Mărginimea Sibiului

Profesor coordonator: Frumuşelu MihaiStudenţi: Raicu Ionuţ BogdanRaicu Ionuţ Bogdan Niculescu Mihai LeonardoNiculescu Mihai Leonardo

In Transylvania, you will find villages clustered around ancient Saxon citadels, edifices that often enclose exquisite churches built by German settlers from the 12th to the 16th centuries. A lovely half-hour drive south of the medieval city of Sibiu takes you into the pastoral landscapes of Marginimea Sibiului, one of Transylvania's best-preserved ethnographic areas.

Located at the foothills of the Cindrel Mountains, Marginimea Sibiului (meaning Boundaries of Sibiu) represents a string of 18 traditional Romanian villages , rich in architecture, history and heritage. The 18 villages are: Boita, Sadu, Raul Sadului, Talmaciu, Talmacel, Rasinari, Poplaca, Gura Raului, Orlat, Fantanele, Sibiel, Vale, Saliste, Gales, Tilisca, Rod, Poiana Sibiului and Jina. They cover a large area of mountains, valleys, pastures, forests and springs.

Rasinari, dating to 1204, is the oldest settlement, followed by Talmaciu (1318), Orlat (1322) and Saliste (1354). This is where the Romanians, forced away by the hungarians and saxon authorities,climbed the mountains and built new villages in which no stranger was allowed to enter. Age-old traditions, customs and celebrations, as well as the traditional occupation of sheepherding, have been carefully passed down from generation to generation in the villages of this area.

In these lands here are many artisans and craftsmen today (leather men, blacksmiths , carpenters, glass painters) who keep preserving their customs. A trip in Mărginimea Sibiului it’s like stepping back in time ,when carriages pulled by horses were the main means of transport.In the summer you are woken up by the hens clucking and the cowbells ringing,as they idly walk along the little streets heading towards the pastures around the village. If the landscapes don’t manage to steal your heart away,surely the tasty dishes prepared by the local housewives will do the trick.