View from Păltiniş in the Cindrel Mountains
near Sibiu
Super Sibiu!
Sibiu is a popular place to live in Romania, being the fifth-most
urbanised. The county stretches from the Făgăraş
and Cindrel mountains in the south to the Olt river valley and
Transilvanian plateau to the north.
County Sibiu has the city of Sibiu as it's main county seat, with
the other city of Mediaş being the only other
city in the county. There are 9 small towns in Sibiu, from Agnita,
Avrig, Cisnădie, and Copşa Mică to Dumbrăveni, Miercurea Sibiului, Ocna
Sibiului, Sălişte and Tălmaciu. There are also 53 communes.
The Natural Resources of Sibiu
The rich natural wealth of the county is enhanced by six natural
reserves of great scientific and public value: The Bottomless
Lake at the Sibiu Salt Mine, the calcium deposits of
Cişnădioară and Turnu Roşu, the reserve in the Sarba
Valley, Lake Bâlea and the Bâlea Waterfall, and the Cindrel
Mountain Lakes reserve.
Of the natural resources of the county, it's deposits of natural
gas are the most important, with high quality and and ample supply.
Rich strata of marble were discovered and cut in the Porumbac Valley
while Sibiu also features good sand, clay and gravel mines for the construction
industry.
Other natural resources are forestry products, the forests from which
they come covering roughly 40% of the county's area. Pastureland,
hayfields, and other agricultural land are rich with flora and fauna
throughout the gentle slopes of the Olt and Cindrel River valleys.
Sibiu Main Street
So much history, such a relaxed and friendly
town. Purely Romanian and Transilvanian and Saxon
all together.
Sibiu County has one of the most dynamic economies
in Romania, being one of the regions with the highest
level of foreign investment. Lufthansa flies daily
to Sibiu directly from Germany, a testament to it's
vestigial German population.
The predominant industries in the county are:
Machine and automotive components.
Food industry.
Textile industry.
Wood industry.
The biggest natural resource in the county is natural
gas, especially in the north side, having one of the
largest sources in the country.
In Copşa Mică during the communist period there were
two chemical industrial complexes which polluted the
environment heavily with carbon black, heavy metals
and other chemical substances.
That's why the area is still considered one of the
most polluted communities in Europe. Fortunately, after
1989 many of the industrial complexes were shut down
and the area is slowly recovering.
The City of Sibiu is the European culture capital 2007, and Prince
Charles of England frequently visits, being fond of the impressive architecture
and Saxon culture preserved throughout County Sibiu and Transilvania
generally. The restoration of Saxon villages is of great interest to
the Prince, and County Sibiu has benefited greatly from his attentions.
Prince Charles controls operations of fruit juice cooperatives, ensuring
the natural and organic fruits of Sibiu are turned into world-class
organic juices.
The Sibiu Hinterland
The abbey of Cârţa
The Făgăraş Mountains
The Bâlea Valley and the Transfăgărăşan
The Negoiu Peak
Păltiniş mountain resort and the Cindrel Mountains
Ocna Sibiului, Bazna and Miercurea Sibiului Spa towns
The Mărginimea Sibiului Rural Area
Mărginimea Sibiului is an area which comprises 18 Romanian localities
in the south-western part of the Sibiu County, all of them having a
unique ethnological, cultural, architectural and historical heritage.
The area is situated in the immediate vicinity of the cradle of Saxon
Civilisation in Transylvania - the city of Sibiu, and has an area of
over 200 sq. km. limited by the Sadu River in
the south and the Sălişte river in the north.
The villages are situated around the valleys of different rivers which
flow from the Cindrel Mountains through the Transylvanian
Plateau.
The oldest known village is Răşinari, which dates
to 1204, followed by Tălmaciu (1318), Orlat (1322) and Sălişte (1354).
Throughout their history, these settlements were sometimes (along with
the Ţara Făgăraşului) part of the Romanian principality
of Wallachia.
An important event in the area was the establishment in the 18th
century by Maria Theresa of the 1st Romanian border regiment at Orlat.
Also, Boiţa was a border village, at the end of the passway along the
Olt River.
The World Heritage Sites
In addition to the main centre of Sibiu, County Sibiu is home to
the medieval city of Mediaş.
Also in the County you'll find the medieval Saxon fortified churches
and villages from Transylvania such as Biertan, the Viilor Valley, Cisnădie
and Cisnădioara outside of Sibiu as well as Slimnic and Agnita.
Some of the worlds best UNESCO World Heritage Sites are found in
Sibiu County, making it a tourist Mecca for those looking for an authentic
and lasting experience of Saxon and Middle Ages culture, as well as
truly inspiring nature reserves, parks and outdoor museums.
We reached our destination at 6 p.m. We are high in the hills of
Transilvania, 25 km
southwest of Sibiu. The land
undulates all around us in grey blue waves, like an ocean. There is no
sound except for a birdsong on a breeze.
I'm back in
Transilvania: the heart of the nation, some say. I gaze around me,
trying to imagine the countless individuals who have tracked these hills
over the millennia: warriors and shepherds, peasants and poets. I feel
warm, optimistic and completely knackered after a nine hour hike in sun and
rain.
But I made it. Along with my long-time buddy George, his wife Alina and
little Catrinel, eight years old and keen as mustard. Then another
surprise: the land suddenly dips at an angle of 45°. It's hair-raising.
Below us, at the bottom of the slope, sits a perfect post-glacial lake,
like water in a saucer: Lacul Iezerul Mare. It
shimmers under the mid-morning sun. Bushes protrude from the sheer rock
above, like blotches of green paint daubed by a child.
The shepherd tramps away over a ridge and is swallowed by the land. I
watch his little black hat dip into the grass, like a submarine sinking into
at a green ocean. He seems perfectly at ease in this wild and inhospitable
spot, a son of the ancient soil. I am suddenly struck by the difference
between us. Out here, he is at home and at work. All he needs is a few
dogs, a stick, and a cigarette. The rest of us need offices and computers,
cars and mobile phones.
We settle under a sturdy tree, take off our boots and dump our
rucksacks, breathing hard. The sun is high and hot, but the wind keeps us
cool. We take our rest, watching the blue sky where white clouds drift,
flat and fluffy.
We eat
goat's cheese, green peppers, olives and crusty bread. The spring water
in our bottle is still icy despite the midday heat. Rolling blue-green
hills stretch for miles in each direction, as far as we can see. I feel
lucky to be here. It's almost too good to be true.
County Sibiu has a rich variety of customs related to different times
in the year and in life. To this day, it is a custom to wear the traditional
folk costume - black and white with a particular round shaped hat without
borders worn by the men, at the most important occasions.
Painting on glass is a tradition in this area, strongly connected
to the Romanian Orthodox Church which is by far the main religion of
the inhabitants.
The architecture is strongly influenced by the Saxons, with big imposing
houses, with an internal yard well closed on all sides. Wood was traditionally
the main material used in construction, but bricks have replaced it
in the last hundred years; today, only a small number of wooden houses
can be found.
The Făgăraş Mountains
These two photos were both taken in July
in different years (1965 and 2005), pointing to the changeability
of the weather at these lofty climes!
I arrive in Sibiu and friends meet me at the station. I twist and turn
on the back seat of their shiny new Dacia Logan, checking on the small,
ancient city.
Several years since I was here. It feels the same as last time, yet
looks different. Tiled roofs still pitch at odd angles, their ventilation
slats watching the town like sleepy eyes.
Citizens still stroll with an unhurried gait, born of resilience.
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest
Romania SRL, All rights reserved.
Photo: 
