Attractions

The Varsag waterfall is located in the cool forest of Varsag, on the course of the Fantana Mare stream. Having 7 springs flow into it, the stream plunges from 7 metres creating a beautiful two-step waterfall. From here, it flows into the Tarnava Mare River, whose left tributary it is. Facing the waterfall, we climb on the right. There are cracks and ledges in the rock that help with the climb. Once we reach the top, we can follow the stream to its springs or to a scenic viewpoint. For the springs, we must go upstream and in about 0.5 km we will reach the 7 springs flowing to the valley. For the scenic viewpoint, we must keep going until the Talas peak. There are houses and you can ask for guidance from anyone, including the shopkeeper. The viewpoint is nearby, it’s made of wood, and here you can admire Varsag in its vastness, the largest hamlet in Harghita county.

Harghita Madaras is the most visited mountain peak in Harghita county. On the North-West, at an altitude of 1650 metres, you will find the Madaras cabin (Madarasi-Hargita menedékház),built in 1941 with the support of the Hungarian government. From the top, you can admire the landscape and see the surrounding mountains and valleys. It is the most popular ski centre in the Szeklerland. The ski and hiking centre is 36 km from Odorheiu Secuiesc. At an altitude of 1500-1760 km, there are a total of 4.5 km of ski slopes. The ski area is covered with snow from December to mid-April, and in favourable weather conditions, the season can last until mid-May. The ski slopes are constantly maintained with the help of a snow blower. There is a 24-hour mountain rescue service in the area.

All the way from the Ciuc Basin, the towering rocks of Hasmasul Mare, the Lonely Rock, and the Ecem peak, catch the eye from afar of anyone passing through. The Lonely Rock and the Lonely Rock cabin, at its foot, are iconic landmarks. The Hasmas (or Haghimas) mountains are located in the Eastern Carpathians, flanked by the Giurgeu, Tarcau, and Ciuc mountains and the Ciuc and Giurgeu basins. This is where the Olt, Mures, Bicaz and Trotus rivers spring from. The area is famous for the Bicaz Gorge and the Red Lake. Hasmasul Mare, the Lonely Rock and the Ascutit (Ecem) peak are part of the Bicaz Gorge – Hasmasul Mare National Park. It was established in 1990 in order to protect and preserve the plant and animal species growing there. Piatra Singuratica (the Lonely Rock) is called Egyeskő in Hungarian, hence its alternative name, Piatra Unica (the Only Rock). Ground by nature into sedimentary rocks marked by calcareous dolomite, the Lonely Rock resembles a sculpture – a porcelain.

If you are interested in wildlife in its natural habitat, if you want to take photos or film wild animals, then we recommend the wildlife park at Izvoare. The Ivo (Izvoare) wildlife park is an area of 320 hectares, with forest streams flowing through it and surrounded by mountains. In this picturesque area, roe deer, red stags, and mouflons live in their natural habitat. A few dirt roads and fences are our only minimal but necessary intrusion on this beautiful wilderness. The Izvoare wildlife park in Harghita county is located at the heart of the Eastern Carpathians. Its purpose is to restore the once very lively natural environment of this animals. In this picturesque landscape, we can admire proud deer, noble stags, and see the traces of the cunning wild boar. The wildlife park takes us back to older times when the wildlife was not threatened by deforestation and roads. This wildlife park is not a zoo, nor a farm. On the contrary, it recreates the natural habitat of the animals and is a place where the former masters of the Carpathians can thrive without being threatened by human activity and predators.

