Harman Fortified Church

Located at the crossroads of tartar and turkish invasions, Harman Saxon fortified church dates from the 13th century and is taken by the Theuton Knights in 1211 – 1225. Having 65 rooms with different renascentist styles (swiss, german, english, spanish, italian and austrian), in Peles Castle you can see famous paintings and sculptures. The stained glass, chandeliers, china, furniture, mirrors, sculptures, carpets all together make of Peles Castle something unique and impressive. Same as Prejmer and Rasnov fortified churches, she was attacked multiple times, but it was never conquered. The fortified walls lost their military importance starting from 18 century, but they was not abbandoned but used as storage for supplies, fact that has helped the church to be restored and maintained until nowdays. With a unique style, the fortified church of Harman will fascinate you, as soon as you see it.

Prejmer Fortified Church

Since medieval times, the Prejmer city, was called “The village of a thousand springs”. Same as Harman, the Prejmer fortified church is positioned in a sensitive area of Transylvania and Barsa Country, always at the crossroads of invasions. Since medieval times, the Prejmer city, was called “The village of a thousand springs”. Same as Harman, the Prejmer fortified church is positioned in a sensitive area of Transylvania and Barsa Country, always at the crossroads of invasions. The name of this location “Tartlau” means “the field of tartars”. It is said that Prejmer keep was the most powerful evangelic fortified church from Eastern Europe, because was under tartar and Turkish siege over 2000 years and never conquered. On the Saxon Fortified Churches Tour you will hear all about it! The Prejmer Fortified Church was built in 1240 and is in tight relationship with the Habzbourg politics in order to protect the German community from the area. In 1211 the king Anrew the second brings to Barsa Country the Theuthon Knights to protect the S-E of Transylvania. Also in this church can still be found the first automated medieval firing system. (the so called orga of death)

Viscri

It’s hard not to fall in love with Viscri – it’s like stepping into a fairy tale. You arrive into the village on an unpaved road, and when the road conditions are bad, you take a horse-drawn cart that was designed for these roads a few hundred years ago. The little houses lining the 2 or 3 roads are the original Saxon houses, many of them lovingly restored, and painted pale blue, typical of Saxon villages. Normal life in Viscri. As you walk down the road, chickens are happily roaming the yards and pecking for food, residents are spotted working on some type of archaic implement that is still used for their farming. Come and join the Saxon Fortified Churches Trip and find out that Viscri is also home to a cottage industry for knitted goods – socks, hats, sweaters and scarves, whose income is the sole source for many households. The women producing these goods are part of an NGO founded by a German dentist who settled in Viscri after the fall of Communism. Most of the knitted products are exported to Germany, however, visitors are welcome to the sorting room where pieces are sorted by size, and also to the NGO’s quaint café and handicraft shop to enjoy a an extra large piece of home-baked cake before and purchase knitted, felt and ceramics handicrafts. The cafeshop makes you feel like you’re in Hansel & Grettel’s house, and if it’s not open, just knock on the next door and the owner will welcome you and serve you one of the largest pieces of cake you’ll ever eat. A few minutes’ walk up a hill brings you to a beautiful white fortified church built in 1230. The church holds mass fortnightly and houses a museum of Saxon Heritage. The Saxon character of Viscri has been so well preserved that the entire village has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through a common effort of residents and the Mihai Eminescu trust, through funding from Britain’s Prince Charles many of the buildings in the village have been refurbished using exclusively traditional construction materials. One house stands out in particular, having been built several decades before the others. A typical one-room Saxon house, it contains only original furnishings, and is the favorite of Prince Charles.

Biertan church

Someone said: “If you have visited Transylvania and you have not visited the historical and cultural marvels of Biertan then you will have to go back to Romania just for that”. On our Saxon Fortified Churches Day trip we will visit Biertan together! Since medieval times, the Prejmer city, was called “The village of a thousand springs”. Same as Harman, the Prejmer fortified church is positioned in a sensitive area of Transylvania and Barsa Country, always at the crossroads of invasions. The Biertan Keep is the most wanted destination of the common man, the historians and archaeologists alike. Is assumed that it was built in 13 century, but officially in 1387 the keep was already there. His famous Biertan Donarium, written in Latin language, is treated by the scientists with great care because if it’s importance. It proves that in 3rd century the dacian people were already romanized, evolved, cultivated.The altar of the Biertan church, built in 15 century, is the biggest one from Romania. If you want to get back in the medieval times, to see time crumbled walls, with towers and battlements that stimulate you imagination, to lost times with princes and princesses, with fairs and townsfolk all together, then most definitely Biertan is a place to visit.