A new 60,000-euro loan from Rewilding Europe Capital will help double the capacity of a Romanian guesthouse, located close to the European bison reintroduction area in Romania’s Southern Carpathian mountains. The investment supports the growth of nature-based tourism and strengthens the region’s emerging wild economy.
Rewilding helps businesses grow
Rewilding Europe Capital
provides loans to businesses that generate income from healthy, recovering nature. The 60,000-euro loan will enable Romanian entrepreneur Mihai Miculescu to expand Casa Sub Măgrin (“The House under the Locust Tree”), a traditional Romanian-style accommodation located in the Southern Carpathians rewilding landscape, close to the reintroduction site for European bison in the Țarcu Mountains.
Overhunting and habitat loss saw European bison disappear from Romania’s Southern Carpathians more than 200 years ago. The successful return of this iconic species — led by the Rewilding Romania team and local partners — has transformed the landscape into an increasingly attractive destination for wildlife tourism. By expanding accommodation options, Casa Sub Măgrin will help strengthen the region’s growing nature-based economy.
Established in 2017, Casa Sub Măgrin is located in the village of Sat Bătrân — a ten-minute drive from the village of Armeniș, where walking trails up into the Țarcu Mountains offer opportunities to track European bison with experienced guides. The Rewilding Europe Capital loan will help finance the renovation of an existing building on the site, doubling the capacity of the property to eight guests. Mihai will also contribute 15,000 euros towards the overall investment, while solar panels will be installed to reduce operating costs and improve the environmental sustainability of the business. “We expect the renovation of Casa Sub Măgrin to be fully completed during the first half of next year,” explains Mihai. “Our goal is to create a welcoming place where guests can relax, reconnect with nature, and experience the charm of rural life. “Visitors who stay at Casa Sub Măgrin will enjoy authentic countryside experiences, beautiful natural surroundings, local traditions, and the peaceful atmosphere of the Țarcu Mountains. This is the perfect place for people who want to slow down, explore nature, and discover the unique wildlife and culture of the region.” The European bison reintroduction programme began in the Southern Carpathian in 2014. Today, Romania’s largest free-roaming bison population numbers more than 250 animals, with over half born in the wild. The growing interest in this remarkable comeback is creating new revenue streams for local businesses and communities. As visitor numbers increase, these businesses can generate new income, create employment, and encourage people to live and work within the area, demonstrating how restoring nature can create real socio-economic value. “Rewilding and the returning bison make the region more appealing to guests seeking authentic wildlife experiences, while the growth of nature-based tourism is creating sustainable opportunities for young people who want to build their future here,” says Mihai. Casa Sub Măgrin is the latest accommodation to receive investment from Rewilding Europe Capital in the Southern Carpathians, following earlier loans to Retezat 83 and WeWilder. Together, these businesses are creating a growing accommodation cluster that gives visitors a wider choice of places to stay. “Sub Măgrin, Retezat 83 and WeWilder are different businesses, each with their own character and offerings, but together they help build the critical mass needed for the area to become recognised as a nature-based tourism destination,” explains Rewilding Romania’s enterprise manager, Paula Bora. “More accommodation also creates opportunities to connect visitors with wildlife watching, local guides, food and local products, hiking and other experiences across the wider rewilding landscape, which is important from a rewilding perspective because we want nature recovery to translate into tangible socio-economic benefits.” Casa Sub Măgrin’s commitment to rewilding extends beyond welcoming visitors. The business will contribute a percentage of its booking income to the Bison Coexistence Fund, which was recently established by the Rewilding Romania team to support local farmers whose crops or orchards may have been affected by the return of the bison. This reflects Rewilding Europe’s broader approach to ensuring that local communities benefit directly from rewilding, helping people and wildlife thrive together over the long term. “Our aim is to create a dedicated source of funding for coexistence between local communities and the growing bison population,” explains Paula Bora. “We’re developing new, long-term sources of income so the fund becomes less reliant on conservation grants. Businesses such as Casa Sub Măgrin, which benefit from the area’s growing nature-based economy, can voluntarily reinvest a small share of their income to support coexistence and the communities that underpin the success of rewilding.” Mihai has worked closely with the Rewilding Romania team since the early days of the bison reintroduction programme. One of the first local entrepreneurs to recognise the tourism potential of these iconic herbivores, he opened Casa Sub Măgrin just one year after reintroductions began. Today, the business is well integrated in the growing local enterprise network established by Rewilding Romania. The accommodation is also featured on Wilder Places, Rewilding Europe’s travel booking platform, making it even easier for visitors to discover authentic nature-based experiences in the Southern Carpathians, which also include bison tracking. “The Rewilding Romania team have been very supportive throughout the development of our business and we truly appreciate their guidance and the opportunities they have created for local entrepreneurs,” says Mihai. “We’re already seeing the benefits of being part of the business network through increased visibility, new connections, and collaboration with other nature-based businesses. We’re confident these benefits will continue to grow and look forward to building on this collaboration in the years to come.” For Mihai, securing finance through Rewilding Europe Capital was both straightforward and transformative, enabling him to invest in the next stage of Casa Sub Măgrin’s development. “The loan has been very important for our business,” he says. “As a small nature-based enterprise, this kind of support makes a real difference, helping us grow in a sustainable way while offering a better experience for our guests. The process of accessing the loan was very straightforward and efficient and we would definitely recommend it to other small nature-based businesses looking to grow and invest in their future — and the future of wild nature.” Entrepreneurs like Mihai show how the return of wild nature can underpin business growth that delivers benefits for people and amplifies the positive impact of rewilding. By attracting visitors, supporting local livelihoods and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, recovering nature is helping build a thriving, nature-positive economy in the Southern Carpathians. If you are a European entrepreneur or organisation with a desire to follow in Mihai’s footsteps, Rewilding Europe Capital may be able to help you realise your ambition. For more information, please contact Daniel Veríssimo. 
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