In a video message shared on August 4, Prince Charles, the heir to the throne of the UK, pleads with the people of Romania to spend their holidays in their homeland and discover their country’s cultural heritage and natural values. The video premiered at an event at the prince’s Zalánpatak/Valea Zălanului estate in Transylvania, hosted by Count Tibor Kálnoky, who manages Prince Charles’ guest house there and also owns properties in Miklósvár/Micloșoara and Zalánpatak/Valea Zălanului, Covasna County.
The five-minute video produced by British journalist Charlie Ottley, known for his Wild Carpathia documentary series, promotes the Romanian tourism industry.
“Romania is an astonishingly diverse country, from the Danube Delta, Europe’s largest and most pristine wetland, to the forests, springs and monasteries of Bucovina, Moldova and the Maramures, the hills of the Apuseni or the wilds of Harghita, the precious collections in Bucharest museums or the wild beauty of the Iron Gates gorge, the castles, mountains and Saxon villages of Transylvania, or the remote valleys of Banat and Crisana. Romania has an historic legacy that stretches back to the Dacian fortresses and the Greek cities of Histria and Argamun.
To find such a huge wealth of natural and cultural diversity under a single flag is quite remarkable and is one of the features which makes Romania such a unique and special corner of Europe,”
Prince Charles says in the video.
His Royal Highness visits his estates in Zalánpatak every year. Since this year’s trip was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, he instead sent a message underscoring the devastating consequences that this novel virus has had on tourism. Voicing his regret about not being in Transylvania, the Prince said he will continue to plead for the protection of Romania’s unique treasures.”
“For myself, Romania holds a very special place in my heart. I can trace my forbearers all the way back to Vlad Tepes, which may explain why each time I visit, there is a part of me that feels at home. For as long as I am able, I will continue to champion the importance of protecting and celebrating Romania’s unique treasures, her villages, her historic buildings, her food and drink and precious biodiversity, her wildlife and majestic forests,” Prince Charles concludes.
Reflecting on the past few months, Róbert Grüman, vice-president of the Kovászna/Covasna County Council, partner of the initiative along with the Kovászna County Tourism Association, said that the pandemic has forced tourism to its knees. “The Safe Place campaign of the county’s tourist association is accompanied by a message from Prince Charles that encourages us to explore our region. It’s very important to us that this national event took place in Zalánpatak, Kovászna County, reaffirming the county’s huge tourism potential.”
Here is Prince Charles’s video message in full:
Title image: Prince Charles (on the right) and Count Tibor Kálnoky (on the left). Image source: Kovászna County Council’s press office.
