The Fortified Church of Cârţa

The 1000-Year Old Border at Ghimeș Făget is not only a place of historical significance but also offers numerous attractions to visitors. Here are some of the most important tourist sites: 1. Railway Watchtower No. 30 It was built during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and was the easternmost railway watchtower of historical Hungary. Today, it houses a railway history exhibition, showcasing the railway life of that period and the history of border surveillance. Bilibok Ágoston 0721814734 2. Ruins of Rákóczi Castle The ruins of the castle, built in the 17th century, are located on the hill above Railway Watchtower No. 30. It can be reached via a steep staircase, from where there is an impressive view of the Tatros Valley and the surrounding mountains. Currently under construction, so it is not accessible for visits! 3. Gyimes Quarantine (Kontumác) The quarantine station built in the 18th century, where travelers were isolated during epidemics. On the premises of the quarantine station is also the Kontumác Chapel, which provided spiritual support to those in quarantine. 4. Border Stone with the Tilted Cross of the Holy Crown The former border stone marking the eastern border of historical Hungary, with a special decoration: the tilted cross of the Holy Crown. 5. Nature and Landscape The area is distinguished by its stunning natural beauty: green mountain slopes, meadows, and the valley of the Tatros River, offering excellent opportunities for hiking and nature exploration. These attractions together provide a unique experience, combining history, culture, and the beauty of nature.

The Henter family of Sepsiszentivány probably built the still standing mansion in the 18th Century, presumably on the spot of an earlier structure connected to the Hadnagy family. During the 18th Century the ill-fated Ádám Henter Sr. lived and worked here along with his wife, Krisztina Sármasági. Their son, the eventual Baron Ádám Henter Jr. (1714-1781) was born here, and following the Siculicidum he became the King’s Judge of Csíkszék. He, along with his wife, Borbála Nagy of Petk, is remembered by local knowledge as the patron of the settlement, since he offered significant help with restoring the local church. The family’s next member, Baron Antal Henter (1748-1824) served as imperial chamberlain and sheriff of Udvarhelyszék, his wife was Countess Anna Heller. Out of their six children József Henter (1791-1867) was the last male descendant of the family.  With his demise the Henter family’s branch, which received the Baron title, completely died out. József Henter, known for his charity, his patronage of the theather and museums, was buried in the family crypt in Csíkszentimre, even though he had lived in Kelementelke. In his will he left a significant sum for building the church’s tower in Csíkszentimre. His only heir was his adopted daughter – the Baroness from Zágon, Irén Szentkereszti. In 1878 Endre Székely from Pókakeresztúr (1835-1903) the sheriff of Csíkszentmárton bought up the sizable estate and moved in the mansion along with his wife, Adél Babolcs. At this time the local vicar, Sándor Veress noted in the domus historia that „this transaction was very much to the advantage of the village.” In 1922 the local parish bought parts of the estate from the heirs of Endre Székely, „along with the mansional house and with the outbuildings.” – noted in the domus historia by vicar Balázs Kovács. Later the parish was forced to give up the building of the parochial school in favor of the state, and so in 1948 the denominational school moved into the building. This structure also served as the cultural center of the village while also housing the local cinema from 1934 until the erection of the newly built cultural center, in 1973. István Salló, teacher and cultural organizer created the first village museun of the Csík-basin in the mansion. During the 1970’s a few rooms were still utilized as classrooms, but after this the building stood empty for decades and almost went completely derelict, even though there were several attempts after the regime change in 1989 to restore the building, with the cooperation of the Szekler Museum of Csík. In 2011 the Mayors’s Office of Csíkszentimre bought the building for 233335 leis. Its restoration took place between 2020 and 2023 with the help of the European Union, within the framework of the Regional Operative Program. The plans for the restoration were carried out by several architectural companies, led by the architect Szabolcs Guttman and coordinated by the Vallum Inc. from Csíkszereda and Szabolcs Korodi. VISITING PROGRAM Visits to Henter Mansion are by appointment. For reservations call +40 788 125 166 at least three working days before arrival, at Monday to Friday between 9AM to 3PM. Ticket price: 10 RON/person The garden of the Mansion can be visited free of charge. By scanning the QR codes on the trees, you can learn information about them.

