Via Transilvanica or Romania’s Camino

I don’t even know how I could start the story about Via Transilvanica. With Tibi Ușeriu – its ambassador or maybe with its resemblance to the famous El Camino…

Have you heard of or seen in the news some stories about Tibi Ușeriu? The one who finished a marathon like no other in the world does not exist, first place, three times. The toughest. The hardest. Arctic Ultramarathon. Over 600 km in the cruelest region of the world. This year I read that he gave up with some frostbite on his fingers. Ex-convict who escaped and returned to the life of a “good citizen”. Like in a movie script.

He is one of the ambassadors of Via Transilvanica along with his brother Alin Uhlmann Ușeriu.

What does Via Transilvanica mean?

Via Transilvanica is a road of almost 1000 km through Romania, a road that just like El Camino in Western Europe, must be done on foot, by bike, horse, mule, but not by car. A road that crosses 10 counties and has  a support network intended strictly for those who are traveling on this road, just like El Camino. A road that starts from Drobeta Turnu Severin where King Carol I came in Romania in 1866 and ends in Putna. A strict road through nature.

Route Via Transilvanica

It connects Romania from south to north through its heart. Mehedinți, Caras-Severin, Hunedoara, Alba, Sibiu, Brașov, Harghita, Mureș, Bistrița-Năsăud and Suceava are the counties that are on the route.

The route is already approved by the Ministry of Tourism and intense work is being done on signs, routes and in general on the logistics necessary for this extensive achievement. You can buy a milestone on the website viatransilvanica.com and so you can contribute to this project. This milestone is expensive, 1000 euros, but the milestones are designed to last 100 years and your name will appear inscribed on the stone and in the route map. Thus, for a minimum of 100 years, you have ensured your presence in the eyes of those who will cross the road.

Moreover, you will receive a miniature milestone as a symbol of your donation.

Via Transilvanica developed following the footsteps of ancient civilizations in Romania. Local historians and guides contribute in each region to choosing the most suitable route, so that those who will travel not only admire nature but also follow the footsteps of our forerunners. Via Transilvanica is an identity! It can be covered in several weeks in whole or in part in a few days, according to the strength and desire of the traveler and will be marked with specific identification elements, made of durable materials, which will allow the good orientation of the traveler along the way. The Via Transilvanica infrastructure will provide data on accommodation and meals, as well as historical and cultural information of different geographical areas.

Via Transilvanica promises to be spectacular and wild.

I have wanted a lot, for many years, to go and do el Camino. Now, Via Transilvanica is on the list. I hope it is completed by many and receives the success it deserves! Lately I have seen that they are working hard on the road and I promise that as soon as there will be travelers on this road, I will tell you about them.