Pensiunea Bebecaru (The Priest's House, Botiza)

Description:

• Although it's known as the "Priest's House," these accommodations are firmly under the management of the priest's delightful wife, Victoria Bebecaru. The couple may not speak a word of English (Victoria does speak French), but they are warm and welcoming, and it's a bizarre honor to spend time with the village's spiritual leader (a man who incidentally also makes a potent plum tuica, which you'll sample at mealtimes). There are three upstairs rooms available in the priest's private home, a brick house stuffed full of books, handicrafts, animal skins, and family photos, but you'll probably want to opt for a room in their nearby guesthouse, fashioned out of wood in traditional Maramures style. There are four twin-bedded rooms sharing three bathrooms. Accommodations are on the first floor, reached via a spiral staircase, while downstairs are themed artisan studios where Victoria works on her woolen handicrafts. You'll have just about everything you need for a relaxed escape from modernity, although you should first find out if the extensive flood-damage reparation work on the village has been completed -- until then Botiza is a bit of a building site.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010