ROMANIA - WONDERS OF TRANSYLVANIA

ROMANIA 

WONDERSOFTRANSYLVANIA 

DimitraStasinopoulou

MapofRomania 

MapofTransylvania

ROMANIA 


Morethan15yearsafteritsfirstpublication,myfirst 

book “Romania of my Heart” still hold the same 

magic for me. From the Danube Delta to the forest 

mountains and their crystal-clear springs. From the 

castles and monasteries of Bucovina, the hills and 

secluded valleys of Moldova and Maramures to the 

wonderfulvillagesofTransylvaniaandthesea. 

IamveryhappythatthesetreasuresofRomaniaare 

more and more appreciated by everyone. I continue 

to believe, especially in these difficult times, in the 

importance of celebrating the treasures of tradition 

andnature.ItisbecauseοfthisthatIdonotlookfor 

skyscrapers. Romania’s emblematic beauty is built 

(still)horizontally,stretching…likeamiracle.Here, 

I continue the journey that I started with “Romania 

of my Heart”, in a stubborn pursuit of primeval and 

realvalues.Thestepsofthisalbum’spathdonotseek 

images of wealth, technology, or modernity. These 

are images of primary authenticity. Light, color, 

vibrancy. Love and tranquility. That witch is 

fundamentallyreal. 

In the portraits of the people I met, one can see a 

hard life. A hard life, but not hard people. One can 

seean,Iwouldsay,optimisticsadnessinsomecases. 

However, one can also see stories that inspire an 

absolute feeling of joy. The joy of life weaved in 

vibrant colors of love. Without rejecting the 

influence of the new and different, tradition 

nevertheless engulfs and prevails here. The many 

sights bring back memories of times past. The 

beautifulfolkdresses,wornwithsuchpride,andthe 

passion for traditional crafts are but a few such 

sights. People here still make a living at such timehonored 

occupations as shepherds, weavers, 

blacksmithsandcarpenters. 

Even though they have been clearly marked by the 

passage of time, the buildings reveal a rare beauty. 

More than just conveying beauty, the outside and 

interiorofbuildingshouseawealthofsoul.Theever 

present churches, a constant and dominant part of 

the landscape, prove not just a deep connection to 

religionbutalsoaprecioushistoricalrecord. 

This is southern Transylvania, a high plateau of 

wooded hills and valleys shielded by the Carpathian 

Mountains, where Transylvanian Saxon settlers and 

theirdescendantshavefarmed,tradedandfoughtto 

preservetheirlandandtraditionsformorethan800 

years.RomanianSaxonvillagesmightbetiny,butthe 

churches are mighty! After all the Saxon villages in 

Transylvania doubled as outposts used to defend 

tradingroutesthroughthecountryside...Mostofthe 

churches are big enough to house villagers fleeing 

from invaders – sheep flocks, cow herds and family 

dogsincluded. 

This area, except its beauty, is an outstanding 

testimonytotheirculture,aculturethatiscomingto 

acloseafter850yearsandwillcontinuetoexistonly 

throughitsarchitecturalandurbanmonuments.The 

apparentlyunstoppableprocessofemigrationbythe 

Saxons, the social stratum which had formed and 

upheldtheculturaltraditionsoftheregion,threatens 

the survival of their architectural heritage as well. 

This area of the Carpathians, is one of the last 

unspoiledanduntouchedareasintheworld. Allthe 

great scenery of the mountains, castles and fortified 

churches are still in their place for almost a 

millennium. Tales about vampires, werewolves and 

witches are still very popular in these peaks and 

forests.Afterall,thisisthehomelandofthefamous 

Dracula that more than a century ago the writer 

BramStokermadefamousallovertheworld. 

UNESCO has designated some of the Saxon 

churchesasworldheritagesites,butnotthevillages. 

Withnomoneyforrepairsandnoenforcement,such 

designation carries little weight. There is thus a race 

to save the most endangered pre-industrial 

landscape in Europe from poverty-stricken 

newcomers understandably eager for modernity. 

HRS Charles, The Prince of Wales has special 

affection for Romania, a country he visits regularly 

fornearlytwentyyears.In2015,hedecidedtosetup 

his own charity in the country to take forward a 

numberofprojectshecaresdeeplyaboutsuchasthe 

preservation of Romania's architectural heritage, 

supporting small farmers and the creation of small 

enterprises in the countryside. The Charity engages 

with rural communities in particular and offers 

many courses from heritage restoration to cooking 

andstart-upseveryyear. 

The pictures that follow are the proof of my love for 

a country I met many years ago and which, in the 

meantime, became a second home, where I built 

lifetimefriendships.Itismainlythespiritandsoulof 

these people and what they have created I tried to 

document.Intheirdaytodaymomentsandintheir 

eyesshinesRomaniaoftraditionandpotential.They 

are open, simple, generous, optimistic, and despite 

their concerns, they maintain their dignity and 

pride. 

I truly hope to be able to continue exploring and 

unveilingtheworld.Itraveltolearn,tobesurprised, 

to be awed, to connect with people, and most 

importantly,toappreciatemyverysmallplaceinthe 

world. These experiences recharge my soul and 

restoresmyfaithinhumanity.Itreconfirmsmybelief 

in the goodness of mankind, and reminds me just 

how incredible our world is and that we all need to 

worktogethertobothprotectandshareit. 

DimitraStasinopoulou 

January31,2021 

TRANSYLVANIA 

Transylvania (Latin for “Land beyond the forest”) is 

a historical region in the central and northwestern 

Romania and the country’s largest, bordered on the 

east and south by the Carpathian Mountains and by 

some of Europe’s largest undisturbed forests. 

Transylvania is rich with mountains and medieval 

towns&villages,fortifiedchurches,stunningcastles 

andwelcoming,kindandgenerouspeople. 

Transylvania’spopulationofjustunder7millionhas 

amixofethnicHungariansandRomanians:Around 

70% Romanian, 18% Hungarian, with much smaller 

populations of Roma, Ukrainian, and German. 

Transylvania was a distinct territory (under various 

states of rule, including being a vassal state of the 

Ottoman Empire) until the Austro-Hungarian 

compromise of 1867, when it was incorporated into 

the Kingdom of Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian 

Empire.ButafterWorldWarIandthedissolutionof 

theempire,theempirelostTransylvaniatoRomania

inthe1920TreatyofTrianon—whichwassignedby 

theAlliedPowersandrepresentativesofHungaryto 

formally end the war and carve up the empire’s 

former territories. The Kingdom of Hungary kept 

just 28% of its lands and with the rest were divided 

among its newly independent neighboring 

countries: Romania, Czechoslovakia, Slovenia, 

Serbia,Ukraine,Austria,andCroatia. 

SAXONHERITAGEIN 

TRANSYLVANIA 

THEFORTIFIEDCHURCHES&VILLAGES 

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villages 

with Fortified Churches in Transylvania are seven 

villages (six Saxon and one Székely – Biertan, 

Saschiz, Câlnic, Viscri, Prejmer, Valea Viilor,and 

Dârjiu) founded by the Transylvanian Saxons. They 

are dominated by fortified churches and 

characterized by a specific settlement pattern that 

has been preserved since the Late Middle Ages 

providingavividpictureoftheculturallandscapeof 

Transylvania. They are characterized by a specific 

land-use system, settlement pattern and 

organizationofthefamilyfarmstead. 

Transylvania was called “the gate of Europe”. This 

RomanianterritoryhasthehighestnumberofSaxon 

villagesfromEurope.Theseformedstartingwiththe 

12th century, after the Hungarians began to infuse 

the local population with German colonists, in an 

effort to annex the territory. Highly respected for 

their skill and talent they succeeded in gaining 

administrative autonomy, almost unmatched in the 

entire feudal Europe of absolute monarchies. The 

MapofRomania 

result of almost nine centuries of existence of the 

Saxon community in Southern Transylvania is a 

cultural and architectural heritage, unique in 

Europe. 