Vila 49, azi Vila ”Emil”, este o importantă clădire istorică specifică pentru arhitectura balneară din localitatea Borsec. Aceasta a fost restaurată și consolidată prin Programul Operațional Regional, Axa prioritară 5.1, Prioritatea de investiții 5.1 – Conservarea, protejarea, promovarea și dezvoltarea patrimoniului natural și cultural.  Obiectivul principal a fost impulsionarea dezvoltării locale prin conservarea, protejarea și valorificarea patrimoniului cultural și a identității culturale. Astfel, clădirea restaurată și consolidată poate fi pusă în valoare prin acitvități culturale, muzeale, expoziționale și de turism cultural-educaționale, specifice unui Centru expozițional balneoclimateric, care să facă posibilă vizitarea obiectivului într-un cadru organizat. Prin implementarea acestui proiect se are în vedere diversificarea vieții culturale a orașului, crearea unui nou punct de atracție pentru turisți, dar și un motiv de mândrie pentru localnici. Vila a fost construită în anii 1938 și figura sub numărul 51, proprietarul fiind Antal Constantin Emil din localitatea învecinată, Toplița.  Clădirea reabilitată se află în proprietatea Primăriei Orașului Borsec din anul 2016 și este categorizată de către Ministerul Culturii ca și monument istoric. Vila 49 sau „Vila Emil “, situată pe strada Primăverii nr. 11, în apropierea a mai multor obiective turistice, cum ar fi Poiana Zânelor, izvoarele de apă minerală Kossuth și Petofi, Pârtia de schi/bob de vară „Speranța”, va avea rolul unui Centru expozițional, cu posibiltate de vizitare.  În cadrul Centrului expozițional poate fi admirat arhitectura anilor 1930, acesta oferind o viziune și asupra perioadei de funcționare prin amenajarea unor spații cu mobilier de epocă. 

The SICULICIDIUM monument in Siculeni is a historical monument according to the Harghita County Monument Register (1992). The monument, built on a plan drawn by the architect Tamás József from Miercurea-Ciuc, was inaugurated on 8 October 1905. The bird on the central pillar is the work of the famous sculptor Köllő Miklós from Ciumani, and has a 2.6 m wingspan. The monument commemorates the massacre on 7 January 1764, when the Austrian imperial troops killed more than 200 Szekler martyrs. In 1891, following the proposal of Orbán Gyula, a committee was set up to raise funds for the construction. The name of the SICULICIDIUM monument is actually a cipher - the letters converted to Latin numbers give the sum of the year of the massacre - 1764. The Latin name has the meaning "the killing of the Szeklers" or "the extermination of the Szeklers". The commemorative plaque has a brief description of the events, the date of sanctification (1899) and a poem commemorating the action of the Szeklers who resisted tyranny and died for their rights and freedoms, leaving behind an example for the following generations. Text and photo sources: http://www.enciclopediavirtuala.ro/, https://www.harghita.ro/

The Nyerges (RO: Pasul Cașin) commemorative complex marks an important moment in the history of the Szeklers, one of the last military confrontations in the Revolutionary and Independence War of 1848-1849. Here, about 200 Szekler soldiers who fought in the Hungarian revolutionary army against the imperial Tsarist and Austrian armies met their end in 1849. In their honor, a 5.4 m high stone monument was built in 1897, the work of the Italian sculptor Poulini, who lived in Jigodin (Miercurea Ciuc). After the year 2000, another memorial consisting of Szekler-style funerary monuments was raised on top of the mass grave, located about 100 m north of the monument. Photo: Szőke Éva

Orbán Balázs was born in Polonita village near Odorheiu Secuiesc, in an old Szekler family. He studied in Odorheiu Secuiesc, but in the spring of 1846 he left his native lands to return only in 1859. During the years of absolutism and the relatively short relaxation period after that, he traveled to the Szeklerland. He arrived in every locality, visited all the ruins and natural attractions, taking notes and immortalizing them with a camera. Between 1868 and 1873, Orbán Balázs published the six volumes of his trademark "Historical, Archeological, Geographical and Ethnographic Description of the Szekler Land". He died without descendants, leaving all his inheritance to the Szekler people. Respecting his last wish, Orbán Balázs was buried at Seiche. In front of his grave is a row of Szekler gates, the first of which is the gate of his house.

In the past centuries, many water sawmills worked in Zetea commune, due to the forest-rich area, and the presence of high-speed mountain rivers and high falls. Most of the buildings have deteriorated over time, being abandoned or replaced by modern power-operated facilities. Currently, this is the only functional water sawmill in the central area of the country. It works in the memory of the old sawmills, bringing their essence to the present. Photo source and text: http://vizifuresz.ro/

The bronze statue of Balázs Orbán (1829-1890), an illustrious revolutionary, historian, ethnographer and politician, called "The Greatest Szekler", is located in the main square park, next to the reformed church. The creator of the statue was the artist from Târgu Mureș, László Hunyadi, and the casting master was Mihály Antal from Szabadka. The statue was inaugurated on 4 February 1995. Text and photo source: http://www.odorhei-turism.ro/

The water sawmill was built by Bentze Joseph from Heveder. It is the oldest machine for cutting boards, being declared a historical monument. The original model is exhibited in the Museum in Gheorgheni. Photo Source: https://voslobeni.ro/