The Clay Castle, or Castelul de lut Valea Zânelor, is a fairy tale house built by a Romanian couple in the Valley of the Fairies in Transylvania. Although intended as a hotel, the visitors can only visit and have a cup of coffee or tea for now. Built entirely from natural materials such as clay, sand, lime, straw, and river stone, the 10-room hotel is also an eco-friendly structure.
Everything in the Clay Castle Hotel from furniture to the structure itself is handmade by local craftsmen.
The project begin in 2014 after the couple left their corporate life behind and invested in their dreamy castle. The structure first became operational in 2016; however, the construction of the interior was incomplete. Nevertheless, one can eat at the organic restaurant that serves the products of the castle’s garden.
The eco architect Ilena Mavrodin worked with the couple while designing this fairy tale castle with an organic shape. Each room has its own door, and there is no modern paint used in the interior design. The heating system of the rooms is also traditional, simply utilizing wood fires.
