Radio România Internațional

Tag: Transylvania

Athlete of the Week

The most important multi-sport
event of the year has come to an end. The European Games hosted jointly by the
city of Krakow and the region of Malopolska, brought together the best athletes
of the continent who competed in 29 sport disciplines. Among the 7,000 participants,
there were also 150 athletes from Romania who walked away from the
aforementioned competition with 17 medals, 6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze.

Out of the all Romanian
medalists, we have noticed the performance obtained by table tennis player Bernadette
Szőcs, who won the first gold in the singles contest and then with the Romanian
side in the teams’ competition. Together with Ovidiu Ionescu she also reaped
bronze in the mixed doubles and for her performances in Poland, Radio Romania
International has designated Bernadette Szőcs ‘Athlete of the Week’.

Bernadette Szőcs was born on 5 March
1995 in Târgu Mureş (central Transylvania)
and took up tennis at the age of 8 with good results in cadets and juniors
competitions. Bernadette won several medals in European and World competitions
advancing quickly in international rankings.

In 2010, demotivated by the lack
of interest shown by the Romanian sports officials, Bernadette wanted to leave
the country and compete for Norway but she eventually changed her mind. In 2016,
at the European Championships in Budapest, she came third in the mixed doubles
with Ovidiu Ionescu. A year later she won her first European title with the
Romanian side in Luxembourg. In 2018 in Montreux, Switzerland, she won the
Top-16 tournament, a competition, which brings together the best players on the
continent. A year later in Nantes, France, she again became European champion
with the Romanian team. In Munich, last
year, she reaped the European title in the doubles event together with Austrian
player Sofia Polcanova, an athlete born in the Republic of Moldova. She also
walked away with silver from the mixed-doubles, where she competed together
with Ovidiu Ionescu. She is presently ranking 17th in the world
standings, where her best performance was in 2019 when she ranked 14th.

(bill)

4 July 2023
Athlete of the Week

The most important multi-sport
event of the year has come to an end. The European Games hosted jointly by the
city of Krakow and the region of Malopolska, brought together the best athletes
of the continent who competed in 29 sport disciplines. Among the 7,000 participants,
there were also 150 athletes from Romania who walked away from the
aforementioned competition with 17 medals, 6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze.

Out of the all Romanian
medalists, we have noticed the performance obtained by table tennis player Bernadette
Szőcs, who won the first gold in the singles contest and then with the Romanian
side in the teams’ competition. Together with Ovidiu Ionescu she also reaped
bronze in the mixed doubles and for her performances in Poland, Radio Romania
International has designated Bernadette Szőcs ‘Athlete of the Week’.

Bernadette Szőcs was born on 5 March
1995 in Târgu Mureş (central Transylvania)
and took up tennis at the age of 8 with good results in cadets and juniors
competitions. Bernadette won several medals in European and World competitions
advancing quickly in international rankings.

In 2010, demotivated by the lack
of interest shown by the Romanian sports officials, Bernadette wanted to leave
the country and compete for Norway but she eventually changed her mind. In 2016,
at the European Championships in Budapest, she came third in the mixed doubles
with Ovidiu Ionescu. A year later she won her first European title with the
Romanian side in Luxembourg. In 2018 in Montreux, Switzerland, she won the
Top-16 tournament, a competition, which brings together the best players on the
continent. A year later in Nantes, France, she again became European champion
with the Romanian team. In Munich, last
year, she reaped the European title in the doubles event together with Austrian
player Sofia Polcanova, an athlete born in the Republic of Moldova. She also
walked away with silver from the mixed-doubles, where she competed together
with Ovidiu Ionescu. She is presently ranking 17th in the world
standings, where her best performance was in 2019 when she ranked 14th.

(bill)

4 July 2023
A royal visit

Many have wondered if Charles III, who became King of the United Kingdom after the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, last September, and was crowned at the beginning of May, will ever visit Romania again, in his new position. The attachment to the country which he first visited a quarter of a century ago, as Crown Prince, and which he has visited frequently since then, is, however, unaltered, and the fact that the new British monarch chose Romania as his destination for his first trip abroad is proof thereof. I have always felt rather at home in Romania, Charles said at the reception ceremony organized by President Klaus Iohannis in his honor on Friday.

The British sovereign had an emotional speech, which began in Romanian: Doamnelor si domnilor, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot describe what great pleasure it gives me to be visiting Romania once again. I believe that 25 years have gone by since my first visit to this most remarkable country. When I came here, and even before, I felt a deep connection to Romania. As I have said before, I have come to love Romania – your culture and art, your heritage and history, your sweeping landscapes and priceless biodiversity, this ‘tara de gloria, tara de dor (country of glory, country of longing), if I may paraphrase your national poet, Mihai Eminescu.

President Iohannis thanked the British sovereign for the role he plays in protecting the values related to the Romanian identity and for his openness to what the Romanian village represents and recalled the efforts Charles made to protect the ecosystem and restore the unique biodiversity of Romania. If the first day of his visit, on Friday, in Bucharest, represented the courtesy component of his presence in Romania, Charles dedicated the next four to visits to towns in two Transylvanian counties, Covasna and Braşov, villages which won him over from the very beginning and where he owns properties that he has restored, saving them from destruction. He was warmly received by the locals, as has happened every time in the last two decades and he enjoyed nature walks.

He is showing us his affection through this gesture, said a local official about the King’s visit, quoted by AFP. The French news agency reports that King Charles is proud to be a distant relative of a 15th-century ruler known as Vlad the Impaler, who inspired the character of Count Dracula, and that he has, in his own words, ‘Transylvania in blood’. An avowed environmentalist, he discovered the region in 1998, and became a protector of the villages in the heart of Romania, founded by German settlers eight centuries ago, AFP recalls. It will be a unique moment for our community to welcome the king, a sign of recognition of the work done all these years, emphasized the president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust foundation dedicated to the protection of the Transylvanian heritage which is operating under the patronage of king Charles. (LS)

6 June 2023
RRI Sports Club

Cluj-Napoca is hosting these days the most
important women’s tennis tournament in Romania. Transylvania Open is a WTA 250 tournament
with USD 251,750 in total prize money.

