Inside King Charles III's Home in Transylvania, Romania

King Charles III won't be able to meet his son, Prince Harry, when the Duke of Sussex return to the UK next week to attend a court hearing against the Mirror Group Newspaper.

Prince Harry is not also expected to meet any members of the Royal Family during his upcoming London visit. 

King Charles and Prince Harry 

King Charles is set to take a five- day solo travel to his Transylvanian estate, which he annually visited every spring. It's the King's private holiday trip and Queen Camilla won't be accompanying him.

Transylvania in Romania is shrouded in myths and legends. Thanks to Bram Stoker who immortalized the place in his literary masterpiece about a nobleman who sucked blood, Dracula.

King Charles's Transylvanian home, the Blue House 

Despite this fascinating legend as the hometown of Count Dracula, Transylvania is a picturesque region with breathtaking scenery of nature, so much so that then Prince Charles fell in love with the place during his official visit in 1988. 

The King's Transylvania retreat

We all know that King Charles III owns several homes around the United Kingdom before his accession to the throne. The most popular being Highgrove Estate which he purchased in 1980 while he was dating Lady Diana Spencer. However, there's two rural homes he owned outside the UK that are less known to the public.  

Blue House in Viscri

In 1988, during an official visit to Romania, Prince Charles fell in love with the natural scenery of Transylvania that in 2006 he bought the Blue House, an 18th century farm house located in the village of Viscri in Transylvania. 

Viscri is a Saxon settlement built in the 13th century by German settlers, and now a UNESCO world heritage site. The Blue House was converted into a museum and training center for traditional crafts and rural skills. It is also the headquarter of The Prince of Wales Foundation Romania. 

Viscri is one of the most beautiful of all the saxon villages in Romania. The King's Blue House is open to the public when he is not in residence.

King Charles in Blue House 

King Charles visits Blue House in Transylvania 

The King typically spends a couple of days each year at his Transylvanian rural home and can be regularly spotted meeting the locals and going for hikes. The house itself features seven bedrooms but no radios or televisions to create a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

Each room at the Blue House cost around £100 a night, all furnished with antique Transylvanian furniture. Designers maintained the cottage’s authenticity by carefully restoring it with traditional methods and materials.

In addition to the seven en-suite bedrooms, the property features a drawing room, a dining room, a sitting room, a large kitchen and an outdoor breakfast barn which contains an impressive bread oven. 

Known for his love of nature and sustainable environment, His Majesty's love of Transylvania is in part due to the breathtaking natural scenery of the place and the quiet villages.

Zalanpatak village in Transylvania with Carpathian Mountains in the background 

In a docuseries titled Wild Carpathia, King Charles said: "It is the last corner of Europe where you see complete sustainability and true resilience".

"It’s the timelessness of it which is so remarkable, almost out of some of those stories one used to read as a child. It’s quite remarkable. People are yearning for that sense of belonging and identity and meaning."

King Charles guest house in the village of Zalanpatak

Apart from the Blue House in Viscri, King Charles also purchased another Romanian property in 2010 in the village of Zalanpatak. 

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

Inside King Charles Transylvanian guest house 

This rural retreat of King Charles is a stripped-back former farmhouse in a cosy hamlet in Zalanpatak, close to the village of Brasov where Bran Castle is located, and the Carpathian mountains. 

Inside King Charles Transylvanian guest house 

The hideaway is surrounded by hills and meadows of the Zalan Valley, frequented by wolves and bears. The surrounding countryside offers various activities such as botanical excursions, hiking, and horse riding. 

Inside King Charles Transylvanian guest house 

The property has kept its Transylvanian authenticity by having been carefully restored with traditional methods and materials. Both Transylvanian properties of His Majesty is managed by his friend, Count Kalnoky. 

It is Romania's go-slow rural lifestyle that provides an increasing antidote to modern life. Farmers still get around by horse and cart, and fairytale ancient villages are distinguished by their fortified Saxon churches.

Those craving a step back in time - to when cars, television and wifi were non-existent - can go for a holiday trip to Romania and stay at King Charles's guest house in Transylvania.