From woodwork to tourism

Woodcarvers from father to son, the peasants from Horea realised that the age of the wood pails and buckets had gone.

The goods they used to manufacture are no longer in demand and selling the stuff in other far places is not profitable, either, because of the shipment costs, usually higher than the cost of the goods themselves. They shifted to something else, in order to make a living.

A couple of them got authorisations to manufacture wooden boards, pillars and shingles while others are building holiday wood cottages. A few became traders and earn enough money, but most of them want to enter a business with chances of success: rural tourism.

The peasants asked for the mayor’s advice and decided to build 100 similar cottages aimed at rural tourism, as the region has plenty of wood and land.

The peasants from Horea are positive they have founded a successful business and that a lot of tourists will visit them. They noticed that people were increasingly visiting “The Day of the Woodcarver,” a specific festival that has taken place five times so far and was initiated by the village’s mayor, Corneliu Olar.

Once a year, in July, hundreds of foreign tourists visit Horea’s village, climb Dealul Fericetului to see the memorial house of the man who led the Peasants Revolt in 1784, and meet famous woodcarvers who display their works and tools, at Matisesti, where the festival is held for three days.

Another place tourists usually visit is Petreasa, the only inhabited area in Europe located at more than 1,600 metres high. They appreciate the gorgeous landscape and the panorama of the 15 villages below.

Horea, a village whose existence was certified in 1733, is a pathway to the famous Scarisoara iceberg located 15 kilometres away from the so-called “Focul Viu” or Fantanele resort, with its Belis lake.

Tourists may also visit Garda Seaca with the Vartop iceberg or Coiba Mare and Coiba Mica caves. In winter time, Arieseni resort with the ski track is a genuine tourism attraction.

For the time being, rural tourism is a good business in Garda, Scarisoara and Arieseni, where tourists may find 300 completely equipped cottages, most of them included in the international cultural project called “Operations Villages Roumaines.” The owners have attended training courses to learn how to make this activity a successful business.