Transylvania: Romania's Hidden Gem With A Supernatural History | Unusual Cultures

[Music] thank you [Music] the term culture originates from the Latin word cultivate communities are generally made up of people who share cultural characteristics these cultural characteristics are defined by various influences including geographical spiritual and agricultural considerations certain cultures impose distinct limitations or boundaries that make them unique the purpose of this program is to introduce you to the most interesting and unique cultures from around the world today we will venture to Transylvania a country that has forever been associated with the terrible Count Dracula Bram Stoker's novel about the bloodthirsty cow made this country world renowned we however are more interested in this country's unusual culture than a fantasy tale unlimited speed for all vehicles outside urban areas you ubiquitous powerful motorcycles a horse-drawn tram and a parliament established back in 979 A.D this is the Isle of Man it is an island in the middle of the Irish sea the kingdom of Herring fishing [Music] Transylvania also known as ziebenborgen takes up the entire western part of Romania the natural and historical boundary of Transylvania is formed by the southern and western Carpathian Mountain Range which surround this harsh natured area alongside a Romanian majority a significant Hungarian minority also lives in Transylvania over the centuries many Germans lived here as well during the Communist era and especially after its fall many Germans moved back to their Homeland [Music] it has always been common knowledge that Romanians were mostly lumberman and Shepherds hungarians were blacksmiths and Germans were mostly Farmers or merchants [Music] the herd of sheep seen here belongs to the museum the Sheep are of the tsukana breed a type of sheep that gives good wool and plenty of milk a female can weigh up to 100 kilos and a ram even more apparently the sheep milk cheese and wool are not in much demand so it is possible that the shepherd May return to his original profession in the forest [Music] thank you the potato farming seems a little more promising is very likely that none of these sacks will make it to the market but will be distributed among the relatives that have come to help with the Harvest [Music] foreign [Music] contrast this winemaker total root Florian save for one helper will be left to tend to his Vineyard by himself ever since he has retired he grows wine on 40 acres he cultivates three types of grapes tremenae Muscat and Riesling unfortunately the harsh conditions do not favor wine cultivation as a result he is often forced to mix the different types just as his father once did to acquire a drinkable blend [Music] despite the harsh living conditions and the back-breaking labor Farmers consider themselves lucky a livelihood is not easy to come by in Transylvania or in Romania as a whole the people are often driven to extremes just as these gypsies living on a skip they work hard day after day collecting scraps of metal from the piles of waste and soil foreign [Music] [Music] on a good day they collect about 10 euros worth of metal which they transport to collection points in their decrepit carts [Music] [Music] Romania is part of the Balkans and as such is subject to somewhat strange regulations governing the roads on these poor roads you are likely to see cars motorcycles herds of donkeys and sheep even horse and ox-driven carts the Coachmen usually build their own carts and to do so they often use the chassis and tires of old Vehicles they'll basically use anything they can get their hands on [Music] I think that's an interesting thing this one piece will make 52 layers watch on mobile devices or the big screen all for free no subscription required [Music] there are no limits to Fantasy look is that an AUX driven cart that resembles an armored vehicle not bad for a homemade effort myself [Music] brazov is a town in Transylvania established by Germans it was initially named cronstadt speaking of names it may be worth a mention that in the 1950s this town went by the name horossel Stalin after one of History's Greatest villains Legend has it that a rat catcher called The Pied Piper of Hamlin LED 130 children away from the town of Hamlin in Saxony when the Saxons built brazov in the 13th century they did so with a German influence there is plenty of evidence to suggest strong German influence all over Transylvania [Music] a great example of this German influence is this well-preserved Stone Fortress with beautiful wooden Courtyard balconies he could easily have once served as a hideaway for a whole village thank you [Music] Saxon influence is also obvious in the Historical Center of Cebu which is one of the initial seven principal towns widely inhabited by Germans this is the origin of the name zebenborgen now Transylvania [Music] today it is one of the last strongholds of the disappearing German minority given the typical German architecture many visitors can become unsure whether they really are in Romania foreign was awarded the European city of culture for 2007. here culture had to enforce itself despite its 