King Charles’s first foreign trip since his Coronation will be to Transylvania for a
King Charles’s first trip abroad since being crowned will be a walking holiday in the Transylvanian countryside that inspired Dracula.
The 74-year-old King will fly out to Romania, where he owns at least ten properties, next month and will not be accompanied by Queen Camilla.
It has become an annual trip that Charles takes to walk through the picturesque hills and paint near his holiday home Viscari.
The guest homes owned by the King have no televisions or radios in any of the rooms, just books, so the Monarch will likely get some much needed rest when he is away.
While it the trip is mainly for a short holiday, President Klaud Iohannis will officially welcome Charles at his residence Cortroceni Palace, near Bucharest, The Sun reports.
King Charles’s first holiday abroad since being crowned will be a walking holiday in the Transylvanian countryside that inspired Dracula. Pictured: King Charles hiking on his annual trip to the region last year
The King owns ten properties throughout the Romanian region, which he bought in the late 1990s. Pictured: One of the properties in Viscri, Transylvania
In the past he has spoken fondly of the country and his time in the Carpathian Mountains saying the land is ‘in his blood’.
He said during his visit last June: ‘There is a sense of age-old continuity here. A virtuous circle where man and nature are in balance.’
Charles has familial ties with Transylvania, thought to be a descendent of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula, who claimed to have killed 23,000 people during battles against the Ottoman Empire.
The real-life Dracula’s name is said to have given inspiration for Bram Stoker’s renowned vampire book.
The monarch’s maternal great-great-great grandmother, Klaudia Rhedey, was also born and brought up in the region.
Hungarian-speaking Klaudia then went on to marry German royalty and was known as the Princess of Teck. Her granddaughter Queen Mary of Teck was wife to George V and Charles’s great grandmother.
Charles bought his estate in Valea Zalanului, Szeklerland, in the 1990s and now rents it out as a nature retreat to those wanting to explore the Zalán Valley and the surrounding mountains.
The guest house is situated near to the village of Viscri, surrounded by the The 400-year-old cottages have been decorated with traditional antique Transylvanian furniture, and textiles.
Previously, the newly crowned monarch has spoken fondly of the country saying it’s ‘in his blood’
Charles has familial ties with Transylvania, thought to be a descendent of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad Dracula whose name gave inspiration to Bram Stoker’s renowned vampire book
There are no televisions or radios in any of the rooms, just books, with guests are expected to dine together.
There are daily activities departing from the guest house, including horse riding, walks through a wildflower meadow named after Prince George and trips to the nearby mineral pools.
The King has paid numerous visits, setting up the Prince of Wales Foundation Romania to support the development of farming, traditional skills and the preservation of historic buildings through training.
Prices range from around £100 to £300 a night depending on the size of room and whether or not guests have chosen full or half-board.
Last week, following the busy events of the Coronation, Chares and Camilla relaxed together at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk for a few days.
The new monarchs will take an official trip to Kenya later this year, with their postponed trip to France expected to be arranged for the summer.
In February the King cancelled his annual lavish ski trip with friends for the first time in 45 years.
Charles has taken a skiing trip to Klosters in Switzerland almost every February or March but skipped on the trip this year to make sure he was ready for his Coronation that took place on May 6.