Sinca Noua, Romania

Nestled among the hills and mountains of the southern Carpathians is the village of Sinca Noua. The local economy is still based largely on extensive agriculture and livestock breeding, and old traditions are still very much alive. The countryside around the village abounds with wildlife – large carnivores such as bears, wolves and lynx can all be found in the forests, along with deer, wild boar and chamois.

The fall of communism and the forthcoming accession of Romania to the European Union have brought Sinca Noua new opportunities to develop, and in 2003, the mayor and council of this remarkable community set out their vision for the future of the village and its surroundings. Recognising the value of their natural resource base, they opted for an environmentally sustainable model of development. Now, with the active support of the villagers, they are on their way to achieving their dream.

Grazing
The area around the village is characterised by a mosaic of pastures and hay meadows, interspersed with patches of shrub and woodland. Most families in the village own some livestock – mostly sheep, goats, cattle and water buffalo. In the spring, most of the sheep and around half the cattle are taken up into the mountains where the shepherds keep them in large, communal flocks at ‘sheep camps’. Keeping sheep is not a lucrative business, and the shepherds have developed innovative ways of augmenting their income. One third of the income of the sheep camp nearest to Sinca Noua now comes from the organisation of campfire barbecues for visitors. Also in the pipeline is a cheese factory. This would enable them to produce speciality cheeses such as feta alongside their local varieties.

Tourism
With its abundance of wild animals and plants and vibrant cultural traditions, Sinca Noua clearly has much to offer to visitors. However, due to its isolated location, it is still largely undiscovered. While the villagers are keen to exploit the opportunities raised by tourism, they are also conscious of the need to protect the natural resources of the area, which attract the visitors in the first place. A horse riding business is already up and running, and further initiatives are planned.

An Award Winning Village!
In 2005, Sinca Noua won first prize in the village category of a competition to see which communities in Romania had done the most to prepare for the country’s accession to the EU.