Laslea (German: Grosslasseln; Hungarian: Szászszentlászló) is a commune located in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Florești (Felsendorf, Földszin), Laslea, Mălâncrav (Malmkrog, Almakerék), Nou Săsesc (Neudorf, Apaújfalu), and Roandola (Rauthal, Rudály). The route of the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail passes through the villages of Florești, Mălâncrav, and Nou Săsesc.[2]

Laslea
Apafi manor in Mălâncrav
Apafi manor in Mălâncrav
Coat of arms of Laslea
Location in Sibiu County
Location in Sibiu County
Laslea is located in Romania
Laslea
Laslea
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 46°13′N 24°39′E / 46.217°N 24.650°E / 46.217; 24.650
CountryRomania
CountySibiu
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2024) Ioan Onea (PSD)
Area
113 km2 (44 sq mi)
Elevation
351 m (1,152 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
3,100
 • Density27/km2 (71/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
557115
Area code+40 x59
Vehicle reg.SB
Websitecomunalaslea.ro

In Romanian, Florești was known as Felța until 1950.[3]

Geography

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The commune is situated towards the center of the Transylvanian Plateau. It is located in the northeastern part of Sibiu County, on the border with Mureș County. It lies on the banks of the river Laslea, which discharges into the Târnava Mare near the village Laslea.

National road DN14 [ro] runs just north of the commune. The closest cities are Sighișoara, 13 km (8.1 mi) to the east, and Mediaș, 28 km (17 mi) to the west; the county capital, Sibiu, is 83 km (52 mi) to the southwest.

Demographics

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At the 2011 census, Laslea had 3,327 inhabitants. Of those, 61% were Romanians, 30% Roma, 7.5% Germans, and 1% Hungarians. At the 2002 census, 76.2% were Romanian Orthodox, 7.2% Pentecostal, 5.7% Evangelical Lutheran, 5.2% Seventh-day Adventist, 2.6% Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession, and 1.2% Baptist.

Economy

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The Noul Săsesc gas field is situated on the territory of the commune.

Sustainable tourism

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In 2006, the then-Prince of Wales bought and restored two 18th-century Saxon houses in the villages of Mălâncrav and Viscri to help protect the unique way of life that has existed for hundreds of years and promote sustainable tourism.

The buildings have been sensitively restored and converted into guesthouses for tourists. They remain in keeping with the surrounding architecture and feature a number of Transylvanian antiques but with modern facilities where possible.

The renovation of these buildings has helped provide a sustainable future for the people of rural Transylvania while also enabling residents to maintain their traditional way of life.[dubiousdiscuss]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  2. ^ "Terra Saxonum | Via Transilvanica". www.viatransilvanica.com (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  3. ^ Attila Szabó (ed.), Erdély, Bánság És Partium Történeti És Közigazgatási Helységnévtára. Miercurea Ciuc, 2003, Pro-Print Könyvkiadó, ISBN 973-8468-01-9