Mărginimea Sibiului

Mărginimea Sibiului is not a single place but a band of eighteen or so villages along the northern foot of the Cindrel mountains, historically dominated by sheep and by the long-distance transhumance that took Romanian flocks as far as the Crimea and the Caucasus before borders closed. That wealth shows in the villages: solid houses with painted facades and decorated gates, large churches, and in Sibiel a museum holding one of the best collections of Transylvanian glass icons anywhere. Rășinari, closest to Sibiu, was the birthplace of the philosopher Emil Cioran and has a good village museum. Săliște, Gura Râului, Poiana Sibiului and Jina continue west, the last of them high and still heavily pastoral. Guesthouses across the villages serve their own cheese and pastrami, and the food is a genuine reason to come.

What you actually see

• The glass icon museum at Sibiel - a large collection of reverse-painted icons.
• Painted village houses - decorated facades and gates along the streets.
• Shepherding country - flocks, sheepfolds and cheese made on the spot.
• Rășinari - the village museum and Cioran's birthplace.

When to go

April to October. Spring and autumn transhumance movements are worth seeing if the timing works. Village feast days bring traditional dress out. Winter has fewer services but the food and the fires are at their best.

Honest expectations

The villages are spread out and a car is essential; public transport is thin. Museums keep irregular hours, particularly in Sibiel where the key may need finding. Some villages have modernised heavily and look ordinary. This is a place to eat and wander rather than to tick off sights.

Nearby

Sibiu is half an hour east; the Cindrel mountains and Păltiniș rise to the south.