Provision is situated in Alunisu/Magyarokereke, a small Romanian/Hungarian village in the Western part of Transylvania, Romania, 60 km west of the capital of Transylvania, Cluj Napoca.
We are nestled in the foothills of the Western Carpathians, or Apuseni Mountains in a small oasis of fruit and walnut trees on the divide of wild mountain forest and gently rolling agricultural land. In the mountains just bordering the village to the west, bears, wolves and lynxes still roam in a vast stretch of nature preserve connected to the famous Padis plateau, where hikers and spelunkers like to explore a complex terrain of mountains, rivers and caves. The rolling hills on the Eastern side of Alunisu is where local smallholders have been cultivating the fields for centuries. Still today, whole families are seen working together to collect hay, to cultivate and harvest the land, to collect fruit from the trees, and to work the various elements of subsistence farming. This makes Alunisu an excellent place for guests of Provision to see and experience the traditional life of Transylvania as well as to enjoy the splendor of its natural setting.
How to reach us
The closest town to Alunisu is Huedin, one of the many towns along the E60, the main highway artery running through Romania and connecting Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest. Huedin is situated about 100 km east of Oradea (closest Romanian town to the Hungarian border) and 50 km west of Cluj Napoca.
Arrival by foot, bike, horsecart, car: Once in Huedin center, take the turn direction Belis. Ather 5 km take the exit to the right which brings you into Sancraiu. Meander through this lovely village without taking any turns. At the final crossroad, go straight ahead, a sign “Alunisu 3km” indicates you are going the right direction.
Arrival by Train: Huedin also has a well connected train station, with trains coming from Western Europe, Budapest, Oradea, Cluj Napoca, Bucharest… The trains never stop for long in Huedin, so be ready and near the door when the train arrives in the station! The ride from Cluj-Napoca is about one hour long.
Once in Huedin one can take a taxi or hitch hike to Alunisu. Walk to the center of town and find the large Hungarian Church and the road to Belis. There is a small, triangular shaped “square” with benches along the road. From here, semi-professional taxis (20-30 lei – 4-6 Euro) wait and cars will stop to take hitch-hikers, to whom a offering of some money (10 lei) is custom.
Accommodation
Different options for accommodation are possible. Options 1 – 5 are organised by Provision, option 6 is self-organised. Options 1 – 3 have comfort levels that reflect voluntary simplicity such as outside solar shower and compost toilet.
1) Camping
2) Haybarn
3) Shared room in one of the Provision houses
4) Stay with local villagers (some have shower and flush toilet in their homes, others do not)
5) Provision Guesthouse
6) Bed and Breakfast in the village of Sancraiu, at 3 km distance from Alunisu and Provision. These guesthouses offer comfort in regards of shower and toilet, in case this is of personal importance. You can use this link to the local tourist office in order to find your perfect guesthouse.
See here more info and images of our accommodation options
Food
We serve healthy farm-style meals with, as-much-as-possible, local and organic products. Vegetarian is an option (please let us know before hand if you prefer not to eat meat).
In case your diet is different than a meat-inclusive or vegetarian diet, we ask you to please bring whatever you need for the length of your stay. We do urge our visitors to take great care to bring and consume mostly local and seasonal items, minimally packaged and if possible organic.
Cost
Provision’s proceeds go towards the sustenance and support of regenerative life styles. This involves the organizers and teachers as well as local peasants who offer accommodation, food and knowledge. In this way, we hope to help peasant farms within Alunisu to continue to do the work that they do, as well as to help Transylvania maintain its traditional beauty and biodiversity.
We are always trying to keep the costs low, to increase accessibility.
Event/Course/Workshop Prices are offered on a sliding scale with a
Basic fee, Balanced fee and a Community fee
The Balanced fee reflects what is needed to organise the course. For those who cannot afford the balanced fee, we like to offer a basic fee. Basic fees are co-created when others, who have more access to financial resources, pay the Community fee.
In some cases we offer two sets of prices, one for foreign and one for regional citizens since there is still a large gap between economies in terms of average salary.
Fees are payed to PROVISION TRANSYLVANIA, the Non-Profit Organisation behind the Provision Living and Learning Center.
What to bring
Clothing:
- We are located in a mountainous region (600m altitude, with a 1836m peak close by), which means that weather can be changeable and surprising in all seasons. We advise to carefully check the weather report before departure to Provision.
- Most visitors will be part of experiential living and learning on Provisions small farm, in the gardens, orchards, help with construction and/or maintenance work. Please prepare with decent work clothes/shoes/gloves.
- During hot summer months the sun can shine abundantly and a sun hat can be a life saver!
- Shoes: Appropriate shoes for farm work and also hiking are highly recommended. It will also be helpful to have a pair of shoes that are easy to slip on and off as some of the inside spaces are shoeless
Reusable water bottle. The tap water at Provision comes from a local source and is drinkable.
Sleeping bag (and pillow): Please bring your own, unless you are accommodated in the Provision Guesthouse, where all is provided.
Personal special dietary needs. We do urge our visitors to take great care to bring and consume mostly local and seasonal items, minimally packaged and if possible organic.