Cetatea Jimbor

Above the village of Mercheasa, belonging to Homorod commune in Braşov county, on the pasture with secular oaks, about 1.7 km east - northeast of the locality is the Oak from Mercheaşa or the Old Carpathian. It has the following GPS coordinates: 25º 21 '49.191 "long E & 46º 03' 59.047" wide N. The species of the tree is Quercus robur and has the following botanical characteristics: • age: about 900 years; • circumference measured at (height) 1.3 m from the ground: 9.3 m; • The shaft height is 21.3 m and has a nearly complete crown, beautifully rounded; • up to 3 meters from the ground there are 5 stubs, traces of broken branches during its existence; • there are no signs of harmful insects. • At the bottom there are 4 areas with superficially burnt bark, probably traces of fire made by the shepherds taking care of the village cattle. Information on biologist-driven tours or protected area experts can be found at www.carpaterra.org.

Prezenţa vulcanilor noroioşi în Bazinul Transilvaniei este favorizată de prezenţa acumulărilor de gaze şi a apelor de zăcământ şi a depozitelor sedimentare, care servesc ca strat sursă de material pentru vulcanii noroioşi. Pe la mijlocul sec. XX au apărut primele emanaţii de noroi, care au clădit acești vulcani noroioși, un caz geologic extrem de rar. Au fost observați şase astfel de vulcani în perimetrul care constituie situl geologic protejat. Vulcanii Noroioși de la Homorod se manifestă diferit. Doi dintre ei au o activitate sporadică şi cel mai probabil gradul lor de activitate este influenţat de greutatea masei de apă care îi presează. Unul dintre cei mai activi este denumit Homorod 3, acesta având o erupție chiar în infrastructura drumului. Homorod 4 este de tip bazin noroios și este cel mai activ, putând fi văzut bolborosind. Sursă text și foto: http://romaniasalbatica.ro/

Zona deluroasă de aici, mozaicată cu multe pajişti şi păduri de foioase, este tipică pentru sud-estul Transilvaniei. Este una dintre cele mai importante zone din ţară pentru acvila ţipătoare mică, dar și pentru berza neagră, ciocănitoarea de stejar, sfrânciocul roşiatic sau cristelul de câmp. În Dealurile Homoroadelor se află şi rezervaţia naturală Cheile Vârghișului, situată în partea sudică a Carpaţilor Orientali, în zona de întâlnire a Munţilor Perşani cu Munţii Harghita. Cheile Vârghişului reprezintă unul dintre cele mai interesante fenomene naturale din sudul Carpaţilor Orientali, în care se regăsesc o serie de elemente naturale de valoare excepţională din punct de vedere botanic, zoologic, speologic și peisagistic. În chei se găsesc peste 120 de peșteri, dintre care se remarcă peștera Orban Balasz sau Șura Calului, care au intrări mai spectaculoase aproape de poteca turistică. Sursă text și foto: http://romaniasalbatica.ro/

Late Romanesque church later fortified. A tower, probably incorrectly labeled as a keep, was built over the ancient choir. As long as both chronology and owner remain unknown, one can hardly accept the tower’s function as keep without precaution. Its military role becomes more evident when compared to the ancient bell tower that is shorter and incorporated in the church’s building on the west. Unlike the bell-tower, the one erected over the altar is much more impressive (11 meter-long sides and 3 meter-thick base). Presently, the latter extends over 8 levels and that fits a fifteen-century building. It was accessed through a spiral staircase that one could enter on the southern side. Above the church’s choir vault, the access continued with wooden annexes. The firing gallery and pyramidal roof underwent several rebuilding stages. Two curtain walls are grouped around the church. The one closest to the church follows a pentagonal polygon shape in ground plan, consisting of a rectangle whose upper side was bent almost in the middle. Traces of the wooden firing gallery are visible on all sides, with severe degradations at the level of its stairs and floors. A 1788 written source mentions their rebuilding. Each major corner of the ideal rectangular curtain was provided with a tower. All these towers seem to have been located on the corners. The tower on the north-eastern corner has lost all its sides (1899) except the one connecting it to the curtain wall. The south-eastern and south-western towers were rectangular in ground plan and covered with shade roofs. The only tower that is more elaborated is that on the north-western corner. It is pentagonal in ground plan, with the edge corresponding to the curtain’s angle, and has a shingle roof. The only attested (re?)construction year (1657) is also connected to this tower. The outer curtain wall, today incomplete for several reasons, including the erection of the school building over part of its eastern and northern sides, seems to have lacked flanking elements. As in the case of other monuments, one must interpret it as having functioned as protecting precinct for the community’s animal husbandry in case of siege. A well functioned there as well. One knows that the monument underwent sieges and fires during the military events of 1623, 1658, and 1663. Contact: Fam. Marton, phone 0040268286609 Text and photo source: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/