The good news when it comes to watching bears in their natural habitat is that you can always find a bear at the foot of Harghita Madaras. Bear watching is possible throughout the year and it usually starts 3 hours before sunset. The main season is 15 June - 01 September, and the tour lasts 1.5 - 2 hours. We gather in the evening, at half past thirty (18:30). Outside the main season, the gathering (meeting) time changes several times, as the days get shorter. What is bear watching: A real experience and breathtaking sights in a safe environment; An interesting program for watching bears in their natural environment, from a safe enclosure. Joining the bear watching program: 01. Guests gather (as agreed with the program coordinator) at the entrance of the Sub Cetate village (coming from Odorheiu Secuiesc),in the designated parking near the paved road. An old Land Rover will be at the meeting point. 02. The guests will leave their cars parked and will be invited to take a seat in the organiser’s car. The participants are driven by the organiser near (2 km away) the bear watching place (a sturdy, modern building). 03. After a briefing, there is a short (300 m) walk to the hide. It is a fully enclosed building with large windows at the front. Here, you can watch bears in their natural environment, though the windows. The time spent in the hide is around one hour and a half.

Watermills are specific to the Szeklerland, but nowadays they are becoming obsolete. There used to be 17 watermills in Izvoare, in the Zetea commune, but few remember them now. Not long ago, thanks to the efforts made by Larix Studio, a water-powered sawmill was “brought back to life”. We can learn about watermill design from the insightful writings of Köllő Miklós. There is a great lack of communication between architects and non-architects. While architects in the Szeklerland, to the best of their knowledge, consider our (folk) heritage valuable and cherished, people here don’t always see the increasingly dilapidated buildings the same way. In its original form, this heritage doesn’t meet the needs of modern people, therefore it is disappearing rapidly – part of a process breaking the organic connection between the landscape, the settlement, the land structure, and the buildings – and the region is losing its opportunity to recognise its culture. However, we should be aware that, based on its folk architectural traditions and technical knowledge of wooden architecture and infrastructure, the Szeklerland could develop a surprisingly contemporary and distinctive architecture.

The Zetea Barrage is the only artificial lake in the upper Tarnava Mare region. The barrage is located upstream of the Zetea village in Harghita county. The dam is 50 m high, 520 m long, and covers and area of 140 hectares. As you travel to Zetea (county road 138),you are always accompanied by the colours and shadows of the mingling broadleaf and coniferous forests. The green of the Gurghiu mountains comes from the fir trees and the spruces, while here and there you can see beeches, oaks, and hazels. The area has an indescribable beauty. But it is the Zetea Lake, where the blue skies reflected in this expanse of water seem bluer than anywhere else, that truly renders you speechless. The work on the barrage started in 1976 and didn’t end until 1992. The barrage was built with the purpose of providing protection against flooding and controlling the river level. The barrage protects the settlements in the Tarnava Mare valley from flooding and ensures normal water flow in case of draught. The reservoir has a capacity of around 50 million m3, and is 2.6 km long, of which 1.4 km are in the former valley of the Tarnava Mare river. The width of the water at the barrage is 400-800 m in Sicasau valley and 150-200 m in the Tarnava Mare area. Initially, the aquatic fauna consisted of migratory fish coming from the streams. The most common species is the chub, followed by the trout. The lake was populated with other smaller species, such as the belica, the spirlin, the common bleak, the Romanian barbel, but the aquatic fauna was also enriched with the Gibel carp, the common carp, the zander, the pike, the common nase, the common bream, the burbot, and even the perch. You can fish on the shore or on a boat, boats being used mostly by fishermen who prefer spin or fly fishing.

The Fantana Brazilor peat bog is located at an altitude of around 950 m, in the Central-Western part of the Praid-Dealu volcanic plateau in the Gurghiu mountains. The Fantana Brazilor peat bog was declared a Natura 2000 site in 2007. Relevant literature mentions it as Luc or Ruc, but among the locals it is generally known as Datka. The peat bog is the westernmost pine peat bod in the Eastern Carpathians. It is surrounded by a spruce forest (Vaccinio-Piceetum abietis) extending to the La Pod marsh. Some of the important species of animals are: the agile frog (Rana dalmatina),the common frog (Rana temporaria),the salamander (Salamandra salamandra),and the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). The peat bog can be visited on a trail built with the support of the local community. The Taiga trail showcases the specific processes of peat bogs, the slow growth of conifers, and species specific to these Siberian habitats: insectivorous and poisonous plants.