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.
Biertan
Valea Viilor
Cisnădie
Cisnădioara
Slimnic
Agnita
The Transfăgăraşan Road
Closed even through the supposedly less snowy
summer months many years!
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 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 trekked 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 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,
fat 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 endless 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.
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In the South side there are the Carpathian Mountains (Southern Carpathians)
- Făgăraş Mountains with heights over 2500 m, Lotru and Cindrel which
make up to 30% of the county's surface. The Olt River crosses the mountains
over to the South of Romania in Sibiu County forming one of the most
accessible link between Transylvania and Wallachia. In the North side
there is the Transylvanian Plateau.
County Sibiu extends to the high peaks of the Făgăraş
mountains in the southeast to the Cindrel mountains in the southwest.
The sloping alluvial plains of the Făgăraş valley
end at the Olt River, with the hilly territory of the Transilvanian
Plateau in the north east of Sibiu County.
The county's relief range from the highest of over 2,500 metres at
Negoiu Peak down to just 28 metres at the shores of the Big Tarnava
River.
Over a quarter of the county is covered by the Făgăraş,
Lotru and Cindrel mountains and half with
the higher Târnava, Hartibaci and Secase
plateaus.
The Rivers of County Sibiu
The most important rivers crossing the county are the Olt River
in the South with Cibin its main affluent, and the Târnava River in
the North.
The Sibiu region is criss-crossed with the some of Romania's greatest
rivers in their "mid life" portions of their runs, most notably the
mighty Olt River which takes it's waters from the high Fagaras mountains
and Bâlea Lac on it's run down to the Danube. The Olt gains much
from the Arpas, Cartisoara, Porumbac, and Avrig rivers,
with communities of the same names dotted along them.
Rivers in the northern part of the county include the Big
Târnava River along the villages of Laslea, Valchid,
Biertan, Mosna, and Visa. The waterscape in this region is dotted
with numerous lakes of diverse origins. The glacial lakes of
Podragu, Podragelu, Bâlea, Lake of the Lady,
Avrig, and Big Mountain Lake and Little Mountain Lake.
There are also a fair few artificial lakes along the
Sadu, Cibin, Hârtibăciu, and Olt Rivers.
Sibiu's Glacial Lakes
In the Făgăraş
Mountains, Bâlea Lac has ice in the summer months, below
in early July
Rivers which run from the south east spring from the Cindrel mountains
around Sebeş, Cisnădie and Sadu, all going into the Cibin river.
At Mohu, the Cibin takes the waters of the Hartibaciu
river, which courses through the hills which carry the same name.
The Main Localities
County Sibiu has the municipalities of Sibiu and Mediaş, the 9 towns
of Agnita, Avrig, Cisnădie, Copşa Mică, Dumbrăveni, Miercurea Sibiului,
Ocna Sibiului, Sălişte, and Tălmaciu.
There are also 53 communes throughout Sibiu County, amongst the
more reknown being Păltiniş, Răşinari,
Bâlea Lac. Other notable villages include Alţâna, Aţel,
Beneşti, Biertan, Boian, Dârlos, Ghijasa de Sus, Nocrich, Orlat, and
Poiana Sibiului.
Demography, Facts and Figures
County Sibiu Population
In 2002, Sibiu had a population of 421,724 and the population density
was 78/km˛, with two-thirds of the county being largely urbanised (about
the same as the United States generally).
The vast majority of the population are Romanians. There are communities
of Germans, Hungarians and Romas. Traditionally, the biggest minority
in the county were Germans, but their numbers have decreased in recent
history.
The south side of the county, closer to the mountains was mainly
inhabited by Romanians (Mărginimea Sibiului), and the north side of
the country - the Transylvanian Plateau was inhabited evenly by Germans
and Romanians, but most German villages are now deserted.
The Roma population, mainly from southern Romania was placed close
to the villages in the communist period and have since increased their
numbers.
Predominantly, County Sibiu people were shepherds who continuously
crossed the Carpathian Mountains, maintaining the essential link between
the Romanian communities to the north and south of the mountains. Activities
closely related to shepherding, such as wool and leather manufacturing,
are still well maintained in the area to this day.
Towns
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.
This website is a
general tourist guide, designed to help English-speaking tourists
understand Romania, and as such, provides historical
information for the interest of our traveller readers. History
can be a contentious issue, and we welcome input where readers think
clarification or correction is advisable. Please
e-mail us here
if you have questions or comments about anything in this history
section.
Sibiu Skyline
Bergers and Nobles mixed well in this ethnic
Romanian stronghold in southern Transilvania
The city was founded in 1190 by Saxon colonists settled in the area.
It was probably built near a Roman settlement, one that would have come
to be known during early medieval age as "Caedonia", which might have
been deserted at the time of the Saxons' arrival.
In the 14th century, it was already an important trade center. In
1376 the craftsmen were divided in 19 guilds. Sibiu became the most
important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania
its German language name of Siebenbürgen, and it was home to the Universitas
Saxorum, the Assembly of Germans in Transylvania. Common opinion in
the 17th century ascribed Sibiu the quality of being the easternmost
city to be part of the European sphere; it was also the eastern terminus
of postal routes.
Ethnic Romanian Stronghold
Sibiu County was a curious extension for many centuries of the Wallachian
culture to the south, with the area known as The Făgăraş
Country (Ţara Făgăraşului), making this
part of Transilvania more "Romanian" earlier on than other parts of
Hapsburg dominated Transilvania.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the county also became one of
the most important centers for ethnic Romanians in the region. The first
Romanian-owned bank had its headquarters here (The Albina Bank), as
did the ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and
Romanian's People Culture).
After the Romanian Orthodox Church was granted status in the Habsburg
Empire from the 1860s onwards, Sibiu became the Metropolitan seat, and
the city preserved its title as the third most important centre for
the Church in modern Romania. Between the 1848 Hungarian Revolution
and 1867 (the year of the Ausgleich), Sibiu was the meeting-place of
the Transylvanian Diet, which had taken its most representative form
after the Empire agreed to extend voting rights in the region.
The German Exodus
After World War I, when Austria-Hungary was dissolved, County Sibiu
became part of Romania; still, the majority of its population was ethnic
German and Hungarian. After 1990 most of the city's ethnic Germans emigrated
to Germany, after being de facto hostages of the Ceaşescu
regime (basically, he blackmailed relatives in Germany).
Among the roughly 2000 who remained was Klaus Johannis, who is currently
mayor of Sibiu.
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At 'Pearl of Arpasel' Pension - trout from 'Albota' - you will find it a tranquil oasis for your relaxation and battery-recharging, as well as a unique landscape for refreshing your soul. On the left bank of the Arpasel creek, 'Pearl of Arpas' situates at the foot of the Fagaras Mountain (the Alps of Transylvania), the highest mountain in Romania.
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