Miercurea Ciuc
judetul Harghita
Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda in Hungarian) is the County Seat of Harghita County (and the capital of Székely land). Perhaps it is best-known as the home of the renowned brand of beer, appropriately named Ciuc, which is brewed here and is very popular throughout Romania.
The city was founded during the reign of Hungarian King Ladislaus I (1077-1095). Székely merchants held craft fairs around the citadel walls of Ladislaus's castle every Wednesday, and the town quickly grew into a prosperous commercial center.
Today the city is the cultural hub of Székely activities. More than 80 percent of the citizens of the city are of Hungarian descent.
The Mikó Castle, which was built between 1611 and 1621 in a rectangular shape with four bastions, was the home of the Hungarian commander-in-chief Ference Mikó. Dubbed the "Golden Bastion" because of its abundant luxury and Renaissance finery, the castle was burned to the ground in 1661 by Tatar invaders.
Today the castle houses the fascinating Székely Museum of Csík (though, unfortunately, they didn't allow photos to be taken inside ... or maybe it cost more than I wanted to pay ... I can't remember which). Outside, they have preserved some of the outstanding carved, wooden gates that were found thoughout the city in ancient times.
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