Photos by Simion MECHNO / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

‘Cumidava — the medieval fortress, the St. Nicholas orthodox Church, the Evangelical Church, the Promenada, the entertainment parks, the Valea Cetatii Cave, the Olympic Base — is an offer which could fill a few days in Rasnov in a pleasant, active way. Right in the vicinity of the commercial myth of Dracula, Rasnov wants to propose its visitors something else. A particular story, where the romantic legends with princesses and knights are restored in the medieval Citadel, the music of the history which is heard in the city’s churches — ?good air, good food, wise work’ as we could read on the back of a postcard sent from Rasnov in 1921. All this welcome us in the spa’s guest houses, brought back to life after half a century through the diligence and skills of the Rasnov citizens, and underneath the mountains’ shield, sportspeople from all over the world race on the biggest ski jumping base in Rasnov. Inspired by our city’s old crest, Rasnov — Rosenau we wish it became the Rose of the national tourism,’ the mayor of Rasnov, Adrian Vestea told Agerpres.

Ever since the Middle Ages, the rose used to be the emblem of Rasnov, and the German toponym’s root Rosenau seems to be also rose. The rose becomes the symbol of the Rasnov community, of the Rasnov city’s history and culture, an element of identification, representative, novel, spectacular, artistic and unique in the national tourist offer.

The first official attestation of the medieval Rasnov, under the name of ‘Rosnou’, is noted in a document issued by Hungary’s King, Charles Robert of Anjou, that refers to the place of origin of nobleman Nicolaus Magnus. Rasnov is visited by Hungary’s King, Sigismund of Luxembourg, and receives the right to hold fairs. The most important branch of the local economy used to be agriculture. The most renowned and rich guilds based in Rasnov were the Carpenters’ guild and the Weavers’ guild. Another special craft which knew a remarkable development in Rasnov was the glass manufacturing, attested back in 1526.

Although in the inter-war period several plants are remembered, they were small businesses, agriculture being the most important economic branch after the end of the WW II. In 1924, Rasnov exported to Vienna 40 wagons of barley for beer and over 500 wagons of potatoes to the Sibiu-based starch mill.

As regards the Rasnov population, the first detailed data are barely known since 1510. Then, the locality counted for 146 households, 24 widows, 10 poor, nine empty houses, four public servants, one ringer, 14 shepherds, eight houses with poor people. Dobridge, an area inhabited by Romanians, was a separate place, headed by a Romanian priest and a cneaz (the Slavic name for a local nobleman).

During the communist regime, industrialisation was the authorities’ option for Rasnov, the best known being the Chemical Plant, the Rasnov Tools Plant (FSR), also known as the ‘chief toolman’ of the machines industry of Romania. Neighbourhoods of blocks of flats were erected for the incomers from all over Romania to work here, in Rasnov, as the commune became a city in 1950.

The most important and known tourist objective of Rasnov remains the Rasnov Citadel, visited annually by over 200,000 ticket payers, and other thousands who participate in cultural events organized in the citadel, free of charge. In 2004, the new leadership of the city hall commenced to retrieving the citadel, following the 2000-2008 period when this monument was aggressively intervened upon without authorization by a foreign citizen, the new owner of the Rasnov Citadel. The citadels’ chapels were ruined irremediably, in the lower citadel, in both the Dacian and the medieval sites, it has been intervened to the citadel’s walls where various balconies were built, which finally led to the crush of one of the walls. The ruining of the citadel was stopped on July 3 2008, when the Rasnov City Mayor took back into administration the historical monument. In 2009, the illegal constructions were put down, and in 2011 the lower citadel’s reconstruction was commenced. Currently, several works are under way at the historical edifice. The Rasnov Citadel has entered Romanian cinema, as here were shot several movies, such as Dacii (1966), Columna (1967), Nemuritorii (1974). Annually, numerous medieval festivals take place here, historic movies, festivals for children, music festivals, rock events which attract thousands of Romanian and foreign tourists. Next year an entertainment theme park on dinosaurs’ evolution will be opened, a first of this kind in Romania, which stretches on 1.4 ha, close to Rasnov Citadel.

The Gorges of Rasnoava, the Valley of Glajeria are other particularly spectacular areas to be visited by tourists who get to Rasnov.AGERPRES