How Kurt renovates an old house in the Apuseni mountains

The story of Kurt, who, as a "pensioner", settled with his wife in the Apuseni Mountains, is the following the one started in Cisnădioara. We arrived in Vișagu, not far from Cluj, where we met a man in love with the place where he decided to settle, a man involved in the life of the community and happy.

In the Apuseni, towards Kurt's house

Hardly having left the place in Cisnădioara, which was inviting to rest and laze, we set off towards the Apuseni Mountains, and we will reach a house in Vișagu, which is in the process of being entirely renovated with natural materials from Naturalpaint and to Beliș, in a log cabin (about which more later). The plan was to go to Visagu first and then spend the night at the log cabin. But, in the hills of the Apuseni Mountains, where the Naturalpaint team was working in Vișagu, the phone signal was very weak and we couldn't make the appointment, so we went straight to Beliș where we stayed overnight.

The next morning we managed to talk to Nicu, the craftsman from Naturalpaint Construct, who warned us that the road to the house was quite hard and we would be better if he came to pick us up. The road, yes, quite washed out, narrow and steep, in contrast, the scenery and tranquility of the area absolutely enchanting. The houses scattered on a hillside here and there, perfectly outlined a picture of early September.

Kurt had not yet arrived and while waiting for him, Nicu and I talked about the project they have here in this little corner of "paradise". When we arrived they were working on the main house where the owner would live. An old house in the area, in the process of transforming the interior to have all the facilities, and on the outside keeping as much of the original look and the specificity of the area as possible. After completion of the main house, the demolition of a small wooden building, impossible to save due to its advanced decay. On its foundation, it was planned to build a houses on wooden structure (timber frame type), also in the spirit of the place, to be used as a guest house for friends. The project will be continued next year because, in addition to the two houses and a small painting studio for his wife, Kurt plans to renovate others and turn them into vacation homes for tourists.

Kurt, the Austrian from Vishagu

When Kurt showed up, if we hadn't heard him speak, we would have thought he was a local come to lend a helping hand. He came to us in a good-natured and cheerful manner, eager to tell us as much as he could about this new stage in his life. Kurt fell in love with Romania before he settled here. He worked in Romania years ago, liked the places and the people and decided to settle here. When he became "retired" he and his wife decided to sell everything and come to Romania. At first they looked for something in the south of the country, near Bucharest, but everything was too flat. He and some friends ended up in the Apuseni mountains and fell hopelessly in love with the area. They stayed in Vișagu and became part of the local community. He is very happy with the tranquility, the beautiful landscape and the people. He feels he has arrived in paradise and wants to stay here in peace.

"My wife wanted all natural"

The house is restored with only natural products. It was the wish of the wife who inquired and discovered Gutex and Kreidezeit products. The interior and exterior insulation of the house - walls, attic, roof, floor - is made with Gutex wood fiber panelsof different thicknesses. Gutex also provides the foil that protects the house against damp. The walls are plastered with lime plaster from Kreidezeit. Also from Kreidezeit is lime paint for interior and exterior walls and the oils with which the wood of the floorboards will be finished, beams and trusses to be built after the local model.

Kurt wants to build a studio for his painter wife. A barn used by the previous owners to keep pigs will be demolished and the studio built in its place. Of course, natural products will be used here too. In the meantime, the wife's first project will be the pigsty. She has decided that the boys will take care of the construction and she will finish it.

It will follow

We weren't there for more than two hours, but we had already fallen in love with the place. There was a deep silence, as only in mountain villages you can 'hear' and a peace that enveloped you. The tiny, tile-roofed houses looked like toys on the hills. Kurt's passion for these places had infected us too. We left with the promise that we would return to see the house at the end.

We salute you, Kurt!