The Presentation of County Harghita

1.1 County Harghita is placed on the Transylvanian Platform in the central region of the Oriental Carpathians.
The county being one of the smallest counties of the country has 6639 sq kms representing 2.8% of the territory of the country. The main trait of the relief consists in the prevailing of the mountain areas, the latter occupying more than 60% of the territory of the county. Three main units of relief can be distinguished: mountains with a 2000 m height, hills with medium heights (around 800 m) and intra-mountain and intra-hill depressions with heights between 400-800 m.
The mountain relief is grouped in two parallel chains on the northwest-southeast direction. In the central part are situated the volcanic chains of the mountains Gurghiu (with the top Prisca, 1777 m), Central Harghita Mountains (with the top Harghita Madaras, 1801 m) and South Harghita Mountains (with the top Cucu, 1558 m).
The hydrographic network consists in three main basins: Mures, towards west (with Târnava Mare and Târnava Mica), Olt towards South (with Homorodul Mare and Homorodul Mic) and Bistrita and Trotus towards east.
In the county there is the only lake of the country, which has volcanic origin, St. Anne's Lake, placed in the picturesque area of the volcanic crater Ciomatu with a height of 950 m.
In the mountains of Giurgeu, along the national road DN.12.C it is situated the biggest natural dam lake of the country, Lacu Rosu having a surface of 12.6 ha and a depth of 10.5 m. Near the top Rachitis from Calimani Mountains there is the frigid origin lake, Iezeru, with a surface of 1300 square m. and a depth of 3-5 m.

1.2. Natural Resources
The county has many springs of mineral waters, their number is around 2000. At Borsec, Sâncraieni, Tusnad, Plaies function water-packing units and at Borsec and Tusnad Spa a part of these waters are used for therapeutically purposes.
The underground of the county contains deposits of volcanic tufa (the Depression of Borsec and Ciuc), lignite (Borsec), pyrites of copper (Balan and Jolotca), salt (Praid) caoline (Harghita Bai), clays (Corund, Suseni, Odorheiul Secuiesc), basalt (Toplita and Galautasi), compact limestone (Izvorul Muresului and Lazarea), andesite (Chileni, Voslobeni, Vlahita, Praid) and travertin (Borsec).
The forest source occupies more than 30% of the county's surface. There are spruce fir, fir, oak and beech forests that host rich and various genetic faunas and important resources of forest fruit: blueberry, raspberry, gooseberry, apples and blackberry and various assortments of mushrooms and medicine plants.

1.3. Protected Areas
The geographical position of the county, at the contact of the Oriental Carpathians with the Transylvania Basin, as well as the existent geological forms, give the county a diverse natural frame and various faunal and floral geo-background.
The geological and paleo geographical evolution of the territory had as result geological phenomena, relief forms, specific fitocenosys with relic species, which have been considered in right to be protected due to their beauty, rarity and scientific value.
National parks with exceptional value:
- The National Park "Cheile Bicazului - Hasmas" with a surface of 6575 ha from which 50% on the territory of County Harghita and the rest on the territory of County Neamt;
- The National Park "Calimani" with a surface of 24041 ha from which around 10% on the territory of County Harghita and the rest on the territories of the counties Mures, Suceava, Bistrita-Nasaud.
In the protected areas of Harghita there are to be found almost all the major types of life places: life places of sweet waters/ humid zones, swamps/coal, grass forms/lawns/bushes, forests, rocks-caves, with a prevailing presence of life places of swamps/coal and carstique with floral, geological and landscape values.
On these areas we have 36 reservations and monuments of nature that occupy 5167.5 ha, around 0.78% of the surface of the county (accordingly to the annex 1 of the law 5/2000).
Most of the protected areas are part of the eco-region of the Oriental Carpathians (28) and some (8) in the Transylvanian Plateau.
Accordingly to the decision of the council of the county the natural reservations of Harghita are the following ones:

