Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații actes on a complex regulatory initiative meant to fill a legislative void by regulating long-distance hiking trails in Romania

Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații acted on a pro bono basis on behalf of Asociația Tășuleasa Social on a complex regulatory initiative meant to fill a legislative void by regulating and legally protecting long-distance hiking trails in Romania. Further to our joint efforts, after the approval of Law No. 288/2024 in November 2024, the Methodological Norms were also adopted on 24 July 2025!

Asociația Tășuleasa Social is the initiator of a groundbreaking project to promote sustainable tourism and revive cultural heritage in Romania: Via Transilvanica/ 'The Transylvanian Trail' - often referred to as the "Camino de Santiago of Eastern Europe", a hiking trail that crosses the Transylvania, Bukovina and Banat regions of Romania. The first long-distance trail in Romania has 1,400 km trail and it was inaugurated in 2022 after four and a half years of sustained work, helping travelers discover Romania’s culture, traditions, and wild nature, crossing eight historical regions, 10 counties, and 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites.  

Law No. 288/2024 regarding nationally significant hiking trails for recreational purposes is a victory not just for Via Transilvanica, but for the entire sustainable tourism sector in Romania.

The law brings into the present day numerous essential aspects for hiking trails in the sub-Carpathian regions of the country - places of unique cultural and natural value in Europe, increasingly appreciated by the tens of thousands of people who choose to walk them. This law creates, for the first time, a coherent and accessible framework for the development, protection, and promotion of long-distance trails in Romania. It also opens access to non-reimbursable European funding and international partnerships in rural development, sustainable tourism, and the conservation of cultural and natural heritage.

Furthermore, with the adoption of the Methodological Norms for the Application of Law No. 288/2024 another huge step was made, one that transforms a bold idea into a national reality and provides a viable model for local development through walking tourism, cultural identity, and hospitality.

We are honored to partner up with Asociația Tășuleasa Social to support sustainable tourism in Romania!

Special thanks to Alin Uhlmann Ușeriu (President, Asociația Tășuleasa Social), Ciprian Dragomir (Partner, Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații) and everyone involved!