Romania has a lot of unique attractions to offer and I am happy to write about one of the most recently built ones – the Clay Castle of the Valley of Fairies in Porumbacu de Sus, a really unique and amazing attraction in the country.
Today, I am going to tell you everything you need to know about this truly spectacular place that you should visit when you travel to Romania.
Commonly known as the “Fairy Tale Clay Castle” here in Romania, it has a much better official name, in my opinion: The Fairy Valley Clay Castle (Castelul Valea Zanelor).
Now, that really paints a better picture of what to expect, right? If not, you can check out the photo below to see what I mean:
The Fairy Tale castle was built near Porumbacu de Sus, a village situated 40 kilometers West of Sibiu, in a beautiful area: raw nature, beautiful mountains and amazing green grass everywhere you look.
And then you have the castle itself, which delivers true eye candy. Here is the place on Google Maps, in case you want to know it’s exact location:
Things to know about the Clay Castle in Romania
As the name suggests, the Clay Castle of the Valley of Fairies is built entirely from natural materials, mostly clay, but also stone and straws.
And, despite it’s complete impressiveness, it’s built by a family of two who decided to put their corporate life behind and risk it all by investing in this castle situated in an area that nobody had really heard of before – Porumbacu de Sus.
I think that the story behind it makes it even more impressive – especially when looking at the results.
It proves that a bit of imagination and a lot of hard work can take you a long way. And you don’t necessarily need an army of people to build something truly amazing…
This unique Romanian clay castle was born in 2014, but it took a few years for it to become fully operational and as amazing as it is today.
I know that there were plans to allow guests to sleep over night (or over multiple nights) which would’ve been absolutely amazing, but is seems that it has been pushed back for a while (hopefully not cancelled – it would be just too amazing to be able to sleep in such an amazing place).
But you can still visit it and experience a day of awesomeness here. The Fairy Tale Clay Castle has an entirely organic restaurant (where even the plates are eatable!) which offers vegetarian options as well.
You will eat in the Garden of the Fairies (the castle’s garden) overlooking the amazing buildings and enjoying the nature.
Fun fact: everything that you will see built within the Fairy Tale Clay Castle in Romania is created by hand!
Every chair, every table… everything is unique and manually crafted. I don’t think that there are many places in the world that can offer this!
On the premises, you have the castle itself and the amazing garden of the fairies, but also free parking and an amazing playground for kids.
The hosts offer various entertainment packages and activities for kids as well for a complete experience that the entire family will enjoy.
There is also a souvenir shop with lots of amazing, handmade souvenirs and goodies.
Not only that you will bring back home some of the magic of this castle, but you will also get to support the amazing people that turned their dream into reality.
But images speak much better than words do, so take a few moments to enjoy the clay castle (with more to come):
How much does it cost to visit the Fairy Tale Clay Castle in Romania?
You will be surprised to hear that the entrance fee is extremely low: just 15 lei per person (around 3 Euros), with children under 3 being allowed free entry.
Working hours: 10:30 – 17:30.
For this price, you get free parking and access to everything that the castle has to offer and includes unlimited photos.
You don’t have to book in advance – but it wouldn’t hurt to call before getting there, especially during the warmer months, as this castle is becoming more and more popular – for all the right reasons, as you can see for yourself!
Make sure to double check the data above, as things (especially entry fees) can change.
You can find out more about this beautiful place on their official website or the Facebook page.
If you’re looking for even more impressive and unique places to see in Romania, I’ve already talked about the Color Forest near Targu Jiu, the renowned Bigar Waterfall, but also other attractions in the country. And I promise to share even more in the future!
What do you think about the Fairy Vallet Castle in Romania? Is this a place you’d like to visit or, even better, spend a few nights in when they finally start operating as a hotel?
(source of the photos: Facebook & the Castle’s official website)
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I would love to visit this fairytale castle. Looking at the pictures, I picture Goldilocks and Hansel and Gretel. It looks like a kiddie delight. I certainly wouldn’t mind spending a night or two, and yep..take lots of photos 🙂 .
Indeed! And even more amazing is that the whole thing has been created and mostly built by just two people. This proves that if you really want something, you can surely make it happen!
It reminds me a little of the creations of the Austrian architect Hundertwasser. I think that type of building with mud and straw is called “cob building” or a “cob house.” It allows for some very fanciful designs. I wonder how it will hold up in those harsh Romanian winters.
Now that you mention it, it does have a bit of the Hudertwasser feeling. A bit of extra color and a lot more green and they would indeed have something even better looking!
The castle itself is in the works for years now and it has seen its fair share of winters. Although I don’t really know how it is inside, I remember reading that they have heating solved. And the rooms are probably small and easy to heat – just like most rooms in Romanian villages where most houses are built from similar materials.
What a wonderful and different place. I’ve never actually heard of this area and the price to see it sounds super cheap too.
Do you know of any other attractions near it? Although it looks like a beautiful stay, visiting for one building alone is hard to justify when you’re travelling from overseas :D.
Well, traveling across the ocean for this Clay Castle alone might not be worth it, indeed 🙂 Fortunately, Sibiu is very close, with Brasov and Curtea de Arges nearby. So if you have a car to drive around, you would indeed have some other important things to see nearby.
This looks like a Thomas Kinkaide painting come to life! I’d love to see some snow covered photos from the winter (just photos – I like to stay indoors where it’s warm in the winter! LOL)
I am sure it looks really good under a nice layer of fresh snow! But, like you, I’d be inside and enjoying photos online hahaha.
Hi. This is something truly wonderful! I will be retiring in a few years, God willing, and wish to travel. Romania has just made the list! I looked at your FB page; thank you for creating such interesting and educational information about your homeland! Happy New Year!