400 Year tradition this theater group has no choice but to rehearse in an old factory in order to maximize its budget the government supports culture less and less continuously reducing grants times are tough in general not just for cultural projects each other 16 vegetables the Gypsy bands have better things to worry about than government grants they can earn a good living working in pubs or even entertaining at christenings some bands do well performing outside of Romania in a pub requesting a special song will set you back 100 euros this is not the case of these gentlemen who seem to be torturing their unfortunate listeners how did you soon [Music] istvan was born to work with metal he has grown up in a blacksmith's Workshop starting from about the age of two from the age of nine his grandfather allowed him to work unsupervised he got to shoe his first horse only a few years later one need not be a specialist to recognize that Mr gabora enjoys his work and that he is exceptionally good at it foreign [Music] he certainly has had many opportunities to fine-tune his craft in the village of visqueen [Music] this screen lies in the eastern part of Transylvania its fortified church built in 1100 has been on the UNESCO National Heritage site list since 1993. picturesque Ambience of the village is further enhanced by one significant inhabitant Charles the Prince of Wales it is no joke the prince has purchased a homestead in the village it is a refurbished building and rather humble but it does include a bathroom through his purchase the heir to the British throne wished to Aid the preservation of the unique architecture and the prince apparently has a blood tie to Romania his great great aunt Mary was Romania's Queen [Music] the church is an integral part of any Romanian Village is the traditional center of the spiritual and social life of the village community parastus is an important part of it is a mass usually practiced by Eastern Christian churches to commemorate The Departed is usually carried out on the day of the first anniversary of the death but it can also be held a few years onwards following the mass of a deceased father the bereaved proudly pay the priest foreign [Music] they are given kolak a bread like Bakery product and a glass of schnapps to toast The Departed [Music] the parastis continues at the gravesite where the priest recites prayers designated especially for this service [Music] thank you [Music] this is the region of seven castles many Legends and The Echoes of times long gone it is a harsh country with battle-tested existence yet it remains unbroken La Reva Dera Transylvania of Europe lies ahead same continent so many differences we are off to the Isle of Man [Music] [Music] welcome to the Isle of Man it is a tiny bit of land in the middle of the Irish sea surrounded by Seven Kingdoms Northern Ireland Scotland England Wales the kingdom of Manana the legendary local little God the kingdom of the sea and of course the kingdom of heaven 80 [Music] 000 people live on a surface area of 572 square kilometers during the 8th Century the island was ruled by the Vikings then by the Norwegians who then handed it to the Scots as of the 14th century the Isle of Man belongs to England [Music] though Great Britain owns the Isle of Man it is a self-governing British crown dependency as such it has its own Judicial System its own domestic and monetary policy and its own legislative Council the parliament of man also known as tin wall is one of the world's oldest continuously functioning parliaments it was established a thousand years ago its annual ceremonial meeting takes place in July on tinwald Hill that day also commemorates the Island's National Bay all the important representatives of the state converge to hear about new laws enacted by tin wall during the previous year [Music] a member of the royal family must be present at each of the ceremonial annual meetings to make sure that the Queen the official head of state remains well informed about the direction in which the territory is headed though she is responsible for the territory's Destiny she cannot influence it directly in any way so while the locals peacefully dictate all domestic affairs the United Kingdom headed by her majesty the queen is responsible for the territory's good management seems like a pretty good dealer right now by the right quick the tin World meets a little more traditionally every other year in its building in the capital of Douglas where a quarter of the Island's population lives the Island's coat of arms the triskelian is seen on this building as well as throughout the island coat of arms is made up of three running legs bent at the knee and linked in the center it can be seen virtually on every corner [Music] the interlock triskelion is supposed to mean the symbol of the Sun but the inscription whether so ever you throw it it will stand could be interpreted as the symbol of stability whatever its exact meaning there certainly is No Lack of visibility for this symbol on the island foreign [Music] the people of the Isle of Man honor their traditions and their past the local Parliament is an obvious example but so is the horse-drawn