Participation in the tournament is remarkable,
with all 8 seeds among the world’s top 100 players. Only one Romanian player is
listed among the seeds, namely Ana Bogdan, number 46 in the world, seed no 3. However,
in Cluj-Napoca she failed to move past the first round, after being
defeated on Monday by Jule Niemeier of Germany, number 74 in the world, 7-6,
6-2.

Two other Romanians were outplayed on Tuesday: Irina
Bara, no 150 WTA, lost to Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain (75 WTA) 6-1, 7-5, and
Jaqueline Cristian (83 WTA) was defeated by seed no 7 Xiyu Wang of China, who
won 6-3, 6-3. Last year, Cristian reached the tournament’s quarter-finals. This
year, the only Romanian player to reach the second round was Gabriela Ruse. Ranking
104 in the world, she defeated Harmony Tan of France, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Worth noting is that the best-ranking Romanian
players in the world, namely Simona Halep ( no 9 WTA), Irina Begu (34 WTA) and Sorana
Cîrstea (40 WTA), chose not to take part in Transylvania Open.

In related tennis news, the Romanian-born
Canadian player Bianca Andreescu qualified into the eighth-finals of the WTA 500
tournament in San Diego, after defeating Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 7-6, 4-6,
6-2. (AMP)

12 October 2022
RRI Sports Club

Cluj-Napoca is hosting these days the most
important women’s tennis tournament in Romania. Transylvania Open is a WTA 250 tournament
with USD 251,750 in total prize money.

Participation in the tournament is remarkable,
with all 8 seeds among the world’s top 100 players. Only one Romanian player is
listed among the seeds, namely Ana Bogdan, number 46 in the world, seed no 3. However,
in Cluj-Napoca she failed to move past the first round, after being
defeated on Monday by Jule Niemeier of Germany, number 74 in the world, 7-6,
6-2.

Two other Romanians were outplayed on Tuesday: Irina
Bara, no 150 WTA, lost to Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain (75 WTA) 6-1, 7-5, and
Jaqueline Cristian (83 WTA) was defeated by seed no 7 Xiyu Wang of China, who
won 6-3, 6-3. Last year, Cristian reached the tournament’s quarter-finals. This
year, the only Romanian player to reach the second round was Gabriela Ruse. Ranking
104 in the world, she defeated Harmony Tan of France, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Worth noting is that the best-ranking Romanian
players in the world, namely Simona Halep ( no 9 WTA), Irina Begu (34 WTA) and Sorana
Cîrstea (40 WTA), chose not to take part in Transylvania Open.

In related tennis news, the Romanian-born
Canadian player Bianca Andreescu qualified into the eighth-finals of the WTA 500
tournament in San Diego, after defeating Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 7-6, 4-6,
6-2. (AMP)

12 October 2022
Ultramarathon on Via Transilvanica

To run an
ultramarathon is a real challenge. But the opportunity to run an ultramarathon
for eight days on Romania’s most beautiful road on Via Transilvanica can be
possible only by means of ‘Transylvania Legends’. A story as a life experience,
as Florin Alexandru, an organizer of the event, has confirmed it to be.

Florin Alexandru: The idea came after Tibi and Alin Useriu had made this wonderful
project called Via Transilvanica. The first moment when we saw this project I
realized it was a great opportunity for us, for every Romanian actually, to
promote Romania. Because, Via Transilvanica is actually magic as it is a time
capsule of what Europe used to be long time ago. The region has practically remained
unchanged and it’s actually a joy to get a glimpse at old-time Romania by
simply taking a trip on Via Transilvanica.

Via
Transilvanica is Europe’s only region that has been preserved exactly as it was
back in the 19th century. Runners and mountain lovers can now start
off on Via Transilvanica in their second ultramarathon race, as Florin
Alexandru says:

Florin Alexandru: We are at the second edition. Last year we had a first wonderful edition
in which we were like a family, had a lot of fun together. This year we are
going to have a second edition, which is to start on May 13 and end on May 21.
We are going to run for eight days, take one day off and spend some time
together like a family, Transylvania Legends.

Florin
Alexandru, organizer of the event told us a couple of things about this
ultramarathon race.

Florin Alexandru: This ultramarathon
has 8 legs, which means a minimum of 80 kilometers per day. We are starting on
May 13 as I said with a first leg of 80 kilometers from Putna to Mestecanis.
Then we have a second leg up to Tăşuleasa, also 80 kilometers and after that we
are going to have a third one from Şieuţ to Câmpul Cetăţii, which is of almost
90 kilometers. This place is breathtakingly beautiful, it has a lot of forests
with many bears roaming. We are going to have four more legs with that day off
like I mentioned before. All these legs are covering almost the same number of
kilometers.

We asked Florin
Alexandru about the participants in this special race.

Florin Alexandru: They are
runners who like the mountains as well and they want to set out on an adventure
like this and run in this marvelous region, which consists not only of
mountains but also of beautiful hills. Most of them are experienced
long-distance runners but the race is not only for them, because there are also
participants who may want to run only for 20 and 40 kilometers. The good thing
with mountain running is that you do not need to run all the time. Some people
believe that you must cover all those 40 kilometers in continuous running. It
is not like that at all. We have checkpoints along the track and runners can
stop and walk if they want to. Because the places are so breathtakingly
beautiful, we sometimes forget that we are actually in a race and stop to enjoy
the view. When we run we aren’t actually doing it for a result, you know, we
enjoy the experience in itself. The participants of last year are also running
this time but anybody can join the race. They are free to submit their
applications until April 30 and a couple of days in May. So, you’d better hurry
up if you want to join Transylvania Legends. The atmosphere here is great, we
are like a family and besides running we spend the nights around a bonfire
telling stories and enjoying life in the mountains and what it has to offer.