Crt. Nr.	Reservation name	Placement (commune, village, city)	Surface (ha)
1.	Cheile Bicazului, Lacul Roşu	Gheorgheni	2 128
2.	Masivul Hăşmaş Piatra Singuratica	Sândominic	800
3.	Cheile Vârghişului – caves from gorges	Mereşti	800
4.	Saint Ana Lake	Lăzăreşti	240
5.	Tinovul Mohoş	Lăzăreşti
6.	Tinovul Luci	Sâncrăieni	273
7.	După Lunca Swamp	Voşlobeni	40
8.	Tinovul Kicsi Romlásmező	Plăieşii de Jos	15
9.	Narciselor Glade	Vlăhiţa	20
10.	Piemontul Nyíres	Joseni, Borzont	20
11.	Pietrele Roşii	Tulgheş	10
12.	Botanical reservation	Borsec	2
13.	The great Swamp	Remetea	4
14.	Valea de Mijloc Swamp	Tuşnad Nou	4
15.	Nádas Bai Swamp	Tuşnad Nou	4
16.	Nyírkert Swamp	Tuşnad	4
17.	Swamp Beneş	Tuşnad, Vrabie	4
18.	Dobreanului Swamp	Bilbor	4
19.	Lacul Iez er Reservation – Călimani	Topliţa	322
20.	Borsáros Swamp	Sâncrăieni	1
21.	Piatra Şoimilor	Băile Tuşnad	1
22.	Dumbrava Harghita Swamp	Lueta	2
23.	Mlaştina Büdös, Sântimbru	Sântimbru	3
24.	Firtos Hill	Corund	40
25.	Sânpaul Birds Stop	Mărtiniş, Sân paul	210
26.	Şugău Cave	Valea Strâmba	17
27.	Avenul Likas	Gheorgheni	5
28.	Bányapatakfeje	Sântimbru	10
29.	Filiaş mudy volcanoes	Cristuru Secuiesc	1
30.	The salted Mountain	Praid	60
31.	Melcului Hill	Corund	8
32.	Rat Lake	Porumbenii Mari	10
33.	Termal Water Fall	Topliţa	0,5
34.	Scaunul Rotund Borsec	Borsec	40
35.	Csemő Swamp	Tuşnad	5
36.	The devil’s Lake	Carta	20

1.4. Historical Data
Regarding the history of these places there are controversial problems discussed by historians: When has the Szekler population settled on this territory? What origin are they? But since the chronicles have been described them they confirm that their native tongue is and it always has been the Hungarian one.
According to some historical sources it is shown that the Szeklers in the Trei Scaune areas, Ciuc, Odorhei and Gheorgheni, have been settled in the 13th century in order to defend the eastern boarders.
The written sources of that century, the Papal registers from 1333-1334, mention several placements inhabited by this people in the areas of Ciuc, Odorhei and Gheorgheni.
Being a military people, the kings had given it special privileges for maintaining the ethnical and social customs. This allowed the occurrence of different social strata.
This division appears in the same time with the foundation of the independent principality in the 14th century. In hadn't corresponded to the military and economical conditions and it led to various outbursts against sovereigns as Zsigmond Janos, Istvan Bathori and Zsigmond Bathori. The sovereigns of the 17th century admitted the privileges that they had part of for the services brought to the sovereign but soon as Ardeal had entered under the Habsburg domination in 1690, the Szeklers had to obey the new conditions. These conditions and especially the obligation of joining to the border armies led to the outburst of Siculeni in 1764, outburst put down with ruthless violence (known in history as SICULICIDIUM) by the Habsburg army.
The outbursts from 1601-1602 and the repeatedly invasions of the Tartars in 1657-1661 and 1694 brought great disasters in these places.
The Szeklers had a special contribution to the wars of independence led by Ferenc Rakoczi the 2nd, to the revolution from 1848-1849 when the Szeklers gathered at Lutita where they decided the joint to the revolution making peace with the other peoples from Transylvania. In summer of the year 1849 (31st July-1st August) between Ciuc and Casin on the top of the Nyerges took place one of the last lost fights during the revolution.
During the dualism on the present territory of the county there were two counties - Ciuc and Odorhei and the area of Toplita belonged to County Mures-Turda. Because of the lack of natural resources and that of the railways, the Szeklers' lands developed slower than the other ones, after the construction of the railway it developed only the wood industry. The First World War had crushed the process of social and economical development of the beginning of the century.
Beginning with 1920 the political structures had been changed. Transylvania becomes a part of the Romanian country. The inhabitants of these lands tried to adopt themselves to the new social and life conditions.
The architectonic monuments from the eastern and western part maintain today what they have inherited from the western Christian culture. Here can be found gothic and renaissance monuments placed at the eastern limit of the European cultural area.
In the 13th century in Odorheiu Secuiesc was built the Jesus Chapel, conceived in a classic shape of a church with four small towers, being witness of the Later Romanic style in Transylvania. One of the most beautiful popular gothic buildings is the church-fortress of Carta, built in the 15th century, having bulwarks and gothic gate-tower and sharp windows. Another architectonic pearl is the tower of the church of Racu-Ciuc built in the 14th century and the exterior mural paintings are a real treasure. The frescos of the wall of the church-fortress of Darjiu have been kept since the 14th century representing the legend of Saint Ladislau. But what is special about it is the fact that in the walls of the fortress had been created niches in which even nowadays are kept the cereals of the village and food in general.
We could continue the list with the Unitarian church of Inlacen, the catholic church of Joseni, the reformed church of Daia, the church of Sumuleu Ciuc, the Church St. John of Delnita, the monument church from Armaseni and the orthodox monastery of Toplita.
Among historical monuments we remind only a few fortress such as Miko fortress from Miercurea Ciuc, the ruin-fortress of Odorheiul Secuiesc and the Lazar castle of Lazarea.

