A Brief Guide To Szkely Land

The mountains of Eastern Europe is home to Székely Land, an ethnic Hungarian region hoping for its own autonomy.

Location:

Part of modern day Romania, Székely Land sits in the central part of the country, and is the most eastern part of Transylvania and the Carpathian mountains.

History:

Groups of Székely people migrated to southern parts of Transylvania as early as the 11th century, moving north-east soon after to what subsequently became Székely Land. In 1438 the “Union of the Three Nations”, sometimes referred to as the “Three Nations of Transylvania”, was formed in response to a peasantry revolt. The Székely formed one of the three estates (thanks to their military expertise), along with the Saxons and the nobility. The Saxons and Székely organised their land into “seats”, enjoying tax exemptions and privileges not afforded to other parts of the Hungarian Kingdom. The Székely seats were self-governing and operated as such right up until the 19th century.

After the Second World War a Magyar Autonomous Region was formed, but was broken up under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship. There was brief Székely hope that this autonomy would reemerge after the fall of Communism, but no such laws were passed.
Székely Land are competing at the 2018 CONIFA World Cup, here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.

Political status:

For a large chunk of the 20th century, from medieval times until the late 19th century, Székely Land had its own automatous political system within Transylvania. Article 1 of the Romanian Constitution states that “Romania is a sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible National State”, meaning any political autonomy to Székely Land, or any other region within Romania, would be unconstitutional.

The Székler National Council was formed in 2003 to represent Széklerrights and interests in Romania, with an aim of achieving autonomy similar to the Székely seat system (explained above) that the region historically governed with.

Demographics:

The Szeklers are of Hungarian, or Magyar, descent. Székely Land’s ethnic population is nearly two-thirds Hungarian and one third Romanian, with small German and Roma minority populations. The vast majority of Romania’s ethnic Hungarian population live in Székely Land.

Unlike the majority of Romania, the predominant religion is Roman Catholic, with Romanian Orthodox (the most popular across Romania as a whole) the second largest.

Profile:

Population: 810,000 approx.
Capital: Târgu Mureș
Major languages: Romanian, Hungarian
Currency: Romanian Leu
Major religions: Roman Catholic, Romanian Orthodox

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.