The Mysteries and Wonders of the Szeklerland

Transylvania, the latest province to join the united Romanian state after WWI, has always been a multicultural place, mixing together Romanian, Hungarian and German influences in language, traditions, cuisine and architecture, but also in people's way of being. Although geographically in the center of Romania, the south-eastern corner of Transylvania boasts a different cultural legacy. The area is called Szeklerland, by the name of its majority inhabitants- the Szeklers, an old Hungarian tribe, or according to legends, direct descendants from Attila the Hun. I will show you the medieval fortress of Rupea/ Reps, then we use the shopping opportunities from the black pottery centers of Corund, visit the Saltmine of Praid, now a tourist attraction, and enjoy the views of the heliothermic salt lakes from Sovata. Later, we admire the central part of Miercurea-Ciuc, Baile-Tusnad, a popular resort, and Sfantu-Gheorghe, with a Szekler National Museum. Traditional food is part of our tour.

We start from Brasov, taking a first stop to visit the Rupea Fortress, Reps in German, entering the Szekler-inhabited areas with the town of Odorhei. The next stop will represent a shopping opportunity in the black pottery outlets from Corund. The saltmine from Praid is organized as a tourist attraction, renowned for its healing salty air, and close-by, we find the tourist town of Sovata, built around the salt lakes, of which the Bear Lake is the most spectacular, used for healing baths in summer. It is time for a traditional lunch in a picturesque location. Crossing the Eastern Carpathians into the depressions, we travel through the towns of Gheorgheni and Miercurea-Ciuc, with walks in the centers and at the popular pilgrimage Roman-Catholic Cathedral from Sumuleu-Ciuc, then we stop in the tourist resort of Baile Tusnad. Our last stop is in Sfantu-Gheorghe, a town boasting the Szekler National Museum, with significant exhibits for local traditions and handicrafts, before our return to Brasov.