So, we’ve figured
out that Transylvania Legends is a story about life, mountain, family and
friendship. And the fact that we should promote Romania. Here is Florin
Alexandru at the microphone again:

Florin Alexandru: I believe we have a moral duty of promoting Romania. I think that we
haven’t done that for quite some time now and it’s our duty, the duty of our
generation to do it. And from my point of view, Via Transilvanica is a journey
back in time and part of our patrimony of what we call Romania. It’s enough to
take only a short trip down this this road to actually realize what beautiful
country we have. We’ve noticed that Romania is a superb country and for this
reason we need to promote it as it is!

So, don’t forget
to join this special ultramarathon list for an unforgettable experience!

(bill)

18 April 2022
Princess Apafi of Transylvania

Rarely featured in official documents or in history books, the private lives of rulers or nobility are rather difficult to document, and private correspondence or diaries are the main sources in this respect. This is all the more true when it comes to the wives of those powerful men-the women who sometimes stood in for their spouses and even influenced the course of history.

One such woman was Anna Bornemisza, wife to the last but one prince of Transylvania, Mihai Apafi I, who left behind a substantial correspondence thanks to which we can now research the dramatic situation of the principality in the last half of the 17th Century.

Anna Bornemisza came from old Transylvanian nobility, but was also related to the nobles in Wallachia. In fact, the Apafis were quite close to the Brâncoveanu family, and owned properties in Făgăraș Country, including the Făgăraș Citadel where the princely couple even lived for a while.

Mihai Apafi I ruled between 1661 and 1690, in a troubled period for Transylvania. Professor Șarolta Solcan told us a few things about the princesss life.

Șarolta Solcan: “Anna Bornemisza came from an aristocratic family in Oradea, which made her feel not quite safe among the high-ranking nobles of Transylvania. This is why she brought with her trustworthy people from Oradea, including Mihai Teleki, the son of her cousin, who became chancellor of Transylvania after 1680. Anna Bornemisza was right by her husbands side from 1661 until her death in 1688. She was greatly involved in the ruling of the country, in the management of the princely estates, while the prince was busy with his hobbies: reading, philosophy, clock collection. At some point he was even criticised by his contemporaries, who said he was better suited to be a priest than a ruler. But the fact that his wife was very much involved in the countrys politics was also heavily criticised in the society of the time. Yet, in spite of the criticism, Anna Bornemisza was a strong personality in the Romanian political scene.”

Anna Bornemisza was the one who paid the ransom for the prince to the Crimea Tatars in 1660, after a disastrous military campaign in Poland. And she was also the one who substituted for her husband in the daily affairs of the principality, when Mihai Apafi I was either away on military campaigns, or isolated and deep in his reading. Here are some more details from Professor Șarolta Solcan:

Șarolta Solcan: “Anna Bornemisza is believed to have been born around 1636. We know that she got married on 10th June 1653 with the would-be prince Mihai Apafi I, and had a troubled life with him. Apafi I ruled for a long time–until 1690-and his rule was freight with tensions, both for himself and for Anna Bornemisza who was always by his side. During his reign there were conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Empire over control on Hungary. More than once, the two empires would ask for Transylvanias support and would threaten the principality and its ruler.”

In private, the princess of Transylvania always lived in fear for her husbands life and amid worries for her children, many of them sickly and dead by an early age. These constant fears, the difficult political situation of the country and the frequent epidemics threw her into a deep depression. The documents of the time mention the princesss “ailment in the head,” which triggered her fixation with spells and charms. Her obsession that someone was using spells to harm her eventually entailed the witch hunt and witch trials in late 17th Century Transylvania. Under these circumstances, in 1682 her health collapsed, and she became a person ruined on the inside, as a contemporary described her.

Anna Bornemisza died in 1688, and was initially buried in the vault of the Mălâncrav church (in todays Sibiu County), a church commissioned by her family. Later, in mid-20th Century, the remains were taken to a Reformed church in Cluj. Professor Șarolta Solcan concludes:

Șarolta Solcan: “She was a very strong woman who, in spite of her extreme physical fragility, fought against a mind-set hostile to women, which denied women the right to take part in political decision-making. This idea was so deeply rooted that it was common even among women themselves. The daughter of another Transylvanian aristocrat said a womans mind was not fit for ruling a country. But Anna Bornemisza disagreed.” (tr. A.M. Popescu)

1 January 2022
October 30, 2021 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on Saturday decided
that the ministers proposed by Prime Minister designate, Liberal Nicolae Ciuca
be heard by the specialised committees on Tuesday and sworn in by Parliament a
day later. The Prime Minister designate, retired General Nicolae Ciuca, on
Saturday submitted to Parliament a list of his cabinet and ruling programme,
which includes, among other things emergency measures aimed at settling
Romania’s health crisis and offsetting the latest soaring prices in energy. The
National Liberal Party has opted for a minority government jointly with the
UDMR, which presently lacks the support it needs for the right number of votes
in the Legislature. The Prime Minister designate has voiced hope the cabinet proposed
by him will be endorsed by Parliament adding that the talks with the other
parties must continue until the last moment. Pundits believe though that a
rejection of the Ciuca cabinet would pave the way for snap election although
the Constitution allows president Iohannis to propose a third Prime
Minister.

