European Young People Meet in Harghita County
Youth engagement in community life, the exchange of good practices and cooperation between rural communities across Europe were at the heart of the RURAL Youth Festival.
Between 26 and 29 June 2026, the Harghita County Council hosted the RURAL Youth Festival, an international event bringing together participants of the RURAL-EU project – Connecting Rural Europe: Networking and development in small towns, implemented under the European Commission’s CERV programme.
Over the course of the four-day programme, project partners, local government representatives, community stakeholders and young people from Italy, Spain, Croatia and Romania came together. The event aimed to strengthen international cooperation, encourage the active participation of young people in rural communities, and showcase and share local good practices.
During the programme, participants had the opportunity to discover several localities and natural attractions across Harghita County. On 27 June, the programme continued in Ivó with a Mountain Cart experience, highlighting the potential of the region for active tourism. The participants then joined cultural activities organised for young people in Odorheiu Secuiesc.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the Rural Youth Festival Mission. Through a series of interactive activities, participants discovered local civic initiatives, traditional crafts, intergenerational cooperation projects and programmes initiated by young people. The activities also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and foster dialogue among young participants from different countries.
As part of the programme, the international guests also visited Lake Saint Anne and the Mohos Peat Bog. The study visit offered an insight into Harghita County’s natural heritage and into ways of combining the preservation of local natural and cultural values with sustainable community and tourism development.
Throughout the four-day meeting, participants were introduced to a number of good practices supporting youth engagement in community life, local civic initiatives, the valorisation of cultural and natural heritage, and the development of rural communities. The discussions and interactive activities highlighted the importance of supporting youth-led local initiatives, strengthening intergenerational dialogue and fostering cooperation between rural communities across Europe.
The RURAL Youth Festival was not only an international meeting, but also a platform for sharing experiences and ideas. The programme contributed to strengthening relationships between project partners and local stakeholders, while also creating opportunities for future cooperation.
For the Harghita County Council, the event provided an important opportunity to showcase the values of Harghita County’s rural communities, youth initiatives and the region’s natural and cultural heritage to European partners.
The meeting, organised within the framework of the RURAL-EU project, also reaffirmed the importance of European-level cooperation in supporting the development of rural areas and encouraging the active participation of young people in community life.
Rural Intercultural Festival: EDS Event Description Sheet
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