Haferland Week 2024: Saxon festival taking place in 10 localities in Romania’s Transylvania

Haferland Week 2024, the cultural and ethnological festival of the Saxon communities in Transylvania, will take place from August 8-11 in ten localities in the Mureș and Brașov counties under the high patronage of Prince Philipp von und zu Liechtenstein and the auspices of the Royal Family of Romania.

Haferland is the historical name of the region formerly known as the Oat Country, which stretches between Brașov and Sighișoara, comprising the localities of Archita, Saschiz, Homorod, Rupea, Criț, Roadeș, Meșendorf, Cloașterf, Bunești, and Viscri.

Haferland Week 2024, which will run under the theme "History, tradition, and culture. Yesterday and today in Haferland," is considered the most important festival of the Saxons in Transylvania.

"Come taste Saxon delights and enjoy a culinary feast with traditional dishes such as lichiu and rhubarb pie! During Haferland Week 2024, on Friday, August 9, starting at 11:00 AM, a hike to the Refuge Fortress will be organized in Saschiz, guided by the ADEPT Transilvania foundation. The departure will be from in front of the fortified church in Saschiz. At noon, a wedding lunch with a Saxon menu, prepared by the Women's Neighborhood of Saschiz, will take place in the courtyard of the ADEPT foundation. The number of available places is a maximum of 100,” announced the Women's Neighborhood of Saschiz on Facebook.

The event includes a performance by Neppendorfer, the traditional Saxon brass band, followed by the traditional Saxon dance troupe from Sibiu, and traditional Romanian dances performed by the dance group of the Vânători Commune. Theater plays, German music from the 16th-century, and 18th-century Swabian songs performed by the Carmina Renascentia ensemble will follow.

Throughout the festival, participants can visit a series of historical monuments such as fortified churches, and traditional households, including the property owned in Viscri by King Charles, taste traditional menus, participate in concerts, balls, performances with traditional Saxon music, film screenings, public conferences, exhibitions, guided tours, and many more.

The organizers expect about 10,000 visitors from Romania, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and the United States for this year's edition of the festival.

(Photo source: Saptamana Haferland on Facebook)