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Willkommen

Welcome to CASA LUI FRED. This is no ordinary travel blog.

It is the diary of a rescue – the rescue of an old Saxon house in Cincu.

And it is your guide to the hidden beauties of Romania, curated by a wanderer who has found his second home here.

CASA LUI FRED is a small former farmhouse with a carpentry workshop, built by Transylvanian Saxons around 1888 in Cincu / Großschenk. The village is located in the middle of the Carpathian Arch and near the geographical center of Romania.

The house is being renovated with loving attention to detail by the owner, with a focus on preserving the original style. The renovation is carried out using local labor, largely with reused old materials and according to traditional craftsmanship methods.

CASA LUI FRED is situated near the edge of the village with a view of the fortified church, hills, fields, and – on clear days – the Făgăraș Mountains.

Just a few kilometers from the house begins the gentle hilly landscape of the Harbach Valley with forests, fields, and pastures – pure peace and nature.

An old house comes back to life

A ruin from 1888, lots of dust, and the dream of my own homestead in Transylvania.

What began as an adventure is now a mission. Here I document the rescue of Casa lui Fred – honest and unvarnished. We work with traditional craftsmanship instead of expanding foam, save old materials from the fire, and put our heart and soul into every brick.

Join me on the building site and witness how decay turns back into a home.

Construction Diary

About me

When I first came to Romania in 2006, I was immediately captivated by this country. I experienced one of the most hospitable countries I have ever visited. During my stay, I roamed gently rolling hills and rugged cliffs, drove through seemingly endless forests and past flower and herb meadows with a variety of plants that I had not seen for a long time.

Just one year later, I returned to deepen these impressions. To date, I have traveled the country many times, experiencing and discovering the different regions.

At some point I had the feeling that I had arrived. Romania has become a second home for me – I’m actually infected with the wanderlust virus. Little by little the idea of spending the sedentary phase of my retirement here crept into my head. I began – although not really consistently – to look for plots of land, many of which are for sale. I had a clay house in mind.

Then it found me: an old Transylvanian Saxon house in the heart of Romania. I had never looked for something like that before, but it was a perfect fit. It took another year and a half until I was declared the new, legal owner by the notary.

This was the beginning of the balancing act of equipping the house with a modern bathroom and heating without losing the charm and character of the past eras. It takes time, love and a lot of patience to professionally renovate the house using the old methods and materials. With every step forward, we grow a little closer together.