Romanian association launches project to revive UNESCO heritage sites in Transylvania

The Designers Thinkers Makers Association announced the launch of the “Culture & Cultures. Connecting the dots” project in an effort to revitalize UNESCO heritage sites in Romania's famous region of Transylvania.

The project focuses on the cultural heritage of villages like Biertan and Chirpar, aiming to elevate awareness of the region's culture, particularly the UNESCO sites and the area’s rich, yet often overlooked, local heritage.

“'Culture & cultures’ is our heartfelt program. There are many directions in which we see it growing and, I would say, much beyond education for heritage or cultural intervention. Through all the vectors we can put to work - workshops, content, publications, conferences, design and build, events, and perhaps others - we seek, fundamentally, to create an atmosphere of well-being, of real dialogue, of knowledge and openness to history, truth, and beauty, which will support and inspire those around us in their journey," said Andrei Tache, president of the Designers Thinkers Makers association.

A key initiative within the project includes audio-guided tours in the two villages, accessible via QR codes that integrate texts, images, and audio guides to highlight the traditional architecture and local culture.

The Biertan village tour will launch on November 16 at the Fortified Church of Biertan, where an organ concert by Liv Müller will mark the tour's opening.

The bilingual audio tour will guide visitors through Biertan, from the fortified church to the village’s historic pharmacy, the first of its kind in rural Transylvania. It also features landmarks like the Via Transilvanica trail and the “Donarium of Biertan,” an artifact attesting to early Christianity in the region from the 3rd-4th centuries.

“We hope that through the guided tour designed by our association, locals and visitors of tomorrow will (re)discover significant houses and objects, traditions and stories that build the deep and enchanting fabric of this place. So that later, they will understand, protect, and respect the heritage of the places they come from,” added Alexandra Mihailciuc, Project Coordinator.

The project “Culture & Cultures. Connecting the dots” also included a series of educational initiatives: a summer school of architecture for students and numerous workshops for children.

(Photo source: press release)