqm) generously complement the surfaces. Access is allowed by four different stairs leading to the inner courtyard. Only one apartment is currently rented, the building being in need of repair and renovation works. The original corner stoves, paneling on the ceilings and double doors with glass windows are the only ones still fighting the fading today, stubbornly preserving the spirit of past eras. However, the potential is huge considering the positioning one minute away from the Manuc Inn; the building can become a boutique/apart-hotel or apartments for rent/resale, after consolidation. Photo: Tudor Prisecaru

Breaza was always a preferred weekend and vacation destination for people in Bucharest especially. The main advantages being the well known fresh air, beautiful nature with plenty of hiking options, so many attractions in the vicinity and also the easy access even during the weekends when the rest of Prahova Valley are a lot harder to reach. If Breaza is usually a place where one can find newer vacation homes, on one of the streets that meandres up the hill, we have the surprise to find a real architectural old gem , hidden behind the tall trees in front. The mansion clearly shows the signs of age, but this did not erase its beautiful features: the special structure with a small side on the front corner, the three-way arches across the entire terrace, the beautiful pillars and also the corner tower catch the eye even today. Built to offer all the luxury and confort of life in Breaza of its time, the mansion can be renovated and turned inti s very special second home. With a land plot of 1,880 sqm, the mansion has a total built area of 488 sqm, on two levels. From a structure point of view, the building looks good, the rooms are generally also in a good shape with the exception of the back area where a hole in the roof, now repaired, created some damage in that specific part of the house. Although generally in a good shape, the building will of course need a general renovation to really shed light on its beautiful architectural features. Separately from the main building, we can find a nice stone cellar that can be turned into a small wine cellar , and also a 40 sqm annex building that can be turned into usable space at will of the new owner. Easily accessible and very well located, the mansion can be turned into a really charming vacation residence.

Lining the cobbled streets named after the furriers and lipscani of yesteryear, the inn first shows off its wide, tall, arched ground-floor windows colored by faux stained glass. However, the upper floor retains its former glory, carefully decorated with rich elements such as the arms that support the wrought iron balcony, the common border that functions as a frame for the tall and narrow windows and the denticles that keep the rhythm under the roof. Today, the interior of the inn is dedicated to corporate and private events, which it hosts in three large areas – the conference center, the reception-foyer and the event hall. The space for business or cultural events is modern, bright and impeccably arranged for today's requirements (it has a capacity of 50-300+ people and is equipped with high-speed wi-fi internet, Video Wall Display, flip charts and systems professional sound system); instead, the event hall preserves accents of the past through sumptuous chandeliers, reinterpreted capitals and boiserie pieces that encapsulate old school sophistication. Spectacular by the contrast between ultramarine chairs, glass tables and boxed mirrors, this room discreetly resumes the English motif much more present in the reception area. The hall is served by its own kitchen equipped with modern equipment. The one that preserves the charm of the old inn is the inner courtyard, through the doors that the small traders hold open like welcoming arms, eager to show their treasures. Once upon a time there were majestic linden trees that shaded the yard, the name of the property coming from them. Atanasie Hagi, Gheorghe Polizu and Ștefan Popovici are the ones who built this inn in 1833, already having shops on the land which they expanded by buying from the neighbors. They built in their place, from the ground up, and in perfect companionship the Linden Inn, or as they called the Bezesten, from the main street of Marchitani (Strada Lipscani) which can be seen marked with our brands (initials) above both gates, with all the expenses of companionship are not out of two, brothers, a penny and a penny, from the warp (beginning) to the end of the key writes Constantin Bacalbaşa in București de altadată. The good camaraderie, the initials of which can still be seen today, did not last long because in 1835 the inn was shared, each owner receiving 14 shops and two warehouses; they kept in common only the toilet and the room where the innkeeper lives. Over time, the shops will continue to change their owners and close their doors well at night to protect travelers and merchants, as the Bacalbaşa writes: the shops were on one side and the other, and between them a street, which until 1916 it was paved with river stone. (…) All the shops were placed on deep cellars with large vaults that can still be seen today, the ceilings of the shops were also made in vaults. As in other inns, the windows and doors of the shops had iron shutters which were closed at night, and on top of them were placed crossbeams bent at the ends. At the entrances of the inn, on one side and on the other, next to the building, there were some stone pillars, about a meter high and quite thick, intended to protect the walls from damage by carts with goods that entered and left the inn.

