Study Tour 8

The road of stone in the Blue Butterfly Region

#LAGProject #Wander & #Wonder

Bánffy Castle in Bonţida is more than just a building. It is a symbol of rebirth and Transylvanianism, sheltering both contemporary culture and traditional crafts. The monument, which almost perished as a result of World War II and communism, is now being restored and brought back to life. We are honored and very glad to be the promoters of Bánffy Castle, so we will present you what it means to capitalize on the material and intangible heritage, restore the stone and keep alive the story of a remarkable noble family in the Cluj area.

Together, we will discover here examples of good practice and a project of the Someș Transylvanian LAG: modern bicycle routes in Bontida commune.

#Wander & #Wonder

Visit the Grotto of Chidea, discover the legend of the place and the stone quarries, while taking a relaxing walk in the nature.

It is the only and therefore the largest known cave in the microregion. The value of this formation is given by the village people, who are closely connected with this grotto. It is reached from the upper end of the village, crossing a fairytale meadow that offers an incomparable view of the stone village. A short walk through the cool forest follows, and once we get in front of the cave it is an opportunity to catch our breath and find out the legend of the place about the most beautiful girl in Chidea of yesteryear, probably the smartest.

Here, we stay a little longer, listen to the story of the forest to fill our soul with nature and be careful not to disturb the daytime sleep of bats who feel as good in this cave as we do.

Food & #LAGProject

We serve lunch at the Delicium farm, in Borşa. Their story began in 2015, when, because they were passioned about agriculture, they set up a raspberry plantation, and from the desire to make quality products, they processed raspberries into syrup and jam. Over time, they have increased their range, and today we have a wide range of products such as cold syrups (uncooked) and jam with very high fruit content but also zacusca or jam without sugar. Wonderful fact: they own the only syrup certified worldwide in Romania with 2 out of maximum 3 stars Superior Taste Award 2019.

Therefore, at this stop we also have a tasting of goodies made by local producers: syrups, zacusca, jam, cheese, homemade bread and much more.

In the area, the producers benefit from stands where they can present and come their products to passers-by, a reason for joy for our LAG. We will get to know the Transylvanian Flavors Agricultural Cooperative, the story of the people behind it and the success of this project funded by LEADER.

#LAGProject #Wander & #Wonder #Meet Andrei Crișan

We unwind with a tour of the village, learn other inspirational local stories, discover volcanic rocks (volcanic tuff), and vernacular architectures.

Perhaps the most fascinating story of our tour is that of the blue butterfly Maculinea. That’s why we meet lepidopterologist Andrei Crișan and along with him we go to a special place for observing butterflies in the area. Andrei will tell us all about the blue butterfly, about how we want to promote it at a national and European level, but also why this project is a success of the LEADER Programme.

#LAGProject

We go to Colina Farms, a project dear to us, an organic vegetable farm.

Colina Farms, the largest organic farm in the Cluj area, is the special place inside our community where you can find dozens of assortments of vegetables and greens, grown without chemicals. Colina Farms and its surrounding forests and hills are designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, facilitating walking and interaction with the environment. Here visitors have access to at least 60 hectares of green area for outdoor recreational activities.