Places

Route: Lunca de Jos/Gyimesközéplok - Valea Rece/Hidegség (Jávárdi creek) – esztena (sheepfold) visit   Program description:  • history lesson 1000 years-old border of the Hungarian Kingdom • travel by cart to the sheepfold • getting to know the operation of the sheepfold (livestock breeding, petting, milk processing, cheese-making, cheese tasting, etc.) • spring water tasting • In closing, "partying" to Csango folk music Optional program: dressing in Csango folk costume. Program location: Harghita county Destination: Ghimes/Gyimes Valley Program price: 60 RON / person in case of application of min. 10 - 25 persons, 55 RON / person in case of application of 25 persons

We are very pleased to have been able to create a place in Harghita County that provides meaningful leisure for all ages. Children and adults can get close to the animals living in the park, and they can touch and pet them. In many cases, contact with animals can be a therapeutic nature, as it has a beneficial effect on our physical and mental health.  Nowadays, fewer and fewer pets are kept by families, so one of our goals is to introduce backyard animals and some exotic species, especially to children. The petting zoo is constantly being expanded. We also provide horseback riding and carriage rides with our beautiful pony horses. We welcome all those interested in the “Babusgató” petting zoo and animal park in Subcetate Zetea/Zeteváralja. Tickets: • Adult ticket: 35 RON • Child ticket (3-14): 30 RON

Pro Odorhei Foundation built the Memorial Park. The statues represent 12 famous historical and cultural personalities: Kós Károly, Bethlen István, Wesselényi Miklós, Bethlen Gábor, Fráter György, King Szent László, Prince Csaba, Hunyadi János, Báthori István II. Rákóczi Ferenc, General Bem, Nyírő József, and the thirteenth is the anonymous Wandering Szekler. The sculptors are: Blaskó János, Hell Tibor, Krisztiáni Sándor, Lessenyei Márta and Tóth Emőke. Text and photo source: https://tourinfo.ro/

Discover Transylvania in one day! Mini Transylvania Park is the only multicultural, thematic mock-up park in Romania, where visitors can see a scaled-down copy of Transylvania's most important historical buildings. The park is located in Szejkefürdő/Băile Szejke, near Székelyudvarhely/Odorheiu Secuiesc. In the area of about 8000 square meters we recommend to our visitors: • our open-air exhibition, which presents scale models of more than 80 of the most significant castles, fortified churches, mansions and other monumental buildings in Transylvania; • most of them are part of the national heritage and UNESCO World Heritage; • a mini-Szekler train tour;  • buffalo carriage rides; • the Mineral Water Museum; • exhibition of the Szekler gates; • the Orbán Balázs Visitor Center; • playground. Tickets: • Ticket for adults: 40 lei • Ticket for children (free for children under 3 years): 25 lei • Ticket for retirees: 25 lei • Adult group ticket (minimum 10 people): 35 lei • Group ticket children / pensioners (minimum 10 people): 20 lei * Ticket price for the Mini Transylvania Park includes admission to the Orbán Balázs Visitor Center. Tickets for the Mini Secler Steam:  • Adult ticket: 10 lei • Children's ticket: 5 lei The idea of the Transylvanian mini-park came from Szekler Legendarium's team. The scale models exposed in our park present the most important buildings of the region's nationalities, in their golden age. The scale models were made by Németh Hajnal Auróra and Vajda Domokos born in Cristuru Secuiesc, with the contribution of historical graphic artist Gyöngyössy János.

Snowcat tours in Bath Tusnad Min. persons: 5  Max. persons: 8 Duration: 1.5 h  Price: 50 RON/pers. without picnic and 80 RON/pers, with picnic

Step back in time and learn about the traditional cheese making in the wonderful world of the Gyimes/Ghimes Hills! Here we discover a typical traditional farm as our host guides us on his subsistence farm. We visit a Kaliba, which is a typical summer shelter up in the pasture and we try cheese making. In a walking tour we visit the ruins of the Rakoczi fortress, and with the help of our host, we can learn about the biodiversity of meadows, herbs and mushrooms. At the fortress we will recall the events from of the First and Second World Wars. Program duration: 4-5 hours