The Saxons stayed in this hilly region for 850 years 

and named their lands Siebenburgen after the seven 

fortress cities they built to protect themselves and 

theirtowns.Overthecenturies,notonlyfarmedand 

protected the fertile lands between the forested 

Carpathian Mountains, but formed guilds and 

became wealthy traders. Respected for their skills 

and talents, the Saxons gained a degree of freedom 

previously unheard of in medieval Europe. In their 

adopted homeland, any Saxon could move up in 

society based on merit. They blended well with the 

nativesandsomeoftheelementsoftheircivilization 

managed to impose over the older practices. One of 

theseistheirarchitecture.Astheareawasconstantly 

under threat from Ottomans and Tatars, one of the 

mostadoptedelementsisthefortificationstyle. 

The common approach against invaders was the 

“high price for a small benefit” strategy. In most of 

the cases, raiding the churches was too hard to be 

worth the trouble. In fact some of the churches were 

never conquered. Such is the case of Prejmer 

Fortified Church, which featured thick walls and 

unique defensive systems such as the “Organ of 

death”.Today, nearly two hundred of their citadels 

stand in Romania as a tribute to their skills and 

courage. Their fortifications usually encircled 

churches, villages, peasant refuges, or military 

outposts. The south-eastern Transylvania region in 

Romaniacurrentlyhasoneofthehighestnumbersof 

existing fortified churches from the 13th to 16th 

centuries. 

A fortified church is a building which has a 

religiousmeaning,butalsoplayedadefensiverolein 

times of war. Middle Age fortified churches are 

different from castles and fortresses because they 

were designed to protect small communities. 

Transylvania has more than 150 well preserved 

fortified churches of a great variety of architectural 

styles(outofanoriginal300fortifiedchurches). The 

mainelementofeveryvillagewasthechurch.Itwas 

always situated in the middle of the town. Different 

typesoffortificationscanbefound:asmallenceinte 

aroundthechurch,arowoffortificationsaroundthe 

church or a real fortress with multiple fortification 

wallscenteredonthechurch. 

Thechurcheshavebeenadaptedtoincludedefensive 

functions; all of them are either Romanesque 

basilicas or single-nave churches of the late Gothic 

period. They often include many additions, ranging 

inagefromtheoriginalperiodinwhichthechurches 

werebuiltLateMiddleAgestothesixteenthcentury. 

Many churches also include baroque elements from 

thatperiod,asthebaroquestylewasverypopularin 

theregion. 

Inalmostallcases,thechurchissituatedinaneasily 

defendableposition,generallyonahilltop.Elements 

of fortifications found in the main cities in the area 

have been adapted here, and they are a testimony of 

the building techniques used along the years by the 

Saxon community. Some fortifications had 

observation towers, some of them being church 

towers adapted to the needs of a fortress. The 

materials are the traditional ones, stone and red 

bricks, with a red clay tiled roof, a typical feature of 

thearea.Closetothechurchthereisthemainsquare 

of the village or Tanzplaz (Dance Square) to which 

sociallifegravitated.Theonlybuildingssituatednext 

to the fortifications are those of communal use: the 

school or the village hall. The parish house, along 

withthehousesofthewealthyvillagers,weresituated 

aroundthissquare.Alsoinmostsites,barnsforgrain 

storagearesituatedclosetothecenterofthevillage. 

The Saxon houses were usually built of stone and 

consisted of a ground floor and an upper floor. For 

defence reason, and due to the lack of space, the 

houses where placed close together without any 

intervals,andtheinteriorcourtyardsweresmalland 

narrow. Thus, each house was a miniature fortress. 

The streets of these medieval towns were paved with 

stone slabs or cobbles. There are a hundred or more 

charming villages in what is called Saxon Land. 

Typically there is a fortified church on a hill, 

surrounded by village houses that are present to the 

streetasflat,renderedfacadespaintedanddecorated 

inpastelshades.Abreakinthewallmakeswayfora 

large gate, always closed, that leads into a grassed or 

cobbledcourtyard. 

The departure of the Saxon population has led to 

many of the villages being virtually abandoned, 

leavingthehousesandchurchestofallintodisrepair. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 

Villages_with_fortified_churches_in_Transylvania 

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-05819-7_4 

https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2019/things-to-know-beforeyou-go-to-transylvania/ 

http://romaniatourism.com/transylvania.html 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/oct/01/ 

romania-saxon-conservation-village

BIERTAN

BIERTAN(BIRTHALM) 

The village of Biertan (German: Birthalm), first 

mentioned in an official document in 1283, is home 

to one of the largest and most impressive medieval 

strongholds in Transylvania. Surrounded by quaint 

streets and vineyards, the 15 th c. fortified church at 

Biertan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is perched 

highonahillinthemiddleofthevillage.Threetiers 

of35-foot-highdefensivewalls,connectedbytowers 

andgates,encircledthecomplex,makingthechurch 

impossible to conquer during medieval times. 

Featuring late-gothic architecture with heavy doors 

and double exterior walls, the church boasts the 

largest Transylvanian multi-paneled wooden altar 

and a remarkable wooden door which once 

protectedthetreasuresinthesacristy. 

Visitorscanalsoadmirethetowerssurroundingthe 

church,namelytheClockTower,theBellTower,the 

Gate Tower and the Bacon Tower. Within the 

grounds are several other interesting buildings, 

including the Prison Tower - which once served 

maritalcounselingpurposes. 

The first documentary testimony about the village 

dates from 1283 in a document about the taxes paid 

bytheinhabitantsof7villagesandsoitisbelievedto 

have been founded sometime between 1224 and 

1283 by Transylvanian Saxons. The village 

settlement quickly developed into an important 

market town and by 1510 Biertan supported a 

populationofabout5,000people.Between1468and 

the 16 th century a small fortified church was 

constructed and developed. From 1572 to 1867, 

BiertanwastheseatoftheSaxonEvangelicalbishops 

of Transylvania; their fine gravestones can be seen 

insidetheBishops'Tower. 

BBC wrote a story about Biertan’s ‘medieval remedy 

for divorce’, telling readers that, although it sounds 

like a nightmare, the solution was quite effective as 

only one couple divorced in 300 years. The local 

bishop was the one locking the people in the tiny 

prison,wheretheywouldspendsixweeksworkingto 

bringtheirmarriagebacktolife.Whileinthere,they 

were supposed to share everything, from a single 

pillowandtabletothelonetablesetting. 

“Lutheranism, the religion of the Transylvanian 

Saxons, governed most aspects of life, and although 

divorce was allowed under certain circumstances – 

such as adultery – it was preferred that couples 

attempt to save their union. So a couple seeking 

divorce would voluntarily visit the bishop, who 

wouldsendthemtothemaritalprisontoseeiftheir 

differences could be reconciled before they parted 

ways,”readstheBBCstory. 

Ifthecouplediddecidetodivorceafterspendingthe 

longweeksintheprison,thehusbandhadtopayhis 

ex-wifehalfofhisearnings.However,ifheremarried 

and divorced again, the second wife was entitled to 

nothing. 

“The reason to remain together was probably not 

love. The reason was to work and to survive,” Ulf 

Ziegler, Biertan’s current priest, told the BBC. “If a 

couple was locked inside for six weeks, it was very 

hard for them to have enough food the following 

year,sotherewaspressuretogetoutandtocontinue 

to work together.” The so-called ‘marital prison’ is 

locatedinasmallbuildingnearthevillage’sfortified 

church. 

http://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses-romania-biertanfortified-church.html 

https://www.romania-insider.com/bbc-biertan-marital-prisonromania

TheTowers

Altarwithpolyptych

CeilingandtheOrgan

Sacristylock,containing19locksinone. 

ItwonfirstprizeattheParisWorldExpoin1900

TheChurchMuseum

Catholictowerfrescoes

BishopsTombStones

EnsembleoftheEvangelicalfortifiedchurch

VillageviewfromtheChurch

MALANCRAV

MALANCRAV/MALMKROG 

The Mălâncrav village came into being in the year 

1305; to this day, it has a larger Saxon population 

than any other Transylvanian village. In 1340, the 

settlement and land around it become the property 

of the Apafi family, which ruled Transylvania up 

until the 17 th c. During the 18 th c. the village was 

transferred to the Hungarian royalty, having been 

grantedtothembydecreeoftheking.Thelastowner 

of the village was the countess Susanne Haller. 

