Traditional Architecture Houses in Hoghilag

If you are interested in traditional architecture and the cultural diversity offered by this route, visit the commune of Hoghilag, located in the Transylvanian Plateau, in Sibiu County, on the border with Mureș County. Initially documented in 1296, the locality belonged to various counties, seats, regions, and Transylvanian administrative divisions - each characteristic of the administrative-territorial form used and depending on the leadership under which it was.

The Transylvanian territory was subjected to successive influences of several cultures, a fact evidenced in the formation of its villages and localities, but notable for Hoghilag is the colonization by Transylvanian Saxons who settled and conquered important areas of the commune. The characteristic elements, which you can still observe today, are specific to the Saxon culture in the area.

You can visit a series of houses with traditional Saxon architecture and the church in the center of the commune, the interiors of Saxon houses specifically arranged, and admire the traditional costumes. The type of household you will discover here is essentially "Frankish", brought from the German area. Deviations from this type are rare and more recent.

What you can see interestingly at the end of summer in Hoghilag are the tuberose crops, which began to be cultivated long ago by Saxons for commercial purposes. The tuberoses of Hoghilag are today a living tradition, enchanting you with their strong scent. And if you have the opportunity, enjoy their fragrance right at the end of summer, during the Tuberose Festival. You will definitely want to come back!

The commune of Hoghilag is located in the northern part of Sibiu County, in the Transylvanian Plateau, on the right bank of the Târnava Mare River.

The commune is located 80 km from the city of Sibiu and 2 km from the town of Dumbrăveni, with direct access to DN 14. To the east of Hoghilag and 6 km away is the village of Valchid.

The relief of the commune is hilly, with gentle and cultivable slopes, which include narrow valleys between them. The hills are not isolated but are connected, forming a series of hills with crests of approximately the same altitude.

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The oldest documentary evidence of the locality, which belonged together with another 40 Transylvanian villages to the Cluj Abbey and the Târnava County, dates back to 1296. At the beginning of the 14th century, the community left this county, being incorporated into the Sighișoara seat. In 1428, Hoghilag-Halvelagen is mentioned as a privileged community on royal land.

Tuberose, originally from Mexico, was first cultivated in the area by the Saxon ethnic group. In 1963, Romanians from Hoghilag began to purchase tuberose bulbs and establish their own crops. This is where the flowers were first cultivated in Romania and continue to be grown to this day.

Today, there are approximately 40 tuberose growers in the commune, and more than half of them have intensive plantations for commercial purposes.

Every year, for two days in August, the "Tuberose Festival" is organized in the village, during which you can take a guided tour of the households of locals who cultivate tuberoses.