The Conac Bratescu is a pension of high standards, situated in the renowned town of Bran. With charming decor and detailed architecture, the owner decided to surprise his guests with a service and a comfort worthy of the best pension in Romania.
The localisation
Bran is a town in Brasov county, known internationally because it holds a beautiful and famous Bran castle, the castle that inspired Bram Stoker to write his novel, « Dracula« . Being a must see for tourists, the city is full of pensions and hotels, all a bit the same and very crowded.
But Conacul Bratescu stands out among them. It was established far from these human crowds and offers the opportunity to find the peace and tranquillity of a small hill, yet only 3 to 5 min walk to the castle.
It is not very difficult to find the Conac, just follow the small purple panels distributed throughout your way up the beautiful house. Park on one of the many parking places offered by the domain and that’s it, you’ve arrived home.
On a hill, the Conac offers a beautiful view of the city, houses and small gardens of Romanian residents of Bran, where you will enjoy the quiet valley in the background of the region and the mountains that surround it, colossal forts covered of beech and spruce.
You can imagine what a sight it must be in winter, when all this beautiful landscape is covered with a lot of snow.
The outdoor of the Conac
The manor, on the outside, has nothing in common and seem to be built in the Bavarian style with its high walls in bright white and dark wooden beams that draw geometric patterns. However, the roof stands out of standards, where each end, reinforcement and balcony are covered with flat hats in red tiles. One could almost suggest that the builder and owner were influenced by oriental architecture.
The building is riddled with windows, suggesting a beautiful light to the pleasure of the guests. The designer also wanted to offer almost every room a balcony overlooking the most pleasant sights.
Two terraces were built, one shadowing the Conac, the other being located opposite the village to enjoy the view. Not completely finished, the owner assured me he plans to add a second cover in the following year. In addition, the terrace is connected to the game room, offering guests the opportunity to go out to drink a beer between two tennis matches.
Finally, a small patch of grass hides on the last side of the building, where we find a small vegetable garden whose products are found later on your plate.
Again, the owner reserves a surprise as he plans, in a few years, to install a swimming pool, at the high standard of the Conac, of course.
Conacul Bratescu, a sumptuous interior…
Restaurant
The restaurant has been thought and designed by the owner to offer complete privacy. Thus, the room is divided in multiple layers, it is partitioned into sub-parts, divided by columns and walls.
The room seems to open to the outside as there are windows, making the restaurant very light and airy.
The decor is beautifully reflected to feel like the owner said, in a manor house (hence the name of Conac, a Romanian traditional mansion). Many pieces of wood are adding to the modern sight of the room a rustic style and thus returns to the Bavarian style. Also, many friezes decorate the premises to embellish the rusticity.
A distinction that I like any particular and somehow shows the hand of the artist, are the walls of orange bricks, that are a feature representative of the Romanian architectural style.
The furniture is gorgeous as you can see from the pictures. There are numerous details of Romanian craftsmanship; Orthodox icons, ceramics, paintings and especially these traditional dresses.
Because I had the opportunity to come to Conac Bratescu on June 24 is the feast of traditional Romanian blouses. Many models were displayed and it was also possible to buy. Enjoy this expertise because the owner wants to share with you the culture of his country and offers a moment of admiration with colorful dresses.
In winter, enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in the middle of the restaurant.
The rooms
Conacul Bratescu offers sumptuous 8 rooms in different style and will always delight couples as well as families. On 2 floors, the rooms offer a great intimacy because of their dispersed location as much as their sound insulation.
As said before, almost all rooms have a large balcony and lots of windows (to tell you, I had 7 in my great room).
Very spacious rooms are lavishly decorated in a bourgeois flower style.
Accompanying an omnipresent angelic white, each room has its own color, however. Thus, the chamber of Contemplation is drawn in orange colors to match the brick walls, the Romance room is accompanied by the gentle blue and so applies to all rooms that you can enjoy on the website of the Conac.
The owner really wanted to offer its guests a luxurious atmosphere and worthy of them. The bed is cosy as can be, nothing is missing in terms of utility and for the bathroom, there is nothing to say, except that you have to ask beforehand if it is possible to have a room with shower or bath.
The restaurant’s cuisine
It is very reasonable to say that Conacul Bratescu offers high quality cuisine.
On one hand, it has a fairly rich wine list, focusing on good Romanian wines.
On the other hand, the menu is varied enough without being too much (usually more there and less dishes are controlled) and the dishes are tasty. I recommend the baked potato (cartofi the cuptor), the sauce is simply divine!
I had the chance to taste traditional dishes that I hastened to order and I have not been disappointed.
To finish with the dessert, I recommend Papanasi, you can enjoy the photo without knowing the true flavor …
For breakfast you can enjoy a rich buffet of fresh and natural products. Coffee, tea, omelettes and small daily cake will accompany the dishes. I could see that you can also be served breakfast in bed or on your balcony. What a pleasant experience it should be …
Activities
The Conac Bratescu offers no activity, except a game room with a ping pong table and Foosball. The owner made it very clear that his main concern at present is the service and the development of housing. He plans to make bicycles available for guests and as said before, the installation of a pool.
Nevertheless, Bran already has a lot to offer. Not only by its splendid castle or its picturesque residential museum, but also the opportunity to walk on the top of the hill that supports the beautiful Conac, I let you enjoy some sights.
Conclusion
For me, this experience was a great delight and one or two more days would have not been refused.
The owner was very friendly and attentive to our satisfaction, as much as that of other guests.
He has the ambition to serve the guests the best experience and the bet is successful. Having opened its premises for only 1 year and a half, the team already works well and cares about all the little details, which seem to hold anything and yet make all the difference.
In summary, I urge you to make this trip much more special, much more comfortable, much more romantic. Be the king of your domain, choose the Conac Bratescu as your holiday mansion …
Contact information
Address: Strada Festung, Nr 8B, Bran, Brasov County.
Tel: +4 0724 965 414
@: Office@conaculbratescu.ro