During this time, there was only one brick house 

outside the noble residency, the rest of the houses 

being wood or clay. This led to the destruction of 

more than two-thirds of the village in a terrible fire, 

forcing the people to rebuild their houses out of 

bricks. In 1865, the English writer Charles Boner 

wouldnotethatallthehouse“looksolidandradiate 

acomfortableprosperity 

TheMălâncravRomanesquechurch,conceivedas 

a three-naved basilica, was built by the villagers at 

thebeginningofthe14 th centuryandisdedicatedto 

Saint Mary. The twenty-meter fresco in the central 

nave is the largest and most thematically complete 

Gothic fresco in Transylvania. The reform spared 

themandtodayitseemsthattheskycoversthealtar’s 

vault and the south wall of the church from 

Malancrav, 53 scenes from the Old and New 

Testament are painted here. The five levels belfry 

tower has an impressive height. Fifty-three images 

are grouped in four rows and in the spaces between 

the arched passageways. In the 19 th c, the central 

naval frescos were painted over. They have been 

brought back to light during a renovation in 1914, 

butremainedpartiallydamagedbythisprocess.The 

frescos that covered the choir area were kept mostly 

intact. They are believed to represent the 

international Gothic style from the Royal Courts. 

Presently, the evangelistic community in Mălâncrav 

has 150 members who preserve some of the old 

Saxon traditions. Despite their small number, there 

areweeklygatheringsofallages,andthecommunity 

remainsanactiveone.Thefoundationthatfunctions 

under the patronage of Prince Charles “Mihai 

Eminescu Trust” renovated the Apafi Manor, fallen 

into ruin under the communist regime and 

immediatelyafterward.Todayitrepresentsitselfasa 

superbandexclusivedestinationfortourists. 

TheApafimansion,situatedabovethevillage,beside 

the church, belonged to the Apafi family, as did the 

entiresettlement.Inthe18 th c,whentheApafifamily 

line came to an end, the mansion was taken over by 

theBethlenfamily,rulersofTransylvaniaduringthat 

era. In time, the mansion changed shape and was 

renovated several times. In 1920, the mansion 

became the property of the community; it was 

transformed into a cultural center, and then was 

confiscated by the Communist regime in 1949. The 

Mihai Eminescu Trust took over the mansion in 

2000;afterfiveyearsofrestorationitwasreturnedto 

its former beauty. The rehabilitation work received 

“OurEurope”prize. 

https://www.mihaieminescutrust.ro/en/malancrav/

MainVillageroadwiththetraditionalSaxonhouses

“Ithinkalotaboutwhattocook,tobetastefulandnottooexpensive”

FortifiedLutheranChurchofMalancrav(14 th c.)dedicatedtoSaintMary

Thealtar’svaultandthesouthwallwhere53scenesfromtheOldandNewTestamentarepainted

ThePipeOrgan

TheApafimansion,situatedabovethevillage,besidethechurch,belongedtothe 

Apafifamily,asdidtheentiresettlement. 

TheOldSchool

TheApafimansion

TheApafimansion

SIGHISOARA

SIGHISOARA 

Sighisoaraisanoutstandingtestimonytotheculture 

oftheTransylvanianSaxons,aculturethatiscoming 

to a close after 850 years and will continue to exist 

onlythroughitsarchitecturalandurbanmonument, 

and is an example of a small fortified city in the 

border region between the Latin-oriented culture of 

central Europe and the Byzantine-Orthodox culture 

ofsouth-easternEurope. 

The origins of the city go back to the Roman times. 

During the 1st c. AD, the Dacians (ancient 

inhabitants of the territory of modern Romania 

which eventually will develop into the Romanian 

people), built a fortification called Sandava. Under 

theRomanadministrationitwasknownasCastrum 

Stenarum. During the 12th c, the Transylvanian 

Saxons built a new citadel which was named 

Schäßburg Sighisoara, and still stands as one of the 

most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns 

in Europe. Designated as a World Heritage Site by 

UNESCO,thisperfectlyintact16thc.gemwithnine 

towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate 

churches rivals the historic streets of Old Prague or 

Vienna for magic. It is also the birthplace of Vlad 

Dracula, also known as Vlad Tepes (Vlad the 

Impaler), ruler of the province of Walachia from 

1456 to 1462. His house is just one of the many 

attractions here. Others include the Church on the 

Hill with its 500-year-old frescoes, the 13th 

century Venetian House and the Church of the 

DominicanMonastery. 

Sighisoara'scitadelwasbuiltinthe12thc,whenit 

was known as Castrum Sex (Fort Six), and was 

further strengthened and extended in the 15th 

c. In 1298, the town was mentioned as Schespurch, 

while in 1367 it was called Civitas de Seguswar. The 

name of Sighisoara was first noted in a written 

document issued by Vlad Dracul Vlad the Impaler's 

father,in1431. 

In the 14th and 15th c, the economic growth 

recorded by Sighisoara's industrious craftsmen and 

tradesmen ensured financial means for the 

construction of a strong defense system provided 

with 14 towers and several bastions provided with 

gunnery directed to all four cardinal points. Each 

tower was built, maintained and defended by a craft 

guild.Among the most striking is the 14th c. Clock 

Tower. This tower controlled the main gate of the 

half-mile-long defensive wall and stored the city's 

treasures. 

For several centuries, Sighisoara was a military and 

political stronghold. During the 14th -16th c., the 

Saxon craft guilds erected towers around the citadel 

wallstoprotectthetownfromTurkishraids.Laidout 

on two to four levels, the towers stored ammunition 

and food supplies and were provided with firing 

windows for cannons, shells and arrows. Of the 

original fourteen towers and five artillery bastions, 

nine towers and two bastions have survived the test 

of time.Medieval structures that have whistood the 

centuries include: Blacksmiths' Tower, Butchers' 

Tower, Cobblers' Tower, Furriers' Tower, 

Ropemakers' Tower, Tailors' Tower, Tanners' 

Tower and Tinsmiths' Tower. The ninth tower still 

standingistheClockToweritself. 

The19guildsofcraftsmenfromSighișoara,received 

their first statutes in 1376 , statutes based on older 

laws and customs. The competition between the 

guilds was acute, and that between the guilds in 

different cities was fierce. For example, if the 

locksmiths from Brașov brought "bad padlocks and 

frogs" to the fair in Sighișoara, the locksmiths from 

Sighișoara had the right to confiscate them. The 

craftsmen became richer and richer and came to 

have representatives on the council of the fortress, 

which until then was reserved for feudal 

patricians. The first craftsman to enter the city 

council, as a juror, was a representative of the 

goldsmith'sguild,Nikolaus,in1393.Theguildswere 

abolished in 1884 because they had lost their 

significance. 

The Citadel Square: This quaint small square lies 

at the heart of the citadel. In the old days, street 

markets, craft fairs, public executions and witch 

trials were held here. Only goldsmiths, tailors, 

carpenters and tinsmiths were allowed to have their 

guildsandworkshopsinsidethecitadel.Guildswere 

activeuntil1875. 

The Clock Tower: Also known as the Council 

Tower, built in the second half of the 14th c. and 

expandedinthe16thc.Thefoursmallcornerturrets 

on top of the tower symbolized the judicial 

autonomyoftheTownCouncil,whichcouldapply,if 

necessary, the death penalty. After a fire in 1676 

when the town's gunpowder deposits located in the 

Tailors' Tower exploded, Austrian artists rebuilt the 

roof of the tower in its present baroque style and in 

1894, colorful tiles were added. This clock has been 

working continuously since the Middle Ages. The 

Clock Tower served as the gathering place for the 

CityCounciluntil1556.Since1899,ithashousedthe 

HistoryMuseum. 

Vlad Dracul's House is located in the Citadel 

Square,closetotheClockTower.Thisocher-colored 

house is the place where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration 

forBramStoker'sfamousDracula,wasbornin1431 

and lived with his father, Vlad Dracul, until 1435 

when they moved to Targoviste. A wrought-iron 

dragonhangsabovetheentrance. 

Forhisdeeds,theOrderoftheDragonwasbestowed 

uponhim,hencethetitleDracul(theLatinwordfor 

dragon is draco). While in medieval lure dragons 

served as symbols of independence, leadership, 

strength and wisdom, the biblical association of the 

devil with the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve, 

gave the snake-like dragon connotations of evil. 

Thus, the Romanian word Dracul stands in English 

forbothdragonanddevil. 