COVID-19 Roughly 89 people have got the anti-Covid
vaccine in the past 24 hours in Romania, out of whom 57 thousand got the first
jab. The number of those fully vaccinated in Romania has exceeded 6.2 million
and the vaccine rollout has been given such a boost of late making the
authorities to predict that if this pace maintained until the end of the year
Romania could have a rate of 70% vaccinated. Over 12,100 new infections were
reported on Saturday as well as 413 fatalities. Roughly 20 thousand people are
currently being treated in hospitals, out of whom 1858 in ICUs. A medical team
from Germany has arrived in Romania to asses Covid-infected patients who can be
treated in hospitals in that country and an aircraft belonging to German air
forces has been made available for the transport of these patients. In another
development, Romania is to receive next week a batch of 10 thousand monoclonal
antibodies as part of the contract the European Commission has signed with the
producer, Romania’s Health Minister Andrei Baciu has announced. The country’s
National Committee for Emergency Situations has also updated the list of
countries and territories with a high-risk of infection with the Netherlands
and Russia in the red tier. In the yellow zone there are Malaysia, Cuba, Costa
Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein
and Jordan.

TENNIS Romanian Simona Halep on Saturday qualified for the finals of the
Transylvania Open underway in Cluj, north-western Romania. The competition’s
odds-on favourite, Halep has outperformed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-0, 6-1 and
will be up against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in the finals. Also on Saturday,
the Romania-Georgian pair Irina Bara/Ekaterina Gorgodze qualified for the
finals after a 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 win against Romanian pair Irina Begu/Andreea
Mitu.

FIRE On Saturday Romania commemorated 6
years since the blaze that ripped through the Colectiv night club in Bucharest
killing 65. Another 150 wounded in the fire caused by fireworks during a rock
concert on October 30th 2015, are still being treated for the wounds
they suffered. Religious services and wreath laying ceremonies were held on
Saturday to the memory of those who lost their lives in the disaster. The
survivors, relatives of the victims together with representatives of the civil
society have called into attention the fact that little has changed in the
country’s healthcare system since then. Six years on from the tragedy, the
survivors who are still undergoing treatment, have pointed to the fact that the
infections in hospitals around Romania are still unreported and unmonitored.
Romania still lacks burn care facilities for the treatment and recovery of
those who suffered severe burns. The court trial opened shortly after the event
is still underway.

(bill)

31 October 2021
Tourist attractions in Harghita County

Harghita is a destination with surprising landscapes and unusual tourist attractions, especially recommended to families with children. We will be talking with Károly Szabó, executive director of the Harghita Intercommunity Development Association, about the Red Lake, one of the most beautiful in Romania, the Praid salt mine, and countless historical sites, all of which make for a delightful destination for either a complete holiday or just a weekend retreat.

Károly Szabó: “Harghita County is a mountainous region with breath-taking landscapes spreading 6,600 square km. Both the scenery and the tourist attractions here are unique in Europe: St. Ann Lake or the Praid Salt Mine, or the equally famous Red Lake, Bicaz Gorges, Tușnad and Borsec spa resorts, or the Corund pottery. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit these established tourist sites every year. But there are also less well-known places that have been growing quite beautifully in recent years, such as Toplița, Zetea and Ordoheiu Secuiesc.

The spa resort of Tușnad is dubbed “Little Switzerland. Mineral-rich hot springs, the climate and the scenic views are just some of the elements that blend in effective therapeutic programmes for heart conditions, digestive and locomotory problems and endocrine disorders. Here is Attila Pilbath, manager of the Băile Tușnad eco-tourism destination, with more details:

Attila Pilbath: “What I recommend here first and foremost is the landscape and the protected areas, which are the very reason we decided to have Tuşnad certified as an eco-tourism destination. St. Ann Lake is the only volcanic crater lake in south-east Europe. There are countless accommodation and leisure options here, from the outdoor pool up to international standards to the Tinovul Mohoș nature reserve, from insectivorous plant species that only grow here to the large number of bears that can be watched safely from special observation spots.

The Tușnad ski slope is a relatively recent addition to the list; it is 500 m long, equipped with snow cannons and ski lift, and is recommended for beginners.

Our trip around Harghita County continues, with our guide Károly Szabó, executive director of the Harghita Intercommunity Development Association:

Károly Szabó: “Praid salt mine receives over 5-600,000 tourists a year. Imagine an underground cathedral, several hundreds of square km large and 100 m high, where everything from the walls to the ceiling is carved in salt. And in contrast, the Bicaz Gorges and Red Lake offer amazing views, with fast flowing rivers that cross through the mountains. Harghitas population is 82% Hungarian, which makes it a unique place in Romania in terms of traditional customs, cuisine and costumes. The Dârjiu fortified church is a UNESCO-listed site. In turn, Șumuleu Ciuc is very important in religious terms, more than 300,000 and Pope Francis made a point of visiting it in 2019. These are just some of the reasons why the 600 certified accommodation facilities in the region are sometimes not enough to accommodate tourists in high season.

Those who seek excitement and adventure can try the 2 summer bobsleigh installations, one in Borsec and the other one in Lunca de Sus. This and many other attractions are featured in a mobile app and on a website called “Visit Harghita.

Károly Szabó: “The brand we are using to promote the region is “Visit Harghita. Our website visitharghita.com lists all the places we believe worth visiting, and also a large number of traditional craftsmen such as pottery makers and blacksmiths. We also recommend here dishes that are only cooked in Harghita, such as the “Kurtos Kalacs, a special kind of cake that has become a worldwide known brand. Harghita County is a quiet region, which is particularly attractive for families, but it also takes pride in large-scale events, such as Tusványos Festival, which has tens of thousands of participants.

The Harghita Intercommunity Development Association is founded by local communities, and is working on a lot of projects:

Károly Szabó: “As many as 45 town halls and local authorities are affiliated to our association, and all of them support tourism. In spite of this atypical period we have been through, we launched an initiative called “family friendly, under which we have certified 52 accommodation units and restaurants as being suitable for families. Another project we are working on is the 1,400-km long pilgrim route Via Maria, which starts from Austria and reaches Șumuleu Ciuc, and which we are planning to extend. We also started working with local guides, who had a difficult year in 2020. Our website visitharghita.com now includes as many as 96 programmes offered by local guides, with photos, prices, and phone numbers, so there is plenty to choose from.