tram once a symbol of progress today a pleasant breath of History it has been traversing this Waterfront for over 130 years it operates within the regulations of modern transportation and is a joy to passengers of all generations [Music] there are no digital watches only good old hand-wound clocks the 27 kilometer electrical Railway otherwise known as the tram is another noteworthy attraction that has been in operation for over a hundred years [Music] the Isle of Man is the regular annual host to the oldest motorcycle race in the world The Tourist Trophy bikers ripped down these winding roads on their motorcycles at an average speed of 200 kilometers per hour [Music] there is plenty of danger looking on the course incredible high-speed jumps curbs fences and stone walls these difficult conditions do unfortunately claim their victims the locals say those who passed away did so doing something they loved [Music] the inhabitants of man believe their island is the best location in the world for racing neither the racers nor the fans are the least bit deterred by the high number of fatal accidents The Tourist Trophy is considered a part of the cultural heritage [Music] this is not the only competition that the locals are addicted to here in the town of Castleton we find the gothic Castle known as Russian built in the 16th century and the most historically important place on the island the most important event of this little town is the world championship old bathtub race all participants must dress up in something funny sign up for one of the events and most of all be willing to get wet [Music] [Applause] [Music] the events include the men's race the women's race and the team Race known as the snake race there is also a race involving a rope judged by accuracy and a jumping race in anything one can find 15 minutes [Music] is the rowing race in old metal bathtubs [Music] the championship is organized by a group that calls itself the association of all drunkards and is sponsored by local breweries needless to say the association and the breweries ensure that it is always a merry event [Music] the fish within the Irish sea that surrounds the Isle of Man are so abundant it goes without saying that fishing is the Island's main source of income the most common catch is Herring but other Seafood such as scallops are also plentiful queenies or queen scallops is the name of the local scallops the SE scallops are smaller than the common scallops but are cheaper and have a less distinctive taste [Music] the locals don't normally indulge in this locally produced Fair the vast majority of what's produced here is designated for export to Europe as they say no one is a prophet at home apparently that goes from muscles too foreign [Music] this breed nearly became extinct in the 1950s fortunately though a certain Greek man Mr stereopolis moved to the island and decided to revive the breed foreign he fell in love with the beautiful Mrs Diana but it was later learned that he was actually Enchanted by her sheep they are bred mostly for their meat the Sheep's meat is quite low in fat and cholesterol as such it is in great Demand by prestigious London restaurants [Music] thank you on the island you can enjoy a proper English pub to your heart's content here the owner of the pub also runs the local Brewery he understandably has the same passion for beer as do his guests [Music] it is forbidden to use blue vitriol paradoxidical seeds Guinea pepper and opium in making beer at least this is what the ancient beer making law states the law was passed because Brewers were known to try and avoid the tax man by claiming that in reality what they brewed is a non-alcoholic drink instead they use narcotic substances including opium God bless the wise tinwald [Music] today local beer is considered relatively good the beer brewed in the Bush's Brewery is a good example its quality is underlined by the fact that it is consumed well before it can go bad the quantity produced is barely sufficient to meet the Island's demand [Music] as Martin the owner likes to say the Isle of Man is nothing but 80 000 alcoholics living on a single Rock could not have chosen a better place for his business [Music] dance parties also add to the brewery's prosperity this is one of many they are usually held on farms where the farmers get to enjoy local Delicacies gossip and have a good time [Music] [Music] that's the way to go life on the Isle of Man is filled with hard work and Good Times all this while keeping one's principles in mind and respecting the legacy of one's ancestors the manx are justifiably proud of their unique island country foreign [Music]

Channel: TRACKS - Travel Documentaries

Views: 12,226

Keywords: Adventure Seekers, Charming Villages, Countryside, Cultural Heritage, Enchanting Stories, European Folklore, European Travel, Folk Traditions, Hidden Gem, Independent Traveling, Intriguing Narratives, Medieval History, Off the Beaten Path, Parliament, Remote Destinations, Spooky Legends, TRACKS - Travel Documentaries, Travelogue Series, Unexplored Territories

Id: i5qV6LiTbB8

Length: 25min 53sec (1553 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 21 2023