The Transylvanian Arts Festival September 3rd– 6th September 2026
The original Transylvanian Book Festival was founded by Lucy Abel Smith in 2013 to celebrate the cultural wealth of this region and to show its history, literature, architecture and ethnic diversity. Now known as the Transylvanian Arts Festival, it takes place amidst the villages and foothills of Transylvania. In this it is unique. The Festival is also not for profit.
Surrounded by beech and oak forests and the tranquillity of this great medieval landscape –speakers and audiences will have unrivalled opportunity for discussions and discoveries among the beautiful ancient Saxon villages of Copsa Mare, Biertan and Richis, the latter hosts the Festival. It is within these villages that guests stay during the festival. Transport is provided.
The festival in 2026 is offering the customary rich mix with Nick Thorpe, BBC correspondent Central Europe on his Walking through the World’s Last Wilderness, Richard Bassett on Maria Theresa and Transylvania, Dr. John Akeroyd on this remarkable country’s wildflowers, Nicholas de Romania speaks of his grandfather, King Michael. And many more plus a private visit to Somartin. Go to the website www.realityandbeyond.co.uk and click on the festival.
The royal theme continues with Dr Shona Kallestrup on the flower paintings of Queen Marie and Dr. Natalie Gutgesell on Queen Marie in Coburg. The Queen’s dream palace at Pelisor – where her heart now rests, will be discussed by Dr. Macrina Oproiu. Queen Elisabeth, the first queen of Romania, comes out of the shadows as Carmen Sylva. Her poems set to music by composers she commissioned. This will be the first time a full programme of her poetry will be heard in Romania since the war. Music will continue in the church in Richis against the stunning newly revealed Last Judgement of the turn of the 16th century. As usual all is accompanied by good company, food and wine.
Cost for Patrons £800
to include all excursions, concerts, talks and meals, an invitation to the opening party at Lucy’s house in Richis and dinner afterwards at the Priest House.
Accommodation and air travel and transfers to Richis not included. Bookings for accommodation and travel can be made through office@discoveromania.ro
Day tickets are available.
Day tickets €50 to include entrance to talks and lunch. Evening tickets for Saturday and Sunday to include talks and concerts and dinner €50. Neither includes transport.
Standard day tickets are available within Romania for €20. This includes entry to all talks, morning coffee. Excludes all meals and transport.
Draft programme for September 2026
Thursday 3rd September
- 18.00 Party at 24 Richis for speakers and guests
Dinner at Priest House to follow
Return to villages
Friday 4th September
- 09.30 Registration and coffee
- 10.00 Welcome by Lucy Abel Smith
- 10.10 Nick Thorpe – How wild was my wilderness?
- 11.00 Coffee and introduction to the book shop and viewing of the Last Judgement in the church led by Lucy Abel Smith, Lorand Kiss and Melinda Janka Kiss
- 11.45 Richard Bassett – Maria Theresa’s Eastern Question: Transylvania, Galicia and the Bukovina
- 12.15 Dr. Maria Pakucs – Towns between Empires
- 13.30 Lunch with Lavinia Schuster in Mosna. Lavinia and her late husband, Willy, have long been active with organic farming
- Return to Richis
- 16.00 Christopher Bartholomew –Utah-Bucharest-Calcutta. An accidental journey in search of Mircea Eliade
- 16.45 Professor Martyn Rady – Other Woods and Other Waters: Historic Transylvania’s Eastern and Balkan Neighbours’, ie a run-through of Wallachia, Moldavia, Bukovina, the Ottomans pashaliks, and what is now bits of Ukraine, showing how stable Transylvania was in this part of Europe
- 18.00 Leave for drinks and dinner with Giovanna and Paolo Bassetti, by kind invitation
- 21.00 Transfers back to the Villages
Saturday 5th September
- 09.30 Coffee and gathering at the Priest House, Richis and leave for Somartin (90 mins)
In Richis Alexandra Mihailciuc will lead childrens’ workshops by popular demand (tbc)
- 11.00 Arrive for bell ringing and fizz in Somartin
Introduction and welcome by Jochen Kusch and Mariana Moore. They have restored centre of village most famously the wonderful village hall by Fritz Balthes.
- 11.45 In Somartin Dr. Gerhild Rudolf which speak on Fritz Balthes.
Dr. Dakian Muntean: Baron Nopcsa remarkable adventurer, Albanian Scholar, travel writer and spy .
- 13.15 Lunch. Walk around the village
Return to Richis (approx. 90 mins)
- 18.00 Tony Scotland – Shadows – Behind the Iron Curtain tbc, who will then introduce the choir of Agnita (Tony was a familiar voice on BBC 3)
- 19.00 Dinner Priest House, Richis
Return to hotels
Sunday 6th September
- 10.00 Dr.Shona Kallestrup – Floral Conversation: the flower paintings of Queen Marie and the Transylvania Florilegium
- 10.45 Coffee
- 11.15 Dr. Natalie Gutgesell – 200 Years of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and their European networks
- 12.00 Dr. Macrina Oproiu – Queen Marie and her dream house, Castle Pelisor
- 12.45 Lunch Richis
- 16.00 Dr. John Ackeroyd – Romania’s remarkable heritage of wildflowers.
- 16.45 Nicholas of Romania – My Grandfather: King Michael
- 18.30 Aris Alexander Blettenberg, (Munich) and Vera Maria Bitter (Salzburg)
Concert of the poems of Carmen Sylva set to music commissioned by the Queen.
Dinner in Richis as suggested in a cookery demonstration by Irina Georgescu
Return to hotels.
Exhibitions
- Blue Houses. Serigraphy by Stefan Caltia .π
- Photographs by Lorand Kiss of the Last Judgement
- The Printed silks by Andreea Zahn inspired by Queen Marie of Romania
- Tim Scott Bolton small oils of Transylvanian villages.
