Places

In 2011, the largest statue of Jesus in Eastern Europe was built on Gordon hill in Harghita, between Odorheiu-Secuiesc and Praid. Called “the Heart of Jesus”, the statue is about 22 meters high, and is made of iron and stainless steel. The statue costed 200,000 EUR and was paid by donations gathered by the Lupeni village hall. Inside the statue, there are metallic spiral staircases up to the head, from where you could admire the wonderful view around. Photo: Mihálydeák Antal, Fülöp Attila

The Golden Rose (Rosa d'Oro) is a special gift from the popes, which is nowadays given to Mary's shrines. This honour was presented by Pope Francis in Șumuleu Ciuc/Csíksomlyó on June 1, 2019, in honour of the Virgin Mary. It is currently the only papal rose in the Carpathian Basin. Originally the popes gave the golden roses to persons of great merit serving the Church. The custom was first mentioned in 1049, in the context that the Pope had donated the rose to an eminent official. Later the kings received the honour, then different bodies, and in the 13-14th century it was given to churches. The first woman to take over was Joanna I of Naples in 1368. From the 17th century onward, the Pope predominantly bestowed the honour on women of royal families for their virtues, and for their church service. Since the mid-20th century, the Pope has honoured with the Golden Rose the Queen of Heaven, the Virgin Mary, at the most important shrines of Mary. Pope Paul VI awarded a church in Bethlehem in 1963, the Fatima in 1965 and the Guadalupe Shrine in 1966. Among others, John Paul II awarded the Golden Roses to the Shrine of Mary in Czestochowa, Loreto and Lourdes. Pope Benedict XVI honoured most of the Mary's shrines when he visited them (including Aparecida and Mariazell, the Immaculate Conception Church in Washington, the Nostra Signora di Bonaria in Cagliari, the Rosary of Pompeii, and the Basilica of the Rosary). Pope Francis also donated Golden Roses to the Mary's shrines in Fatima, Turin, Guadalupe and Czestochowa. The Golden Rose is a symbol of joy and love, a symbol of Christ, according to old ceremonies, and thus its giving is not only a simple acknowledgment but also a mission: the honoured ones must bring Christ into the world. The rose given by Pope Francis to the Virgin Mary of Șumuleu Ciuc/Csíksomlyó is made of silver with 24 karat gold plated stems. It is about 84 cm tall and weighs 1,200 grams. The Golden Rose was placed next to the statue of Virgin Mary, which having a height of 2.27 meters is the largest votive wooden statue in the world.

An information point with an exhibition hall about human-bear coexistence at Băile Tușnad/Tusnádfürdő for tourists and locals set up as part of the project entitled “WatchBear & AdvoCity – bears and people for a common future”. For reservations (maximum 15 people), further details and to book a visit, please call +40 743 775 213.

3 kilometres from Porumbenii Mari/Nagygalambfalva, on the “Várfele” hillside, rising above the valley of the “Vágás” stream, there was a castle in ancient times and in the Árpád era. In the 13th and 14th centuries it served as a refuge for the villagers. On the banks of the “Vágás” stream, the locals joined forces to build an imaginary replica of the former fortress in 2023. The building, called “Várféle” (meaning: castle-like), is located next to the Spring of the Sad Princess and also serves as an observation tower. The building incorporates the style of the old church forts, castles and medieval fortifications of Szeklerland. A small fish pond has been created nearby.  The “Várféle” can be visited any time for free. According to legend, the castle on the “Várfele” hillside, whose remains are now only relics and artefacts, was built by Prince Csaba (in Hungarian mythology, the youngest son of Attila, King of the Huns) and left to one of his daughters. From the tears of Csaba's orphaned granddaughter sprang the spring that is now called the Spring of the Sad Princess. Another legend tells that there was a lake near the castle, at the bottom of which a huge white snake holds fabulous treasures.  Photos: Mihálydeák Antal

The Caracău Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the Miercurea Ciuc - Ghimeș section, which was put into operation on 18 October 1897. The viaduct was completely destroyed in 1944 as a result of World War II battles. From December 1944 until 12 February 1945, the Romanian engineers built a provisional, completely wooden (3,600 cubic meters) wooden viaduct. This was a unique performance in the history of railway constructions. In parallel, a new viaduct was built, and it was put into operation on 14 September 1946. The new construction of the viaduct was the largest railway bridge made of reinforced concrete in Romania. The total length of the viaduct is 264 m, the vault has an opening of 100 m and the arrow is 37 m. The width of the vault is 6.50 m at the top and 10 m at the base. The vault section has 2.5 m at the top and 4.8 m at the base. Photo: Bartalis Zsombor

Learn the secrets of Miercurea Ciuc's beloved brew at this factory tour, 12km south of Miercurea Ciuc, through tastings and traditional Hungarian beer snacks. After a few sips, you too will be singing the praises of the Harghita Mountains' spring water and quality hops. Offer: 1 h | 45 Ron / person  • tour, explanation of the technology used • Csík Chips tasting (100 g) • unlimited beer consumption 2 h | 85 Ron / person  • tour, explanation of the technology used • local cuisine tasting • unlimited beer consumption 2 h | 99 Ron / person  • tour, explanation of the technology used  • oven-baked trotters in handmade bread with horseradish and garlic sauce • unlimited beer consumption Booking: +40755 030 895, latogatokozpont@csikisor.hu IMPORTANT! Registration is considered a definite booking after confirmation by phone or e-mail.   We want your visit to be a lasting memory, so you have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs related to Csíki Beer and Csíki Chips in our gift shop. We offer also: • Visiting and tasting tour at "Csíki Csipsz"