Fortified Curches from Transylvania

Brasov | Sibiu | Sighisoara

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Transylvania, with its name coming from Latin ultra silvam (beyond the forest), is one of the most interesting and surprising regions of Romania. Its German, Hungarian and Romanian cultural traditions play a great role in its cultural and ethnic diversity. The Transylvanian plateau is surrounded by mountain peaks and drained by sparkling rivers which makes it both a pleasant place for a relaxing holiday with a landscape pleasing to the eye and an exciting place for adventure-seeking travellers.

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DESPRE PHOTORAID 2004

Photoraid

The Shooting at the Gates project (Photo raid) aims to reaffirm and capture the outstanding value of Transylvania's fortified churches for its culture and tourism industry. The first step is a photo journey in Sibiu County. The participants will pass through picturesque locations full of charm, and rich with history but currently ignored and in an advanced state of disrepair.

The places we intend to visit are not part of the tourist trail, although they have a great social and historical value and are situated in an exquisitely beautiful landscape. Studies show that in recent years foreign tourists are increasingly interested in Romania. Unfortunately, due to a precarious media campaign, this interest is focused only on certain popular locations, which are often deprived of any information on their cultural background. One of the goals of our NGO is to draw into the tourist travel route places with high potential which are as yet unknown to mainstream tourism organisation and thus most tourists.

From over 150 buildings that made it through the years only seven are listed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites; these are: Valea Viilor, Biertan, Viscri, Saschiz, Prejmer, Darju and Calnic. Furthermore, only a few of these seven are candidates for restoration. The majority of the churches were built between the 13^th and 14th centuries.

Our enterprise is aiming to attract public attention to this matter and simultaneously revive a link between a somehow forgotten age and its current descendants. The outcomes of this photo raid will consist of photos and a video log. The photos will focus on two main aspects: people and places whilst depicting the life of medieval churches in modern times. All the materials will be shown to the public in a series of exhibitions in Romania and across Europe.

More about this project:
http://photoraid.dordeduca.ro/

Council Square

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Documentary movie - 15 EUR

Johann Schaas, curator of the Saxon church in Richiş (Germ. Reichesdorf, Reichersdorf, Hungarian Riomfalva) shares his beautiful memories using the Saxon dialect, about Transylvanian places that he loved and refused to leave, although it was against the historical constellation of the time. Documentary movie, 52 minutes. Subtitles: Romanian, English, German, French, Italian, Hungarian.

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In April and May you can witness the beginning of spring by admiring the blossomy fields and fruit trees, the fresh green of the grass, the flowery scents and the clear blue sky. This is an ideal time for experiencing the rebirth of nature and for taking fabulous pictures.

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These are some of the things you don't want to miss when you get here.

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You have to "taste" the local stuff for a real Transylvanian experience.

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The Fortified Churches are an unique and interesting fenomenon. They can be found in only a few places throughout Europe and there were more than 300 Fortified Saxon Churches in Transylvania.

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Proiect finantat de Guvernele Islandei, Principatului Liechtenstein si Norvegiei prin Mecanismul Financiar al Spatiului Economic European.
Pentru informatii oficiale despre Mecanismul financiar SEE si Programul Norvegian de Cooperare, accesati: http://www.eeagrants.org.
Continutul acestui site web nu reprezinta in mod necesar pozitia oficiala a Mecanismului Financiar SEE. Intreaga raspundere asupra corectitudinii si coerentei informatiilor prezentate revine initiatorilor site-ului web.