That was Károly Szabó, executive director of the Harghita Intercommunity Development Association, wrapping up this weeks instalment of Travellers Guide. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

4 March 2021
Holiday in Transylvania

In Transylvania you
are going to find fortresses and medieval castles, caves and salt mines,
breathtaking views and last but not least, traditional savoury dishes, which
gained international recognition along the years. The region’s tourist
objectives are so diverse and many that it would be impossible to visit them
all in just a couple of weeks. Today we’d like to take you on a journey to the
region’s major hotspots.

Our first stop
is in Alma Vii, an old village in a hilly region first documented around 1209.
The village is famous for its church, which was erected two centuries later and
was fortified in early 16th century. According to Mihaela Turk,
project manager with the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation, the fortress’ four
towers have been restored as part of a project funded by Norway, Lichtenstein
and Iceland.

Mihaela Turk: Each tower has its own theme. We have the Clock Tower, aka the Gate
Tower, the Lard Tower, the Ice Tower or the Grain Tower. We have tried to
restore these buildings according to their original function and nowadays they
can also host various events, such as mini-conferences or exhibitions.

In order to
fully experience the genuine flavour of Transylvania, accommodation in a
traditional house is a must. You will have the sensation that you are living in
an authentic museum, a time capsule. Here is again Mihaela Turk with more on
this issue.

Mihaela Turk: We don’t want to offer standard accommodation facilities like TV
sets, Internet, all the bells and whistles of modern accommodation. These rooms
are kept very simple with whitewashed walls and old pieces of furniture that
have been refurbished. They have wooden floors covered in traditional
multi-colour carpets. We have refurbished these rooms only with traditional
materials, like wood, stone, sand and lime.

Our journey
continues to one of Transylvania’s most developed cities, Cluj-Napoca, also dubbed
Silicon Valley, as this is where some of Romania’s best programmers are
working. The city is also known for the big gigs and events that it hosts all
throughout the year such as the Untold and Electric Castle festivals, or the
International Film Festival.

This is also
where the oldest cookery book in Romania, dating back to the 15th
century, has recently been re-edited. Tourists are impressed by the huge
variety of churches in Cluj. Here one can find on the same street several
churches, Reformed, Roman-Catholic, Greek-Catholic or Unitarian. Here is Marius
Oprea, a guide with the local Tourist Info Center with more on this marvelous
city in western Romania.

Marius Oprea:There are several
historical monuments such as the
Saint Michael Roman-Catholic Church, the Mathia Corvin statues, the Banffy
Palace, which houses the Art Museum, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Lucian
Blaga National Theatre and of course the Museum Square. These are all located
in the city center within easy access on foot. The Fortress Hill is another
interesting place, which offers panoramic views of the city, then there are
also the ruins of the former Habsburg fortress, and the Botanical Garden, one
of the most visited places in Cluj. Also worth visiting is the Romului Vuia
Ethnographic Park, the oldest of this kind in Romania. Cluj-Napoca has always
been an open city, which can be visited any time of the year.

Marius Oprea has
extended an invitation for us to visit the other hotspots in the county as
well. Among these there is the Turda salt mine, one of the most visited tourist
objectives in Romania.

Marius Oprea: Most of the tourists who have made it to Cluj have also visited the
Turda salt mine as it is only half an hour drive from the city. This salt mine
is unique in Romania and maybe in this part of Europe. It is a former salt mine
with several levels, which has been recently restored with EU funds and
nowadays looks like a genuine underground city. It offers a series of
facilities both in terms of treatment and entertainment and visitors can even
drive a boat across an underground lake.

Transylvania is
also home to one of the very few inhabited citadels in Europe, Sighisoara.
Sighisoara citadel, also known as Schasburg, was included in the UNESCO world
heritage back in 1999. The most outstanding monument there is the Clock Tower,
which has hosted the town’s history museum since 1899. Nicolae Tescula, the
director of the museum, has more:

Nicolae
Tescula: The Clock Tower was built in
the 14th century. It hosted the town hall until the religious
reform, and it is 64 m high. A weathercock is guarding the town from top of the
tower, telling us whether it’s going to rain or the weather will be fine. Also
impressive are the figurines, like the drummers that tell the exact time. There
are also figurines symbolizing Justice, Peace and the Executioner. The
figurines that represent the days of the week change their position at
midnight. The mechanism is quite old, as it was built in 1906, but the first
clock mechanism ever documented in Sighisoara goes back to the 17th
century.

These are just
some of Transylvania’s landmarks that are definitely worth visiting. The list
is definitely longer, and we will present to you other attractions in the area
in the future editions of our regular feature.

(translated by
bill)

16 July 2020
A bill that stirs public emotion

Romanias Senate Wednesday dismissed, by a comfortable majority, a controversial bill regarding the autonomy of the Szekler Land, under which this region in Transylvania would have been turned into an autonomous legal entity.

The bill was initially passed automatically by the Chamber of Deputies, through a procedure roughly equivalent to what is known as pocket veto, in the form tabled by 2 deputies from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians.

The so-called Szekler Land is a region in the centre of the country mostly inhabited by ethnic Hungarians, and comprises the counties of Covasna, Harghita and part of Mureș County. The bill defined the borders of the territory that would have become the Szekler Land, which was supposed to have its own administrative organisation, its own institutions, using Hungarian as an official language and the official symbols of the Hungarian nation.

The pocket vetoing of the bill, which triggered tough political responses and emotion across society, is a legislative procedure in which, when the Chamber of Deputies is the first chamber that receives a bill and it fails to debate it within a set deadline, the bill is deemed approved and automatically forwarded to the Senate for the final vote.

