Do you remember how you felt when you first returned to your grandparents’ or great-grandparents’ country house or the first time you visited an old Church? How would you feel if you had together the comfort and warmth of childhood, the beauty of traditions and the knowledge of past generations in a current setting? The good news is you can have them all. Many have already succeeded in doing so; using their own abilities, they learned to bring them back to life.
Our traditional houses and households have important historical and cultural value. The region of Transylvania is today the largest area of authentic rural architecture in Europe.
Tourists from everywhere, Romanians and foreigners, want to see and experience everything they can no longer find in their country or area: traditional houses located in a natural setting where modernity has not yet settled, local gastronomic specialties and stories on the sun-scorched beach with welcoming hosts. They don’t want five-star accommodation and meals, but they want sanitary standards to be strictly observed. All this requires restoration work.
When you say heritage, you don’t have to think only of those buildings that you find on the list of national and international historical monuments. Heritage also includes authentic old houses or small wooden churches, something you might not have expected. This heritage is a highly valued asset of the communities and has begun to become a source of well-being for their members. It is important to understand why it is good to preserve traditional architecture and how we can restore these buildings by adapting them to modern needs, but at the same time preserving their authentic character.
Architectural monuments cultivate pride in our past and in our heritage, making us unique in the world. Historic structures bring character and a certain charm of their own. As Paris is known for the Eiffel Tower and London for Big Ben, we can be known and sought after for our traditional homes.
The practical guide, with useful information on the steps to restore a traditional house, is available here.