1.4.1. Documentary Certifies
1232 - the city of Gheorgheni is mentioned in the papal register
1332-1333 - the places Toplita-Ciuc, Sumuleu, Jigodin and Cristuru Secuiesc (Santa Crux - as it is mentioned in the papal register of fees) are founded
1558 - the first documentary certification of the city Miercurea Ciuc
1878 - the city Miercura Ciuc becomes residence of county Ciuc
1968 -county Ciuc changes its name to Harghita

1.5 The Infrastructure
1.5.1. The Road Network
The road network of county Harghita contains seven national roads (DN 11 B, DN12, DN12A, DN12C, DN13A, DN13B, DN15) with a total length of 415 km, 35 county roads with a length of 804 km and 51 communal roads with a total length of 229 km.
Today the state of the county and communal road network is as follows
- from 804 km county roads and 229 km communal roads:
- on 253 km of road public traffic is not allowed since 1988;
- 331 km of road are modernised (32%) from which 267 km have easy pavements and 245 km have exceeded by 11-14 years the standard service period;
-555 km of stoned roads (54%), that present an advanced usage on the whole length and on 126 km traffic is not allowed (both the infra-structure and the over-structure is deteriorated);
-147 km of land roads (14%)
The damaged state of the roads is due to the reduced funds that are given for the repairing activity and investment works on the county roads.

1.5.2. The Railway Network
The total length of the railway network of county Harghita is 213 km, from which 165 km electric line. The main line nr.400 crosses the county north-south (from Tusnad towards Toplita); from this line braking up the line 501 from Ciceu towards Moldavia through the gorge of Ghimes. From the main line with east-west direction nr.300 at Vanatori breaks up a line towards Odorheiu Secuiesc.

1.6. The Population
According to the situation on 1st January 2000 the county had 342123 inhabitants among whom 45.4% live in the two municipalities and seven cities and a number of 187107 in the countryside (54.6%).
In the county there are 49 communes having inhabitants between 1700-7100. There are communes that have in administration 1-2 villages and others 9-16 villages, hamlets.
From the point of view of the nationality the population of the county is divided in the following way: Romanians (13.7 %), Hungarians (85.1%), Germans (0.1%), the Romany people (1%) and other nationalities (0.1%).
From the point of view of the religion the population is: 65.7% roman-catholic, 13% orthodox, 12.8% reformed, 7.2% Unitarians and 1.3% other religions.
The population from eastern part of the county of the depressions of Gheorgheni and Ciuc is catholic, orthodox of the area of Toplita and reformed in the area of Odorhei-Cristur.
The most important religious centre is Sumuleu-Ciuc (it belongs to Miercurea Ciuc) where year after year on the celebration of "Rusalii" gather Hungarians from the whole Szekler region, Csangos of the Valley Trotus and from other communes of the neighbouring cities.
Here come parishioners from abroad and they take part in the religious services celebrated by high magistrates of the church.
This holy day is celebrated since 1576, but in a papal document of the year 1544 that approved the building of a Franciscan church, Sumuleu Ciuc was already mentioned as a pilgrim place.
The population of the county in comparison with the census of the year 1910 grew with 43.3%, an important growth had the Romanian population (236.8%), but the number of other nationalities (Germans, Jews and Armenians) diminished. The number of the inhabitants of the urban area at the census made in January 1992 is: Mircurea Ciuc 45737 inhabitants (37913 Hungarians), Odorheiul Secuiesc 38569 (37926 Hungarians), Tusnad 1850 (1805 Hungarians), Balan 9400 (3236 Hungarians), Borsec 3068 (2451 Hungarians), Cristuru Secuiesc 10875 (10350 Hungarians), Toplita 16828 (4876 Hungarians), Gheorgheni 21129 (18885 Hungarians) and Vlahita 7560 (7501 Hungarians).

1.7. The Human Settlements and Local Architectural Values
During centuries the population of these region had been living mainly in the countryside. Beginning with the 18th century the development of urbanism is remarkable and today almost half of the inhabitants live in the urban area.

1.7.1. Urban Settlements of County Harghita
Miercurea Ciuc (municipality, residence of the county) - place known from the 15th century, with documentary certification dated in 1558 where it is mentioned as a fair-town (Oppidum Mercurium).
Odorheiu Secuiesc (municipality) - the place appears in the papal cashiers' register from 1333 with the name of "Uduorhei" and in the year 1485 it becomes a fair-town.
Tusnad -Baths (town) - the resort known from the 17th century receives the rank of town only in 1968.
Balan (town) - the place founded after the discovery of copper deposits in the 19th century becomes town in 1968.
Borsec (town) - one of the most famous places in the county, mentioned for the first time in 1686 and it became town in 1956.
Cristuru Secuiesc (town) - place mentioned in the papal cashiers register from 1333 under the name of "Sancta Cruce"; it becomes town in 1459.
Gheorgheni (town) -the place is mentioned first under the name of "Giorgio" on the list of the papal cashiers from 1333. It becomes town only in 1726 although in that place a lot of well-known fairs took place from the beginning of the 17th century.
Toplita (town) - place from the 15th century; becomes town in 1714.
Vlahita (town) - the first authentic document about it dates from 1406 but it becomes of town only in 1968.
A part of the architectural values belonging to the old towns represent churches and mansions of the villages, that had initially contributed to the foundation of settlements and that were later added to the towns. The character of these towns is determined by old, beautiful public buildings: mayoralties and courthouses, banks, schools, hospitals, restaurants and shops, old industrial buildings (printing houses, bear factory, workshops, mills, electric station), as well as private houses built in the 19th century. Becoming relatively recently towns, the atmosphere of the resorts Tusnad and Borsec is determined by the old and beautiful mansions and pensions.

