7 Flowers at the edge of Gheorgheni - a guesthouse where you forget the hustle and bustle of the city

When I had to cover Transylvania and Moldova in the same trip, I used to go first to Transylvania and then I would go to Moldova through the Bicaz Pass. I like the area, although it gets a bit crowded in summer, but the majesty of the Bicaz Gorge manages to impress me every time. On the way out of Gheorgheni I noticed, on the right side as you walk towards the Red Lake, 7 wooden houses in a pleasant and restful green space. It seemed to me to be a good place to escape from the bustle of the city. Once I even stopped to find out more, as the advertisement on the road advertised the place as Pension 7 Flowers. I couldn't find anyone, just a contact phone number, and as I was in a hurry, I left it for another time.

Some time ago we were media partners of a event organised by Naturalpaint in Gheorgheni. And so the opportunity arose to stay at the 7 Flori guesthouse. We hoped to have some time to enjoy the quietness offered by its location outside the city. There was no time to laze around, but we still enjoyed the evenings spent by the fireplace and the mornings with milky light and "deafening" silence broken from time to time by the cows' chattering or the dogs' barking, heard only as a whisper from far away.

Pension 7 flori, a place for those who love peace, independence and friendly rustic

To check in at 7 Flowers you must call ahead. Zsuzsanna, your friendly and discreet hostess, will answer, tell you about the accommodation, greet you if you decide to stay, and leave after she's shown you around and you're settled in, but not before telling you that you can call her anytime. Because here you have everything you need and you can look after yourself. Whether it's a room or an apartment, you've got a kitchen so you can prepare your own meals with total independence. And you don't have to carry a 'wagon load' of food from home, because there's a supermarket within a 5-minute drive.

The 7 flowers are in fact 7 wooden houses with the names of field flowers - Gentian, Cow's Buttercup, Bulbuc, Brindusa, Soft Grass, Poppies Beard or Noon. Four of them have 2 apartments each, mirrored, with a shared hallway with fireplace, and the other 3 houses have 3 en-suite bedrooms and a generous shared living room with a long table and wooden peasant chairs, fireplace and American kitchen (open, in the same space as the living room). The apartments have a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room with exit to the terrace. They can accommodate 1, 2, 3 or 4 people, with a sofa bed in the living room.

The 3-bedroom houses - 3 in total - are perfect for a night out with friends. You enter the rooms from a spacious shared hallway, not directly from the living room. So if some decide to continue the party in the living room, others can sleep undisturbed in their rooms. The living room has a generous dining table and fireplace, with large windows and exit to the terrace. From the terrace - where you have a table and a peasant bench - you can see the natural and wild surroundings, seemingly untouched by the expansion of progress. However, in every cottage there is internet access, TV, hot and cold running water, heat, electric hob. It's a rustic space with the enhancements of civilization, so you can enjoy the wood, the smell of freshly mown grass and the smell of a wood fire without sacrificing the benefits of modern living. It's what I - a city-born Bucharest girl with a childhood and vacations spent in the country, who knows what a straw mattress, a gas lamp, and the smell of lime and fresh clay - call a friendly rustic. 😊

Two days where we only regretted not having time to stay longer

Unfortunately for us, our time at the 7 Flori guesthouse was very short. We arrived in Gheorgheni with work and we had a lot of work to do in the 2 days of the workshop, but we could still enjoy a "pălincă" on the terrace, the fireplace and the perfectly quiet mornings. From the living room where we slept we had exit to the terrace through double glass doors. The terrace is high, so there's no possibility of field critters entering the house. In the morning a milky light woke me up. It was the first really cold days since early October, and the mornings were foggy. I stepped out onto the terrace and in the distance, in the hills, could be heard the cows' coos and dogs barking. Just that! It was surreal, with mist clouds beginning to rise and sunlight streaming through. How I wished I could wake up a few more mornings like this.

The cold weather gave us the opportunity to enjoy our fireplace. A very interesting one, a pellet-burning one connected to a thermostat. When it burned brightly it had a flame and a sparkling shower of sparks, and when the desired temperature was reached, the fire almost disappeared. But if you opened the door to the terrace 2-3 times, the fire would reappear and with it the magic sparks.

The place is well looked after and I was very surprised to find that it has been in operation for 11 years. I found out that the owners are mainly in the business of building wooden houses so everything is well maintained and repaired immediately when needed. In addition, the owners are among those who prefer environmentally friendly wood finishes and recycle selectively. You will find a written request in the kitchen to separate household waste from other waste. Household waste is composted and used as natural fertilizer.

Area attractions

Indeed, it's a place you have to drive to. Otherwise, it's difficult to get around and have a flawless stay, at least from my point of view. But the car will also get you to Red Lake, which is only 26 km away. It is a natural dam lake, also known as Ghilcoș Lake, formed in 1837 at the foot of Mount Hășmașul Mare, near the Bicazului Gorges. It was formed by the displacement of a clayey mass on the north-western slope of Mount Ghilcoș. Soon after the valley was blocked, the fir forest was flooded and the trees were petrified, offering a unique view. The surroundings have a pleasant climate, with an average annual temperature of 8°C, above the average of 6°C of the intramontane depressions. The valley is sheltered from winds, the air is clean and rich in natural aerosols, and the surroundings offer excellent conditions for rapid natural regeneration.

Another local attraction is the Șugău Cave. It is located in the Giurgeului Mountains, being developed in a lens of crystalline limestone with dolomitic intrusions, with a layer 10 km long, 2 km wide and a height that can exceed 200 m in some places. The visitable length of the cave is 1021 m. Access to the cave - allowed only with an accompanying guide - is possible from Gheorgheni on DN 12 or from Voșlobeni commune.

You can easily reach the Bicaz Gorge or visit the city of Miercurea Ciuc, only 56 km away. Or you can use the days just to rest or have fun with friends, as I plan to do soon.

If you end up at the Pension 7 Flori, let me know! I'd love to hear your impressions.