President Klaus Iohannis accused the Social Democratic Party—the largest Opposition party in Romania—of having helped the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians to pass the bill in the Chamber.

Klaus Iohannis: “Whereas we—me, the government, the other authorities—are fighting the pandemic and struggling to save the lives of Romanians, the Social Democratic Party is fighting in their secret offices in Parliament to give Transylvania to the Hungarians! Jó napot, Ciolacu. I wonder what the Budapest leader Viktor Orban promised you, in exchange for this deal?

The Chamber speaker and interim leader of the Social Democrats, Marcel Ciolacu, dismissed the accusations:

Marcel Ciolacu: “Nobody has sold Transylvania, and nobody will! This has always been and will always be a part of Romania. I call on intelligence services to make a public statement and say whether or not they have ever sent President Iohannis any information concerning these accusations made against me and the Social Democratic Party, because electoral competition must not be brought down to such a level.

In a news release issued after the bill was rejected by Senate, the President of Romania warns that promoting such legislation is harmful for the Hungarian community, first and foremost, and generates artificial tensions within society.

A number of Senators emphasised the unconstitutional nature of the bill, and said it could not have been endorsed by the Constitutional Court in the first place.

The notable exception was the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, which says the demands of the Hungarian minority are “absolutely justified and deplored the fact that Senate refused to discuss the matter.

In neighbouring Hungary, foreign minister Peter Szijjarto called on President Iohannis to “show more respect for the Hungarians. In response, the Romanian foreign ministry rated Budapests claims as “provocative and inappropriate and warned that the Hungarian official regrettably misinterpreted the statements made by the Romanian president

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

30 April 2020
Stories from the heart of Transylvania

Todays installment takes us to a part of Transylvania usually known as the Hills of Transylvania, and its protagonists are a man with a passion for photography and lots of tourists who have come to discover the beauty of this country.

In the triangle formed by the cities of Sibiu, Fagaras and Sighisoara, there lies the second-largest protected area in Romania, the Hartibaci Valley, also known as the Hills of Transylvania. “This is a place where you can come as a visitor, and stay for the rest of your life, is the motto of a documentary based precisely on these coordinates: a place, a photographer and many visitors. Some of them have come here so often, that eventually they have decided to stay and enjoy their new home. Photographer and videographer Mihai Moiceanu, who produced the documentary, tells us more:

Mihai Moceanu “My film tells the story of a family from Germany, who have worked in various multinational corporations and first visited Romania 15 years ago. Because they were passionate photographers, I was their guide on several photography tours. They were attracted to these places, bought an old property, built a lovely boarding house and settled there. And they have lived here ever since.

The project is the outcome of one of the campaigns that he ran last year jointly with the Romanian Eco-Tourism Association and the Partnership Foundation, with a view to promoting ecotourism destinations in Romania, Mihai Moceanu also told us. But why, we asked, did he choose the Hills of Transylvania as the topic of his documentary?

Mihai Moceanu One of Transylvania’s advantages is that it still has a rural life with hundreds of years of tradition. The region boasts less known but very interesting monuments that are valuable and spectacular in terms of architecture, it is home to very interesting rural communities that have preserved the old traditions, communities where tourists can spend an active holiday. Alongside visits to tourist objectives they can also experience life at the countryside, see how the locals live, what a traditional household looks like and enjoy the traditional food which is very tasty and organic.

A region of pasture, meadows and coniferous trees, famous for its biodiversity, traditional farming and crafts and also for its cultural landscape, unchanged since medieval times, Transylvania’s Hills are waiting to be discovered in spring. Alongside its fortified churches, the region boasts stone churches erected in the early 19 century, painted by members of the Grecu family, famous across the entire region for their personal, moralizing way in which they interpreted the biblical scenes they painted. Mihai Moceanu also told us about the characters of the story that he presented in his documentary:

Mihai Moceanu I have been organizing, for many years, photo tours in Romania, for amateur and professional photographers, during which we discover various places across the country, in terms of landscape, traditions and people. They first came on one of these tours, then came again and we became friends. The film came from a completely different direction, from the Association of Ecotourism in Romania, which wanted to promote ecotourism areas in the country. Since Transylvania’s Hills is such a destination, I came up with the idea of making a film centered around the story of this family. It turned out to be a very interesting story, appreciated by the public.

The film Transylvania‘s Hills, Transylvania’s Heart, directed by Mihai Moceanu, is popular due to the simplicity of life that it presents:

Mihai Moceanu Most tourists who come to Romania are not interested in extraordinary landscapes, such as the Alps for instance, but in the communion between man and nature, as here nature blends beautifully with folk tradition and the people’s way of life. This is what impresses them. There is also the fact that old traditions are still well preserved and the fact that here they can find a civilization that has disappeared in Western Europe some 50 or 70 years ago.

This is a film that we invite you to see, because film and photography give you another kind of access to peoples intimate space, which is captured on camera.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Elena Enache)

24 March 2020
Christmas Traditions in Romania

Christmas, the great moment of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated by the entire Christian world, is marked in Romania by a series of specific rituals. The historical region of Maramures and the Oas Land, in the north, are two of the ethnic folk regions of Romania where the spirit of Christmas has been preserved for centuries, being passed from one generation to the next. According to Natalia Lazar, the manager of the Oas Land Museum Christmas is a very important Christian celebration in the county of Maramures and in its ethnic-folk areas. The celebrations that are derived from pagan or pre-Christian rituals are very important and such a ritual is that of groups of men who go caroling.

This is a tradition included in the intangible cultural heritage which can be equally found on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. Masked performances, which are dramatic performances, make reference to religious elements, on the one hand, and to pagan elements, on the other hand. Masked performances are traditional in almost all the countries from central and southeastern Europe. The history of the Romanian folk masks dates back to the moment when primitive masks and masked performances were created; they were related to basic occupations such as hunting, to the moments of birth, wedding and death or to cyclical customs and yearly celebrations, said Natalia Lazar.