Benefiting from the friendship of the Hungarian 

king, Sigismund I of Luxembourg, Vlad II Dracul, 

the father of Vlad Tepes, spent his youth at the royal 

court and later distinguished himself as a brave 

knight in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. 

Dracula, the title of Vlad Tepes, translates as Son of 

Dracul. 

The Stag House: Built in the 17th c.in 

Transylvanianrenaissancestyledrawsitsnamefrom 

thestagskullsetononeofthecornersofitsfaçade. 

http://romaniatourism.com/sighisoara.html 

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/902/

TheCitadel

TheClockTower

TheCitadelSquare

VladDracul'sHouse

TheCitadelSquare

CitadelSquare.TheStagHouse, thatdrawsitsnamefromthe 

stagskullsetononeofthecornersofitsfaçade(17 th c.)

TheCitadelSquare

TheTownHall

VISCRI

VISCRI 

Viscri is one of the most beautiful Saxon villages in 

Transylvania, part of the UNESCO World Heritage. 

Theconstructionofthefortifiedchurchinthevillage 

center began in 1100 A.D., a fact confirmed by the 

tombstone inscription in the cemetery that 

surroundsthechurch.In1185,theSaxonscolonized 

thechurch,theHungariansinhabitantsbeingforced 

to leave the village and settle in the south-east of 

Transylvania. The Viscri settlement was officially 

namedin1400undertheLatintitleofAlbaEcclesia, 

or “White Church”, its German equivalent being 

“Weißkirch.” The church gave the village its name – 

as it was one of the most impressive in all 

Transylvania. The first towers were added around 

1525.Inthe18 th century,aseconddefensivewalland 

a covered passageway were added to the 

construction.During1970-1971,thefortifiedchurch 

underwentmajorrenovations. 

ThechurchinViscriisbuiltforbattle.Tower-topped 

walls have watched out for invaders since the 12 th c. 

With each century that’s passed, another layer of 

armor has been added – bastions; a second wall; 

labyrinthine corridors – to shrug off marauding 

armies. The center piece of the altar, a 19 th century 

classic, was the painting “Blessing of the Children,” 

by Rupean painter J. Paukratz. In the 18 th century, a 

groupofRomanianshepherdssettledinViscri.After 

the 90s, only a few Saxon families remained. 

Nowadays, inside the church museum you can 

admirewovenandembroideredtextiles,pottery,and 

handmade agricultural tools, as well as traditional 

clothing and furniture. Many of the traditional 

buildings have been salvaged and restored since 

1999. The Mihai Eminescu Trust has more than 

300 projects in the area – including restoring the 

buildings, paving the roads, providing school 

transportationforthechildren,andsupportinglocal 

entrepreneurialdevelopment.Inthevillagethereare 

twoblacksmithshopsandabrickandtileoven. 

ASR the Prince of Wales has a special affection for 

Romania,acountryhehasbeenvisitingregularlyfor 

twenty years. In 2015, he decided to set up his own 

FoundationinRomaniatocarryoutprojectsthatare 

closetohisheart,suchaspreservingthearchitectural 

heritage, supporting small farmers and 

entrepreneurshipinruralareas.PrinceCharlesfellin 

love with Transylvania during his first visit in 1998. 

Hehasbecomeanadmirerofthisregion,becausehe 

was “totally overwhelmed by its unique beauty and 

its extraordinarily rich heritage.” He joined Count 

Tibor Kálnoky in a venture that now includes three 

holidayproperties:theMiklósvárholidayhome,and 

the Prince’s houses in Zalánpatak/Valea Zălanului 

and in the village of Szászfehéregyháza/Viscri and is 

visiting each year since it became his estate in 2008. 

The British royal family’s ties to Transylvania and 

Hungarianshavealonghistory:QueenElisabethII’s 

great-great-grandmother, Klaudia Rhédey 

(Claudine, known in Romanian as Claudia), was 

born in 1812 in a small town, Erdőszentgyörgy/ 

Sângeorgiu de Pãdure, Mures County in the heart of 

Transylvania. 

https://www.mihaieminescutrust.ro/en/viscri/ 

http://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses.html#saschiz 

https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/transylvania/travelguide/saxon-villages 

https://www.casaprintuldewales.ro/fundatia-printul-de-wales/ 

?lang=ro

AlbaEcclesia,or“WhiteChurch” 

Builtin1110AD

Surroundingwallsandentrance

Thecenterpieceofthealtar,a19 th centuryclassic,wasthepainting“BlessingoftheChildren”

TheChurchMuseum

Blacksmith

Manufacturingrooftiles-thetraditionalway

SIBIU

SIBIU/HERMANNSTADT 

Sibiu (Hermannstadt in German) was the largest 

and wealthiest of the seven walled citadels built in 

the 12 th century by German settlers known as 

Transylvanian Saxons. The riches amassed by its 

guilds paid for the construction of both impressive 

buildings and the fortifications required to protect 

them. Sibiu's Old Town retains the grandeur of its 

earlier days when rich and powerful guilds 

dominated regional trade. Like Sighisoara and 

Brasov,ithasadistinctlyGermanicfeeling.Sections 

of the medieval wall still guard the historic area, 

where narrow streets pass steep-roofed 17 th century 

buildings with gable overhangs before opening into 

vast, church-dominated squares such as Great 

SquareandLittleSquare. 

SibiuishometothefirsthospitalinRomania(1292), 

thefirstpharmacy(1494)andtheoldestmuseumin 

Romania, the Brukenthal Museum, opened in 1817. 

In 1797, Samuel von Hahnemann opened in Sibiu 

the world's first homeopathic laboratory. The 

collections of the museum reunite over 6.600 

exhibits dating from the 16 th to the 19 th centuries. 

ThefirstbookintheRomanianlanguagewasprinted 

inSibiuin1544. 

Sibiu is a pedestrian-friendly city with two easily 

accessible levels: the Upper town, home to most of 

Sibiu's historic sights, and the Lower town, lined 

with colorful houses on cobblestone streets and 

bounded by imposing city walls and defense towers 

overlooking the river Cibin. The historical center 

includes the Great Square, Huet Square, the 

beautifulPassageofStepsconnectingtheuppertown 

to the lower town, the well-known Bridge of Lies, 

Goldsmiths'SquareandtheSmallSquare. 

Since ancient times Sibiu has been the center of the 

Transylvanian ecclesiastical life. It is not in vein that 

it was named “The City of Churches” and it was 

describedbyPopeEugenethe4 th as“afortress,which 

defends the entire Christendom”. If only to consider 

its center, one can admire here many religious 

buildings pertaining to all the architectural styles 

thathavedominatedEuropethroughouthistory.The 

most impressive of them, having a 73,30m high 

tower, the second highest medieval construction in 

the country, is the Evangelic cathedral, the heart of 

thereligiousandpoliticallifeoftheSaxons.Thefirst 

building was erected in Gothic style in 1448, before 

the protestant reform. Its seven roofs are the symbol 

of the “seven thrones”, which was the administrative 

organization of the German colonists. The entire 

construction is a grandiose art work, protecting 

countlesstreasuresbetweenitswalls:theensembleof 

epitaphs and funeral stones of great personalities of 

Sibiu, the organ, the largest musical instrument in 

Transylvania,orthebronzefontwhich,accordingto 

alegend,wasmadebymeltinganOttomancannon. 

After its demolition in the 14 th century the 

dimensions of the following Gothic church 

accounted for the growing population and the 

significance of the city. Chancel, transept, and the 

lower part of the tower were completed in 1371, 

whereas the nave was finished only in 1445 after an 

interruption of the works. In 1448 the nave was 

enlarged to the west, thus surrounding the tower. At 

theendofthe15 th centurythenavewaschangedtoa 

hallchurchatthesouthside.Thenewlybuiltgallery 

was covered with a lierne vault. In 1494 the tower, 

measuring 73 m, including its distinctive spire was 

completed. Finally the northern part of the transept 

was extended by one bay and on the south side the 

entrance hall and the spiral staircase for the tower 

were added. The noticeable roofing made of colored 

glazed tiles dates back to the 16th century. The 

interior is dominated by the towering piers and the 

Gothic rib vault in the nave and the light-flooded 

chancel. Around 1900 during a general renovation 

the plaster of the interior walls was taken down 

completely leaving of the original decoration only a 

wall-painting showing the crucifixion on the 

northernwallofthechancel.Thereisacollectionof 

renaissanceepitaphsofdistinguishedSibiucitizens. 

