Along the Enchanted Way by William Blacker is a must-read for anyone visiting the Saxon villages of Transylvania. Here, Oli Broom remembers his first time meeting the great author, now a good friend of The Slow Cyclist.
I first met author William Blacker on a 2015 visit to the Saxon villages of Transylvania when I spent an afternoon playing table tennis and drinking tea with him. For much of the past 36 years he has lived an extraordinary life deep in rural Romania, first in Maramures and then in the villages around Sighisoara, in southern Transylvania.
In the years since I met William he has become a friend of The Slow Cyclist. In the early days he would come and join us for a picnic lunch or for dinner, entertaining our guests with extraordinary tales of life in this magical corner of Europe.
His best-selling book, Along the Enchanted Way, is a firm favourite among those who travel with us and, in my view, the best book about Romania.
Robert Fox, writing in The Telegraph, agrees: “One wonders whether this might be the book of a lifetime, with all its youthful vigour. Every page and paragraph says Blacker is a natural-born writer and teller of great tales.”
Discover more of the best books about Transylvania, including Along the Enchanted Way by William Blacker. If you’d like to cycle through the magical landscapes of Transylvania, find out more about our journeys in Transylvania or enquire now.