1.7.2. The Rural Settlements of County Harghita
Village residences of commune - after the census of January 1992 in the county exist 49 village residence of commune. The majority of these places are very old, 20 of them being mentioned in the papal cashiers register between 1332-1334 and other 19 places are registered with the occasion of the census made in 1567. Seven of the present residence villages are founded in the 17th century, in the 19th century two, in the 20th century only one.
The component villages of communes and the villages belonging to municipalities or towns - the census of January 1992 registers 187 component villages of the communes and 19 villages belonging to municipalities or towns. More than 50% of these places had existed before the census made in 1567, out of which 31 villages being mentioned in the period of 1332-1334 as well, in the papal cashier's register. In the 17th -18th centuries 11 places had been founded, the rest of the villages were being founded in the 19th century and especially in the 20th century.
The churches, the chapels, the wood steeples and the perish houses on the one hand and the mansions, farms, houses, the water mills and saw mills on the other hand are the most attractive architectural values of the settlements of the county. The most popular built elements are the famous wood gates of the Szeklers that can be found in the majority of the county's villages.

1.8. The Economical Structure
The economy being regressive after December 1989 was prevailed by macro-tensions: the rising inflation, the decreasing of the internal production and closely related to it the unemployment, the budgetary deficit and the payment deficit. Obviously this situation has reflected in the economical and social life of the county, in the first years of transition the export and production volume suddenly diminishing (to which contributed the interaction of the co-operation links inside CAER), the unemployment became a constitutive element of the social and economical life. The number of the employee represents only 75% of the number registered in 1989. The private sector, this has appeared since 1990 because of objective reasons couldn't face the negative effects registered.
In the last two years an economic stability was registered and also a slight increase of the production, of exports, of investment activities. The inflation rate was reduced but these positive phenomena couldn't influence strongly the situation of the labour force, the real incomes of the population couldn't improve some social problems and they couldn't re-launch the solutions of the severe problems related to the infrastructure in the wide meaning of the word.

1.8.1. The Industry
The industrial activities have developed by exploiting and processing the wood and by the food, textile and knitwear and manufacture industries.
During the last years the importance of the industry in the economy of the county has increased so that today beside the main industrial branches linked to the natural resources found in the soil and sub-soil, the industrial activity is present through almost all its branches.
The most meaningful importance of the industrial production of the county belongs to the wood processing and exploiting industry relied on the resources of raw materials existing in the territory. And that represents around 27-28% of the total, followed by the food industry 20-21%, textile and leather industry with 15-16%.
Smaller rates are owned by the extractive branch 9%, the metallurgy 0.8-1%, cars-making 3-4%, the industry of the electronic and the Electro-technical products and fine mechanics - 2-2,5%, the industry of chemical and petrochemical products - 2.8-3% and others.
In comparison with the previous years a decreasing can be seen in the activity of metal processing and cars-making industry. It is also felt the beginning of an increasing in the field of wood processing, textile production, meat and milk products and liqueurs, materialised through re-launching and the variety of the goods offered.
An important part of these products are turned to good at export, during ages gaining the trust of the clients of the external market, clients that had invested important amounts in the development and renewal of the technology of the industrial units of the county.
From 8465 commercial companies and administration units registered in the Trade Register, 30 have state capital, 47 have mixed capital, 845 own a foreign and Romanian mixed capital and 623 are other types of economic agents.

1.8.2. The Agriculture
Another important branch of the economy of the county is represented by agriculture.
The agricultural field of County Harghita is of 406.4 thousands ha, from which 92.7 thousands ha arable field, a medium of 1.15 ha/inhabitant. The natural lawns occupy 312.3 thousands ha ensuring extremely favourable conditions for growing animals, a very important sector from the point of view of the incomes of the population.
Regarding the structure of the cultures there are differences between the areas of the county.
In Odorheiu Secuiesc and Cristuru Secuiesc where the climate is soft, the production of straw cereals and maize occupy the greatest part of the arable areas, as well as vegetables, sugar beet, flax and potatoes.
In the areas of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Toplita the straw cultures (autumn wheat, barley, oat) and the potatoes occupy the main place in the crop rotation being followed by flax and sugar beet. The potatoes for consume and seeds of superior biological categories are cultivated on big surfaces in Tusnad, Sanmartin, Sansimion and Miercurea Ciuc. The total annual production of the potatoes in Harghita is in average of 2000 tonnes.
The growing of animals is a primordial occupation. In 2000 there were 80000 horned cattle (from which cows and heifers almost 56000), 78000 swine, 173000 sheep, 12000 bee families.
The raw material provided by this sector is entirely processed in the private sector and it is commercialised in this way.

