At times, even the greatest urbanites want out of the city liveliness, as the tranquility of the countryside forests, the flirtatious charm of the villagers, and the seemingly astonishing first but even more exciting habits fill us up instantly. We present Eastern European countrysides, cultural heritages and initiatives that fight for them that preserve tradition in an alternative way so that it can be consumed by everyone.
Matyodesign | Tard, Hungary
Matyodesign is primarily a clothing brand, but it is more than that in itself, as each piece is part of a value-saving project. The embroidery of the dresses is done by the women of Tard themselves, thus maintaining the specific Matyó embroidery world of the region and the employment of the locals. The essence of the concept is to integrate the world of motifs from Matyó Land into the everyday, modern environment. In addition to embroidery and clothes, it is also possible to visit Tard, the northeastern village. The one-day event offers experiences such as learning the basics of embroidery, tearing Hungarian spiral pasta, or trying on Matyó folk costumes: the smiling reception of women of Tard is just icing on the cake.
Ghimeses and the Gyimesi Skanzen Panzió | Lunca de Jos, Romania
Ghimes, home to the csángós of Ghimes, is located in the romantic landscape of the Eastern Carpathians. Beautiful forests, mountain ranges and preserved ethnographic treasures take us to another world. The authentic environment is perfectly complemented by the Gyimesi Skanzen Panzió, which serves as both a village museum and an accommodation, as well as services such as guided tours, a traditional Csángó evening, a hot water tub, a sauna or an art camp. In addition, there is a ski slope here in winter, so the area is a good choice for both active and relaxing visitors.
Noha Studio Terény—Eco village accommodation, community and creative space | Terény, Magyarország
Terény, a village of three hundred people, is located in a small part of Nógrád county, which provides space for the rural accommodation of Noha Studio, as well as the community and creative space. Noha Studio Terény gives you the opportunity to break away from the daily grind in an idyllic, rural setting where you can calmly create, relax or form a community. The venue is suitable for children’s camps, family outings and team building events. During the reconstruction of the site, it was important to mix traditional architectural features with modern ideas.
Maramures and La Blouse Roumaine | Maramures County, Romania
The Maramures region is an untouched world within Transylvania. The region can become a really exciting destination for those interested, as the village culture, which can only be seen in museums elsewhere, has survived to a high level to this day. Maramures’ cultic heritage also includes the increasingly fashionable rosy folkweaves, which also look good in a modern apartment. The La Blouse Roumaine initiative, which was developed in defense of traditional Romanian blouses and cultural features, can also be linked to Maramures. La Blouse Roumaine tries to persuade the big fashion companies to mark folk costumes as a source in addition to their folk-inspired products and exact replicas, thus honoring them and traditional craftsmen. In addition to the initiative, textile tourism was created a few years ago to develop the area, which will promote their folk art heritage and help those who make a living from it. The Village Hotel Maramures is located in Breb in Maramures, where you can experience this old world environment, dance with the locals or visit the shepherds in the pasture.
Kaštieľ Čičmany and the painted village of Čičmany | Čičmany, Slovakia
Ornate wooden houses and fujara, the folk instrument of the Slovaks—if we mention these two things, most Slovaks think of Čičmany. Čičmany is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Slovakia: it is no coincidence that the houses in the village are like fairytale gingerbread houses. The characteristic painting of Čičmany has already inspired many designers, local motifs can be discovered on several products, which also appear on the uniform of the Slovak Olympic team. In addition to folklore experiences, the village also places great emphasis on gastronomy, for this purpose the Kaštieľ Čičmany, or Čičmany Mansion, has been opened, where we can eat traditional dishes in a modern setting, but still inspired by the past.
Matyodesign | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Gyimesi Skanzen Panzió | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Noha Terény | Web | Facebook | Instagram
La Blouse Roumaine | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Village Hotel Maramures | Web | Facebook
Kaštieľ Čičmany | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Flying taxi for long distances | VoloConnect
The Hungarian Pavilion's exhibition at the 17th Venice Biennale of Architecture debuts
