Cycling trails in the land of the fortified churches (MB06)

In this special natural setting is the heritage left by the Saxons in Transylvania, fortified churches, castles, mansions and fortresses, as well as villages with specific architecture, the last authentic medieval landscape in Europe. Without considering the medieval cities of Sighisoara and Sibiu, there are four monuments included on the UNESCO world heritage list that you are going to discover for yourselves.\r\n\r\nThe Transylvanian Hills, the Land of the Fortified Churches, Terra Saxonum are names of the same fabulous land, which you are invited to discover from the saddle of your bicycle. Several organizations active in the field of nature protection with the involvement of local communities, ecotourism, sports, etc. are present here. Although they deserve to be mentioned, we are not going to do so for fear of leaving someone out. Thanks to them, there is a network of tourist markings that use the roads in the area and can be traveled on foot, by bike or on horseback. Moreover, through the efforts of the hearty people, bicycle roads were built from scratch, in the form of paths, without any damage to the landscape. At the same time, several mountain bike competitions are held here, which gather cyclists from all over the country and not only.\r\n\r\nThe already famous Via Transilvanica, ’the road that connects’, the long trail that crosses Romania diagonally, also passes here. It lends itself perfectly to traveling by bike, so the Terra Saxonum stage is divided into 4 trails, which can be covered in 4 days of pedaling.\r\n\r\nThe map includes 35 cycling trails, marked on 19 leaflets, which can be used individually in the field on a support located on the handlebar or as such, in a plastic protection. The proposed trails are 30-80 km long, avoid heavy roads as much as possible, and take you on roads or paths that can generally be cycled. Most of them are loop trails, and the departure - arrival point is a well-known village, located on the main road, which can be easily reached by car or train. The trails cross both Saxon villages and picturesque areas with forests, clearings, pastures, meadows, etc. They use the network of field markings, which they cover almost completely (as for 2022). Some roads are on top of the hills, so from many high points, in addition to the close-ups, you can enjoy the panoramic view of the Fagaras Mountains to the south, in all their glory. Most of the trails have shorter options, easily identified on the map, in case of problems along the way (accidents, technical problems, exhaustion, bad weather, unforeseen situations).\r\n\r\nÎn acest cadru natural deosebit se afla mostenirea lasata de sasi în Transilvania, biserici fortificate, castele, conace si cetati, precum si satele cu arhitectura specifica, ultimul peisaj autentic medieval din Europa. Fara a socoti centrele medievale ale oraselor Sighisoara si Sibiu, aici se gasesc patru monumente incluse în patrimonial mondial UNESCO pe care va lasam sa le descoperiti singuri.\r\n\r\nColinele Transilvaniei, Tara Bisericilor Fortifi cate, Terra Saxonum sunt nume ale aceluiasi tinut fabulos, pe care va invitam sa-l descoperiti din saua bicicletei. Mai multe organizatii care activeaza în domeniul protectiei naturii cu implicarea comunitatilor locale, ecoturism, sport, etc., sunt prezente aici. Desi ar merita sa le amintim, nu o facem de teama sa nu omitem pe cineva. Gratie lor, exista o retea de marcaje turistice ce folosesc drumurile din zona si pot fi parcurse pe jos, cu bicicleta sau calare. Mai mult, prin stradania oamenilor inimosi au fost construite drumuri de biciclete de la zero, sub forma de poteci, prin amenajarea neinvaziva a reliefului. Totodata aici au loc câteva concursuri de mountain-bike care aduna ciclisti din toata tara si nu numai.\r\n\r\nDeja celebra Via Transilvanica, drumul care uneste, traseul de lung parcurs care traverseaza România în diagonala, trece si pe aici. Se preteaza perfect pentru parcurgerea cu bicicleta, asa ca etapa Terra Saxonum este împartita în 4 trasee, ce se pot parcurge în 4 zile de pedalat.\r\n\r\nHarta contine 35 de trasee de ciclism, marcate pe 19 foi volante, ce se pot folosi individual în teren pe un suport situat pe ghidon sau ca atare, într-o protectie de plastic. Traseele propuse au 30-80 km, evita pe cât posibil drumurile intens circulate, dar merg pe drumuri sau poteci în general ciclabile. Majoritatea sunt trasee în circuit, iar punctul de plecare - sosire este o localitate cunoscuta, aflata la drumul principal, în care se poate ajunge usor cu masina sau trenul. Strabat atât satele sasesti cât si zone pitoresti cu padure, poieni, pasune, lunci, etc. Se folosesc de reteaua de marcaje din teren, pe care o acopera aproape complet (la nivelul anului 2022). Unele drumuri se afl a pe culmea dealurilor, astfel ca din multe puncte înalte, pe lânga peisajul din planul apropiat se poate admira spre sud panorama Muntilor Fagaras, în toata splendoarea lor. O mare parte din trasee au variante de scurtare a circuitului, usor de identificat pe harta, în caz de probleme pe parcurs (accidentare, probleme tehnice, epuizare, vreme rea, situatii neprevazute).\r\n