The foundation stone was laid in September 1895, and the most impressive building of the former Lower Market, the current Town Hall, was commissioned in 1897. The former headquarters of Odorhei County was built in eclectic style, according to the plans of the architect Sztehló Ottó. Its constructor was the engineer Ferenczi Endre, but an important role was given to Haberstumph Károly, the city’s main architect. As for the construction of the rooms, the conference room, located at the end of the enclosed courtyard, richly ornamented with wall and ceiling paintings, has a special value and since 2003 it has been named Szent István (St. Stephen). It is the most representative hall in the city, which hosts symposiums, conferences, high-quality concerts, festivals and other events. Text and photo source: http://www.odorhei-turism.ro/

RideMore Center is a unique sports center in Romania specially designed to facilitate development in several sports disciplines.  The center covers an area of ​​1,600 square meters and includes a skate park, trampolines with ninja warrior area, climbing board, yoga room, crossfit room, as well as accommodation rooms.  The space is dedicated to the training of athletes, as well as those who want to initiate themselves in these sports or those who just want to exercise and have fun.

Challenge your inner explorer with a day trip to the Transylvanian countryside to an off-the-beaten-path location where you can meet talented craftsmen, visit locals in their homes, learn about the local lifestyle, then join a bear watching tour in the wild at dusk. Life in the dispersed mountainous village of Varsag is fascinating and harsh in the same time. People still live like 50 years ago, earning a living from subsistence agriculture and forestry. Many houses are scattered in the heart of nature kilometers away from any facility like a school, a shop or a church. Neighboring houses can be separated from each other by a forest or by a field or meadow. The landscape is breathtaking with numerous mineral spings, crystal clear streams rich in trouts, pastures covered by wild flowers, glimmering waterfalls and dense forests rich in game. Step back in time and experience the greatness and simplicity of the locals living in Varsag, then see wild brown bears in their natural habitat from the security of one of the many wildlife hides operating in the area. Highlights of the tour:  Explore the dispersed mountainous village of Varsag (79 km from Sighisoara)  Get acquainted with the old craft of shingle-roof making and other traditional crafts  Ride on a horse-drawn cart to absorb the local atmosphere  Visit the picturesque 7 m high Csurgoko waterfall  3-hour close encounter with native wildlife in their natural environment  Spot brown bears and possibly other species like deer, wild boar, fox, badger or game birds  Enjoy the Carpathian forests silence and the excitement of waiting for bears to come  Informative, friendly and professional guide  Small group ensures personal service  Flexibility to customize your itinerary to your own preferences  Meet your guide in Odorheiu Secuiesc (47 km from Sighisoara) and ride almost an hour to one of the most dispersed villages of the Eastern Carpathians, to Varsag, where 60% of the area is woody and the inhabitants live kilometers away from each other. Along the way you will ride through colorful Szekler villages by the Tarnava Mare River, pass by the picturesque Zetea dam lake, then wind through a narrow road leading among dense forests until you arrive to Varsag. Here a horse drawn cart will await you to start your discovery tour. Visit a local pub and spend some time interacting with the locals. This isolated community with its friendly and welcoming locals will fascinate you. Enjoy some snacks and local brandy while they tell you about their daily lives and amuse you with some funny stories. According to local legends, the village covers an area comparable in size to the territory of the Romanian capital with only 1500 inhabitants living there. Ride the cart and visit traditional craftsmen like the blacksmith, the shingle-roof maker and a wood carver, watch them at work and listen to their stories. Taste delicious local produce, visit a 100 year old still-functioning watermill, capture the 7 m high Csurgoko waterfall and climb up on a 3 m high look-out tower which offers panoramic views of the dispersed houses and farms and of the surrounding Carpathian Mountains in the distance.  One-hour before dusk an experienced local ranger, will take you with his 4wd car deep into the forests of the Eastern Carpathians which have one of the largest population concentration of brown bears in Romania. Occupy your place in the hide, stay quiet, listen to the forest wildlife sounds and enjoy the excitement of waiting for bears to come. Usually we are successful in seeing bears, but as there are wild animals involved, nothing is guaranteed. If you are lucky, you may observe bears feeding themselves, playing together, courting and mating, and even other species like wild boars, roe deer and red deer, fox, badger and some game birds. After approximately 3 hours watching, head back to the car accompanied by your guide and ride back to Odorheiu Secuiesc. The entire trip takes 9 to 10 hours. Be prepared and wear hiking boots, weatherproof clothing and bring binoculars, camera, extra battery and memory card to record this unique experience.

