Hello, dear friends and
\nwelcome to another travel feature on Radio Romania International. This is DB at
\nthe microphone and today we invite you to the county of Harghita, located in Romania’s
\ncentral region. Here one can find the only volcanic lake in eastern Europe, the
\nSt. Anne Lake as well as the Praid salt mine, a genuine salt town at a depth of
\n120 meters from the surface. The region offers excellent conditions for mountain
\nhiking and is famous for its ski slopes very appreciated by winter sports
\nlovers. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Mezey Zsolt, project manager
\nwith the Intercommunity Development Association has told us that all the travel programmes
\nhere are very safe and family-friendly. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Mezey Zsolt: My
\nfirst suggestion is the Salt Land because here we are running a series of activities
\naimed at introducing several trades and involving visitors in them, based on
\nthe old principle, which says that ‘learning is doing’. This is an
\nunforgettable experience because tourists are being assisted by professionals
\nwhile getting involved in several activities related to one trade or another. Visitors
\ncan participate in pottery for instance, so they can take home the object they have
\ncreated with their own hands. Then we invite visitors to bake the famous k\u00fcrt\u0151skalacs
\nor polish aragonite jewels. You can find more details on our webpage at visitharghita.com.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Harghita has lots to offer
\nin terms of adventure tourism as well. Here is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt,
\nproject manager with the Intercommunity Development Association.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Mezey Zsolt: An experience
\nwhich is becoming increasingly popular is via ferrata. The name originates in the
\nItalian Dolomites and initially was a military infrastructure. It is actually a
\nclimbing route that employs steel cables, rungs or ladders fixed to rocks. The
\nGheorgheni-Red Lake route includes our via ferrata infrastructure dubbed ‘Wild
\nFerenc’ on the south-western side of Suhardul Mic Mountain. This route is 200
\nmeter long and 170 meters above the ground. Another suchlike infrastructure can
\nbe found on the Sugau Gorges nature reserve and is known as Astragalus. With a total
\nlength of 700 meters, it has five routes 285 meters from the ground. But I
\nbelieve the most beautiful of them all is in the Corbu village and it is known
\nas ‘The Hawks’ Stone’. This route, which covers 150 meters, includes a
\nsuspended 15-meters long bridge and a vertical section with stairs. This
\nprogramme is available between April and November but it very much depends on
\nthe weather. For more information, videos and photos of the aforementioned
\nroutes visit our webpage at visitharghita.com.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
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<\/p>\n
Another novel experience
\nwould be a trip to a genuine sheepfold, where one can learn first hand about
\nthis ancient trade and traditions related. Here visitors can enjoy a rich traditional
\nmeal consisting of several courses of delicious bio food. Specialised guides
\nwill be accompanying you on your trip and if you feel like getting a bit of an
\nadrenaline rush, the region offers proper conditions for trips in 4×4 vehicles.
\nHere is again at the microphone Mezey Zsolt. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Mezey
\nZsolt: In a well-equipped terrain vehicle, you can explore
\nthe Hasmas Mountains and the Bicazului Gorges. Upon request, the experience can
\nbe completed by a via-ferrata route in the region but there are also other
\nroutes available in various transport vehicles, such as the Unimog. A historical
\nroute can be covered in this vehicle or in a ZIL 157, an army truck built in
\nthe former USSR, which we have dubbed ‘the crocodile’. A 6×6 terrain vehicle
\noffers safety and comfort, and the routes have been chosen in such a way to
\noffer access to breath-taking views and other interesting spots along the way. We
\nalso have a one-hour guided tour of the botanical reserve at Tinov Mohos, which
\nis very interesting especially for kids as it takes them through an area, which
\nis a remnant of the Ice Age, where they can see carnivorous plants and other
\nrare species. Like I said, many of these plant species are dating back to the Ice
\nAge and I would invite visitors in the area to also take a boat trip on the St.
\nAnne Lake, as this experience has lately become very popular with families in
\ngeneral. The boats are big enough to take 3-4 people who are required to wear
\nlife vests, which come in all sizes.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Such a family-friendly
\nprogramme is the animal park of Babusgat\u00f3, where children can interact with
\nanimals and spend a great time. As we all know, animal therapy has been largely
\nused around the world with great effects on patients. Here is again at the
\nmicrophone Mezey Zsolt<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Mezey Zsolt: Here children can see and
\neven touch deer, Icelandic horses, rabbits and other cute animals. Another
\nfamily-friendly experience is the bob-sleigh race, which is actually crossing areas
\nof breath-taking beauty. There are three bob-sleigh tracks here, including a
\nsummer one, 15 hundred meter long, which can be accessed by means of the ski
\nlifts and I would like to inform you that the track in Toplita is the longest
\nin Romania stretching over almost 18 hundred meters. Most of it crosses a
\nforest and the bob-sleigh gains a speed of 40 kilometers an hour. Children with
\nages between three and eight can enjoy this experience only if accompanied by adults.
\nThe oldest track, located in the commune of Ghimes has recently become an
\nattraction for thrill-seeking tourists, who have described the landscapes here
\nas similar to those they have seen in Austria or Switzerland. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Tourists
\nvisiting the area are also offered another option; that of taking a one-day
\ntour of Transylvania, by visiting a multi-cultural theme park entitled
\nMini-Transylvania, showcasing replicas of the main historical buildings in this
\npart of Romania. The park is located close to Odorheiu Secuiesc and covers a
\nsurface of eight thousand square meters. (bill)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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