Valea Lungă – Blaj, Via Transilvanica

1. Valea Lungă – Glogoveț

We say “goodbye!” from the hosts of Agropensiunia Ioana, where we spent the night and follow the VT sign on Lungă street to the left, cross the bridge and leave the Cultural Home on the left to immediately intersect DJ142K. To the left are the Heroes’ Monument and the Roman Catholic church, but we go to the right, pass the 2 shops, pass the reformed church (1780), the fortified church (1427) and the Greek Catholic church (1893). Before the Orthodox church (1946) we continue to the left on Lucian Blaga street and then to the right we leave the village of Valea Lungă and climb some difference in level from the beginning. We then walk quite a bit through the forest, on the curve, at one point we change the direction much to the left and at the exit of the forest we meet a large wooden cross. The “Legend of the giants from Tuțumanul Glogovețului” is exhibited on it. Good place to stop on the bank near the cross from where we have a superb perspective on the village of Glogoveț, the valley of Târnavei Mari and in the distance the crest of the Făgăraş and Cindrel Mountains, but also the Apuseni Mountains. We begin the steep descent towards the village of Glogoveț. In the village we enter Lungă street which we follow to the right. We continue forward on Florilor street and then we turn far to the left at the VT sign to exit the village of Glogoveț.

2. Glogoveț – Blaj

In the village we can fill the water reserves. We’re going up. We pass through a forest again, then follow its border. In the direction of our advance, slightly to the left and in the valley, we identify Galoș Lake, towards which we will begin the descent through grain fields and agricultural lands, on open ground, in the heat of the sun. It’s a few kilometers through the sun until we see the antennas above the city of Blaj. We zigzag the direction a thousand times following the well-placed VT indicators. Next to the antennas is Avram Iancu’s Cross, which watches over the city of Blaj. The view over the city is superb. We see Freedom Plain from above. This is where the asphalt starts. We descend to Teiul lui Eminescu, who when he visited Blaju, being impressed by its location, named it “Little Rome”. On Stejarului street we go down to Simion Bărnutiu street, alias DJ107. We cross the bridge over the railway and arrive at the roundabout where the Lupa Capitolina statue is located. Still ahead on Astra street, we arrive at Piața 1848, where the Greek-Catholic Theological Seminary is located, where we will stay.

3. Blaj

We take a walk in the city of Blaj before serving dinner. We walk through the alleys of Câmpia Libertății, located on Tudor Vladimirescu street no. 80. You can easily reach here from the intersection where the Lupa Capitolina statue is by following both the VT signs and the one dedicated to the desired objective. We are impressed by the huge tricolor waving in the middle of the field, the monument and the statues of the personalities that frame it. If you want to travel back in time, you will feel the thrill of the historical moment that unfolded here. On May 15, 1848, the Blaj Assembly was held on this plateau, with the participation of 30,000-40,000 people, in the wake of the Revolution of 1848. The proclamation adopted here demanded of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria the abolition of serfdom, the freedom of the press and the establishment of educational institutions in Romanian. The history of the Romanians was actually written here.

Then we headed to the Avram Iancu Park passing through the 1848 Square again. In the park there is a 600-year-old oak tree, called Avram Iancu’s oak, and in the center of the park is the Avram Iancu monument. Blaj looks good; in a separate article I will present a tourist guide to the city.