The Via Transilvanica project was initiated in 2018, the year celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Great Union of all Romanian states into one nation, which took place at Alba Iulia. Our initiative came as a response of our organization to the need of having a national project that is truly about unity. That's how the concept "the road that unites" was born. Via Transilvanica unites not only the ten counties it passes through, but also the entire ethnic, cultural, historical and geographical diversity of Transylvania and the whole country, and last but not least, all those who travel on this trail.
We launched the idea in the Citadel Square in Alba Iulia, when some of the original partners and supporters of the project signed the memorandum. At the time we thought that it would take at least ten years to complete the road. We started with Bistrița-Năsăud county, where we were used to doing projects and working with the authorities. In 2019, we had already developed the ends of this road, namely Suceava and Mehedinți counties. It was a kind of promise, that once the road had a beginning and an end, it was mandatory to join these two points on the map. In 2020 we continued with the development of the counties of Mures, Harghita and Sibiu, in 2021 the county of Caras Severin (being the longest portion of the road), and in 2022 came the turn of the last two remaining counties, namely Hunedoara and Alba.
Over four and a half years, the project has gathered a lot of supporters and most importantly, thousands of hikers, whom we call people of the road. So, on 8 October 2022, we gathered in the Citadel Square in Alba Iulia again, this time in a number that exceeded 10,000 people, to launch the Via Transilvanica route, a 1,400 km long-distance trail, in a celebration we called Via Transilvanica Day.
Today, Via Transilvanica is fully laid out and is 1,400 km long, signposted and marked with signposts, paint markings and andesite milestones, each representing a unique work of art.
Thanks to the people who have contributed with milestones and to sponsors and partners, and of course very importantly, thanks to the collaboration with local authorities, institutions and organizations, we have managed to bring Via Transilvanica to completion. It wasn't easy, but it wouldn't have been right any other way.
