Mapping The Possibilities – Surprises In Zerind (Lost Lands #161)

Now I am beginning to worry. The possibilities for places to visit on the frontiers of western Romania are overwhelming. Prior to starting my itinerary for the lost lands beyond Hungary’s borders, I viewed western Romania as three cities, Arad, Oradea, and Timisoara?surrounded by next to nothing. Towns and villages in the countryside were extras in a star-studded cast. They did not even rise to the level of window dressing. I made the false assumption that there was little value to be found in the space between the cities. If someone had asked me what to see in western Romania, I would have replied, “see the cities and then either head for the mountains of Transylvania, or cross back into Hungary and make a beeline for Budapest. I had been there and done that when it came to the nether lands of rural western Romania. My opinion was based on staring out a train window while cropland and pastures rolled by while traveling to Cluj and Brasov on separate trips to Transylvania. Compared to majestic mountains or valleys teeming with foaming and wildlife, the plains and plateaus of western Romania were going to be a letdown.

Preconceived Notions – False Assumptions

Western Romania is a breadbasket with fertile soil and pastureland. That makes it a great place for growing crops, not tourism. Only the jolly green giant would dare to say the region might compare with the wonders of Transylvania. Rural western Romania reminds me of the American Midwest, a region with hardworking, virtuous people who are still rooted in the land. It is also a region that has been losing population since the mid-20th?century. The same can be said for western Romania. I imagine it is the kind of place where people proudly tell you they are from there. And they tell you that after moving to Bucharest or Budapest. The region is the easternmost extension of the Great Hungarian plain with plateaus thrown in for good measure. The correct terminology for the northwestern part of this region is Crisana, named after the Cris River and a trifecta of its tributaries.

In several sources, I have seen Crisana assimilated into Transylvania. And the less interesting part at that. My opinion of it has been based on preconceived notions and scattershot bits gleaned from limited experience and English language guidebooks. Development of my lost land’s itinerary has forced me to take a deeper look and challenge my false assumptions. I am going to have to slap myself back into reality the next time I think “there is nothing to see there.” What you see depends upon how close you look. The world is so complex that we can scarcely comprehend it. In my deluded ignorance, I used to think, “if you have seen one village, then you have seen them all.” A closer look puts the lie to that cliché. Reality could no longer be ignored when I looked at a map of Zerind (Nagyzerend) and the area surrounding it. Zerind has 1,300 people and the village only captured my interest because it was on the main road between Arad and Oradea. I initially thought that Zerind might be the last stop on my itinerary before arriving in Oradea. Instead, I am discovering that Zerind is another surprise on an itinerary full of them.?

Deeper Scrutiny – A Second Look

A cursory glance at Zerind on a map, turned into deeper scrutiny. The map’s aerial view gave me a new perspective on Zerind. Land usage patterns were delineated in a wide variety of geometric shapes and sizes. This is a telling sign of intensive agriculture. The town hall was also marked on the map and sent me scurrying to find a photo of it. The size and condition of a town hall says a lot about a place’s pride and ability to make an impression. For anyone who might find a reason to spend the night in Zerind, a pension is marked on the map. I was surprised to learn there is accommodation available for travelers in such a small village. The reason is probably because the village is on the main highway between Arad and Oradea. Another marker showed the location of a cemetery. This got me thinking that there could be more than one. Zerind may only have 1,300 inhabitants, but many more than that number have lived and died there over the centuries. A proportion of these lie buried in the village’s cemetery. Some people find cemeteries morbid; I find them an open book of history waiting to be read. That cemetery got me thinking about other cemeteries that might be in the village.

Though it is not shown on the map, Zerind also has a Jewish cemetery, A legacy of those who lived in the village for generations before its Jewish population was decimated by the Holocaust. That cemetery keeps the memory of those Jews who lived in the village alive. The map also shows another side to Zerind. Specifically, a sister settlement that is part of it. Iermata Neagra is within shouting distance of Zerind. This was where I took notice of a watery thread snaking its way north of the village. This is the Crisul Negra (Fekete-Koros) River, the most important geographic feature in the area. The river forms the village’s northern limit. It also divides Bihor and Arad County. In my mind, that makes Zerind the midpoint between Oradea and Arad, if not in kilometers than in spirit.

Watery Thread – A Course Correction

The Crisul Negra reminded me that there are other transportation threads that run through this part of western Romania. The importance of rivers should not be underestimated. Historically, they were major arteries of transport for people and goods prior to the industrial revolution. Floating up or down rivers was easier than taking overland routes which could become mud ridden bogs during inclement weather. Rivers offered a much smoother surface than muck. The Crisul Negra is a modest sized river. One that would have been manageable for smaller watercraft. I am no great lover of waterborne travel, but I did trace the river’s path on the map by following it a few kilometers to the west. This is where I discovered my next port of call, the village of Tamasda (Tamashida).