Prince Charles is both a "blessing and curse" for a tiny and remote village in central Romania, where the Prince of Wales has kept a farmhouse since 2006.
The Transylvanian village of Viscri, which has about 450 residents, apparently sparked the interest of Prince Charles when he first visited its historic site more than two decades ago. He was quite pleased to discover an unspoilt area with a thriving biodiversity.
The Prince of Wales then assisted in developing and preserving the charming town's architecture and unchanged culture to gain a pending Unesco World Heritage recognition, according to Tatler. The heir to the British throne also rebuilt a traditional Saxon house as his home in Viscri. The quaint 18th century structure has a lovely and distinct blue facade, clay roof tiles and wooden gates, which may be rented out if the Prince of Wales isn't in residence.
Prince Charles' initiative to put Viscri on the travel map helped with the tourism boom in Transylvania. According to BBC, Viscri received 45,000 tourists in 2019 while the pandemic brought more local visitors to the small town from nearby cities in Romania. Previous records show that Viscri had about 15,000 tourists in 2015 and just under 5,000 before Prince Charles learned of the town.
But, the frustration among the locals of Viscri is apparently growing in recent weeks. The deluge of rich Romanian local tourists and their cars are disrupting residents' late evenings and early mornings.
Many visitors drive by Prince Charles' iconic house to take pictures, causing traffic and other disruptions. Residents also complain that Viscri looks more like an "urban theme park" today than a farming village.
Some of the houses have also become tourist accommodations, including the Prince of Wales' property. House prices are peaking but could bring huge tax problems to some of the owners.
This wasn't the sentiment of residents several years ago. Business owners in Viscri actually praised Prince Charles in 2011 because he made it possible for the town to become popular with tourists. As a result, the locals were able to sell different homemade goods to visitors and had money to refurbish their houses. Mayor Cristian Radu said that he will likely stop tourists from driving their cars into Viscri unless they are disabled or elderly.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles, once said, that his bloodline is linked to the Prince of Wallachia, Vlad III. Also known as Vlad the Impaler, Vlad III was Bram Stoker's inspiration for the literary character, Dracula from Transylvania.
