Csíki Sör brewery in Sânsimion: Harghita craft beer

A Harghita beer that defended its own name

Sânsimion (Hungarian: Csíkszentsimon) is a village in the Ciuc (Csík) basin in the east of Székely Land, a few kilometres south of Miercurea Ciuc. Here, in the buildings of a former spirits factory, the small Csíki Sör Manufaktúra brewery started work in 2014. It was the idea of entrepreneur Lénárd András, who brought investors together to brew unfiltered, unpasteurised beer with water from the Harghita Mountains and quality hops.

The first beer, called “Igazi Csíki Sör” (“Real Csík Beer”), went on sale in November 2014 – and almost at once the brewery found itself in a dispute with the international group that owns the “Ciuc” brand in Romania. Several years of court cases and changing labels followed, until in March 2017 the two sides agreed that the Csíki and Ciuc brands can exist side by side. For many people in the region the story became a symbol of a small local producer’s right to its own name.

Today the brewery is both a production site and a visitor centre with a beer hall, where guests learn how the beer is brewed and are then served beer and Székely snacks. Next door there is also a small potato-crisp factory, Csíki Chips, which can be visited too.

Why go

The main reason is the guided tour of the brewery. You will see where beer begins – malt, hops, water, brewing kettles and fermentation tanks – and hear how unfiltered craft beer differs from mass-market lager. After the tour comes a tasting in the beer hall, whose wooden tables and lamps recall an old-fashioned tavern.

The brewery offers several packages. The shortest lasts about an hour: the tour, a beer tasting and a bag of crisps. The longer ones, about two hours, add a Székely cold platter or an oven-baked caramel-malt bread loaf filled with pork and served with garlic and horseradish sauces (vegetarian and vegan versions are available). Children have their own programme with the tour and a kids’ meal. It is a good choice for a rainy day in the Ciuc basin or for a small group of friends.

What to taste and buy

• Unfiltered Csíki beer – the classic lager plus seasonal and flavoured beers brewed on site.
• Székely cold platter – sausages, bacon, cheese, fresh vegetables and home-style bread to go with the beer.
• Malt bread with pork – the visitor centre’s signature dish.
• Csíki Chips made from local potatoes – produced next door.
• Souvenirs – the shop at the visitor centre sells beer, crisps and branded glasses.

Practical information

Address: Csíki Sör utca 575 (DJ123 no. 575), 537285 Sânsimion, Harghita County. About 12 km south of Miercurea Ciuc on the road to Băile Tușnad. From Ukraine the easiest route is via the Porubne–Siret border crossing, then via Suceava and the Bicaz Gorge – about 300 km in total.

Tours (as of November 2026): package 1 – 65 lei per person (about 1 hour, beer tasting and 125 g of crisps); package 2 – 120 lei (about 2 hours, cold platter); package 3 – 130 lei (about 2 hours, malt bread with pork); children’s programme – 55 lei; crisp-factory tour – 30 lei (about 30 minutes; children under 10 free). Visits by prior booking only: a booking becomes final after confirmation by phone or e-mail.

Contact: +40 755 030 895, [email protected]. Check the visitor centre’s hours when you book. Beer is served to adults only; if you are driving, take your beer home with you.

Nearby

• Ciomatu Mare – the volcanic massif above Lake Saint Anne, Romania’s only crater lake.
• Băile Tușnad – a small spa town with mineral springs in the Olt gorge, half an hour’s drive south.
• UzOnkA farm and cheese dairy in Ozunca-Băi – a mountain farm with aged cheeses.
• Miercurea Ciuc – the regional centre with the Mikó Castle and sights of Székely culture.

Official website: csiki.com

Photos: Csíki Sör Manufaktúra, official website; Christo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.