For hundreds of years, this walled town in the heart 

of Transylvania was one of the most powerful and 

prosperous strongholds in Europe. Surrounded by 

imposing walls, Sibiu's original fortifications 

included 39 defensive towers, five bulwarks, four 

gatesandfiveartillerybatteries. 

The Upper Town: At the center of the upper town 

arethreebeautifulsquares.TheGreatSquareisthe 

site of the Roman-Catholic church and the 

Brukenthal Palace, where you will find one of 

Romania'smostimportantartcollections. 

The Great Square: First mentioned in a written 

document in 1411 as a grain market, the Great 

Square – the largest square in the city, has been 

throughout the centuries a quiet witness to the 

town's lively merchant activity, assemblies and even 

public executions. Located in the heart of the old 

walled city, the square was designated an 

architectural monument by UNESCO and features 

someofthemostimpressivebuildingsinSibiu. 

The Little Square: From the Great Square, walk 

through one of two tunnels under the arches of the 

Council Tower to arrive at the Little Square. This 

secondfortifiedsquarewashometothetown'smost 

prestigious master craftsmen, who lived in rows of 

arcadedhousesalongthenorthandeastsides.Today, 

smallshops,cafesandbusinesseslinethesquare. 

Huet Square: Huet Square is home to a mix of 

gothic buildings dominated by the Evangelical 

Cathedral. This impressive structure, featuring five 

pointedtowers,wasbuiltin1520onthesiteofanold 

Roman basilica. The simple, stark interior is in total 

contrast to that of the Catholic Church. A gigantic 

fresco, painted by Johannes of Rosenau in 1445, 

covers much of the chancel's north wall. The mural 

shows the Crucifixion and marks a transition in 

painting from late-gothic style to renaissance style. 

On the south side, the choir loft boasts a beautiful 

fan-vaulted ceiling, home to a baroque organ 

designed by a German master in 1671. Six thousand 

pipes were installed in 1914, making it the largest 

organin 

Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral: Constructed 

between 1902–1906 on the site of a former Greek 

church, it shares a similar style with Saint Sofia 

Cathedral in Istanbul, Turkey. The interior is 

dominatedbyamassivegoldchandelierandfeatures 

neo-Byzantinedecorations.Thisisthesecondlargest 

OrthodoxcathedralinRomania. 

https://kirchenburgen.org/en/location/hermannstadt-sibiu/ 

http://romaniatourism.com/sibiu.html

TheGreatSquare

TheEvangelicalCathedral(1520)

BrukenthalMuseum

ThePharmacyMuseum

SamuelvonHahnemannopenedinSibiutheworld'sfirsthomeopathiclaboratory

OrthodoxMetropolitanCathedral(1906) 

thesecondlargestOrthodoxcathedralinRomania

SALISTE, SIBIEL, TILISCA

SALISTE- SIBIEL-TILISCA 

Săliște (German: Großendor) is a town in Sibiu 

County, the main locality in the Mărginimea 

Sibiului ethnographic area. Located 23 km from 

Sibiu, it is known for its ancient history, natural 

beauty, culture and Romanian tradition. With a 

population of about 4500 inhabitants, the village is 

part of theten Sibiel settlements that make up the 

cityofSălişte,andisnamed“TheculturalCapitalof 

MarginimeaSibiului”. 

Theareawasinhabitedforaverylongtimeonahill 

between Sălişte and the nearby commune of Tilișca. 

It is composed of two villages, Rod (Rod; Ród) and 

Tilișca. There are the ruins of an old Dacian citadel. 

The first document mentioning the town is from 

1354 and refers, in Latin, to Magna Villa. Later, in 

1383 the village is known as Magna Villa 

Valachiealis (Big Village of the Vlachs), denoting its 

ethnicallyRomanianpopulation.Later,itwasoneof 

the villages in the Țara Amlașului, a Transylvanian 

fiefdomgrantedbythekingsofHungaryduringthe 

14 th and 15 th c. to the Wallachian rulers. Around 

1485 it was included in one of the seven seats of 

Saxondom. In 1774 an important local revolt of the 

Romanian population took place; members of this 

community also participated in the revolution of 

1848, the Transylvanian Memorandum movement 

and almost every important event in the National 

awakeningoftheRomaniansinTransylvania 

Archaeologicalfindsindicatehumanpresenceinthe 

Sibiel region since Neolithic times even if some 

experts date the first village settlements only to the 

6 th century, a period of constant migration. The 

citadel, called the Salgo is dated to the 13 th century. 

A Hungarian settlement, giving rise to the local 

traditionthatitdatesbacktotheeraoftheDaciand 

is the place where King Decebal hid his treasure, 

Salgo is first mentioned in a document of 1322. The 

first explicit documentary reference to Sibiel is in 

1384 although some maintain that Salgo and Sibiel 

areessentiallyidentical. 

The Holy Archangels Michael & Gabriel Church in 

Tiliscawasbuiltin1782,onthesiteofanoldwooden 

church which was consecrated by Metropolitan Sava 

Vestemeanou. He brought from Wallachia a Gospel 

printed in 1682 and was donated to the church by 

IoanSerbanCantacuzino, 

In the silence of its cobbled laneways, accompanied 

only by the murmer of the more or less fragrant 

stream,theSighiel,fromwhichitgetsitsname,Sibiel 

with its typical small houses with their luminous 

courtyards, its fescoed votive shrines from the early 

19 th c, its school and village Cultural Centre, still 

offerstoday,aglimpseoftraditionandlocalculture. 

Sibiel's most important treasure is Zosim Oanca 

Glass Museum. The museum of painted icons, is 

named after the priest who collected them. Unlike 

thesomberwoodeniconsthesereligiousimageswere 

paintedusinga300-year-oldmethod:onthebackof 

theglass,withgoldleafdecorationstuckdownusing 

egg white and garlic. Proud Saint Georges, tearful 

VirginMarysandallegoricalBiblescenesareamong 

the700iconsdisplayedacrossthetwofloors,mostof 

theminaluminousnaïvestyle. 

https://www.sibiel.net/Sibiel_EN.html 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C4%83li%C8%99te

SALISTE,THETOWNHALL

SALISTE-HospitalforOldPeople

ZosimOancaGlassMuseum,SIBIEL

ZOSIMOANCAGLASSMUSEUM, SIBIEL

Tilisca

ArchangelsMichael&GabrielChurch(1792) 

TILISCA

SALISTE

AstraOpenAirMuseum,SIBIU(1897)

AstraOpenAirMuseum,SIBIU



SAROSPETARNAVE,SASCHIZ,CLOASTERF

ŞAROŞPETÂRNAVE/ 

SCHAROSCH(KOKEL) 

In the monograph of the village named Şaroş pe 

Târnave a legend full of wisdom can be read: by 

approaching the village, the first place that presents 

its view to the traveler is the graveyard, a symbol of 

grief and human transience. And yet, after entering 

the village as such, the graveyard disappears, being 

replaced by a new symbol: the fortified church, a 

bastion of faith. While the image of the graveyard 

reminds of the awful spirit of death, the sacred 

church offers hope and faith in eternal life. The 

imposingbuildingimpressesfromitsveryentrance: 

the pilasters, which withstand the weight of ages 

withdignity,flankthemainportal.Inthemiddleof 

thealtar,whichdatesbackin1774,thewoodcarved 

sculptureofthecrucifiedSaviordominates.Oneach 

of its sides there is a real size statue showing Moses 

andAaron. 

Şaroş could probably pride itself during the 14 th 

century with a large community who was able to 

build such an imposing three-aisle Gothic basilica. 

Out of spatial and security reasons, the main nave 

and chancel were fortified, the side aisles were 

demolished and the bell tower was built on the 

western side during the 16 th century and was also 

provided with a battlement walk on wooden 

consoles. The fortified church shows many 

similaritiestotheEvangelicCathedralinSibiu. 

https://kirchenburgen.org/en/location/scharosch-kokelsaros-pe-tarnave 

SASCHIZ(KEISD) 

The Saschiz Lutheran fortified church was built by 

theethnicGermanTransylvanianSaxoncommunity 

at a time when the area belonged to the Kingdom of 

Hungary. Initially Roman Catholic, it became 

LutheranfollowingtheReformation. 

