This year, Sibiu competes for “Destination of the Year”, the most important project to promote tourist attractions / sights in Romania, with no less than nine proposals, in the 11 categories of the competition.
The heart of Transylvania offers dreamy, even unique destinations, including a UNESCO site with the oldest church altar in the historical region and “the most complicated lock in the world”, destinations with three Michelin stars, the oldest mountain resort in Romania , or fairy tale places.
These stop from Sibiu to Mărginimea Sibiului or Păltiniș, from the Astra Museum to Povestea Calendarului or Brambura Park, from Biertan to the Hills of Transylvania and continue on.
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Destination of the Year and the eight proposals of Sibiu in this Photo Collage competition
“Sibiu, young man from 1191”
To the category “Cities that inspire”under the title ““Young since 1191”, Sibiu competes with 11 other renowned localities, two of which are capitals of countries: Bucharest and Chisinau, or former capitals such as Iași and Suceava, or highly valued settlements from a tourist point of view, such as: Brașov, Constanta, Alba Iulia, Oradea, Cluj Napoca, Timișoara or Piatra Neamț.
“A city captivating through its historical past and tireless to reinvent itself, Sibiu is the perfect destination for an urban escape. Here, everything is accessible on foot or by bike: museums, parks, restaurants, cafes, food markets”is mentioned in the description of Sibiu, “city of culture and cultures”, which manages to transform year after year thanks to the local and international artists present at hundreds of performances of the FITS International Theater Festival or the TIFF Festival or the ASTRA Film Fest, or many other events that we will detail in a future edition.
The oldest mountain resort in Romania
To the category “Tourist Resorts”the county entered the race with Păltiniş, along with 15 other contenders such as: Mamaia, Bran, Băile Felix, Sinaia, Predeal or Borsec, etc.
“Since 1894, the story of mountain tourism has been written in Păltiniș”, mentions the oldest mountain resort in Romania, located at 1,442 m altitude, in the Cindrel Mountains. In addition to winter sports lovers, but not only, being a settlement of sports for all seasons, such as running, cycling, kiting, paragliding, etc., the resort has also become extremely attractive for nature lovers who come here to observe the stars, flora and wildlife, for foraging – picking mushrooms and berries, or yoga and mindfulness.
With the rehabilitation of all tourist routes, the mountain area became accessible to all ages and categories. And events such as: the Cycling Tour of Sibiu, the Păltiniș Challenge or the MTB-Păltiniș Triad have already become a tradition, but also the fact that here you can enjoy the famous cheese from Mărginime.
The wonderland of the Marginima of Sibiu
And because I still remembered “Lands with tradition and history”the famous Mărginime of Sibiu could not be missing from the competition, which competes alongside 10 other contenders such as: the UNESCO Geopark Buzăului Land, the Dacian Citadels of the Orăștiei Mountains, including Sarmisegetuza Regia, the historical Maramureș, the picturesque Neamțul, Ţara Oaşului, or the Land of the Monasteries of Bucovina , but also others. “The land of well-being”Mărginimea Sibiului represents the region in southern Transylvania famous for the tradition of shepherding and sheep cheeses such as telemea or burduf de monte.
Its picturesque villages hide spiritual, historical, architectural, cultural treasures, which tourists are invited to discover on foot or by bicycle, to enjoy traditional art, customs, local gastronomic dishes at renowned events such as: Peony mountain – Gura Râului or the Cheese and Oak Festival from Rășinari.
But Marginimea became “a paradise for initiation into sports, but also for challenges in local competitions such as the Burduf Challenge and Urme pe Play”which we will talk about on other occasions.
The hills of Transylvania with its 500 km of tourist trails and 60 fortified churches
In the category “Eco-tourism regions”, Sibiu is present, through a project that includes several counties:
“Hills of Transylvania”. Is about “a medieval landscape that you rarely find in Europe” between Târnava Mare, Olt and Hârtibaciului Valley, in the area between Sibiu, Mediaș, Sighisoara, Rupea and Șara Făgărașului.
The Colinele Transilvaniei eco-destination therefore represents a vast area that includes no less than 500 km of tourist routes, five UNESCO sites and 60 fortified churches, such as: Biertan, Saschiz, Sighisoara, Valea Viilor and Viscri. Here multicultural gastronomy meets the Rhubarb Festival and the Tuberose Festival, Mocănița from Hârtibaciului Valley, Terra Saxonum and many others.
For “Eco-tourism regions” however, there is fierce competition from destinations such as: the Danube Delta, Maramureș – Ţara Lăpușului, Băile Tușnad, Șara Dornelor, Șara Hațegului, Șinutul Zimbrului and others.
Biertan, the fairytale village with its unique altar and the most complicated lock
Biertanul could not be missing from the “Story Village” category, along with nine other such settlements, among which we would mention Fundata, Sâmbăta de Sus, both from Brașov, Ciocănești – Suceava or Corbi – Argeș.
One of the first Saxon settlements in Transylvania, Biertan Sibiu, part of the eco-tourism destination Colinele Transilvaniei, became famous once it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage, thanks to its fortified church with the largest painted altar in Transylvania, but also with the complex system of 19 locks operated simultaneously from the door of the sacristy, cataloged by those from the World Record Academy as “the world's most complicated lock and a gem of medieval technology”.
The Trekking Years, in the race for “Best Promotion”
In the race for “Best Promotion” of a tourist destination, the “Years of Hiking” project was also included, thanks to which the county's mountain trails were brought back into focus, as can be seen in the attached VIDEO.
Sibiu thus promotes tourism in nature through guided tours, available to anyone, at any time, regardless of season, age, physical condition, etc.
The magic of the Calendar Story and Brambura Park
To the category “Fun and Adventure”, Sibiu has two destinations in the race: Brambura Park and Povestea Calendarului, two very successful attractions on the Porumbacului Valley or Valea Zânelor, as the area at the foot of Făgăraș is also known. The competition also includes Dino Parc Râșnov and “Valea cu pești” from Brașov, as well as Dinosaur World Transylvania and Mini Transilvania Park from Hunedoara, along with other theme and amusement parks in the country.
The museum with three Michelin stars
In the “Cultural – educational attractions” section, Sibiu proposes the Astra Museum – the largest open-air ethnographic museum in Europe, which competes in this category with Bran Castle, Constanța Casino, Corvinilor Castle, Iași Palace of Culture and many others.
,“The ASTRA Museum is living proof of the fact that investments in museums, when accompanied by professionalism, produce effects not only at the local or regional level, but even internationally”sounds part of the description given to the ASTRA Museum by the authors of the Michelin Guide who awarded the institution from Dumbrava Sibiuului three stars.
Instead, in the race for “Destination of the Year 2024”Sibiu has no emissaries in the categories “Wellness”, “Epic Accommodation – Resorts”, “Epic Accommodation – Boutique” OR “Gastronomic experiences”.