The last few years have brought to our attention areas, names and ancient histories that put in context and humanize the town we live in and the buildings we pass by in a hurry. The House of Guilds is one of those witness-houses, few and often in danger of extinction, which recover the history of the city and its largest minority, the Jews. Sephardic refugees from Spain and later, after the Principalities Union, Ashkenazi from Galitia, the Jews are doctors, potters, merchants, samsari, tailors, painters, craftsmen specialized in metalworking and are useful to the city because it contributes to its urbanization. They settled on the left bank of Dâmbovița, near the Royal Court and later in the area that became the Jewish Quarter. They built houses with shops on the ground floor, public baths, kosher butchers shops and dairies, teahouses where religious music was listened to, temples and synagogues. Today few remember this community; the legionary fires of 1941 and the massive demolition of the 1980s changed the appearance of the neighborhood considerably. At present, the toponym Jewish Quarter encapsulates more storrytelling than material evidence, which makes the property proposed for sale even more valuable. On Spătaru Street at number 10A we find today this neo-Gothic building, richly decorated, Casa Breslelor, the work of the architect Luigi Ludovic Lipizer, who arrived in Bucharest from the Austrian Empire in the middle of the 19th century. The building has not only a unique architecture but also a historical and architectural value that the restoration and extension project carried out by an architectural office specialized in the rehabilitation of historical monuments intends to preserve (the project is currently subject to approval). Lipizer embraces the neo-Gothic style, expressed in Europe in the18th and 19th centuries, and this option makes the building look like a commercial hall from the Middle Ages and is known today as the House of Guilds - it is believed that the statues placed on the columns with capitals and protected by meticulously decorated canopies represent various professions. The access is made through an arched door under a noble broken arch, but the neo-Gothic remains outside; inside, only the light entering the house brings with it the beauty of the windows. On the ground floor, besides the hall and stairwell, there will be, according to the restoration and extension project, an office, a living room with dinning area, a bathroom and a kitchen. Upstairs it is proposed to redistribute the space into a master bedroom, a bathroom, another bedroom plus a family room and the current loggia. The architects propose an additional floor with a bedroom and terrace; also here the restoration and extension project includes the transformation of a portion of the roof into a glass roof. In the basement generous areas have been designed for the technical room, laundry/ bathroom and cellar, plus living quarters for staff. An open cellar is provided with access from the courtyard, where the demolition of the adjoining bodies without residential and architectural-historical value is taken into account with the preservation of some brick walls as decorative elements of the green spaces that will form the interior garden. The present values the past, shakes it from the dust and sees its future. The House of Guilds, one of the few left standing despite its 160th anniversary, has the chance to shine again as a magnificent private home, unique in its history and architecture, comfortable and warm through its planned restoration works. Sources: bucurestiivechisinoi.ro turismistoric.ro arhivadearhitectura.ro 1001calatorii.ro

The historic streets in the center of the capital were also targeted in the modernization process of Bucharest in the interwar period, areas that, at that time, were opening up to the new economic and commercial domains. The urban block-villas would meet the required functionality needs- the building that can be found on 24-26 Polona Street, built in 1927-1928, is one of such type. The modern building, individually compartmentalized on each floor, has undergone a restoration, rehabilitation and reconversion process, becoming an ultramodern and multifunctional construction.

