Harald-Alexandru Susanyi is the first guide to join the Alba Free Tours project. He is 22 years old and a history student. If you have visited the Alba Carolina Citadel, you must have noticed him around the citadel, dressed as a Knight Templar. He has been guiding as a volunteer for 5 years and joins our project with great enthusiasm.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHO IS HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI, THE GUIDE DRESSED AS A KNIGHT TEMPLAR, FROM ALBA IULIA?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: I am 22 years old, I was born in the city of Hunedoara and I am a third-year student majoring in History at the “1 Decembrie 1918” University in Alba Iulia. I am a young tour guide, probably one of the youngest certified guides in Romania at the moment, and my desire is to promote my native country, both historically, touristically, culturally, etc. Yes, that’s right, the first time I mentioned the historical promotion because first of all I’m passionate about history and a student of history, and graduating the 2 courses of tourist guide gave me the necessary openness to make history and beauty known to the whole world Transylvania. At the moment, I offer this tour guide service at the Corvinilor Castle in Hunedoara and the Alba Iulia Citadel, dressed in a Knight Templar costume. Thus, I manage to offer a unique experience to my tourists, who have the opportunity, for a few hours, to interact with a medieval knight. My guide is an interactive one and I can say with my hand on my heart that many attended as tourists but went home with the status of friends.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THIS PROFESSION, TOUR GUIDE?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: From an early age I was fascinated by history and its curiosities. I love participating, as an observer, in the historical re-enactment shows in different locations of the country, related to the ancient or medieval period. As a student in the 10th grade at the “Iancu de Hunedoara” National College, majoring in biology-chemistry, I had the opportunity to participate in an extracurricular project, concluded in partnership with the Corvinilor Castle Museum. The program was called “Guide for a Day” and consisted of over 50 students from my high school becoming “volunteer guides” during “School Otherwise” week, helping the castle staff guide tour groups. Back then, the “Different School” was organized at the same time on a national level and dozens of groups of children came to the castle in a single day.
I was passionate about the Middle Ages and medieval knights, especially the Knights Templar. I think every teenager has at least once imagined what it would be like to be a knight or live in a medieval castle.
I had a Knight Templar tunic at home and at my dad’s urging, I put on the tunic, a pair of black trousers and a vintage belt around my waist and went to the castle to guide the tour groups.
I must confess that both children and adults were amazed by my appearance and appreciated that I was unique, managing to bring an innovation to the program.
Even though I was excited to speak in front of the class of students, it seems that in front of a group of tourists, the emotions subsided significantly. I really enjoyed guiding and I made the decision to continue this activity, based on a volunteer contract.
In a month it will be 5 years since my first guide and my evolution in this field has grown considerably, both in terms of the information I have and in terms of the experience I offer to tourists on my tours.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU THINK A SUCCESSFUL TOUR GUIDE MUST HAVE?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: In my opinion, the profession of tourist guide is a vocational one, and a person who chooses to follow this path must be prepared to constantly reinvent himself.
A smile and a good mood should not be absent from the behavior of a tour guide. You’ll be amazed at how much joy you can bring to someone just by saying something with a smile on your face.
I also consider the guide’s documentation of the information they present to the group of tourists to be one of their most important individual activities. I personally research all the sights in specialist books and then I also look at the tourist brochures or leaflets. I know, this activity takes a long time, months, but I can honestly say that people appreciate a guide with a broad general culture, who can answer all the questions of the group, than a guide who only reads some essential information from a few brochures or on the first site on the internet. As a student of history, I have this habit of immersing myself in the world of books and the smell of print.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OBJECTIVE IN ALBA IULIA?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: This question is a very difficult one for a person passionate about history like me. All the tourist attractions in the country are fascinating in their own way. In the city of Alba Iulia, the former capital of Transylvania, there are dozens of tourist attractions and I cannot describe them all in words. I think that the most beautiful objects are those that create connections, that are part of an overall picture, being united by the action of great historical figures.
From the fortress at Alba Iulia (called Alba Carolina) stands out the oldest cathedral in Romania, namely the Roman Catholic Cathedral “St. Mihail”, being built between the 12th and 13th centuries.
The cathedral is a veritable necropolis for prominent personalities of the history of Transylvania, but the most important of them is certainly the voivode of Transylvania, Iancu de Hunedoara, the last “crusader” of Europe.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DESTINATION IN ROMANIA?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: Again, a difficult question for a tour guide and a history buff. Usually, I compare tourist attractions according to the category they belong to, but to be able to answer this question concretely, my favorite objective is the one where my whole story, my whole history began, the sumptuous Hunedoara Castle, of Corvins.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO TOURISTS VISITING ALBA IULIA?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: Alba Iulia is the city where all important events in Romanian history took place and more. Its two-thousand-year history deserves to be revealed to the general public, both at home and abroad.