Construction of a fortified late Gothic church began 

in1493onthesiteofaRomanesquebasilica,andthe 

main structure was completed in 1496. The church 

wasdedicatedtoSaintStephenofHungary.Afew 

payments from the authorities at Sibiu for building 

the church survive; these date from 1494 to 1525. 

From 1503 to 1507, the village received a Papal 

indulgence upon the request of a parishioner, and 

was no longer obliged to quarter troops or send 

provisionstothearmyoftheKingdomofHungary. 

The large structure, built of quarried stone, is a hall 

church strengthened by 22 high buttresses. A brick 

defensive level was built above the choir, while there 

are two such levels above the sacristy's vaulted 

ceiling. These floors are accessed through two small 

brick towers on the western part of the church. The 

defensive portion is slightly wider than the hall 

beneath. The interior decor is mainly Baroque, with 

only the richly decorated choir pulpit being Gothic. 

Inscription fragments survive on the exterior walls. 

Among the church's features are the two arched 

portals at the north and south sides, the upper 

windows with their delicate Gothic details, the 

Baroque altar and its floral decorations made of 

carvedwood,andthe1786organ. 

The complex was surrounded by a powerful 

defensive wall. A nearby hill was once the site of a 

14 th century citadel for protecting the peasants, but 

onlyruinssurvive.Itwaslocated2kmawayfromthe 

village center so that people from nearby places 

could also shelter there, and was reportedly a gift 

from a childless woman who willed it to the 

residents. Legend has it that the hill is haunted by a 

noose-wielding protective giant who emits ghostly 

sounds on one night a year. This distance is one 

reasonwhythechurchwaslaterfortified,sothatthe 

inhabitantswouldhavereadieraccesstoarefuge. 

In1999,Saschiz,togetherwithfiveotherplaces, 

was added to the already-listed Biertan to form 

the villages with fortified churches in 

TransylvaniaUNESCOWorldHeritageSite. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saschiz_fortified_church 

CLOAŞTERF/KLOSDORF 

The small settlement Cloaşterf in eastern 

Transylvania gave birth to many legends. Near the 

village are the ruins of a castle known locally as 

“Monkey Castle”. One says that a valuable treasure 

wasoncehiddenbehindaninvisibleirondooronthe 

castle hill. From time to time this door appears out 

of nowhere. But it can only be opened with 

Mandrake,amagicplant. 

Infact,oncetheremainsofanurnandagoldencoin 

withaGreekinscriptionofAlexandertheGreatwere 

found here. The real treasure however remains 

undiscoveredtothisday. 

According to another local myth the girl who finds 

the first vine with two small leaves on its tip will be 

leadtothemanofherdreamsbythisbranch.Thegirl 

should break the branch and put in on her hat. The 

firstyoungmanshemeetsonthewayhomefromthe 

vineyardshemaykiss,ashewillbeherfuturespouse. 

After the old church was destroyed, a new 

constructionwaserectedbetween1521and1524and 

finds itself in a well-preserved state today, as well as 

the polygonal ring wall strengthened by towers in 

eachcorner.Thesoutherntowerwasreplacedin1819 

with today’s bell tower. The aisle-less church with 

polygonal chancel was provided with defence level 

and machicolation between the buttresses from this 

constructionphase. 

OneoftheoldestinscriptionsfromTransylvaniacan 

befoundbehindthisaltar:1524istheyearwhenthe 

constructionworksofthechurchwerecompleted. 

https://kirchenburgen.org/en/location/klosdorf-cloasterf/

ŞAROŞ PE TÂRNAVE

ThefortifiedChurch

SASCHIZ

TheSaschizClockTower

TheSaschizLutheranfortifiedchurch–14 th c.dedicatedtoStStephenofHungary

CLOASTERF

ThefortifiedLutheranchurch,15 th c.

RUPEACITADEL

RUPEACITADEL 

Rupea is one of the oldest archaeological sites in 

Romania,thefirstsignsofhumansettlementsdating 

from the Paleolithic and early Neolithic. The citadel 

is classified in the list of historical monuments 

of Brașov County. This imposing citadel is 120 m 

highandisbelievedtohaveoncehoused400people. 

The first documentary attestation dates from 1324 

when the Saxons revolted against King Charles of 

Hungary and took refuge inside the citadel. 

According to archaeologists, the current citadel was 

built on the ruins of a former Dacian defense fort 

conquered by the Romans. The name of the citadel 

comesfromLatin“rupes”meaning"stone". 

Fromthe10 th c,experiencedasystematicexpansion, 

sothatinthe14 th c.ithadakeystrategicrole,being 

the linking point between Transylvania, Moldavia 

andWallachia.PopularlegendtellsthatDacianking 

Decebalus committed suicide within the citadel 

duringthe2 nd DacianWar(105–106). 

The first documentary attestation dates from 1324, 

under the name castrum Kuholm, when the Saxons 

revolting against King Charles of Hungary took 

refugeinsidethecitadel.ThenameKuholmrefersto 

the rock on which it was built: basalt. Between 1432 

and 1437 the citadel was attacked and robbed by 

Turks, as later, in 1643, to be abandoned, after a 

devastatingfireturneditintoruins.Attheendofthe 

same century, Saxons return to seek refuge. This 

time,thecitadelwillbehandedovertotheHabsburg 

armieswithoutarmedresistance. 

The citadel was modified in time, by adding two 

interior courtyards and three defense tower and is 

built on four premises: Upper, Middle and Lower. 

Each is identified by a special brickwork belt, 

corresponding to different eras, marked by the 

evolution of weapons, siege techniques or level of 

developmentofthesettlementandtheseatonwhich 

dependedthefinancingofwork.Thefirstpremiseof 

the fortification system is the Upper citadel which 

dates from the prefeudal period, 10 th –13 th c. It 

comprises the latest expansions, including the 

Bacon's Tower specific to Saxon communities. Also 

here can be found the 59 m-deep fountain, built in 

1623, the only source of water certainly identified in 

thecitadel. 

The Middle citadel was built in the 15 th c. and was 

enlarged in the 18 th c. Here can be identified 

the Tower with Bars, the Chapel, and another 

pentagonal tower, unique in Europe, gateway to the 

middlecitadel. 

The Lower citadel was built as from the 18 th c. From 

this period dates the house of citadel's watchman 

(1850) and the military warehouse, built in the early 

19thcentury. 

In 1716, Rupea Citadel had an important role. It 

becameahavenforthepeoplethatweretryingtostay 

untouched by the plague and thus was inhabited 

again. Its protection, thanks to the high walls, 

became vital also in 1788 when the Turks made a 

further invasion. The citadel was an asylum to those 

who needed help and protection during dangerous 

times. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupea_Citadel

Thiscitadel.Thefirstdocumentaryattestationdatesfrom1324.

PREJMER

PREJMER 

Prejmer(German:Tartlau)isacommuneinBrașov 

County, Transylvania. Prejmer is noted for its 

fortifiedchurch,oneofthebestpreservedofitskind 

in Eastern Europe. The church is modeled after 

churchesofJerusalem,aswellasbuiltinthestyleof 

LateGothicchurchesfromtheRhineland.Inthe15 th 

century, it was surrounded by a wall 12m high, 

forming a quadrilateral with rounded corners. Built 

inacross-likeplan,wascompletedin1225.Thenave 

featureslate-gothicvaulting.Thewallwasreinforced 

byfourhorseshoe-shapedtowers,twoofwhichhave 

sincedisappeared.Theentrance—avaultedgallery— 

is protected by a barbican and flanked by a lateral 

wall. The defensive structure is strengthened 

byembrasuresandbretèches,whilethecoveredway 

issurroundedbyaparapet.Thegranariesandrooms 

that accommodated the villagers are arranged on 

fourlevelsabovethecellars. 

Located 18 km NE of Brașov, the Olt River passes 

through the commune. Around 1211, King Andrew 

IIofHungarypermittedtheknightstosettlearound 

Prejmer, where they began constructing a church in 

1218, in Gothic style. They were responsible for the 

Greek cross plan, the only one of its kind in 

Transylvania, but found in a few churches in 

northeast Germany. Following their expulsion in 

1225, the Cistercians, who took over in 1240, 

finishedthechurch. 

