Valea Stramba
Valea Strâmbă (in Hungarian Tekerőpatak) is a settlement in Harghita county, Romania. It is situated southwards 3 km from Gheorgheni. Its name comes from the creek, which crosses the village, closely to its name it shows up sometimes here sometimes there. In fact the creek was formed by the uniting of the Lower and Upper Visafolio creek.
Brief History
In 1569 the village was mentioned as Thekerewpatak. Many times the lack of drinking water causes a problem, as in dry weather the creek runs dry and it cannot be digged a well. Its chapel, built in 1568, was destroyed by the Turkish in 1661. The other one built in its place lasted until 1724. Its church was built in 1734, after its parsonage has become independent in 1724. In 1801 the village was ravaged by a fire, then in 1838 it was rebuilt, and it was blessed in Keresztelő Szent János's honour. In 1760, in its surrounding there was built a small chapel called St Roza in the memory of the plaque victims of 1602. In 1719 a plaque epidemic devastated in the village again. In 1764 it was the commandant centre of the First Székely regiment. The village was ravaged by a fire in 18ö1, in 1883, and in 1900. Until 1968 it was an independent commune, today belongs administratively to Suseni. In 1910 among its 2650 inhabitants 2116 were Hunagrian and 50 were Romanian. Until the Peace Treaty of Trianon it belonged to Gheorgheni district. In 1992 among its 1465 inhabitants Hungarian were 1292, Gypsy were 157 and Romanian were 16.
Tourist attractions
Famous is the Sugău cave, discovered in the side of the Sipos stone. This stalactite cave was known even in the 19th century, where supposedly even gold was found. The regular visitors broke off its dripstones, unfortunatelly.
Source: Wikipedia, Tekerőpatak
Photo: Illyés Imre