I believe that the best time to visit the city of Alba Iulia is during the tourist season, between April 15 and October 15, thanks to the various cultural and historical shows offered by the municipality.
In the city, tourists can visit a large number of museums, which are open from Tuesday to Sunday, with Monday being the day of cleaning and maintenance. During the tourist season, the fortress comes alive through the prism of volunteers passionate about historical reconstruction.
Thus, every Friday, there are ancient historical re-enactment shows, performed by my friends from the National Museum of the Union, who wear Dacian, Roman and Sarmatian uniforms, highlighting the ancient history of the city.
Also, every Saturday and Sunday, at 12:00, tourists can watch the Changing of the Guard of the fortress, put on by people dressed in Austrian uniforms.
The historical festivals organized in the citadel in August are also worth noting: the Medieval Festival of the Belgrade Citadel and the Apulum Roman Festival (the largest festival in the country with an ancient character).
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: THIS MIGHT SOUND LIKE A JOB INTERVIEW QUESTION, BUT TELL US WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS.
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: In 5 years, I see myself as a doctoral student in the field of history and I want to expand my activity to other tourist sites in Transylvania. I have evolved so much in the 5 years of activity that it is very difficult for me to state with certainty where I will be in 5 years. I will continue my work promoting the country and I will develop all the projects in which I am involved.
The latest project I want to develop is Alba Free Tours, in collaboration with the Alternative Tourism Association. We want to implement together this new concept of “free tours” in Alba Iulia and give the opportunity to people, even those with limited possibilities, to appreciate our effort according to their own pocket.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF FREE TOURS?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: My opinion about the concept of free tours is that they are necessary for the activity of the tour guide, being applicable for both beginners and experienced guides.
Not having a fixed fee for his service, the guide passes the evaluation baton to his tourists, who will subjectively judge the guiding effort. Thus, the guide will do his best to provide a high level of service and constantly surpass himself. It is a sure way of assessing the value of a tour guide’s guidance.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: WHAT MADE YOU JOIN OUR?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: What led me to join the Alba Free Tours project is my desire to get involved and promote our country and the fact that for 4 years I have carried out voluntary guides in which I did not ask for remuneration from tourists, receiving in I exchange applause, encouragement and small attentions, which is strikingly similar to the concept promoted by my colleagues from the Alternative Tourism Association. I am convinced that together we can develop this concept of “free tours” both in the city of Alba Iulia and in other cities of the country. Thus, we can be a springboard for young guides and attract them to our team.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: RETURNING A LITTLE TO YOU, AND TO THE “CHARACTER” YOU EMBODY DURING THE GUIDES. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR PROP AND WHY?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: As I answered in the first question, in my guides I dress in a Knight Templar costume. From a simple tunic 5 years ago, today I own the following items: tunic, cloak, boots, spurs, belt, sword, blow horn, drinking horn, leather bag, messenger tube, cuffs, steel gloves, helmet, chainmail hood, shield, banner and more.
I can’t say about the favorite item, I just know that I would miss any element of the costume. However, in my guides I have noticed that the cow horn is very popular. When I blow this horn is the moment when almost everyone pulls out their cell phone to film the moment.
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM: HOW DO YOU THINK ALBA IULIA DIFFERS FROM OTHER CITIES IN ROMANIA?
HARALD-ALEXANDRU SUSANYI: Alba Iulia is a particularly important city in the history of our country, being the only place in Romania where all the important moments in the history of Romanians and more are successfully intertwined. It owns the largest fortress in Romania, with an area of 110 ha.
Alba Iulia is the place where you can immerse yourself for a few days in the entire history of our country and you will certainly not get bored. There are many places to visit in the citadel, including the 8 museums, each with its own specifics.
Also, the difference compared to the other cities of Romania is that Alba Iulia has a “living citadel”. As I said in the lines above, at least 3 days out of 7 you can meet Dacians, Romans, Sarmatians or Austrian soldiers, who contribute decisively to the promotion of the two-thousand-year history of the city of Alba Iulia. Thus, I invite you to take part in this journey in the history of our country and visit Alba Iulia with a guide dressed in a medieval knight’s costume!
English 
Romanian