The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world about a year and a half ago, turning our lives upside down. Inspired by these strange times, local entrepreneur Alex Lutan decided to build something that fits the “new world” perfectly: the first (and only) upside-down house in Romania. 

“This idea seemed to be the most suitable for this period when everything turned upside down. I had three ideas in mind, and this was the main criterion that helped me choose between them.” - Alex Lutan, the owner of the upside-down house.

The Romanian county of Gorj is home to popular tourist landmarks such as the Constantin Brancusi sculptural ensemble in Targu Jiu or the Oltetului Gorges and the Polovragi Cave. The famous Transalpina high mountain road also passes through this area. But there’s also a new, odd-looking attraction in the county’s small Bumbesti-Pitic commune: a yellow house that stands on its roof while everything inside is turned upside down. Its owner is Alex Lutan, a young Romanian entrepreneur who hopes his idea will make the area even more popular among tourists.

Alex Lutan (or Ducu, as friends call him) has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He was only 18 years old when he started his first business, making and selling the famous Hungarian pastry known as kurtoskalacs. A small business that gave him the courage to do more, to try something else.

So, one day, Alex decided to buy a plot of land in his home commune of Bumbesti-Pitic and build an adventure park for children there. But, inspired by the strange times of the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to change the initial plan and bring to Romania a bizarre attraction that he saw while on vacation in Turkey in 2018: an upside-down house.

“I was already building the adventure park, and the initial plan also included a tiny upside-down house meant to attract more visitors. But it was more of an extra attraction, something for the parents to do while the children play. They could take some photos with the house, but only from the exterior because it was not initially planned to be this big. In the last moment, I changed my mind and changed the dimensions,” Alex Lutan told Romania-insider.com.

The construction of the upside-down house (Căsuţa răsturnată in Romanian) started around mid-August 2020. The first tourists photographed the strange new attraction in early November, but only from the outside, as the interior was not ready yet. Today, after a total investment of about EUR 30,000, the house offers visitors a full upside-down experience.

The house has three fully furnished rooms - a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom-, and probably the most surprising thing is that all the furniture is on the ceiling. For example, there is a large bed in the bedroom, a bathtub in the bathroom, and a dining table in the kitchen. Moreover, outside, there is also a car parked upside down.

“Children are usually amazed by the house. I’ve never heard a child saying that he doesn’t like it. On the contrary, they’re all quite excited about the experience. But the adults like it too, mainly because it is a great place for unique photos,” Alex explained.

Tourists from all over the country came to see the strange house in Bumbesti-Pitic, but the odd-looking attraction also welcomed visitors from abroad, from countries such as Brazil, Poland, the UK, or Ukraine. Some came especially to see the bizarre building, while others visited it more than once, every time returning with another group of friends. There are also visitors who simply walk here from the “Colored Forest” nearby - another unique tourist attraction of Gorj county.

The upside-down house is open daily from 09:00 to 19:00, and the entry fee is RON 15 for adults and RON 10 for children. To keep the experience pleasant for all visitors, only a maximum of 10-12 people are allowed inside the house at the same time. The site also includes parking, a playground for children, and a pizzeria. 

To avoid any possible injuries or accidents, visitors are advised not to pull down or move the objects in the house. “People must understand that the objects are only for pictures. There is nothing functional there,” Alex Lutan explained.

And while the curious house already promises to become a tourist hotspot, the young entrepreneur has more plans for it. He is currently working on expanding the children’s playground further, but he also promises to give the house a facelift in a few years: change the interior and possibly the colour too. And, probably, add some extra attractions for an even better experience.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photos: courtesy of Alex Lutan)