Romfilatelia and the Romanian Post introduce into circulation on Thursday, September 10th, 2026, a postage stamp issue on a theme appreciated by collectors and the general public, entitled HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL. AEROSTATS.
The issue comprises two postage stamps (with face values of Lei 11 and Lei 16), a perforated souvenir sheet (with the face value of Lei 32) and a First Day Cover.
The two postage stamps in the issue feature scenes from previous editions of the Hot Air Balloon Festival.
The souvenir sheet of the issue features the ‘Mihai Bravul’ aerostat, which, on June 9th, 1874 made its first flight carrying passengers over Bucharest. The balloon was built in Paris and transported to Romania with the help of the merchant M. Villemont.
On board were the journalist Grigore Ventura and Villemont himself. The balloon took off from the Metropolitan Cathedral’s gardens and floated over the city, landing approximately 45 km away. The flight lasted nearly an hour and marked the beginnings of Romanian aviation.
From 25 to 27 September 2026, the 20th edition of the Hot Air Balloon Festival will take place in Câmpu Cetății, Mureș County, an event organised by the ‘Nyárádballoon Sky Team’ Sports Association. The event brings together aviation enthusiasts, balloon crews and members of the public keen to discover the spectacular world of hot air ballooning.
The choice of Câmpu Cetății as the setting for the festival lends the event a special charm. For a few days, the Mureș landscape becomes the stage for a true celebration of colour and flight. The preparation of the aerostats, the inflation of their huge envelopes with hot air, the ignition of the burners and the gentle lift-off from the ground combine to create a spectacular show, in which technical prowess blends with the beauty of nature.
The operating principle of a hot air balloon is as simple as it is ingenious: the air heated inside the envelope becomes less dense than the surrounding air, generating the lift required to raise the aerostat. Altitude is controlled by regulating the temperature of the air inside the envelope, while its movement is largely determined by the direction and speed of the atmospheric currents encountered at different altitudes. For this reason, each flight is a unique experience, in a constant dialogue with the atmosphere.
The postage stamp issue translates the beauty and spectacular nature of these flying machines into the miniature world of the postage stamp. Through evocative images, the issue captures the atmosphere of the festival and pays tribute to the tradition of aeronautics, the spirit of adventure and the passion for flight.
The postage stamp thus becomes not merely an item intended for franking or collecting, but also a messenger of an event that brings together technology, sport, nature and the joy of discovery. The aerostats carried by the wind across the Mureș region remind us that the dream of flight continues to lift the human gaze towards the sky.
Romfilatelia thanks the ‘Nyárádballoon Sky Team’ Sports Association for the documentary support provided in the development of this postage stamp issue.