1.8.3. Trade and Public Services
The selling of goods through detailed trade - which expresses the state of physical and structural equilibrium on the market of consumed goods and it reflects the stage of economical evolution and especially the social perception of it - diminished continuously, in 1996 reaching to a percentage of only 56% in comparison with 1989.
The registered influences as a result of diminishing the budgetary subventions, of freedom of commercial adding, of the introduction of the added value tax, of depreciation of the coin (Lei) that determined the explosion of the prices, show their effects today, too, by over soliciting the profit margins and a sort of price rigidity.
The emphasised increasing of consume prices in comparison with that of salaries and pensions, that represent the biggest part of population's incomes, determined on the one hand the decreasing of the solvent demand and the change of priorities in the structure of expenses in household budgets, increasing the expenses for food on the other hand.
The sales volume on the countryside market has increased especially for vegetables, this segment of commercialisation contributing in a great percentage to the provisioning of the population, taking into consideration the peculiarity of County Harghita regarding the reduced opportunities of producing vegetables.
The network of detailed trade units continued to extend relying on the entrepreneur and on the companies with private capital. In the meantime, it was ascertained a strong trend of reducing the specialisation degree (at state and private) whose motivation is the competition and desire of ensuring a greater flexibility in adjusting to the present demands of the markets. Beginning with 1990, besides co-operative and state trade, the private trade rapidly diversified so that from the total of more than 3000 commercial units almost 95% are private commercial societies. As a trait of the new trade configuration, maybe the most rapidly adjusted to the conditions of the market economy, it is relevant the fact that from the total of commercial units only 300 have exclusively commercial activity, the others having activities of production, transport and services, too.
The commercial units of the state are usually administrated by tenancy, especially in the food sector and public alimentation and by renting characteristic especially non -food sector. Unfortunately these administrative forms did not result in the improvement of the quality of commercial activity, many units having been irrationally exploited, unsupported, with mixed profiles and the "mother" commercial units have transformed in "rent collector" and "collector of demurrage fees".
The commercial services performed for the population continued to decrease (representing only 26,2% in comparison with 1989) especially in the case of the services where the increasing of the taxes outran the group's average. So, the services own a less significant part in the consume expenses of the population, this reducing trend having been shown since 1990, reflecting the influence of the transitions' social costs. It is registered an important phenomenon of reduction concerning the whole commercial services of the state incorporated sector and the increase of private sector's importance in the meantime
Although in commercial services, the private sector has an important role, of 65% in 1996, it doesn't have enough resources yet in order to ensure quality services accordingly to the beneficiaries demands. In the field of industrial services, of constructions, of serving population, the commercial societies with state capital are replaced step by step by private firms or family associations that hold the second place after the commercial firms.
Today, the main activities of performing services are: the means of transport with 29.7%; hotels and restaurants 18%; financial services 10%; telecommunications 9.3%; real estate transactions 7.3%; car repairs 6.2%.
The inhabitants of the county have always had commercial links with the neighbouring places.
The natural wealth of these lands especially the fir and the beech forests allowed the selling of wood products to be an important source of income for the population.
The cities and communes of the county, especially those of the Valley of Mures and Olt, have been a good market area for wheat, maize, fruits, vegetables and wines brought from the neighbouring counties, from Moldavia, Country Barsei and the Valley of Tarnave
A good part of commercial exchanges has been taking place in fairs since old times. Among the products characteristic to fairs and market the most significant are the folk pottery of Corund and Danesti, wood tools, tubs, clothes out of hemp and flax and different food products.

