NATO Deputy Secretary General cycles section of Romania's long-distance trail Via Transilvanica

NATO's Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană cycled a section of Via Transilvanica this past weekend, thus joining other ambassadors who aim to promote Romania's long-distance trail. He biked along the segment between Ciugud and Alba Iulia, according to the local news agency Agerpres.

The 1,400 km Via Transilvanica route connects as many as 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites and is one of this year's winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards. A project of Tășuleasa Social, the trail was officially inaugurated in October 2022.

"I took advantage of being in the heart of Transylvania to go on my first trip on Via Transilvanica. […] I was really curious to see this project, which already has a reputation far beyond Romania's borders," Mircea Geoană told Agerpres.

He also encouraged Romanians to go online and vote in favour of Via Transilvanica for the Public Choice Award 2023.

The Ciugud City Hall also confirmed Geoană's bike ride on Via Transilvanica and shared pictures from the journey.

"At Ciugud, we're always happy to be visited by important guests, even when the visit is a bit unexpected. The Deputy General Secretary of NATO, Mircea Geoană, is today on a short visit to our community. He wanted to see the Via Transilvanica and cycled a section of this tourist route," reads the City Hall's post on Facebook.

(Photo source: Facebook/Primaria comunei Ciugud)