At the request of our guests, we organize cultural and artistic events. Dancers and musicians will present traditions from the local folklore, and the interested guests will have the opportunity to learn how to dance on folk music. Gyimesi Skanzen Guesthouse

In 2011, the largest statue of Jesus in Eastern Europe was built on Gordon hill in Harghita, between Odorheiu-Secuiesc and Praid. Called “the Heart of Jesus”, the statue is about 22 meters high, and is made of iron and stainless steel. The statue costed 200,000 EUR and was paid by donations gathered by the Lupeni village hall. Inside the statue, there are metallic spiral staircases up to the head, from where you could admire the wonderful view around. Photo: Mihálydeák Antal, Fülöp Attila

The pig is usually slaughtered on Christmas Eve or in the frosty days of January, this activity becoming the most popular traditional event. For the city folks, it is a tourist attraction and a possibility to cultivate folk traditions. The event consists in slaughtering the pig raised around the farmer's house, processing the meat, and attending the traditional dinner - where different types of sausages (caltaboși, sângerete, cârnați), stew and soup prepared with pickled cabbage are served. The pig slaughtering begins in the morning with a quick drink, then the fire is lit in the hearth and the water is boiled. The actual work starts with stabbing the pig, where the protagonist is the butcher, who has a special knife to commit the "murder." The aids try to hold the agitated animal. The blood is collected in a saucepan, since it will be the raw material for “sângerete”. Afterwards, the pig is placed in a tube, where the hair is removed by scalding. First, the pig is sprinkled with resin (this makes the hairs stick to each other). Then, the animal's hair is removed with a special tool, by rubbing the pig's skin. After the hair is removed, the pig is burned with straw bundles. After the pig's skin browned beautifully, it is washed and cleaned thoroughly. After another round of drinks and best wishes for the health of those present, the pig is lifted on a table to be cut into pieces. The butcher cuts the hams, removes the intestines, the guts, the pig's head and the lard. The ribs are cut with a hatchet in three equal parts, making sure that the meat is not completely removed, but holds the ribs together, which are then salted and smoked. The bacon is cut in desired sizes, salted and smoked. Processing the scapula is done in two ways: after removing the bone, it is either cut off as ham, or used to prepare the sausages. The ham will be smoked. The intestines are cleaned and readied for the sausage preparation (caltaboși, sângerete, cârnați). After cleaning the skin pieces, some of the skin goes to boil and will be the basic material for “sângerete” and ”tobă” (which is a kind of sausage made from swine’s entrails). The sausages will be made from square bacon pieces without rind, and small pieces of meat. Another part of the bacon will be cut into squares, from which, after melting, a white and tasty pig lard is obtained. Entrails - liver, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, tongue - are cooked in 95 ° C water. Boiled meat, cooked rice and the blood of the animal collected at slaughtering are added to the mix. Everything is chopped and stuffed in the intestines, to obtain the “sângerete” and “caltaboș”. Seasoning is done to the taste of each farmer. The unused bits of meat, along with gristle are boiled, to form the stuff for ”tobă”. The sausages are made from minced raw meat, seasoned with paprika, pepper and garlic. The sausages, the bacon, the ham, the ”caltaboși” and ”toba” are smoked. Thus, these products prepared by salting, brining, boiling and smoking are preserved for more than half a year, either in the pantry or in the attic of the house. For details regarding the cost and other details, please call the host of the program at the following phone numbers: Ivó/Izvoare – Botházi András: +40741232744 Tusnádfürdő/Băile Tușnad: +40749066008 Szentegyháza/Vlăhița: +40744680753 Borszék/Borsec: 0266337001 Csíkrákos/Racu: +40745180649 Gyergyócsomafalva/Ciumani: +40746337722

