Easter in the Romanian rural area
Rasinari, in the county of Sibiu, has been declared the world's best tourist village.
Daniel Onea, 13.04.2023, 14:00
Rasinari, in the Romanian county of Sibiu, is the winner of the second edition of the “Best Tourist Villages” international competition, launched by the World Tourism Organisation. It is a good moment to look back at the Romanian village, on the occasion of Easter. Nicoleta Ocneriu, a tourist guide, helps us navigate through Easter traditions in this part of Romania. She accompanied European ambassadors and American officials on a tour of the wonderful villages in Transylvania: “Tourists are involved in the village activities. Traditional dishes are prepared, wine tasting sessions are available and also trips in horse-drawn carriages. Visitors can go to church, dressed in traditional costumes, together with the villagers, can enjoy the show held by the local children, especially in the village of Rasinari, which this year has been declared the most attractive tourist village in the world by the World Tourism Organisation. We take pride in that. Transylvania is very diverse due to multiculturalism and the many ethnicities. Szecklers, Saxons and Romanians have been living here in harmony. In Marginimea Sibiului area, where Rasinari is located, people have been mostly shepherds for generations. Trips to sheepfolds, mountain trips from one village to another or to Paltinis, the oldest and highest altitude resort in Romania can be organised.”
In the villages of Rășinari, Gura Râului or Sibiel, people prepare very tasty traditional dishes and offer traditional costumes to tourists to attend together the Sunday mass. This way, tourists can closely observe all Easter traditions: “On Mundy Thursday they can paint eggs, together with the villagers. In Bukovina, egg painting has been taken to the level of art. In Transylvania, peasants don’t use synthetic dyes, but rather natural herbs. Also, patterns are obtained by sticking a plant on the eggs and insert them into stockings, which are then dipped into a pot in which red onions were boiled, to obtain the red color. In southern Romania, nuances are a little bit more discrete, but in Transylvania there is a diversity of colors, depending on the region. Another interesting thing is that on Mundy Thursday, Saxons have the tradition ofn decorating the trees in their yards with empty painted eggs, like a Christmas tree.”
Nicoleta Ocneriu, recomends the Sibiu area for any period of the year, but especially for Easter, when the offer is even more varied than usual: “Many enduro and cycling competitions are organized and we have special areas set up precisely for this purpose. From Rășinari, you can start cycling tours and mountain hiking tours to Păltiniș, but also to other villages. Râu Sadului is a wonderful village. Now, the Land of Huts (Tara Colibelor) is being promoted again. The shepherds huts are restored and prepared to host tourists. Especially now, at Easter, its a great feeling to have no phone signal and experience the atmosphere of the past. The rental price for a hut is around 100 euros. The mayor of Râu Sadului asked the villagers to participate in the promotion of this area, and thus, as of this year, the Country of Huts is on the map. It is very important to say that the villages of Râu Sadului and Rășinari participated together in the world competition for the most beautiful villages. Back to the activities, the calories after the Easter meal are burned by participating in the splashing of the girls. In all villages with Saxon and Hungarian influence, there is a custom for boys to sprinkle girls with perfume, to bring them a new spring, prosperity, luck, health.”
Rural trips can be combined with visits to medieval fortresses and with local festivals and events. Craftsmen can also be watched at work, in their homes, says Nicoleta Ocneriu: “Tourists are involved, together with the children, in activities such as weaving, glass icon painting and cooking. Glass painting workshops are held in Sibiel. In Săliște, visits are organized to the most important hat maker in Transylvania. Trips are organized to the oldest functional oil press in Transylvania, tasting included, of course. It is the most genuine, good and pure oil you will ever taste. In Sibiel, there is a craft center. Villagers display their glass paintings there. Almost everyone in the village knows how to paint glass icons. From farmers, tourists can buy pumpkin seed oil, walnut seed oil, cherry seed oil and at least 30 kinds of sweets. There are a lot of souvenirs prepared for tourists.”
All of Nicoleta Ocnerius tours are organized so as to include a diversity of activities. Thus, in 2019, Sibiuguidenico.com, the place where all the beautiful experiences are gathered together, received a certificate of excellence for extraordinary results. How has an Easter trip with tourists gone so far? Nicoleta Ocneriu explains: “On the first day of Easter, we went to Mărginimea Sibiului where we visited the peasants and saw traditional customs. On the second day of Easter, we were in the Saxon area, where tourists enjoyed Saxon customs and visits to fortified churches. They appreciate the originality and simplicity of people, everything that is preserved with great care. We also had a marriage proposal on Paltinu peak, on Transfăgărășan. Lets not forget that here is also the most spectacular road in Europe, up to 2,000 meters above sea level. “
Flights from the most important European cities land at Sibiu International Airport. From the airport to the village of Rășinari, for example, the distance is about 16 km by car and can be covered in 25 minutes. (EE)