When you hear ”Saxon house” the first thing that comes to your mind might be Prince Charles and his property in Viscri. An important unit of the local heritage, the Saxon houses are much more than that. More than 200 villages and many cities in Transylvania bear the mark of the Germanic civilization. And the Saxon house in Codlea, built between 1905-1907, makes no exception. The high gates, which shield the property from any indiscretion, allow for an impressive house to meet the curious eyes with its large windows, wooden beams and poles in sight, with the air of a miniature fortress. With a usable area of 450 sqm, the property is completely restored and the current owner paid a special attention to the preservation of the original architectural details. The oak carpentry has been refurbished, but for a better thermal comfort, another row of laminated wood windows has been added. The wooden doors and door frames are also modern additions, high quality replicas of the original elements. Two rows of parallel beams pass, at a height of 3.5 meters, the ceiling of the house. The attic, an open space of 130 sqm, has its own bathroom and is protected by a recently rebuilt roof with double-glazed tiles. The garage with automated access and separate central heating on each level are just some discreet elements of modernity in a context that preserves the charm of a traditional Saxon dwelling. And the property benefits from a real bonus: in the same yard there is a completely separate house with an area of more than 200 sqm, disposed on two levels. Built in 1973, this home is fully modernized and equipped. The land on which the property is located is also impressive. Spread over an area of 1826 square meters, it is composed of two distinct parts: a pretty cobbled courtyard, confined by ornamental plants, and a terraced garden with fruit trees. The areas are separated by massive walls that enhance the appearance of the typical fortified Saxon properties. In addition, the location, a keyword on the real estate market, is a special one. The property is in the downtown of Codlea, 15 kilometers away from Brasov and only 5 kilometers from the future Ghimbav airport. From the yard of the Saxon House you can admire the Postăvaru massif, and the proximity of the DN1 national road makes it an excellent choice for those who appreciate mobility.

Captured in a photograph with the sun behind it, illuminating and hiding it from view at the same time, the Nagy mansion seems to have the power to transport its guest back to the 19th century, just as Gil, played by Owen Wilson, returned to the 1920s in the film Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen in 2011. The idea of traveling back in time is often used in the description of properties and therefore subject to demonetization; in the case of the Nagy mansion, it stands in certain rooms where the past comes to life through a special stove, through pieces of solid wood furniture carefully crafted and polished by time such as the two sumptuous original Saxon beds. The mansion, built in 1802 by the Hungarian noble family Nagy, today completely renovated and brought up to modern living standards, preserves original architectural details, despite its troubled history - in 1992, when the property was reacquired, it no longer had doors or windows; after the nationalization in 1949 it was used by the local IAS including to house day laborers. The story goes that Szotyori Nagy Tamásné, mistress of the manor in the middle of the 19th century, was a fearless woman who not only went to the front to look for her hero son, but offered shelter to the persecuted and, after the revolution was crushed, sent parcels to those incarcerated. In 1884, during the election campaign, in the building that later became a granary, the owner of the place hosted the well-known writer Jókai Mór. Today, the entrance through the wide gate shows a circle of flowers whose role, in addition to the decorative one, is to guide today's horse-drawn carriages to the entrance of the building. With a decent exterior and a small portico the mansion consists of a spacious ground floor and a generous attic dominated by the protective red roof over them; the two windows placed above the entrance, on the left and right are known as the queen's eyes, belonging to the most desirable room in the building. The mansion functions today as a guesthouse and has 3 rooms with matrimonial beds and 4 double rooms, all with their own bathroom. The dining room can accommodate 70 people and the old cellar is now a wine cellar, keeping visible both parts of the original foundation wall and the old roof tiles reused as flooring. The sauna, the salt room and other ways to spend quality time complete the generous offer of the outside – walks through the silence of wheat fields and potato crops or visiting the Balvanyos baths, the Cheile Varghisului nature reserve, the birch forest in Reci, the Kalnoky castle and the Zabola domain (Covasna being also known as the Land of Manors). The town of Coșeni is 13km from Prejmer, 19km from Harman and 28km from the center of Brașov. photo Florin Pepene