The Golden Rose (Rosa d'Oro) is a special gift from the popes, which is nowadays given to Mary's shrines. This honour was presented by Pope Francis in Șumuleu Ciuc/Csíksomlyó on June 1, 2019, in honour of the Virgin Mary. It is currently the only papal rose in the Carpathian Basin. Originally the popes gave the golden roses to persons of great merit serving the Church. The custom was first mentioned in 1049, in the context that the Pope had donated the rose to an eminent official. Later the kings received the honour, then different bodies, and in the 13-14th century it was given to churches. The first woman to take over was Joanna I of Naples in 1368. From the 17th century onward, the Pope predominantly bestowed the honour on women of royal families for their virtues, and for their church service. Since the mid-20th century, the Pope has honoured with the Golden Rose the Queen of Heaven, the Virgin Mary, at the most important shrines of Mary. Pope Paul VI awarded a church in Bethlehem in 1963, the Fatima in 1965 and the Guadalupe Shrine in 1966. Among others, John Paul II awarded the Golden Roses to the Shrine of Mary in Czestochowa, Loreto and Lourdes. Pope Benedict XVI honoured most of the Mary's shrines when he visited them (including Aparecida and Mariazell, the Immaculate Conception Church in Washington, the Nostra Signora di Bonaria in Cagliari, the Rosary of Pompeii, and the Basilica of the Rosary). Pope Francis also donated Golden Roses to the Mary's shrines in Fatima, Turin, Guadalupe and Czestochowa. The Golden Rose is a symbol of joy and love, a symbol of Christ, according to old ceremonies, and thus its giving is not only a simple acknowledgment but also a mission: the honoured ones must bring Christ into the world. The rose given by Pope Francis to the Virgin Mary of Șumuleu Ciuc/Csíksomlyó is made of silver with 24 karat gold plated stems. It is about 84 cm tall and weighs 1,200 grams. The Golden Rose was placed next to the statue of Virgin Mary, which having a height of 2.27 meters is the largest votive wooden statue in the world.

An information point with an exhibition hall about human-bear coexistence at Băile Tușnad/Tusnádfürdő for tourists and locals set up as part of the project entitled “WatchBear & AdvoCity – bears and people for a common future”. For reservations (maximum 15 people), further details and to book a visit, please call +40 743 775 213.

Szeretne találkozni a Csíkszentgyörgyi Székely Góbékkal? Megnézné egy előadásukat, és uzsonnázna is velük? Amennyiben a válasz igen, ez az ajánlat Önnek szól. A program tartalmaz egy előadással egybekötött uzsonnázást Csíkszentgyörgyön, egy rusztikusan berendezett vendéglőben. Az uzsonna tartalmazni fogja azokat a hagyományos ételeket, amelyeket a filmjeik során is fogyasztanak: szalonna, hagyma, túró, főtt pityóka, vaj és házikenyér egy kis pálinka kíséretében. A csomag ára: 74 lej/fő. Időtartam: 2–3 óra. A programon való részvétel előzetes egyeztetéshez kötött: +40 724 158 230.

3 kilometres from Porumbenii Mari/Nagygalambfalva, on the “Várfele” hillside, rising above the valley of the “Vágás” stream, there was a castle in ancient times and in the Árpád era. In the 13th and 14th centuries it served as a refuge for the villagers. On the banks of the “Vágás” stream, the locals joined forces to build an imaginary replica of the former fortress in 2023. The building, called “Várféle” (meaning: castle-like), is located next to the Spring of the Sad Princess and also serves as an observation tower. The building incorporates the style of the old church forts, castles and medieval fortifications of Szeklerland. A small fish pond has been created nearby.  The “Várféle” can be visited any time for free. According to legend, the castle on the “Várfele” hillside, whose remains are now only relics and artefacts, was built by Prince Csaba (in Hungarian mythology, the youngest son of Attila, King of the Huns) and left to one of his daughters. From the tears of Csaba's orphaned granddaughter sprang the spring that is now called the Spring of the Sad Princess. Another legend tells that there was a lake near the castle, at the bottom of which a huge white snake holds fabulous treasures.  Photos: Mihálydeák Antal

The Caracău Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the Miercurea Ciuc - Ghimeș section, which was put into operation on 18 October 1897. The viaduct was completely destroyed in 1944 as a result of World War II battles. From December 1944 until 12 February 1945, the Romanian engineers built a provisional, completely wooden (3,600 cubic meters) wooden viaduct. This was a unique performance in the history of railway constructions. In parallel, a new viaduct was built, and it was put into operation on 14 September 1946. The new construction of the viaduct was the largest railway bridge made of reinforced concrete in Romania. The total length of the viaduct is 264 m, the vault has an opening of 100 m and the arrow is 37 m. The width of the vault is 6.50 m at the top and 10 m at the base. The vault section has 2.5 m at the top and 4.8 m at the base. Photo: Bartalis Zsombor

