In this edition of Holistic Heritage we are in Romania, where we hike the Via Transilvanica with the trail’s co-founder Ana Szekely.

Ana stands behind the success of Via Transilvanica, the longest walking trail in Romania, by many considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Measuring 1,400 kilometres, it crosses seven regions and many differing ethnic communities across the country.

In 2023 Via Transilvanica won the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award – the highest recognition for heritage projects awarded jointly by the European Commission and Europa Nostra.

A year later, in August 2024, Katarzyna Jagodzińska and John Beauchamp from the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków travel south to Piatra Fântânele, the headquarters of Tășuleasa Social association. They have their walking boots on and are ready to explore Romania’s precious heritage.

You can always meet someone interesting on the trail! We bumped into Ewa Chwałko, a seasoned Polish hiker and writer who was walking the route from the end to the beginning in Putna, north of the Tășuleasa base.

We would also like to thank the family and staff at La căsuța din pădure gastronomic point for their kind hospitality and amazing meatball soup! Poftă bună!