Traditional Transylvania

Words and pictures by Izabella Csordás

If one came decades ago to Sic (Szék in Hungarian), a Hungarian village in Romania near Cluj, they could see many more people wearing folk dress and experience even more folk traditions - but this unique place is not immune to globalization - thankfully the traditions are only slowly disappearing.

But the inner values and faith of the Szék people stay put in the security of the surrounding hills, and they believe in what my acquaintance "Aunt Kali" once told me: Life has no worth, if there is no love in it.

If you arrive here in the warmer months, your first impression of Szék is the lilac-tinted hills marked by snow-white patches of salt - this was what I remembered from my first visit here to do a photo documentary in 2004. Salt flowers bloom over a long period on the salty earth above Szék. The salt wells around the village served as important source of salt for many centuries.

I chose this village because of its "closed" Hungarian community; my family is of Transylvanian background but I do not speak Romanian. Despite being in Romania, this village of three thousand people is inhabited by 95.5% ethnic Hungarians, which makes it outstanding in terms of ethnographic value: its preserved traditions, music and folk dress.

The best time to travel here is August, when there is a dance camp in the village and at the end of the month a spectacular commemoration of the heroes of massacre during the last Mongol invasion of Transylvania in 1717.

Szék is also a good starting point to make a stunning trip into Transylvania's Northern region, including a visit to Cluj (50 km from Szék), to the castle of Bonthida (25 km from Szék) and Des (15 km from Szék).

The best way to travel around this region is by car, since public transport is not highly developed in this country (and that's why you'll meet many hitchhikers on the road who usually pay for rides; don't be afraid, it's fun!), or you can take a mini bus from Budapest, either to Cluj or to Sic for about 18-20 euro for a 500-600 kilometer journey (for info and prices call +36-1-203-0200 or +36-1-209-5583). Whatever you choose, the trip is quite long (no highways!), at about 8-9 hours.

If you need a place to stay in Szék, feel free to contact my beautiful friend, Sára NAGY (who speaks Hungarian only!) on + 40 264 228 166, or communicate with her family in English: sandor87 AT freemail.hu. They charge around 10-11 euro for a very clean, quiet room with breakfast included in the price.

If you want to hear more about Szék, listen to our interview with Izabella: Traditional Transylvania