The village’s name Lisznyó is of Slavic origin meaning “forest”. It was a village paying taxes at the beginning of the 14^th century. Its name is mentioned in the Pope’s Records in 1332.

It is situated in the valley of the Bodza Mountains, in the eastern part of the Háromszek hollow. The population is 447 (2002 census).

Touristic values: the Reformed Church monument, found in the centre of the village, which is surrounded by a circular fortress, the remains of a castle. Its tower was built on the remains of the castle. The church has some elements of gothic style. Its bell is also considered a monument, which was cast by Lampen Heinrich in 1693.

In Lisznyó, one can also find an old Greek Catholic Church and an Eastern Greek Church, which were built in the respect of Saint Peter and Paul. The latter’s bell was cast in 1796. One can also find the manor-house of Tivadar Bedő.

Famous people from Lisznyó: Pál Kováts (1630-1695) teacher, writer of chronicles; Kálmán L. Damó (1823-1863) poet and revolutionary; András Dancsuly (born 1921) writer, teacher; Jenő Vargha (born 1924) chemist, teacher and György Kese (1906-1977) doctor and vocational writer were also born here.

Investment possibilities: timber industry, handicraft (pottery, there is good quality yellow clay), agriculture (mainly livestock breeding) and rural tourism.

www.bicfalau.ro

The village lies at the foot of the Bodzaforduló Mountains in a picturesque setting, in the foregrounds of the beech forests. We can find its name in the Pope’s Register of 1332. The population at the 2002 census was 379.

It’s school is on the DJ-103B main street, which was built by the Hungarian Government, one of the 400 schools built in the year of the millennium (1896). On its frontage one can still find the plaque “In the memory of Hungary’s thousand-year long existence.”

In Lisznyó we can see the medieval tower of the reformed fortified church monument, and its irregular, oval battlemented fortress from the 16^th-17^th century, once used for defense purposes. Today’s bell tower was a defendable donjon. With its narrow battlements it is one of its kinds in the county. Its original lanterns helmet of Barcaság style was changed in 1937 to pyramid helmet based on László Debreczeni’s plans. Its small, gothic type church was rebuilt in 1863. Its antique bell, which is frequently mentioned in professional literature, still works. It was made by the famous Neidel Johannes, caster of bells. Its value is only increased by the fact that there is not only Latin, but Hungarian writing on it as well. The ancient graveyard’s tombstones in front of the church were cleared of bushes in 2002.

Among the courthouses, which have an attractive exterior, there is the Simon house on Great Street, built in 1793, which is exceptionally attractive with its stone archway. The Jancsó house is in the same street. Another notable building is the house of Zsigmond Ödön on Church Street. The latter has asymmetrical pillared archway decorated with arched arcades. Other manor houses and mansions: Gergely Pall’s mansion house (1830) on Great Street, with salient gable walls and an arched porch with baroque elements, with stout stone gate posts. The Molnár manor house, on the dam, built in 1822. “It has an arched porch, with folksy dwarf columns built of stone”, therefore it is a unique version in Bikfalva. There are many more manor-houses: the Bőjthe-Cseke country house (1860), the Lajos Harkó owned manor-house, Vén-Ábrahám manor-house, the Zátyi house and the Gergely Páll house etc.

If someone is deeply interested in this historic village, they can visit the Csiga Castle (Snail Castle) in the forest above the village, or the legendary rock formation named Décse Rock.

Do to its tourism endowments, rural tourism is spreading. Pensions and guesthouses are opening frequently, part of which are modernized manor-houses (Öregdiófa) or newly built (Téglás pension, Mókus pension). The Bikkmakk Cultural Association has a display of its ethnographic collection in the former Village Hall, which can be visited by tourists.

Investment possibilities: handy craft, folk art, tourism, organizing hikes in the nearby mountains

Events: Bikfalva Village Festival: organized annually on the third weekend of May.

Szentivánlaborfalva is a twin village on the right bank of the Fekete Ügy River, on the eastern edge of the Szépmező plain, across the Rétyi Nyír, along road E-574. Szentivánlaborfalva, as we know it today, evolved from the merging of the two villages Szentiván and Laborfalva in 1909. The population was 797 after the 2002 census. The village is mentioned for the first time in 1332, and it was named after the church’s patron saint, Szent János or Szent Iván (Saint John or Saint Ivan).

Its name became known after Mór Jókai’s first wife Róza Laborfalvi (born Judit Beke 1817-1886) who was an exceptional drama actress. Among its touristic attractions are the Roman Catholic Church monument and the Grave Chapel with its baroque gable and hussar tower. The Unitarian Church from Laborfalva was built in 1826, which has a memorial tablet, for Mózsa Berde (1815-1899) who was a participant and leader of the 1848-49 war of independence.

Mansions and manor-houses: Szentiváni mansion, Apor-Henter manor-house, Bucs-Gall house designed by architect Károly Kós, with a monumental Szekler gate.

The village tradition of the mill factory exists even today.

Famous people of Szentivánlaborfalva: Dániel Márkos of Szentiván (1618-1680) teacher in Kolozsvár, Unitarian Bsihop; Áron Berde of Laborfalva (1818-1892) university teacher, first Rector of the Scientific University of Kolozsvár, and correspondent member of the Hungarian Scientific Academy; Gábor Szentiványi (1888-1952) the lord lieutenant of the county of Háromszék, the victim of the former communist regime, and many others.

Investment possibilities: food industry (milling), agriculture, rural tourism and services. Szentiván is known for its home made bread, and the traditional Szekler kürtőskalács, and Sándor Fazakas’ home and bone carving shop can also be found here.