1.9. Culture
1.9.1. Museums and historical monuments
County Harghita is extremely rich in architectural values, the built national heritage (including the vernacular one) containing around 1300 elements. 12 monuments and architecture ensembles of the county as well as archaeological parks are considered to be historical monuments with an exceptional national value. Beginning with February 2000 the fortified Unitarian church and the peasant fortress of the commune Darjiu are on the list of world heritage of the UNESCO
The fortress Miko has become the symbol of the city and it is the oldest historical monument in Miercurea Ciuc. It dates since the 16th century and it was twice rebuilt in 1623 under Ferenc Miko's the guidance (after the Szeklers' outburst in 1595) when it is called Mikoujvar ('the new fortress of Miko') and after the invasion of Turks (1661), between 1714-1716 under the giudance of the imperial general Stephan Steinville. The copy of the plan of the fortress (1735) has been kept up to now. Today in the fortress it is the Szekler Museum of Ciuc with temporary and permanent exhibitions presenting different objects related to history, architecture, natural environment, popular occupations, scholar and church art characteristic to this region. Here is to be found the history of the County Library including the valuable library of Franciscans with several very old books as well as the documentary library. Behind the fortress it is placed the Ethnographical Museum containing rural houses typical to the region and 15 Szekler gates. In the yard of the fortress annually takes place the Old Music Festival known world-wide.
Sumuleu is the oldest district of Miercurea Ciuc, being mentioned in the papal cashier registers in 1333. The church built between 1804-1835, the Franciscan monastery and the four chapels are the most well known buildings of this catholic pilgrim centre.
The fortified churches of the villages represent a category of major importance of the historical monuments. The majority of these churches were older buildings (late Roman or early Gothic), being mentioned on the lists of papal cashiers between the years of 1332-1334 and than towards the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the next one they have been fortified and transformed according to the late gothic style, accordingly to the changed demands. The invasions of the Turks that had become permanent towards the end of the 15th century made important to create a self-defence organisation and thus took place the fortification of the Szekler churches. The first fortification was realised appeared in the second half of the 15th century and the first half of the next one, period that is similar to the rebuilding of the Szeklers' churches in late gothic style. Such churches enclosed with a relative short interior made of stone we can find in places like Ocland, Petreni, Lutita, Feliceni, Porumbenii Mari, Satu Nou, Forteni and Nicoleni. The most important fortifying in the depression of Ciuc from this period is the church-fortress of Carta. To the second generation belong those ensembles which were built in the first half of the 17th century during the reign of Gabor Bethlen and Gyorgy Rakoczi the 1st (Darjiu, Martinis, Mihaileni, Nicolesti, Racu, Ciucsangeorgiu). The area of Ciuc had been influenced only in small degree by invasions of the Turks, the fortication being necessary only in the 17th century when the Tartars began to invade the region. In this period, were built the short stone interiors with bulwarks around churches of Tomesti, Leliceni, Armaseni, Misentea, Santimbru, Sanmartin, Cozmeni and Delnita. These ensembles are the most characteristic manifestations of the Szekler society in the Middle Age.
From the point of view of the built heritage of the 15th-16th centuries the village Lazarea has an important role because of the following reasons: the church and chapel from the 15th century, a Franciscan Monastery from the 17th century and the Lazar castle which is one of the few Renaissance castles existing in whole Transylvania built by Gabor Bethlen. Today in the re-built rooms of the castle it is exposed the collection of the International Creative Camp of Plastic Arts founded in 1974.
One of the programmes for protecting the built heritage initiated after 1990 has been functioning in county Harghita, too, at Laceni. Thank to the Foundation Transylvania Trust of Cluj Napoca, the rural architectural national heritage has been protected since 1996 applying a specific system. The annual donation is overtaken by the owners of the buildings with historical value - with the condition to keep the architectural values of the buildings, to appeal to the foundation for specialised counselling regarding the changes intended. The donation for restoration covers the expenses of important works and the amount is given according to applications. All the activities of the programmes are based on a huge research project.
In the collections of the museum there are more than 200000 pieces presenting the history, culture and civilisation of these places. There are manuscripts of old books and printings like those from the well-known library of Franciscans from Sumuleu being in the present kept and conserved at the Szekler Museum of Ciuc. Among these there are the following ones: Codex Kajoni, the author Johannes Kajoni (1629-1687) being the founder of the first printing house in Sumuleu Ciuc; printings and manuscripts belonging to the scholars Mihaly Cserei, Ferenc Miko, Balazs Orban and Janos Kriza.
The Museum Haaz Rezso of Odorheiu Secuiesc owns a documentary library as well (books with great value - around 8000 volumes).

a. Significant cultural-artistic manifestations of the county
Upon the diversity of folklore and that of folk art in general a certain peculiarity had imposed as a result of the co-existence through the centuries of Romanians and Hungarians on these territories to which was added the geographical variety. Thus there were favourable conditions for the development of some different occupations like agriculture, shepherding, wood processing, mining out of which comes the domestic occupations: pottery, being representative the centres of Corund and Danesti, wood carving, shingling, painting the wood furniture, texturing, spinning, embroidery, sewing in geometrical and floral adornment, knitting straws and wattle, egg-painting.
Genuine creations or variants of world wide circulated creations richly represent the literary, musical and choreographic folklore of this region. The ballads and the legends like those about St. Anne's Lake, rivers Mures and Olt, and that of the Horse from the Firtusu Mauntain, the Red Lake are real pearls of the folklore constituted in a variable treasure of spirituality which has lasted.

