It is said that the most beautiful things in this world are born out of passion and Razvan and Gabriela Vasile are two Romanians who confirm this idea. They decided to make their childhood dream come true. They abandoned the hustle and bustle of a big city and devoted themselves to their wonderful project, which is the Clay Castle, a fairytale location situated in the Valley of Fairies, in Porumbacu de Sus, Romania, at about 40 kilometers away from Sibiu.

Romania is famous for its authentic and unspoiled landscapes and one of these lovely landscapes became the place where the construction of the castle began in 2014. Located in the middle of the mountains, on a riverbank, the Clay Castle seems to be cut out of a fairytale.

The foundation is made of concrete and stones and the structure is made of wood. The wooden poles of the house are plastered with a mixture of clay, straw, sand and water. The aspects I liked the most about the castle are the rustic roof and the two impressive stone towers. The castle is structured on two levels, the ground floor and the attic and it will serve as a pension when it’s finished.The final construction will include 6 double rooms, 4 apartments and a traditional restaurant which will serve organic food.

If you are already planning a trip here, you should know that the whole construction will be ready only at the end of the year. However, if you are in the area you should definitely stop to admire its amazing exterior and take a couple of pictures.

Add the Clay Castle to your trip list and I’m sure you won’t feel sorry for your choice.

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Situated in the village of Sapanta, Maramures country, Romania, this place is famous for its colorful wooden crosses which are carved with funny poems about the life of the deceased. These poems give you the feeling that the cemetery is laughing in the face of death.

The wooden crosses decorated with floral borders and painted in bright colors, create an impressive sight. Blue is the dominant color of the cemetery. This Sapanta Blue, as it is called, symbolizes the infinite. The crosses display pictures of the deceased and poems about their lives. Manufactured in a very simple way, these crosses give that special touch to the entire place.

Stan Ioan Patras was the initiator of this idea and at the same time the one who carved the first cross in 1935. His wonderful work was continued by his apprentices who learned the secrets of this art. You can explore the secrets of his craft in his own house which was turned into a museum. The Stan Ioan Patras Museum is situated very close to the cemetery.

The Merry Cemetery is also a museum, but an outdoor one and it displays about 800 wooden crosses that will take you to a world defined by simplicity, naivety, kindness and humor. It will be a funny experience to discover the life story of the deceased and also the fact that their tragic end is outlined by a cheerful message.The most famous and funny epitaph sounds like this:”Under this heavy cross/Lies my poor mother-in-law/Three more days should she have lived/I would lie and she would read.

This unusual blend between tragedy and comedy is truly special and it will make you experience a strange emotion, a sort of happiness in a place which is usually considered sad. You should definitely visit this cemetery and laugh in the face of death!

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