Harghita

Harghita is the heartland of the Székelys, a Hungarian-speaking ethnic group that makes up the large majority here. A trip to Harghita takes you to high valleys with carved wooden gates, to a gigantic salt mine, and to the only intact volcanic crater lake in Romania.

High Basins and Volcanic Mountains

The volcanic Harghita Mountains divide the county into the Ciuc Basin in the east and the hills around Odorheiu Secuiesc in the west. The basins lie at elevations of 600 to 800 meters (about 2,000 to 2,600 feet), and Miercurea Ciuc is often considered the coldest place in Romania. Mineral springs bubble up everywhere; water from Borsec is sold nationwide. Village fountains with iron-rich, lightly sparkling mineral water are part of everyday life here. To the north lies Red Lake (Lacul Roșu), a reservoir formed by a landslide, with dead tree stumps still sticking out of the water.

Sights in Harghita

At the Praid Salt Mine, you ride a bus 120 meters (about 400 feet) down into enormous chambers that hold playgrounds, a chapel, and lounging areas for salt-air therapy. Near Băile Tușnad, Lake St. Anne lies in an extinct volcanic crater, with the Mohoș peat bog next to it. In Miercurea Ciuc, the Mikó Castle houses the Székely Museum, and in nearby Șumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó), hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather at Pentecost for the region's largest Catholic pilgrimage. Odorheiu Secuiesc is known for its crafts and its carved Székely gates. The town has an attractive main square with a Catholic church and a Franciscan monastery and is a starting point for the surrounding villages, where fortified churches and painted coffered ceilings in Reformed churches have survived. Gheorgheni in the north is the gateway to Red Lake and the Bicaz Gorge.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Expect goulash soup, cabbage with meat, and chimney cake (kürtőskalács), served with beer from the Ciuc brewery. In Corund near Praid, brown-and-white pottery is made by hand. The rail line from Brașov to Miercurea Ciuc serves the Ciuc Basin; the nearest airport is in Târgu Mureș. The best time to visit is May through September; in winter, temperatures often drop below minus 20 degrees (Celsius), but you can go cross-country skiing and downhill skiing at Harghita-Băi.