The cheese workshop in Gheorgheni/Gyergyószentmiklós was opened in 2017 by Rural Development Gheorgheni/Gyergyószentmiklós. Its primary aim is to show visitors cheesemaking and the ingredients used to make healthy dairy products. They are showint their guests the cheese maturing process, the tools used to make cheese and the maturing cellar, where the cheeses are treated for up to 4 years. Visitors will be able to taste some of the best-known cheeses made from raw milk, matured for a long time and natural yoghurt. The program includes: • guided tour, • demonstration of cheese making, • milking, • product tasting (cheeses, yoghurt, scones, dry white wine), • possibility to buy products. The programme can be customized for individuals and groups and takes on average 1 hour. Groups are limited to 50 people at a time. On request, a presentation of the herbs and spices typical of the region can be organised. For programming a visit to the cheese workshop please feel free to call Réka Köllő, 0735 735 155 (reka77@gmail.com). Prices: • children 20 RON/person • adults 30 RON/person The visitor center offers meaningful pastimes for both adults and children. 

Visit the Krausz chocolate workshop, where you can learn how artisan chocolates are made, and how a little cacao bean makes its way into an elegant box. You will also taste different flavoured chocolates made with carefully selected and local ingredients. The small family business welcomes visitors to its workshop in Sântimbru/Csíkszentimre! The visit takes about 40-60 minutes. The manufactory can be visited daily, from 10 am to 7 pm, by reservation. Location: Sântimbru/Csíkszentimre, Malom str. 118 

Offer 1: •  125 g CSÍKI chips •  Price: 55 RON/person Offer 2: •  Price: 110 RON/person Offer 3: •  Price: 120 RON/person For children: Factory visit and technology presentation Chicken bites with French fries and sauce Price: 50 RON/person Csíki Chips Factory entrance fee: 30 RON/person Booking: +40755 030 895, latogatokozpont@csikisor.hu IMPORTANT! Registration is considered a definite booking after confirmation by phone or e-mail.   We want your visit to be a lasting memory, so you have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs related to Csíki Beer and Csíki Chips in our gift shop. We offer also: • Visiting and tasting tour at a local brewery

We invite you to travel in time in the only European photography studio that works by only using natural light. Ancient cameras, backgrounds, decors and other antique accessories can be seen. You could look inside cameras that are a hundred years old; you could witness the magic of black-and-white film developing in dark rooms.  Visit the Kováts Photography in Odorheiu Secuiesc. Advance reservation: 0746665797

Learn the secrets of Miercurea Ciuc's beloved brew at this factory tour, 12km south of Miercurea Ciuc, through tastings and traditional Hungarian beer snacks. After a few sips, you too will be singing the praises of the Harghita Mountains' spring water and quality hops. Offer 1: 125 g CSÍKI chips Price: 55 RON/person Offer 2: Price: 110 RON/person Offer 3: Price: 120 RON/person For children: Factory visit and technology presentation Chicken bites with French fries and sauce Price: 50 RON/person Csíki Chips Factory entrance fee: 30 RON/person Booking: +40755 030 895, latogatokozpont@csikisor.hu IMPORTANT! Registration is considered a definite booking after confirmation by phone or e-mail.   We want your visit to be a lasting memory, so you have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs related to Csíki Beer and Csíki Chips in our gift shop. We offer also: • Visiting and tasting tour at "Csíki Csipsz"

Route: Odorheiu Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely (Kováts Photo Museum) - Inlăceni/Énlaka (Museum of Szekler Crafts) - Crișeni/Kőrispatak (Straw Hat Museum)   Program description: • City presentation in Odorheiu Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely (historical center). • Visit to the Kováts Photo Museum and Laboratory. The museum was founded in 1876, and still operates today. It contains more than 80000 negatives and now processes black-and-white images manually. It is the only European photography studio that works by only using natural light. • Inlăceni/Énlaka is an isolated village, which charm lies in its uniqueness: in its preserved fine art values. The settlement is very popular among composers, painters, architects, all those who are looking for a quiet, peaceful place to create. This place is often visited by horticultural engineers, professionals, who specialize in rescuing old fruit species. The program includes a visit to the Museum of Szekler Crafts connected to the gastronomic experience.  Program location: Harghita county Micro-region: Odorheiu Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely Program prices: The price of the programme is determined in agreement with the guide.