   1.9.2. Folk Costumes
The Romanian mail folk costume: hat with large brims - winter tall hat - half long shirt with large opened sleeves reaching the knees, trousers of white cloth and in summer tight peasant trousers of white cloth. Upon the tight shirt on the waist like a beautiful belt, a black waistcoat is worn or a singled with flowers upon which a long coat can be taken.
The Romanian female folk costume: scarf with flowers, the shirt with sleeves and flower sewing on the shoulder, with embroidered hens, tight on the waist upon the belt; sheepskin coat designed with floral elements hemstitched with fur. In winter are worn sheepskin made of lambs' fur or long coat, boots with a high top or shoes.
The male Szekler folk costume: black cloth hats and in winter hat rounded at the top; shirt made of cloth with cuff and close collar. Upon the shirt black, grey, white, red or blue waistcoat designed with braid; trousers of white cloth tied on the leg, which differs from village to village depending on the way of applying the laces. Over the waistcoat it is a grey or black coat made of cloth or also a black jacket; black boots with soft-top.
The female Szekler folk costume: the women wear scarf tied under the chin and girls knit their hair in one or two pigtails and they put a long ribbon or a bow and on their neck they wear beads in one colour. The young or older wives have their hair in a loop covered with a scarf it is worn the shirt without collar wave at the neck or shirt with the collar indented - both kind of shirts close at the sleeve with a button. Over the shirt it is worn a short waistcoat tailed with a slim shape from the dress's material mixed with velvet. The adornment of the waistcoat is done with laces, beads and buttons.
The female clothes are different by the dress made up from waved cloth - waved skirts - at waist and upon the low border it is applied a velvet hem. The cloth of the dresses has colourful stripes, the wideness and the colour component being different from village to village. Upon the large dress it is worn an apron made up of the dress's material with a various adornment which is done by cloth or sewing floral motives and lace. They wear boots, shoes or sandals.
The chronic of these part of the country talks about the life and the activity of some important personalities among which we remark Gyorgy Nagy and Ambrus Gyepes, the leaders of the peasant's outbursts from 1562; Vasile Negrea from Odorheiu Secuiesc, captain of Ferenc Rakoczi the 2nd; Peter Zold, the organiser of the protest movement against Habsburg absolutism and that of the manifestations from Siculeni (1762-1764); Sandor Gal, a revolutionary from 1848-1849 near general Bem; Johannes Kajoni, scholar of the 17th century; Mihaly Cserei, scholar who wrote about the events of the year 1661-1711; Balazs Orban, Elek Jakab, Imre Nagy, historians, scientists and researchers of folklore and geography of these lands; Aron Tamasi, Laszlo Tompa, Octavian Taslauanu, Sandor Tomcsa, writer; Bela Jozsa (1898-1943) militant of the workers movement of Romania in the year 1943; Erno Szalamon (1907-1943), poet and revolutionary; Istvan Nagy, Ferenc Marton, Miklos Kollo, plastic artist; dr. Janos Banyai, geologist

1.10. Tourism
Framing harmoniously in the regions of the Oriented Carpathians were tourism is practised all year long (cure and mineral waters baths), winter sports, the county of Harghita owns a special touristic potential of places pleasure famous all over Romania and abroad among which we remark the watering and balneoclimateric resorts Tusnad, Borsec, Lacu Rosu, Izvorul Muresului or monuments of natures as Saint Anne's Lake, the gorges of Bicaz, the Glade of Daffodils and others. Besides the three water climateric and watering resorts of national interest there are other 20 resorts of local interest. The therapy peat and the mud are a significant treasure of the county with their possibilities of revaluation in the future.
The county owns several historical monuments important from the point of view of tourism such as the baroque complex of Sumuleu rebuilt in 1804, which has one of the biggest organ of Transylvania, the Miko fortress of Miercurea Ciuc built in 1611 hosts the Ethnographical Museum of the county, St. Ilie Monastery of Toplita built in 1910, the castle and complex of museum of Lazarea built towards the middle of the 16th century, the wood church of Tulghes built in 1813, the forge from Vlahita (1860), the church from Sacel on whose steeple it is written "by this place passed the enlightened teacher Gh. Lazar in 1806", as well as the museums of Odorheiu Secuiesc, Cristuru Secuiesc and Gheorgheni where still can be seen the marks of the human existence of these lands from the oldest times.
The natural potential of tourism, very valuable, but not sufficiently capitalised includes in the present around 2000 mineral water springs, mud, peat, salt works strongly ozone-aired, rich in aerosols and negative ions, picturesque natural environment and national reservations.
Arranged potential of tourism contains 194 accommodation units among which 17 hotels, three inns, 149 mentions, 14 huts, 8 camping places and 3 children camps with 9745 accommodation places, from this point of view County Harghita is the 6th in the country.
The degree of comfort of these units is very reduced (the majority is one star hotel) and the degree of attendance is reduced to 25.2% in comparison with 43.1%, which represents the medium index of the country.

