Holidaying like a boyar at Conacul Maldar

Catering to lovers of upmarket vacations, Conacul Maldar is a historical manor, painstakingly designed to evoke an olde-worlde charm. Located in Maldaresti, in the Valcea area, it’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Bucharest. Nine months on from its opening, the estate is opening a restaurant that can seat 60 guests.

By Florentina Pirjol

The leading attraction of the manor is the story the place can tell with its boyar-style ambiance. The building itself, impeccably restored by its owners, preserves all the architectural details of the Oltenia kulas in their entirety – from the majestically white walls to the inner stairs and the porch vaults.

Dating back to the mid-19th century, the manor has a turbulent history. After the 1989 Revolution, it hosted workshops organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, before being retroceded to the heirs of the rightful owners, who sold it onto its current owners. They are a couple of entrepreneurs from Craiova – Cristina and Daniel Vasilescu – who, five years ago, were looking for a holiday home in the Valcea area. They discovered the manor in a state of advanced decay, and decided to bring it back to life and turn it into a historical hotel.

Telling the story of the past

That was the beginning of a demanding project that required an investment of approximately EUR 1 million, several teams of workers and architects, a series of experts in heritage buildings, and also a great deal of patience in accessing European funding.

Daniel Vasilescu jokes, “Back then, we had amassed so many details on the procedures for accessing European funds that we started thinking we should give up the manor project and simply open a consultancy business instead! The tangled bureaucratic system left us discouraged for a very long time.”

The project also required enormous efforts to document the details of the lifestyle of the boyars of Oltenia for the reconstruction.

The manor currently has 15 rooms (12 doubles and 3 singles) accommodating up to 27 guests. Each room is a refined ensemble where genuine historical pieces of furniture, old ceiling beams and traditional rugs harmoniously blend in with modern comforts.

Most of the décor has been collected from antique shops across Romania, over the years. “We wanted to be able to provide our guests not only with atmospheric elements, but also with a complete experience that would allow them to enjoy the true charm of boyar-style life. Our staff wears period outfits, and the rooms have starched bed sheets, how it would have been back then,” says Cristina Vasilescu.

A novel gastronomic concept

A particular point of pride is the gastronomic concept, based on what the hosts define as “culinary moments”. There is no standard or à la carte menu, but guests can enjoy “The Boyar’s Lunch”, “The Princess’s Supper” or “Madam’s Exquisite Dinner”. The latter, for example, involves delicacies inspired by French cuisine, such as spicy game dishes, roast duck cooked with onion jam, raisins and baked bell-peppers, and turkey in a truffle sauce.

Recipes may be inspired by flavors of the season or the specific tastes of Oltenia, but they can also be shaped by a guest’s wishes – perhaps recalling some childhood taste they have been missing.

The manor’s new restaurant was opened at the beginning of this month. With up to 60 covers, it can host meetings, teambuilding sessions and workshops, as well as gastronomy workshops and recitals, and its splendid fireplace is definitely the main attraction of any event organized here.

Tourist attractions in the area

Tourists keen to discover Oltenia can go on various trips during their stay, as recommended by their hosts, and can choose from a wealth of tourist attractions: monasteries, spectacular gorges, caves and the impressive salt mine at Ocnele Mari (a genuine underground city). Nature lovers can also take in the scenic views of the Transalpina Route or hit the slopes at the Ranca ski resort.

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