Caroling is the most genuine manifestation of the joy of Christmas. Pre-Christian rituals, which overlap the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, have been preserved almost intact in the ethnic-folk regions in northern Romania. Natalia Lazar also says that some of the customs that are still alive in Maramures are the Goat carol, which reminds of the old Dionysian pageantries, and the Viflaim, a form of Christian folk drama that is performed traditionally on the Iza Valley, the Mara Valley and the Oas Land. Two less known customs that have nevertheless been preserved in the collective memory are the Dance of Fathers Christmas and the Burial of Christmas or of the old year. The Dance of Fathers Christmas refers to this sacred time when the skies open and the two worlds can communicate with each other. The Burial of Christmas or of the old year is an ancient ritual that reminds of man’s and nature’s death and rebirth, according to Natalia Lazar.

Group caroling is still impressive today, and it has been adapted to fit urban areas. Few people know that the groups of carolers are organized according to strict rules. The first who go caroling are the groups made up of 5 up to 8 children. In the region of Maramures these groups are mixed. Children carry little bags on their backs and a piece of thread on which to string the round-shaped breads they receive from the people to whom they make holiday wishes. On Christmas Eve, on December 24, the groups start caroling early in the morning. The groups of young men go caroling at night fall, being the last ones to herald the birth of Christ.

In the region of Banat, in southwestern Romania, on the occasion of Christmas, people traditionally adorn the fir trees with candies and under the trees they place a piece of round-shaped bread, a piece of sausage and a bottle of double-distilled plum brandy as gifts for Santa Claus. They also place cereals and fodder for Santa’s horses.

In Transylvania, in central western Romania, preparations for Christmas start on November 15, when the Christmas fasting period begins. Traditionally, on November 15 work in the field would come to an end, people would stop eating meat, and women would gather to sew together traditional clothes for the coming festivities.

In the region of Moldavia, in the east, all the activities that take place on Christmas Eve are actually a ritual for the protection of animals, orchards and households. Traditionally, for the Christmas feast women would prepare 12 dishes mainly made of pork.

In Bucovina, in northeastern Romania, people sing carols to chase away the evil spirits and clean up the village for the Christmas night.

In Oltenia, in the south, Christmas traditions are related to purification and fate divination rituals. On Christmas Eve the people in a household would poke the fire and recite several lines meant to protect the family from diseases and to usher in a new, richer year. (translation by L. Simion)

25 December 2019
Sibiu County

Located in the central part of Romania, to the south of the region known in history as Transylvania, Sibiu County attracts growing number of tourists interested in complete holiday packages. So, today, we invite you to discover a region that caters for all tastes and is suitable for most forms of tourism.

Anca Nitoi, an archaeologist with the Brukenthal National Museum specializing in the Middle Ages and medieval weaponry, tells us that Sibiu was first mentioned in official records in the 12th Century, in 1191, when Pope Celestine II confirms the prepositure of the Saxon settlers in Transylvania, thus recognizing the church authority of Sibiu over the neighbouring region:

Anca Nitoi: “But before we get to how the town of Sibiu was founded, I would like to mention that the Saxon colonization initiated by King Geza II of Hungary in the 12th Century lasted for a longer period and covered the entire southern part of Transylvania. The decision was made because the region needed an army to defend its borders. It is in this context that 2 very important towns emerged: Sibiu and Brasov. With a much faster economic development than Brasov, the town of Sibiu had a bigger administrative importance in the medieval times. So it was in Sibiu that the Saxon prepositure was headquartered, and it was in Sibiu that the most important guilds were based, producing various commodities. So many tradesmen and many craftsmen were living here. It is also in Sibiu that in 1468 the Saxon University was founded. So Sibiu has been the heart of southern Transylvanias development from the medieval times to the present day.

A proof in this respect is that in 2007 Sibiu was a European capital of culture. In a way, this was the confirmation of the importance of the city in terms of history, architecture, economy and tourism.

Anca Nitoi: “Sibiu is a mix of ethnic groups, and as such it takes pride in its Catholic and Evangelical churches, Orthodox cathedrals, synagogues. You will find in Sibiu nearly all types of Christian and Jewish religious sites. If we were to go for a walk in Sibiu, I would suggest Huet Square and Piata Mica (the Small Square) as a starting point. This is where you can see the Evangelical church, in all its beauty. Next you should see the Sibiu fortifications. These are the walls that surrounded the city in the Middle Ages. Today they are only a tourist site, but between the 13th and 16th Centuries, they had an extraordinary role in the defence of the city. Sibiu has never been conquered. It opened its gates after a siege, but it has never been taken. The buildings were made of brick and had tile roofs, which is why it was also dubbed ‘The Red City. It would not burn down as easily as other cities could. And you should end the tour in the Main Square, where the most beautiful buildings in the city are, including the Brukenthal Palace. Most of the buildings have been restored, so the view is outstanding.

One of the buildings that stands out in the city is the Hecht House, which used to belong to the Mayor of Sibiu. Later on, in the 18th Century, it hosted the Saxon University.

Anca Nitoi: “Another noteworthy building is the Haller House. It belonged to one of the mayors under whose leadership Sibiu developed significantly in the 16th Century, at the time of the Reform and Renaissance. You can see the Catholic Church erected in the 18th Century, the Brukenthal Palace, belonging to the famous governor of Transylvania, Samuel von Brukenthal, a protector of the arts in the respective period. There are lots of sites whose beauty and history you can discover while enjoying a cup of coffee. Also, Sibiu is the capital of theatre in eastern Europe. The Sibiu International Theatre Festival is the second-largest in Europe after the one in Endinburgh. It brings here hundreds of thousands of tourists, because it is innovative and experiments with modern theatre formulas. For those interested in Romanian traditions, there is the Mountain Song Festival, as well as a dedicated museum, Astra, in Dumbrava Sibiului. Tourists who come to Sibiu should know that every weekend there is an event taking place here. The Christmas Fair in Sibiu is also one of the most highly appreciated in Romania.

