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Sfântu Gheorghe |
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SFÂNTU GHEORGHE (Sepsi-Szentgyörgy), thirty kilometres northeast of
Brasov, is a drab industrial town and a centre of the Romanian cigarette
industry, but following Ceausescu's demise it has become the heart of
the Székely cultural revival. The highlight of the town is the Székely
National Museum (Tues-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-1pm, Sun 9am-2pm) at Str. Kós
Károly 10, south of the centre (take bus #1 to the central park and walk
south along Strada Kós Károly). Built in 1910 to the design of Kós
Károly , the museum covers the archeology, history and ethnography of
the area, focusing on the revolution of 1848-49 and the local figures,
such as Kelemen Mikes and Arón Gábor, who played prominent roles in it.
The town centre lies to the north of the museum, focused on the Piata
Libertatii , with a technical college designed by Kós to the west and
the Arcaded House , the oldest building in town (1820-21), to the east.
North of the square, beyond the Bodoc hotel, Strada Kossuth leads past a
Kós Károly house (no. 19) to the cobbled Strada Soimului and the old
town, with a fine fifteenth-century walled Reformat church at the top of
Piata Kalvíny. In its cemetery, behind a Székely beamgate raised in
1981, you'll find stone versions of traditional wooden Székely
graveposts, together with wooden pillars raised for each class leaving
school.
Both train and bus stations are 2km east of the centre; follow Strada 1
Decembrie 1918 and then Strada Petofi to reach Piata Libertatii. The
best hotel is the Park , Str. Gábor Áron 12 (tel 067/311 058, fax 311
307; $15-20), which even has non-smoking rooms. The Bodoc , at Str. 1
Decembrie 1918 no. 1 (tel 067/311 292, fax 311 291; $20-25), has been
partially renovated after earthquake damage, but is a poor alternative.
Far better value for money than either are two small private hotels: the
Korona (tel 067/351 164; under $6) opposite the station, which sells
good new maps of Sfântu Gheorghe, and the Consic (tel 067/326 984;
$6-10) at B-dul Balan 31 - bus #5 from the station, or walk north from
the BTT office at the junction of B-dul Balan and Str. 1 Decembrie 1918.
Sfântu Gheorghe's BTT branch (tel & fax 067/351 902) is particularly
active in agrotourism, arranging homestays in nearby spas and villages
such as Zabala and Covasna.
The best place to eat in town is the restaurant of the Hotel Park ,
although the Restaurant Tribel (actually a cafeteria) at Str. 1
Decembrie 1918 no. 2 has passable pizza. There are several Bancomats
near the junction of Strada 1 Decembrie 1918 with Strada Iorga. The town
holds a festival on Saint George's day, April 23.
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