The triptych altarpiece, the oldest in the province, 

datestoaround1450;themainpanelisjoinedtoside 

panels painted on both faces, on two levels. The 

entire piece depicts scenes from the Passion of 

Christ. The Crucifixion is the central subject four 

timesthesizeoftheotherpanels,overhalfthispanel 

isgilt.ThefrontsidepanelsshowtheWashingofthe 

Feet, the Last Supper, the Flagellation and 

theJudgementofCaiaphas;therearhastheWeeping 

Women, the Entombment and the Resurrection. A 

bell tower was added above the center of the church 

in1461. 

Prejmer was repeatedly invaded throughout 

the Middle Ages by various groups, including 

the Mongols, Tatars, Hungarians, Ottoman 

Turks, Cossacks, and Moldavians. However, the 

castle was only captured once, by Gabriel Báthory, 

Prince of Transylvania in 1611, the fighters 

defending the fortress have surrendered after not 

havingnodrinkingwateravailableforseveraldays. 

Access to the building was through a 100-foot-long 

archedpassagefortifiedwithtworowsofgates.Each 

village family had a designated room for shelter in 

case of attack. The red-roofed wall accommodated 

272 rooms, stacked over four stories and linked by 

wooden staircases. Endowed with bastions, 

drawbridges and a secret, subterranean passage 

through which food supplies could be transported, 

the church's most famed war device was the "death 

machine,"madeofseveralweaponsthatcouldshoot 

simultaneously,causingtheenemyseverelosses.The 

churchwasfirstmentionedinawrittendocumentin 

1240 when the Hungarian King donated it to the 

Cistercians, a powerful religious order based 

inCarta,closetoSibiu. 

In1999,Prejmer,togetherwithfiveotherplaces,was 

added to the already-listed Biertan to form 

the villages with fortified churches in 

TransylvaniaUNESCOWorldHeritageSite. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejmer 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prejmer_fortified_church

ThePrejmerfortifiedchurch(12 th century)

100-foot-longarchedpassagefortifiedwithtworowsofgates

Thetriptychaltarpiecedatestoaround1450andtheceiling&theOrgan

InnercourtyardWallroomstobeusedduringseize

BRASOV

BRAŞOV/KRONSTADT 

The city is fringed by the peaks of the Southern 

CarpathianMountainsandresplendentwithgothic, 

baroque and renaissance architecture, as well as a 

wealthofhistoricalattractions. 

The oldest traces of human activity and settlements 

date back to the Neolithic age. Transylvanian 

Saxons played a decisive role in Brașov's 

developmentandwereinvitedbyHungariankingsto 

develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land 

ofTransylvaniaatdifferentstagesbetween1141and 

1300. The settlers came primarily from 

the Rhineland, Flanders, and the Moselle region, 

with others from Thuringia, Bavaria, Wallonia, and 

evenFrance.In1211,byorderofKingAndrewIIof 

Hungary, the Teutonic Knights fortified 

theBurzenlandtodefendtheborderoftheKingdom 

of Hungary. On the site of the village of Brașov, the 

TeutonicKnightsbuiltKronstadt–'theCityofthe 

Crown'. Although the crusaders were evicted by 

1225, the colonists they brought in long ago 

remained,alongwithlocalpopulation. 

The location of the city at the intersection of trade 

routes linking the Ottoman Empire and western 

Europe, together with certain tax exemptions, 

allowed Saxon merchants to obtain considerable 

wealth and exert a strong political influence in the 

region. This was reflected in the city's German 

name, Kronstadt, as well as in its Latin name, 

Corona, meaning Crown City (hence, the coat of 

arms of the city which is a crown with oak roots). 

Fortifications were erected around the city and 

continually expanded, with several towers 

maintained by different craft guilds, according to 

medievalcustom. 

TheBlackChurch 

Thelatterisconsideredthelargestsacredmonument 

of Romania, the most important gothic church 

between Vienna and Istanbul and the most 

important edifice erected by the Saxons in Medieval 

Transylvania. Dedicated to The Holy Virgin Mary 

before the Protestant Reformation, the church 

became a mourning ruin after the devastating fire 

that seized Braşov in 1689. Following the 

unfortunate event the people gave to the church its 

current name, which became official in the 19 th 

Century. With an impressive height of 42m and a 

length of 90m, the stone titan protects a 6 tons bell, 

the richest collection of oriental carpets in Europe 

except for Turkey, and the biggest mechanical organ 

inthecountry. 

Apart from the architectural importance of the 

church this is the place where the first protestant 

service in German language was held in 1642, this 

being the starting point for the reformation which 

wastospreadthroughoutTransylvania.Theheaviest 

damage of the church happened during the Great 

Fire of 1689, when it burned down completely, 

followedbythecollapseofthevaults. 

Since the reconstruction works which lasted until 

1772,acompositionofbaroqueandGothicelements 

hence shaped the interior of the hall church. The 

facades show a rich decor of ornamental and 

figurative sculpture of sandstone, some of them 

havingbeenreplacedbycopiestoprotectthemfrom 

air pollution. One can see the originals inside the 

church.Ontheinteriorwallsthereisadisplayof104 

oriental carpets that were brought to Transylvania 

through the broad trade relations of the Saxon 

merchantstotheMiddleEast.Theyweregiventothe 

parish on the occasion of festivities and since then 

keptandcaredforduringthecenturies. 

TheCouncilSquare&theOldTownHall 

The Saxons built massive stone walls and seven 

bastionsaroundthecitythatarestillvisibletoday,as 

well as ornate churches, elaborately trimmed 

buildingsandoneofthefinestcentralsquaresinthe 

country, said to be the spot to which the legendary 

PiedPiperledthechildrenofHamlin. 

Built in the 13 th century, the town hall served as 

meeting place for the town councilors, known as 

centurions. On top of the building sits 

theTrumpeter'sTower,usedduringtheMiddleAges 

as a watchtower for warning the citadel inhabitants 

ofapproachingdanger. 

TheScheiDistrict& 

JuniiBrasovuluiyearlyfestival 

DuringtheSaxonruleofBrasov,fromthe13 th tothe 

17 th century, Romanians were forbidden from 

owningpropertyinsidethecitadelwallsandsothey 

settled in the southwestern Schei district. 

Romanians could only enter the town at certain 

times and had to pay a toll at the gate for the 

privilegeofsellingtheirproduceinsidethecitadel. 

One of the most impressive traditions in Brasov is 

called ”Junii Brasovului”. This festival celebrates the 

onedayayearthatRomanianswereallowedtoenter 

the Saxon town freely. It is a sumptuous parade and 

one of the most popular events. It takes place each 

year in the first Sunday after the Orthodox Easter, a 

day which is called Duminica Tomii (Tomii’s 

Sunday). This event is an old custom passed on by 

generations. It was initiated by the first inhabitants 

of Brasov, which settled in the old neighborhood 

called Schei, in the 14 th c. Although it was first 

mentionedinadocumentdatingbackto1728,there 

arestillsomehistorianswhoclaimthatthetradition 

is even older, dating back to the land of Dacia. 

Originally, this celebration signifies the rebirth of 

nature, the defeat against winter and the start to a 

newlife.Infact,itisamilitaryinitiationoftheyoung 

boys, called “juni”, meaning “young and unmarried 

men”. 

SaintNicholasOrthodoxChurch 

SaintNicholas'ChurchdominatestheScheiDistrict. 

First built in wood in 1392, replaced with a stone 

structure in 1495 and considerably expanded in the 

18th century, the church is a true architectural 

masterpiece. With a mix of Byzantine, baroque and 

gothic styles, it features a slender tower and four 

Cornertowers. 

Like other medieval churches, it is surrounded by 

protective walls with large wooden gates. The 

enclosuresheltersasmalloldcemeterywhereseveral 

prominent people of Romania are buried. The First 

Romanian School, now a museum, the Library and 

theArchivesofSaintNicholasChurchalsoarefound 

onnearbygrounds. 

https://kirchenburgen.org/en/location/kronstadt-brasov/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bra%C8%99ov 

https://outdoorholidays.eu/blog/traditions-in-brasov-juniibrasovului/ 

http://romaniatourism.com/brasov.html

TheCouncilSquareand 

theoldTownHall(13 th c.)

