On Saturday, 19th June, we enjoyed together with the local community from Dâmbovicioara nature, hiking and traditions at an annual event organised to celebrate the beauty and complexity of the traditional hand-sewn costumes.
The program of the day was rich: guided hiking in nature, searching for healing plants, legends and stories about the traditional costume (‘ie’) and the local landscape, picnic with local products, music, an exhibition of costumes from the collection of Ionuț Fintoiu, sewing and weaving workshops, a small fair with folk craftsmen from the Argeș area, weaving wreaths with Lady’s Bedstraw flowers and other wild flowers.
The event was organized by Oratia Camp in partnership with the Dâmbovicioara Tourist Information Centre, Dâmbovicioara City Hall and Conservation Carpathia. A partnership that aims to promote the local community in Dâmbovicioara, the cultural and natural values of the area, green business, through a mixed concept: tradition, nature, history and local culture, gastronomy.
Dâmbovicioara, gateway to the Carpathian Mountains and the place where tradition is preserved
“Dâmbovicioara is the main gateway to no less than four mountains: the Făgăraș Mountains through the Dâmboviţa Valley, the Piatra Craiului Mountains through the Dâmbovicioarei Valley, the Bucegi Mountains and the Leaota Mountains through the Cheii Valley,” said Raluca Busioc, coordinator of the Dâmbovicioara Tourist Information Centre. “The local community preserves and respects tradition, and the area is rich in tourist routes and cultural experiences waiting to be discovered.”
Here, the women of the area still sew the traditional shirt and continue the local customs, with respect for the local history, the rich nature around, the rituals and holidays of the year. During the event workshops, traditional motifs were sewn, taken from nature, highlighting both the cultural heritage and the natural heritage. Passed down from generation to generation, these motifs sewn on the traditional shirt are carried on by folk craftsmen, mothers and grandparents who weave the stories and beauty of the places where they live.
“We have entered the state of celebration, we have prepared our souls for the anticipation of Pentecost, of the Sânziene day and of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, holidays that we honour in Dâmbovicioara,” said Carmen Bârloiu, craftswoman and main organizer of the event. “Sânziana or Drăgaica is part of the category of good fairies, which protect forests, meadows and crops and which give special powers to flowers, transforming them into medicinal plants. We encouraged the guests who proudly wear traditional costumes at Dâmbovicioara, to discover these blessed places, to appreciate the rich nature of the area, the people of the community and the beautiful traditions here.”
About the organisers
Oratia Camp: adjacent to the Oratia Fortress, Piatra Craiului and Dâmbovicioara Cave, the camp offers a multitude of outdoor activities, creative workshops and crafts, excursions and unique activities at the foot of the Piatra Craiului mountains. The cuisine here highlights local recipes, healthy and fresh ingredients from the mountain area and is a permanent invitation to discover nature and activities in the fresh mountain air.
Dâmbovicioara Tourist Information Centre: managed by Dâmbovicioara City Hall and by Raluca Busioc implements numerous projects that intensively aim at the interaction between locals and tourists, promotes the traditional costume and tourist objectives in the area and is intensively involved in concluding partnerships with associations and travel agencies for organizing events aimed at promoting the area, local guesthouses and folk activities.
Since 2009, Conservation Carpathia has been implementing the largest private forest conservation project in the Făgăraș Mountains area, carrying out extensive reforestation campaigns, applying modern, non-invasive wildlife management and supporting communities to develop a green economy, based on sustainable business, which will bring a better life in the area, in harmony with nature. Assuming the role of protectors of nature, we have implicitly assumed the role of protectors of local values and tradition and we understand that our mission is to help local communities thrive by conducting sustainable activities and business opportunities that protect and promote the natural wealth here.
