Experience Transylvania - Conacul Apafi

Located above the charming Transylvanian village of Mălâncrav, Apafi Manor is a beautifully restored 15th-century noble residence that once belonged to the royal Apafi family. The building later became home to Michael Apafi, Prince of Transylvania, and to members of the Bethlen family. After decades of neglect, the Mihai Eminescu Trust, together with the local community, carefully restored the manor to its 18th-century design. Since 2007, it has been open to visitors, offering five comfortable bedrooms, a spacious dining room, and a library filled with rare old books. Guests can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, admire the traditional architecture, and explore the manor’s restored orchard, where fruit trees bloom just as they did centuries ago. The property sits next to the fortified Evangelical church, famous for its Gothic murals, making it an ideal stop for those interested in Transylvanian history and culture. Tip: Visit in summer to enjoy the garden’s fruit and the quiet charm of rural life in one of the most authentic villages in Romania.

An absolutely superb experience. Loved staying here as we were looked after by Regina who made our dinner and breakfast. You could self cater if you wished. We ate dinner and breakfast on the balcony looking over the garden. During a very hot afternoon we sat in the library which was cool and comfortable. Great location for those walking Via Transylvanica and next door to the fortified church.

We hired Apafi Manor through AirBnB for a 3 night stay. The house and gardens are grand, but the house is starting to fall into disrepair. There are lots of broken steps, furniture, some sockets hanging out the wall and lots of items around the house that are in poor condition or broken. The path up to the house is in poor condition and so the drive up is adventurous. However, if you accept that the house is definitely past its best, it is still a wonderful place to stay. At the current price it is still good value for money offering lots of space in a fairly unique environment. Beware that you will need to keep doors of the house shut otherwise tourists will come in wanting to look round. I think the house used to be a museum / restaurant and this is the reason why tourists think they can just walk in to the house. But to be fair the house is still like a museum inside. Finally Malancrav is 20mins down a one way road from the nearest main road, so be prepared for extra travel time when visiting other places. Despite all the downsides, we all really liked staying here and will never forget it as the house is very distinctive. As long as you aren’t expecting perfection then you are likely to have a fantastic stay.