Haferland Week festival celebrates Transylvanian Saxon heritage across 10 villages
The 14th edition of the Haferland Week Festival opens on Thursday, bringing four days of concerts, theatre performances, guided tours, craft workshops and cultural events celebrating the history, traditions and heritage of Romania's Transylvanian Saxon community.
The festival, organised by the Michael Schmidt Foundation in partnership with the Tabaluga Foundation/Peter Maffay Stiftung, takes place in 10 villages in the Haferland ('Oatland') region: Archita, Saschiz, Homorod, Rupea, Crit, Roades, Mesendorf, Cloasterf, Bunesti and Viscri.
This year's theme is 'Longing for Transylvania.'
'We, the Saxons, belong to these places. After the war, many Saxons left Romania and integrated perfectly into other countries in Western Europe. But for us, 'home' has always remained 'here' - the places in Haferland where we grew up. Home means remembering where we come from and the place to which we belong, together with our parents, grandparents and all those who came before them. Longing for Transylvania is the force that brings people back here every year. This longing is not only about looking back; it is also the motivation to return, rebuild and pass on the traditions and culture of the Saxons,' Michael Schmidt said, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES.
The 2026 edition is held under the joint patronage of Senate President Mircea Abrudean and Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci, who will attend events in the village of Crit on Saturday and Sunday.
'It has been a great joy for me to become part of the Haferland Festival project. I have discovered wonderful things about this place and about the commitment to preserving and promoting its traditions. I am honoured that the moment 50 years ago, when I received the first perfect 10 in gymnastics history and which changed my life, is being celebrated in the heart of Transylvania, a place where perfection is found in simplicity and in things created with dedication. (...) Haferland is not just a point on the map; it is a living memory, a bridge between the past and the future. What you are building here is more than a festival - it is a natural return to what Romania has that is most valuable. It moves me to see Romania shine through its people, its places, and the warmth and generosity that define us,' Nadia Comaneci said.
On the festival's final day, visitors in Crit will be able to watch, in a premiere, the teaser for the documentary 'Nadia. The Perfect Ten' alongside the former Olympic champion.
Among this year's highlights is 'AGAPI - Half a Century of Love,' an immersive exhibition by artist Kira Hagi, exploring the concept of home as a place of memory and continuity. Inspired by the Greek word 'meraki,' also found in the Aromanian dialect and meaning to do something with soul and dedication, the installation combines images, objects and sound to encourage visitors to reflect on their own roots and sense of belonging. The exhibition opens on Saturday at the Evangelical Church in Crit.
The 14th edition of the festival will also feature a traditional Transylvanian Saxon ball in Crit, with music performed by the Flamingo Sound band from Nuremberg.
The five-year partnership between Haferland Week and the Kulturwerk der Siebenburger Sachsen brass band will be celebrated with a special performance on Saturday afternoon in the courtyard of the fortified church in Crit.
Also on Saturday afternoon, Crit will host a parade of traditional Transylvanian Saxon brass bands, featuring Kulturwerk der Siebenburger Sachsen, Original Karpaten-Express and Siebenburger Trachtenkapelle Göppingen.
Admission to all events is free.
The programme also includes Youth Haferland, an educational and adventure camp developed in partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Romania, aimed at strengthening young people's engagement with local communities and cultural heritage. This year, teams from Bulgaria and the Czech Republic will participate for the first time alongside the Romanian team.
The official opening ceremony will take place on Thursday at the fortified church in Archita, with traditional Saxon dances, children's theatre, craft workshops and art exhibitions. Events will continue in Viscri with choral and brass band concerts and an exhibition marking 25 years of the Mihai Eminescu Trust, before the opening day concludes with a jazz recital by Luiza Zan & Jazzpar Trio in Cloasterf. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)
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