In Sibiu County you can also choose circuits that combine bicycle rides with tours of old towns and traditional villages, or, alternatively, routes that will test your endurance and fitness along the Transfagarasan motorway. The region boasts over 250 km of blazed trails, connecting scenic settlements in the Transylvanian hills. And whether you walk, ride a bike or drive, our guide today, archaeologist Anca Nitoi, advises you to make a stopover in Marginimea Sibiului:

Anca Nitoi: “Marginimea Sibiului is a landmark for the history of southern Transylvania. Whereas in Sibiu we find traces of Saxon history in every corner of the city, Marginimea Sibiului reflects the history of the Romanian ethnics in this region. Over the past few years the interest in traditional culture has grown substantially, and I recommend the guesthouses in the area for their attention for preserving tradition. The village of Gura Raului hosts a Rhododendron Festival every year, which brings here large numbers of visitors. Sibiel also hosts events devoted to traditional life in Romanian rural communities. You will certainly not regret coming here.

Todays instalment of Travellers Guide was produced with support from the Government of Romanias Department for Inter-ethnic Relations.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

14 November 2019
Fortified Churches in Transylvania

Today we are going to Transylvania, in the counties of Brasov and Sibiu, to some of the oldest and most beautiful fortified churches. Placed in beautiful natural scenery, some of them are still the venue for masses and cultural events. The circuits including these churches afford tourists unparallelled access to local legends and culture.

Our first stopover is Harman, or Huntschprich, as it is known in the Saxon dialect, which means Honey Mountain. This is a small and tranquil village in the center of Romania, 10 km away from Brasov. The most impressive venue here is the fortified church, a very well preserved 12th century building. You can see from afar the main church tower, which has around it four smaller towers. This is not a common image in villages, because the presence of such a tower meant that local law enforcement had the right to mete out punishment by death, which was unusual in small localities. Then you can make out the massive walls and the moat that initially went around the village. The peasants had no military training, and relied on these medieval defenses, says Dan Ilica-Popescu, custodian of Harman fortress:

“They had four gates to pass through to get into the courtyard. From there you can see the massive church, surrounded by little houses for the locals, which is unusual for Barsa Country. They were built next to the church. Unfortunately, only the ones on the south side have been preserved. Right now they are museums: one museum showcases Saxon garb, another is an old school where you can still hear the local German dialect. We offer guides who speak Romanian, German, and English. We also have a printed guide with the description of the citadel and the objects in museums. It is available in Romanian, German, Italian, Spanish, French, and Hebrew. We are also preparing the Polish and Russian versions. We are trying to cover as much ground as we can.

Also in Brasov County, on one of the northern sides of Magura Codlei Mountain, more than 800 years ago, the Teutonic Knights erected a fortress. The Black Fortress, as it was dubbed, was turned then into a peasant fortress. This happened in 1432. right now, the impressive walls are still a wonder for tourists. They are between eight and ten meters tall and two meters thick. If you go to Codlea Fortress, you can meet there Ileana Nica. She has been volunteering since she was five, and is host for the visitors:

“The church dates back to the 13th century. It was initially a Catholic church, and only the back part was built back then. Which is why it is so strange to see two styles in the same church. The back part is Roman in style, the front part is Gothic. The Gothic part was built in the 15th century, along with the defensive walls, when it was turned from a Catholic to an Evangelical church.

The ceiling is the main attraction in the fortified church, according to Ileana Nica. Also there you can admire an impressive collection of paintings:

“The ceiling is unique. It has 252 sections, each of them a representation of Martin Luther. They are all different. The painting differs. This is a unique sectioned ceiling. There are more, but none like that. One was made in the 18th century by a painter called Johannes Stolz. The painting collection belonged to the man who repainted the church in the 20th century, restoring all the paintings. He is a local painter who lived between 1886 and 1980. It is interesting that he captured all the important historical events, which is reflected in his paintings. He has paintings of women in peasant garb working in the fields. At the same time, you can see a painting of women in the field during the communist period, when clothing was completely different. We had tourists who told us that they heard of this painter in Vienna. He made over 2,000 paintings in his lifetime.

To the west, we get to Cisnadie, a locality in Sibiu County. The town is well known for its fortified church, dedicated to Saint Walpurga. It was built by Saxons 800 years ago, and in the Middle Ages it was known as Heltau, and was famous for its workshops that made farming tools and fabrics. In Cisnadie you can also see the belfry of the local Evangelical fortified church. It was an innovation for the Middle Ages. It was the first clock tower in Transylvania, and the first tower east of Vienna to have a lightning rod. Bell Ioan is the curator of the Evangelical church in Cisnadie:

“It was built in the early 13th century. It is a former Roman basilica, turned Catholic until 1544, when it was turned into an Evangelical church. The foundation is the same, but along the generations there were many stages of building. Along the years, the church has defended the locals against invaders. It was the first Gothic style building. The middle nave is still Gothic in style. Three defense towers were built on top of the church, north, south, and over the altar. You could shoot guns from the top of the towers. That was not always successful, since invaders kept coming. First there were the Mongols, then the Tatars, the Huns, then the Hapsburgs.

In a relatively small area of Transylvania you can find over 200 churches, fortified churches, church castles, and fortifications. Some of them are part of the UNESCO world heritage. You can also find a multitude of town churches and fortifications. Many of the are part of a program called ‘Discover the Soul of Transylvania’. The program is aimed a restoring and maintaining monuments by promoting the Transylvania Card program. This card offers discounts from various partners, as well as free of charge access to fortified cities and their events. The card costs 55 lei, 12 Euro, and may be purchased on the website transilvania-card.ro.

8 August 2019