Romania’s long-distance trail Via Transilvanica on TIME’s 2024 list of world’s greatest places

Via Transilvanica, Romania's longest hiking trail, has been included on the 2024 list of the world's greatest places compiled by TIME magazine. The trail, crossing the country from Putna Monastery to Drobeta-Turnu Severin, was inaugurated in 2022.

The 1,400 km Via Transilvanica trail connects as many as 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is a project of Tășuleasa Social, a local non-profit engaged in educational, social, environmental, and cultural activities for over 23 years.

"We are honored to appear on the same list with iconic places around the world such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, La Maison Rabelais or Angama Amboseli, Kimana Sanctuary in Kenya," Tășuleasa Social said in a post on social media announcing Via Transilvanica's inclusion on the TIME list.

"First of all, we would like to thank our friend Monica Suma for the nomination and for making it possible for this unique European project to appear on the list. Via Transilvanica supports rural, sustainable tourism while promoting volunteering and attracting more and more hikers from abroad," it added.

Via Transilvania is one of the destinations included in the TIME list's 'Places to Visit' category.

"Active travelers curious to discover Romania's primeval forests and its slow ecotourism should set their sights on the new long-distance Via Transilvanica, a trail crossing the country diagonally from Putna Monastery in Bukovina to Drobeta-Turnu Severin by the Danube. Inaugurated in October 2022, the 882-mile hiking, cycling, and horseback riding pathway was founded by Romanian NGO Tasuleasa Social to revitalize more than 400 secular communities sidelined by depopulation and economic constraints. Dubbed "the path that unites" for its focus on community, the project brings travelers through traditional villages living off the land, welcoming backpackers reveling in wild, Transylvanian charm," reads the presentation published by TIME.

In 2023, Via Transilvanica was one of the two Romanian winners of the European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards.

(Photo source: Via Transilvanica)