Romania’s Oltenia de sub Munte region hosts Fireflies Festival to promote nature, local culture

Families in Romania’s southern Oltenia region are invited to Festivalul Licuricilor (Festival of Fireflies) to discover the fireflies of the valleys in Buila-Vânturarița, as well as the local traditions of the Oltenia de sub Munte region.

Kogayon Association, an NGO specializing in environmental education and the management of protected natural areas, together with Globe 365 Tourism Agency and Hanul Vatra from Costești, are organizing the Fireflies Festival, the first event in the Oltenia de sub Munte region dedicated to families, which will take place in the village of Costești, Vâlcea County, from July 6 to July 9.

Participation in the festival is limited to 200 people, and tickets can be purchased on the event's website and Facebook page.

The festival offers a multidimensional experience that combines entertainment and the exploration of nature with the exploration of local culture through gastronomy, music, and region-specific stories. Participants will enjoy a variety of activities, gastronomy workshops, nocturnal hikes in the forest, outdoor film screenings, and a series of experiences dedicated to children.

"The Fireflies Festival, with the motto 'The Light of Summer Nights,' is a rare occasion in the Romanian tourism landscape to explore both nature and local culture for a few days in a carefully crafted mix. It is a festival dedicated to families with children because one of the purposes of this event is to bring children closer to nature, and the sub-Carpathian area of Vâlcea, luckily for us, is one of the areas where nature still coexists very well with the people in the community," said Cristi Pitulice, managing partner of Globe 365.

For three days, participants in the Fireflies Festival will have the chance to enjoy themed workshops in the midst of nature, traditional culinary preparations from the Oltenia de sub Munte region, wine and beverages tastings around campfires, thematic hikes, and a concert.

The beginning of July is the time of the year when the light of fireflies can be seen with the naked eye, and in the clearings of the region, their population is healthy and impressive. The organizers have created an entire context for knowledge and discovery of the area by highlighting local traditions.

The Kogayon Association is the environmental protection NGO that established Buila-Vânturarița National Park in 2004. It has been volunteering in the region for 20 years, during which it has carried out dozens of educational, regional promotion, ecotourism, management of protected natural areas, and research projects.

The same association officially began the process of obtaining the UNESCO Geopark status for Oltenia de sub Munte in June 2020 by submitting a letter of intent to UNESCO. This candidacy is supported by the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO and 60 project partners. Spread over 635 square kilometers in Valcea County, the park encompasses 41 villages and 18 protected natural areas, not to mention 40 geosites and 65 cultural and biodiversity sites.