The Cabin — marlivansittert.com

We built this cabin on rock (and roll…..)

When we bought our piece of land in the Carpathian mountains, it consisted of a very old little traditional house that was falling apart on 1.1 hectar of pretty steep land and zero road access!! Little by little we renovated and expanded and finally bulldozed a road too.  Everything we've done here have been DYI jobs...it sure ain't perfect and our hands look like we're in our 80's, but it's cosy and we've put so much love into it.

My mom, Donsie, originally lived with us in the main house….but having a husband and his mother in law under the same roof for too long can become challenging in the most hilarious ways!  (At least hilarious for me!) We then started planning her own little cabin.  The challenge was that the land is very steep and we had to find a spot where we could actually have enough space for foundation along with a great view!

Our best option was to design a rectangular cabin, open little living room and kitchen, as much decking around it as possible and a spare room on top. By design I mean….pencil, paper…no architects involved!!  ....and so we started building...my hubby and me (while Ouma (granny) kept the little one occupied!) 3am starts in the morning....then over to full time day jobs....then back to the cabin after hours.  We were on a mission to get it done before winter hit that year as the snow and ice would complicate things massively.

My mom was determined to have a green cabin.  By green I mainly mean the colour! ‘Groenie!’ It reminded her of my dad’s little fishing boat back in the day in Strand, South Africa, when we were kids, galjoen catching legend. Green cabin = check.

Inside, she wanted teal and yellow….she saw it in the 'Sarie' (South African women's magazine'), 'apparently very stylish' ;-) Teal and yellow = check.

She wanted a window that can open up fully from the kitchen where she can serve me wine and snacks while I’m chilling on her balcony.  Donsie's open air restaurant = check

...and off course a spa-bath where it feels like you’re in a tree house = check

…and finally it was done….and she absolutely loved it!!  It was her dream to rent it out and get to share it with others!

Love from Transylvania

Marli xx

Closest Airport:

Cluj Napoca (2-2.5hrs drive), but its also fun to do a road-trip all the way from Bucharest!

Exact Location:

See here

(Bistra is the closest village and the county is Alba)

Recommended Transport:

Car Rental from Cluj Napoca.  Preferably 4x4 to get up the mountain, but if not possible the car can be parked in the valley and we can provide transport up and down the mountain as needed.

Facilities:

One double bedroom cabin with open plan cozy living room and kitchen (teal and yellow)

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Small storeroom
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Balcony/wrap around terrace with table and chairs to enjoy the view

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Bathroom with spa bath
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TV, Internet, Netflix
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Second bedroom upstairs - accessible from the outside with double bed, toilet, desk and spa bath in room (blue & white room)

Full (exclusive) access to 10x8m Garden terrace with jacuzzi, bbq, couches, table, speaker

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Trampoline
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Playground
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Other than just relaxing on the terrace, having a ‘braai’ and enjoying the view from the jacuzzi, it’s a lovely area to enjoy hikes in the mountains, 4 x 4 drives to the top of the mountains, picnics in green pastures.

The property is right on the border of the Apuseni Nature Reserve which is an amazing spot for adventure tourism.

The closest village is Bistra (10min away), but a little bit further is Campeni (15min away) where there are super markets a pharmacy etc.

Here are just a few sites to be seen…click on the images for more info.