1.10.1. Mountain Tourism and Tourists' Paths
Created by men for economical reasons (shepherding or as a result of the mountain economy) the paths that cross the mountains became interesting objectives for those who love nature and for those who want to admire the beauty of a mountain landscape.
What is that makes us to feel such a great sympathy for certain paths? The mountain isn't anything else but a huge field sorrowed by stones, rocks forests, bushes the values of which are the one we want to award and on this always virgin stuff everyone can model after his own imagination. It doesn't exist only one kind of tourism but a thousand of other kinds. For some people "the mountain landscapes represent the essence of a certain aesthetic maybe even the embodiment of the divinity"; for others the mountains are "a simple field for practising the favourite sport"; for others "a huge adventure where they can display their vanity". But for the most people the mountains represent " a little bit from all these and something more"; one of the few doors that the adventure opens for the modern world, one of the last means of escaping from the shell of civilisation for which not everyone was created.
Because County Harghita has the mountains as prevailing relief it became compulsory the making of a large network of mountain paths, which gradually turned into charming and picturesque tourist roads.
County Harghita owns around 948 km of these kinds of paths that cross the mountains from the height of 300 m till the height of 2000 m.
The mountains that contain these paths are: the Giurgeului mountains - 6 ruts with a total length of 75 km, Haghimas mountain - 14 ruts with a total length of 107 km, Harghita Mountains - 10 ruts - 149 km, the Gurghiu Mountains - 3 ruts - 51 km, The Calimani Mountains - 26 ruts - 566 km

1.11 Sports
Although the present economical and financial situation that characterises Romania and county Harghita is very difficult still the sport activity of the county of the year 1999 and the first semester of 2000 - according to the obtained results - of the gained results can be qualified as good. Although the geographical position and the county's climate facilitate the winter sports that hold a prevailing place, special results have been registered in the category of hall sports.
The sport activity of the county has a rich material bases made up of 248 sportive centres among which the most important are: two covered artificial skate yards, 55 soccer stadiums, 8 confirmed halls for sport games, one polyvalent hall, 36 gymnasium sport halls, 9 opened air basketball fields, 34 outdoor handball fields, 22 tennis fields, 12 sport fields in schools, 5 natural skate yards, 5 alpine sky passages with drive Systems, one sledge passage, one natural speed skating passage, one horse base, 8 bowling places, 4 outdoor swimming pools, 12 sportive hotels.
Great successes were obtained during the last years both at senior and at youth, junior in the following branches: ice hockey, grass hockey, judo, fund sky, biatron, alpine sky, sledge, martial arts, free fights, Greek - roman fights, artistic skating, table tennis, gymnastics and chess.
In 1999, 111 sportsmen from Romania were selected for the national teams among which 22 seniors, 21 youth, 65 juniors and 3 at the kids' category.

Promoting the Council of Harghita County

The Council of County Harghita represents the public local authority constituted on county level to co-ordinate the activities of the communal and city councils in order to realise public services of county interest.
Among the main objectives of the Council of the County are the promotions of the micro-region by supporting these areas and the stimulation of inter-regional, internal and international co-operation.
The micro-regions are the measure of planning and implementing projects. In Harghita the process of founding micro-regions has begun with 15 micro-regional units.
As a part of its activity the Council of County Harghita promotes the initiation, achievement and support of the co-operation relationships in different fields of activity with foreign or Romanian legal people, with non-governmental organisations and with other social partners in order to support financially and in order to achieve some works or projects of public interest. The Council of County Harghita has taken part in several projects of co-operation with foreign partners, financially supported by the funds coming from the EU.
Along with the partners from the city of Zala from Hungary experience exchanges had been organised and as a result of the former the micro-regional managers from the city of Harghita benefited of professional training, training that had helped in the achievement of the projects of development of the micro-regions.
In order to establish some priorities in the process of taking measures regarding the regional development, the SWOT analyses of the city has been made.
In the future an extremely important role will be granted to the facilitation of taking the norms and regulation stipulated in the communitary notification in different fields of special interest (environment protection quality standards, agriculture and rural development).
The county council of Harghita has settled as main priorities in the field of regional development the following ones:
- the development of the infra-structure of the places and that of the social services;
- the development of the agriculture and that of the rural area (the development of the micro-regions);
- the development of the industry, that of the IMMs and the conditions of business;
- the development of the human resources;
- the development of the tourism, the conservation of the environment and that of the national heritage.
An extremely important role it is given to the development of the human resources in achieving all the priorities because the good professional training contributes to the entire development of the city.
Nowadays, the project for supplying water in the countryside in the city of Harghita is being relalised under the co-ordination of the Council of County Harghita. The project contains 58 places of 14 communes.
The Council of County Harghita owns an extended system of networks, an institutional environment for permanent development and it is regarded in Romania as an innovative and competent institution.

Zsombori Vilmos
Council of County Harghita

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