Harghita County, a family destination

Hello, dear friends and welcome to another travel feature on Radio Romania International. This is DB at the microphone and today we invite you to the county of Harghita, located in Romania's central region. Here one can find the only volcanic lake in eastern Europe, the St. Anne Lake as well as the Praid salt mine, a genuine salt town at a depth of 120 meters from the surface. The region offers excellent conditions for mountain hiking and is famous for its ski slopes very appreciated by winter sports lovers.  

Mezey Zsolt, project manager with the Intercommunity Development Association has told us that all the travel programmes here are very safe and family-friendly.

Mezey Zsolt: "My first suggestion is the Salt Land because here we are running a series of activities aimed at introducing several trades and involving visitors in them, based on the old principle, which says that 'learning is doing'. This is an unforgettable experience because tourists are being assisted by professionals while getting involved in several activities related to one trade or another. Visitors can participate in pottery for instance, so they can take home the object they have created with their own hands. Then we invite visitors to bake the famous kürtőskalacs or polish aragonite jewels. You can find more details on our webpage at visitharghita.com."

Harghita has lots to offer in terms of adventure tourism as well. Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt, project manager with the Intercommunity Development Association.

 Mezey Zsolt: "An experience which is becoming increasingly popular is via ferrata. The name originates in the Italian Dolomites and initially was a military infrastructure. It is actually a climbing route that employs steel cables, rungs or ladders fixed to rocks. The Gheorgheni-Red Lake route includes our via ferrata infrastructure dubbed 'Wild Ferenc' on the south-western side of Suhardul Mic Mountain. This route is 200 meter long and 170 meters above the ground. Another suchlike infrastructure can be found on the Sugau Gorges nature reserve and is known as Astragalus. With a total length of 700 meters, it has five routes 285 meters from the ground. But I believe the most beautiful of them all is in the Corbu village and it is known as 'The Hawks' Stone'. This route, which covers 150 meters, includes a suspended 15-meters long bridge and a vertical section with stairs. This programme is available between April and November but it very much depends on the weather. For more information, videos and photos of the aforementioned routes visit our webpage at visitharghita.com."

Another novel experience would be a trip to a genuine sheepfold, where one can learn first hand about this ancient trade and traditions related. Here visitors can enjoy a rich traditional meal consisting of several courses of delicious bio food. Specialised guides will be accompanying you on your trip and if you feel like getting a bit of an adrenaline rush, the region offers proper conditions for trips in 4x4 vehicles. Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt.

Mezey Zsolt: "In a well-equipped terrain vehicle, you can explore the Hasmas Mountains and the Bicazului Gorges. Upon request, the experience can be completed by a via-ferrata route in the region but there are also other routes available in various transport vehicles, such as the Unimog. A historical route can be covered in this vehicle or in a ZIL 157, an army truck built in the former USSR, which we have dubbed 'the crocodile'. A 6x6 terrain vehicle offers safety and comfort, and the routes have been chosen in such a way to offer access to breath-taking views and other interesting spots along the way. We also have a one-hour guided tour of the botanical reserve at Tinov Mohos, which is very interesting especially for kids as it takes them through an area, which is a remnant of the Ice Age, where they can see carnivorous plants and other rare species. Like I said, many of these plant species are dating back to the Ice Age and I would invite visitors in the area to also take a boat trip on the St. Anne Lake, as this experience has lately become very popular with families in general. The boats are big enough to take 3-4 people who are required to wear life vests, which come in all sizes."

Such a family-friendly programme is the animal park of Babusgató", where children can interact with animals and spend a great time. As we all know, animal therapy has been largely used around the world with great effects on patients. Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt

 Mezey Zsolt: "Here children can see and even touch deer, Icelandic horses, rabbits and other cute animals. Another family-friendly experience is the bob-sleigh race, which is actually crossing areas of breath-taking beauty. There are three bob-sleigh tracks here, including a summer one, 15 hundred meter long, which can be accessed by means of the ski lifts and I would like to inform you that the track in Toplita is the longest in Romania stretching over almost 18 hundred meters. Most of it crosses a forest and the bob-sleigh gains a speed of 40 kilometers an hour. Children with ages between three and eight can enjoy this experience only if accompanied by adults. The oldest track, located in the commune of Ghimes has recently become an attraction for thrill-seeking tourists, who have described the landscapes here as similar to those they have seen in Austria or Switzerland."

Tourists visiting the area are also offered another option; that of taking a one-day tour of Transylvania, by visiting a multi-cultural theme park entitled Mini-Transylvania, showcasing replicas of the main historical buildings in this part of Romania. The park is located close to Odorheiu Secuiesc and covers a surface of eight thousand square meters.   (bill)