Paper

The Maros River and its Potential for Landscape Development

---

Abstract

In this paper we research how the approach of 'greenway planning' could be elaborated in the case of manorial house systems located alongside the Maros (Mures) river in Transylvania. The Maros river is part of the Danube watershed and crosses a large part of Transylvania, roughly from East to West. Certain sections of the river, spanning 876 km from its source to its mouth, can be well differentiated both from a geographic and a social aspect.

First of all we will analyse the historical role of the river in the landscape development of the area in the long run. Not only was the river the core of the watershed but it functioned also as a waterway for transport of goods and was used for energy production by means of a series of watermills. From the 16th century on a series of mansions with designed gardens have been developed, which can be considered as a new 'cultural' layer upon the landscape. We devise some cases in which contemporary use and potentials for water storage, leisure, tourism and fish ponds are being integrated into these historical settings. The results are used as a basis for development of a landscape strategy in the long run. Such an approach refers to the historical and cultural backgrounds of the land but translates them to a contemporary situation and goals in the long run; conservation by transformation. All together contributing to landscapes that provide new opportunities for healthy conditions for living and working environments for people.

Keywords: greenways, maros river, hungary, transylvania, planning

How to Cite:

Fekete, A. & van den Toorn, M., (2016) “The Maros River and its Potential for Landscape Development”, Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning 5(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.639