Mountains with coniferous and deciduous forests, hills with grasslands and orchards, fields, clear rivers, saltwater and fresh water lakes, all these things are natural gifts blessing this county situated in the south of Transylvania. The variety of the relief and the temperate climate contribute to maintaining snow in the mountains for five-six months a year and favor winter sports. Marginimea Sibiului makes up a universe of a unique charm. It is made up of more than 18 settlements lying at the foot of the Cibin Mountains. Other tourist attraction may be the Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization from Sibiu.
Motto: "You hurried traveller, in a useless world, stop for a while" (Constantin Noica - Romanian philosopher).
Marginimea Sibiului makes up a universe of a unique charm. It includes over 18 Romanian settlements located west to Sibiu - a cradle of the Saxon civilisation - at the foot of the Cibin Mountain, on an area of 1200 sq. km. These villages are a real testimony of the Romanian cultural identity in this region. Since old times the inhabitants, predominantly shepherds by profession, built wooden houses with shingled roofs and at the same time they were and still are great masters in manufacturing wool and leather made goods.
The rural architecture preserves typical Romanian elements, although the exterior of the houses shows the interference between the Saxon and Romanian culture. However traditional houses are more and more replaced by modern ones, the region's atmosphere remains the same. Local people continue to wear their traditional clothes embroidered in black and white, of a rare elegance and traditional occupations inherited from generation to generation are still practised with great success.
Among the most known villages of this region can be mentioned Saliste, Sibiel, Tilisca, Rasinari, Poiana Sibiului, Miercurea Sibiului, Jina, which gave to Romanian and universal culture great names, like Emil Cioran, Octavian Goga, and, as a mention, six Romanian academicians are native from Saliste.
In contrast with these Romanian villages that are lying at the foot of the mountains, the Saxon ones are situated in valleys and preserved their fortified churches in a good shape. The most important of these churches are the ones from Cristian and Cisnadie. Even if the Saxon population has decreased in number in the last ten years, its spirit remains still alive for a long time.
Central Sighişoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city, it has been listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year, a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July.
Sighisoara is considered to be the most beautiful and well preserved inhabited citadel in Europe, with an authentic medieval architecture. In Eastern Europe, Sighisoara is one of the few, and in Romania the only fortified town which is till inhabited. The town is made up of two parts. The medieval stronghold was built on top of a hill and is known as the "Citadel" (Cetate).The lower town lies in the Valley of Tarnava Mare River.
Apparently protecting the Citadel, the neighborhoods of Sighisoara keep the same degree of beauty. Only a few kilometers away, Malancrav rushes to impress you with mural pictures in Transylvanian gothic dwellings, while Crit delights you with the haughty castle of Bethlen.
Only a few minutes distance from Crit, you will find yourself thrown in a splendid setting, dominated by the Viscri Citadel Church on one side. Lanes, small houses and inscriptions, painted dolomites and grand gates, countless pear trees and panniers.
Read from same chapter:
Your IP: 38.107.191.118 ( 38.107.191.118 ) 