Change, but not too much, in Székely Land

As an English outsider, somehow I have to attempt to really “get with it” and share my Hungarian family’s far greater understanding of the historical and present-day “delicacies” surrounding Transylvania and Székely Land. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure to take the lot on a visit this summer. An article written by a guest author, Alexander Stemp.

A 700-kilometre drive from Budapest got us there with a worthwhile overnight stop at Nagyvarad/ Oradea border town en route to the Transylvanian peaks. Plus much additional driving once there, as this region is large and spectacular, with those who live there being highly sentimentally attuned to their land.

Although happy to go, I had this one slight reservation that goes far beyond my grasp, as the ever-continuing, unresolved Transylvanian debate still takes its toll on many of the locals. Despite this tricky political background, dating from 1920, my family and I went about our way, enjoyed the sites and met many who live there.

And there is much to take in while on these roads winding round forested hills and mountains such as the Hargita peaks with wide-open valleys, glorious lakes and wondrous wildlife.

Certainly it’s not possible to see everything as this would require much time off to accomplish properly. So we stuck to Székely Land most of the time.

This region, as it is known by outsiders, is Székelyföld to Hungarians and Ţinutul Secuiesc to Romanians. It is an exclusive part of the eastern Transylvanian terrain, still with a present-day Hungarian majority and exclusive heritage pre- and post-Trianon 1920. Despite the precariousness when the transition of sovereignty over Transylvania passed to Romania, Székely Land has managed to preserve its origins, its language and culture.

One way this is seen today is in the

Székelys’ own alluring symbolic flag, aqua blue with a central gold bond and sun, and silver crescent moon, as seen prevailing over the area.

First impressions: The love of horses

Right from the outset, there was a great sense of “going somewhere different” while driving through the heat and dust of the Hungarian Puszta flatlands in high-30s C, to the eventual cool and calm of these ancient valleys. And the good news is that many through roads and border controls have improved. Getting there, either by road or rail, is easier than ever, as there are various direct trains from Budapest to Cluj-Napoca/ Kolozsvár, Brasov/ Brassó and so forth.

Perhaps one of the first things you may notice is that the Székelys and Transylvanians have a great love for horses. Horse-drawn carts are still very much a way of life, not so much because of the assumed notion that “they are so poor” but because tradition still very much lives.

If you want a ride, just ask around. Someone will offer you one.

Of course, occasionally horse and carts “battle it out” on the slopes with heavy-goods vehicles and cars, which can be as irksome as driving through downtown Pest.

Many Hungarian/ Transylvanian folk tales relate to horses and this general atmosphere, as wonderfully expressed by Székely legend Benedek Elek, 1859-1929. A journalist widely known as the Great Székely-Hungarian Folk Tale Teller, he wrote classics such as “Székely Tündérország” (Szekler Fairy-land) and others relating to life in this region. These are still to be found in bookshops and online at audio sites.

Doors, gates, entrances: The traditional “Székely kapu”

Another striking feature that comes to attention once in Székely Land is the dimensional all-in-one doors, gates and archway entrances, exclusive to this region. Although similar in structure, these ornamental, artistic “approaches”, made of wood, are placed facing the streets, at the front of properties, churches, schools and throughout the vicinity. Remarkably, none have the same final decorative style, each telling a different story with its own assorted carvings, motifs, inscriptions and personal touches.