Surroundings of Draguseni

I have divided the area 100km around the village of Draguseni in four different zones, according to the distance the guests wish to reach, leaving in the morning and coming back on the same day to overnight with us. We may propose guided tours according to your personal interests or, if you come with your own vehicle, we may give you orientations about what to see around. Strategically located, Draguseni may serve as headquarters in order to easily prospect all of Northern Moldavia (Suceava, Neamt, Iasi and Botosani counties), Eastern Transylvania, Székely Land, Bukovina and part of Bessarabia.

Path to the Carpathians

On a clear day as this one in which the pic above was taken, it is possible to see, looking westwards through our alley that links the guesthouse to the highway E85, the blue outline of the Carpathian mountains. In the heart of those mountains, that mark the border between Moldavia and Transylvania, Jonathan Harker - the hero of Bram Stoker's Dracula - has met the Count...

Unexpected visitors

In the morning of December 5th, 2008, two visitors (above) appeared in our courtyard, probably looking for some accommodation, carrying their European ID in the ears. Although they were very nice, we had to refuse them... I am sure they will come back, and our guests will be able to witness their kind insistence.

Living & dining room

According to the local peasant architectonic plan, the house has a long room that divides it in the middle, serving as main entrance and distributor to the bedrooms. Decorated with traditional objects, this room is the meeting point of our guests, at the table for breakfast or for a nice evening chat beside the wood-fired oven during the winter. At its bottom, a fully equipped kitchen stays at every guest's disposal.

Bathrooms

The house offers 2 modern spacious bathrooms with shower, toilet, bidet and sink, all fed with tap water provided by the municipal water supply. During the winter, a stove heats the water and both bathrooms as well. During the summer, a solar system heating is projected.

Bedrooms

The house has 5 non-smoking bedrooms that comfortably accommodate two guests each. If necessary, we may add an extra bed for a child. Access to every bedroom is made from the dining room. Two of them have an extra door that leads to the porch.

Every bedroom is decorated with local handicraft and objects that recreate the atmosphere of the past and the sweetness of the Moldavian countryside, without neglecting privacy and modern comfort.

Ready for baptism

On November 8th 2008, the house got finally ready for the sfestania - the blessing ceremony for its opening. Coincidentally, it was St. Gabriel and St. Michael's Day according to the Christian-Orthodox calendar. The priest of Draguseni (sitting at the table's head) officiated the ceremony, to which were present many relatives, Romanian and Brazilian friends as well as H.E. Vitor Gobato, Ambassador of Brazil in Romania.

The "Spitfire cherry"

In June 2008, we acquired a comfortable brand-new FIAT Doblò Panorama with 7 seats in order to put it at the disposal of our guests, who will wish to visit the surroundings of Draguseni, the numberless historical, cultural and natural attractions in the Romanian counties of Suceava, Neamt and Iasi, and also for special tours in Northern Bukovina (in Ukraine), Bessarabia (Republic of Moldova), the Carpathians and Transylvania. With it we can also pick them up at the nearest railway station for those coming from the south (Pascani - 20km), the nearest international airport (Iasi - 90km) or from Bucharest (380km).

Pitch

This unexpected wrapping (Christo was not here - yet!) that creates a haunted-house feeling was temporarily necessary in order to protect the external side of the house from the pitch we had to apply on the wooden roof made of shingles. This technique (that has to be repeated from time to time) makes the roof snow- and waterproof, resistent and long-living.

Towards the end

Heating

Heat is provided by a traditional system composed by brick stoves within the walls, so that both sides may heat two different contiguous rooms. There is one wood-fired oven in the dining room and 4 stoves that heat the whole house.

Golden team

Porch

In the beginning of summer 2008, we started the construction of the porch, one of the main elements of the traditional rural houses in Romania. Other important elements followed, due to excessive continental climate and included along the centuries, were such as: orientation of the main face towards the south and the north façade completely closed. The porch is considered an intermediary element between inside and outside, both from a functional and a climatic point of view. Built on the south façade, it may be closed during the winter with glass panels, playing the role of a greenhouse. It is open and has a shading function in the warm season.

Manure, clay and straw

Upwards

Foundation

Inspiration