"The road that unites" - Interview with Alin Ușeriu, initiator of Via Transilvanica

There is a comparison between Via Transilvanica and El Camino, the most famous European long-distance route, on forums. How does Via Transilvanica differ from El Camino?

According to experts - and I want to clarify that this comes from them, not from us - Via Transilvanica shares some similarities with long-distance routes in North America, but on a smaller scale, rather than with those in Europe. There are several aspects to consider, such as the large biodiversity and the variety of natural landscapes. Additionally, Romania's well-preserved rural heritage allows for a time-travel experience. It's rare to find villages elsewhere in Europe where locals still live as they did in the old days. Speaking from my own experience, having walked about 1000km of El Camino, I can attest to this.

However, I admit that the main inspiration for creating Via Transilvanica was the El Camino experience - both mine and that of my colleague Anna Szekely, executive director at Tășuleasa Social and author of the Traveler's Guide on Via Transilvanica. We agreed that our country is just as beautiful, but we seem to undervalue it. By changing our perspective and deciding to walk the length of Romania, we can discover its essence and learn to appreciate it.

You mentioned the trail's motto, "The road that unites." Can you tell us about the cultural diversity and communities along Via Transilvanica?

The ethnic, cultural, historical aspects of the route are complex, with differences in the rural and urban landscape from one region to the other and even from one day to the next. Traditional houses in Bucovina change appearance as you move along, and architectural details typical of Saxons or Szeklers become dominant, while in the Mediterranean climate of Mehedinți county, the houses and the churches look different again. Crops also vary, in some areas you find malt, in others fruit trees or vast vineyards. There are 17 ethnic minorities present in Caraș-Severin county alone, including Czechs, Slovaks, Croatians, and Romanians. The diversity is fascinating for Romanians, but for international travelers, it is an incredible lesson about the country. The trail is a way to understand Romania through its different minorities and unite people through these differences.

How do the communities along the trail view the project and hikers? The trail passes through more touristic regions but also through remote areas - is the impact of the trail experienced differently there?

Five years into the project, the route has seen many Romanian and international hikers, showing a clear need for such a project in Romania. Initially there was a lot of skepticism, particularly in more remote areas, where the elderly would scratch their heads, bewildered why anyone would walk such distances, loaded with a backpack. However, they soon realized their role in the project, and as natural welcoming people, they were kind to the travelers. They also learned they could interact with strangers, share their community's customs and traditions, serve them local food, and offer accommodation and additional services.

This kind of non-invasive tourism bears a huge economic potential, and the long-distance hikers are ideal customers, with minimal needs and keeping to the route most of the time. In the rural areas, people can offer accommodation and additional services in the mornings and in the evenings, and see to their daily lives for the rest of the day. Small businesses in the vicinity of the route have confessed that Via Transilvanica has saved them from bankruptcy, while it also offers opportunities for young people to return to their villages and build something meaningful that can also bring them money.

What challenges and dangers do hikers face on the Via Transilvanica? Are problems with brown bears the main concern, or are there other sensitive situations as well?

The best advice I can give to anyone planning to trek this route is to read the Traveler’s Guide. It is written by a group of women who covered the whole route and did a lot of research about the route's infrastructure, sensitive areas, and points of interest. The guide is available for free download on our official website viatransilvanica.com in 4 different languages: Romanian, English, German, and Hungarian. Additionally, our active Facebook group is a great resource for asking questions, getting answers, and sharing impressions. While each stage of the route has specific challenges, with proper planning and research, they can be overcome.