Romania has many fairy-tale landscapes, both in plain sight and hidden. Holbav Village is the kind of fairy-tale you would want never-ending.
Holbav village is located about 20 km from Brasov (in German Hohlbach) [meaning hollow stream, hollow valley, Gauna].
Little mentioned in the recently promoted cultural Transylvanian itineraries, Holbav is located in the historic region called Bârsa. Two centuries ago, it was a region populated by coal and silver mines (the first extractions were made in the nineteenth century, in a very rudimentary way). Going further down the history path, it will be even more astonishing to find out that this village still preserves elements of Jurassic flora …
There are probably many Romanian villages that deserve attention, but Holbav impressed me from the very first picture I took there and I’m sure I will return here again and again gladly …
One can still see ox-drawn carts here and children playing in the dust of the small alleys between houses. It’s a place where the purity and sincerity in the eyes of elderly and children alike make you detach from the artificial rattle of urban life and discover the more profound values.
Holbav is about friendship, wisdom, hospitality and tradition …
Article and photos by Daniel Bulmeaga