Prince of Wales returns to Romania, meets president and PM

Prince Charles of Wales (in picture), second in line for the UK throne, who owns several properties in Romania, will return to the country this week to meet Romanian president Traian Basescu and prime minister Emil Boc, according to Mediafax newswire. The Prince of Wales will then visit several villages in Transylvania, including his property in Viscri, Brasov county. The British Prince previously visited Romania in May last year. Last year, he opened a regional center for processing eco products in Mures county. The Carpati project was also launched, meant to promote organic farming, rural tourism and cultural preservation in six Romanian counties. The prince of Wales was also involved in several restoration project of Saxon villages in Romania. In 2006 the Prince of Wales bought and renovated two houses in rural Romania to help protect the unique way of life that has existed for hundreds of years through the promotion of sustainable tourism. The Prince has a long-standing interest in Romania and has visited the country regularly since his first visit in 1998. He has said that he was particularly moved by the plight of the remarkable fortified Saxon villages in Transylvania which were built centuries ago by German settlers, who were encouraged to go there to help withstand Tartar and Turkish invasions. Sadly, due to mass migration, many of these villages have ageing populations and are in decline. On his first visit to Transylvania, the Prince was struck by the legacy of this area . He decided to buy and restore two 18th Century Saxon houses in the Transylvanian villages of Malancrav and Viscri, the latter a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The properties are available to let. More information on the properties here.