The Town Park in Sfântu Gheorghe

The green heart of Sfântu Gheorghe, Elisabeta Park is enchanting for many. In the 19th century, the centre of the town was dominated by a huge market square, a six-hectare area that was home to weekly and national fairs and was described by Balázs Orbán as one of the most extensive markets in Transylvania, surpassing even the main square in Cluj-Napoca. The area has been landscaped since the turn of the century, the first steps being the terracing of the upper alleys and the planting of rows of chestnut trees. In the 1890s, at the suggestion of József Hatolykai Potsa, the lord-lieutenant of the County of Háromszék, the square around the parish church of St. Joseph was transformed, trees and flowers were planted and promenades were created, following the example of the English parks. In 1899, in memory of Queen Elisabeth Sissi, who was assassinated in 1898, weeping willows and oaks were planted, and a few years later hundreds more saplings and ornamental shrubs were planted in the grove known as the "Walking Garden" or Potsa Park.

The park is home to a number of statues and monuments, the first being the obelisk of '48, erected in 1874 on the square to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hungarian War of Independence. In 1951, the monument to the Soviet heroes was erected, and after the turn of 1989, a number of other monuments were added: a seated statue of Áron Márton, a bust of Ferenc Rákóczi II, headstones and a full-length statue of Imre Mikó. The renovation of the park, now a favourite place for residents and visitors, was completed in 2010.

Samu Csinta