The blooming of steppe peonies (Paeonia tenuifolia) in the reserve at Zau de Campie, unique in Europe, will be celebrated between 25 and 26 April with the organisation of the third edition of the Peony at the Castle Festival.

The Steppe Peony Reserve at Zau de Campie is the highest place in the world where this flower has adapted, is located five kilometres from the centre of the commune, and its custodian, Ciprian Cenan, estimates that the peonies will begin to bloom in the second half of this month.

Photo: (c) DORINA MATIS / AGERPRES FOTO

'On 25 and 26 April we will meet again at the Castle for the third edition of the Peony Festival, an edition in which the family is at the centre of attention. This year's programme has been designed as an invitation to spend time together in a special natural setting, two days of discovery, creativity, play and relaxation. The programme includes exhibitions such as ‘My Village,' featuring works created by the young artists of the ‘Wilhelm Demeter' Painting Club, coordinated by Rozalia Farkas, with the participation of pupils from Zau de Campie Secondary School. There will be stands with craftsmen, artisans and local producers, objects inspired by the peony and the castle, traditional products and authentic creations, workshops and experiences for children,' the organisers of the third edition of the Peony at the Castle Festival announced on Facebook on Tuesday.

The festival at Zau de Campie will also feature theatre performances for children, with two interactive shows performed by the Artya troupe, as well as outdoor activities such as the treasure hunt 'The Peony, the Flowers and the Castle of Zau,' an educational adventure to which families are invited.

Guided tours to explore the castle will also be organised, along with guided cycling tours to discover the Steppe Peony Reserve and the natural heritage, as well as film screenings.

At the Peony at the Castle Festival, documentaries dedicated to notable historical figures, Iuliu Maniu and Ecaterina Caradja, will be screened, 'two landmarks of dignity, courage and integrity, which Romanian society needs now more than ever,' the organisers say.

The programme also includes tastings and local gastronomy, traditional products and meetings with local producers, concerts and musical performances by Fara Zahar, Hanu' cu Braga and 'Muresul' professional artistic ensemble.

Among the announced activities there are numerous demonstration workshops, including leather and metal processing, doll-making, face painting and crepe paper flower crafting.

The festival will take place at Ugron Castle, built by the diplomat Istvan Ugron, around whom several legends exist attempting to explain the reason for its construction, a place of romantic beauty.

One legend says that Istvan Ugron was in love with a French lady and hoped the castle would convince her to move to Transylvania, while another version refers to the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

The diplomat Istvan Ugron, a renowned polyglot who spoke seven languages in addition to Hungarian and German, was active in Türkiye, Egypt, Italy, America and Russia.

It is said that the castle in Zau de Campie was built over three years according to the principles of a calendar - it reportedly has 365 windows, corresponding to the days of the year, four towers marking the four seasons, 52 rooms for the weeks of the year, seven terraces for the days of the week as well as 12 halls for the months of the year.

In addition to the steppe peonies, the commune of Zau de Campie is also known for its numerous fishing lakes, covering a total of 171 hectares, which attract fishermen from across Europe.

Near Zau de Campie there are also the fish farming lakes of Mihesu de Campie and Saulia, with the three communes together having more than 500 hectares of water surface, where carp, crucian carp and pike-perch can be caught in spring and autumn. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dorina Matis; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)