A fireplace, CD player and a ‘little wooden bed’: Inside King Charles’s Romanian hideaway that you can rent

A fireplace, CD player and a ‘little wooden bed’: Inside King Charles’s Romanian hideaway that you can rent

King Charles III will be recovering from the coronation celebrations by unwinding in his secret retreat in rural Transylvania next week.

According to the Daily Mail, the home is a stripped-back former farmhouse in a cosy hamlet in Zalanpatak, Romania, close to the Carpathian Mountains. The King is understood to have purchased the property several years ago.

Queen Camilla will not be joining him on his annual visit, leaving the 74-year-old monarch to enjoy some “R and R” during the first year of his new role.

The property is rented out to visitors, with double rooms for an all inclusive-stay starting at £140 per night, in between King Charles’s annual visit to the region.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain last week (22 May), royal expert Jennie Bond said that the King will be visiting the retreat in the coming weeks to recuperate from his coronation.

She told the programme that the King has laid an “ecological” water treatment plant at the residence and “loves it there”.

“He sleeps in a little wooden bed, he’s going there for a very short stay next month,” she added.

The hideaway is surrounded by hills and meadows of the Zalan Valley, frequented by wolves and bears.

There is no wifi, TV or radio, but the drawing room now has a “small hi-fi player with CDs”.

But the property is far from a “man cave”, with seven double rooms with en-suite bathrooms in three heritage cottages, each furnished with authentic Transylvanian antiques and textiles.

A fourth building has a drawing room and dining area with a large open fireplace and a comfortable sitting area on a landing above the kitchen.

It is understood that the King wishes to encourage “more people to visit Transylvania” and “promote sustainable development”, according to the official website for the guesthouse.

There was some doubt as to whether the King would make his annual visit for 2023, but it is reported that he will arrive in early June and stay for a week.