TheScheiDistrict&JuniiBrasovuluifestival

JuniiBrasovuluifestival

TheBlackChurchdedicatedtoVirginMary(14 th c.)

SaintNicholasOrthodoxChurch(1495)

BucegiMountains

BucegiMountains

FAGARASMOUNTAINS

FĂGĂRAȘMOUNTAINS 

Făgăraș are the highest mountains of the Southern 

Carpathians, in Romania. The mountain range is 

situated in the heart of Romania. The range is 

bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, 

throughwhichtheOltriverflows,andinthewestby 

the Olt Valley. Important surrounding cities 

are Brașov and Sibiu. Glacier lakes include Bâlea 

(2034 m, 46,508 m 2 , 11.35 m deep), the largest. The 

highestlakeisintheHărtopulLeaoteiglacialvalley. 

TheywerenamedbytheFrenchexplorerEmanuelde 

Martonne the “Romanian Alps”, for their resemblance 

with the French Alps. The highest peak in 

the ridge (and the highest in Romania) is 

Moldoveanuat2544m,followedbyNegoiu2535m. 

The most used access point to the mountains is 

the Transfăgărășan road. The Transfăgărășan runs 

across the Făgăraș range. It is generally open only 

between June and September, due to unfavorable 

weatherconditionsfortherestoftheyear. 

ARomanianpoetLucianBlagaoverwhelmedbythe 

beautyoftheFăgăraşMountainswrote:"God,please 

stoptheclockwithwhichyoumeasureeternity."The 

awe-inspiring, wild scenery - a sea of magnificent 

peaks,endlessridges,deepvalleys,narrowcrestsand 

picturesque tarns - prompted the French 

scientist Emmanuel de Martonne to refer to the 

FăgăraşMountainsastheTransylvanianAlps.This 

nickname is more often used, however, for all of the 

SouthCarpathians. 

TheclimateoftheFăgăraşMountainsisalpineandis 

harsher than the climate of most of the mountain 

ranges the Carpathians are made up of. The average 

temperature, the intensity of the winds and the level 

of precipitation depend on the altitude and the 

orientation of the mountain faces. The Făgăraş 

Mountains are characterized by the highest amount 

of rainfall, which reaches an annual 1400 mm per 

year. The average yearly temperature in the alpine 

regions (above 2000 m) is -2°C. Encountering 

patches of snow in mid-June is not a rare thing. 

AcrosstheCarpathianMountains,themostfrequent 

avalanches occur in the Făgăraş. The most deadly 

accidents in Romania's mountains have been 

registeredhere. 

The climate of the Făgăraş has its peculiarities 

determinedbythesizeofthemountainrangeandthe 

west-east orientation of the main ridge. The north 

slopes block the cool, wet air coming from the 

AtlanticandfromthenorthofEurope,andthesouth 

slopes block the Mediterranean and tropical air, 

which leads to the natural timberline (bear in mind 

that centuries of grazing have lowered it 

considerably) running much higher on the southern 

flank. This is an area where we can watch the 

enchantingcascadesofsurgingfog,whichmakesthe 

heights seem endless, envelops the rocks in a 

mysterious shawl, and then unexpectedly opens a 

window on the world below, where the green 

meadows are bathed in sunshine. In contrast to the 

rockiernorthernvalleys,thesouthernslopes-grassy 

and descending more gently - have favoured an 

intensivepastorallife. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 

F%C4%83g%C4%83ra%C8%99_Mountains 

https://www.summitpost.org/f-g-ra-mountains/154116

Fagaras-TheTransylvanianAlps

TARGUMURES

TÂRGUMUREȘ 

Named literally for a 'market' on the Mures River 

and known as the city of roses, Targu Mures 

(Marosvásárhely in Hungarian ~ Neumarkt am 

Mieresch in German) enjoys the best of both 

Romanian and Hungarian cultures. Numerous 

vestiges attest the presence of Neolithic cultures 

and those of the Bronze and Metal Ages in this 

area.Archaeologicaldiggingshavebroughttolight 

Romanrelicsinthesurroundingtowns. 

The town was first documented as 'Novum Forum 

Sicolorum' (The New Market of the Seklars) in 

1322.Beginningwiththe16 th century,TarguMures 

excels as an important cultural and education 

center. The first school appears in 1492. In 1786, 

the first printing shop is established and in 1802 

count Teleki Samuel, chancellor of Transylvania, 

lays the foundations of the documentary library 

that bears his name to this day. The city received a 

majorboosttoitssocialandeconomiclifein1754 

when it became the seat of the supreme court of 

justiceofthePrincipalityofTransylvania. 

During medieval times, guilds, made up of groups 

of craftsmen, played an important role in the 

evolution of the town. Artisan guilds had their 

privileges recognized since 1493. In 1620, 

membersoftheguildstookpartinthebuildingof 

the town fortress. Two of the most important 

guilds were the shoemakers and tanners ones. In 

1800, the shoemakers' guild had the most 

members, namely 254. The guild system lasted 

until1872. 

TarguMuresbecameamoderntowninthesecond 

halfofthe19 th century,alongwiththeexpansionof 

the railway line. Targu Mures' top attraction is 

located at the south end of the square: the Culture 

Palace, a flamboyant early 20 th century city hall 

with an outstanding stained-glass hall, housing 

someofmainlocalmuseums. 

http://romaniatourism.com/targu-mures.html

TheCulturePalace

SaintJohntheBaptist,18 th century

CLUJ

CLUJNAPOCA 

Cluj-Napoca , Cluj until 1974 and in everyday 

language is the municipality of residence of Cluj 

County,Transylvania,Romania.Atthe2011census 

itwasthesecondlargestcityinRomaniaintermsof 

population. Located on the valley of the river 

Someșul Mic , the city is considered the unofficial 

capital or heart of the historical region of 

Transylvania.From 1790 to 1848 and from 1861 to 

1867 it was the official capital of the Grand 

PrincipalityofTransylvania. 

ThiswesterncityintheregionofTransylvaniatraces 

its origins back to the Dacian settlement of Napuca 

inthe2 nd centuryA.D.AftertheRomantake-overof 

Dacia, it was renamed Napoca and in 124 A.D., 

received the rank of "municipium". The city quickly 

advanced socially and economically and during 

Marcus Aurelius' reign Napoca received the title 

"colonia", the highest possible urban status in the 

RomanEmpire.ThenameClujcomesfromCastrum 

Clus,firstusedinthe12 th centuryasthenameofthe 

citadel surrounding the city.Clusmeans "closed" in 

Latin and refers to the hills that surround the city. . 

Thenickname"treasurecity"wasacquiredinthelate 

16 th century, and refers to the wealth amassed by 

residents, including in the precious metals trade. 

German merchants, who arrived here in the 12 th 

century,rebuiltthemedievalearthenwallsofClusin 

stone after the Tartar invasion of 1241. Known as 

Klausenburg to the Germans and Kolosvar to the 

Hungarians, Cluj became Cluj Napoca in the 1970s, 

when the communist regime added the name of the 

oldRomansettlementtoemphasizeitsDaco-Roman 

origin. 

The fortress of Cluj gained European 

recognition until the 15 th century . The specific 

European architecture, the late Gothic style were 

found in the Roman Catholic Church "Saint 

Michael", but also in many private houses. Wealthy 

peoplestudiedatfamousWesternschools.Duetothe 

high standard of living, the people of Cluj did not 

participate in the revolt of Gheorghe Doja in 

1514.Thedevelopmentofmerchantsandcraftsmen 

involved the restriction of the nobility and the 

clergy. 

After the division of Hungary imposed by the 

Ottoman Empire in 1541, Transylvania became an 

independent principality, and Cluj experienced a 

period of economic and especially cultural 

flourishing. During the Reformation, whose 

successive waves left behind a particularly complex 

religiouslandscape-withfour"recipe"religionsand 

an early regime of religious tolerance - in 

Transylvania, the city was an important center 

of Lutheranism first, then and finally of anti- 

Trinitarianism (which would later be 

called Unitarianism ). The Báthory dynasty 

contributed substantially to the spiritual, economic 

and demographic growth of the city. On May 

12, 1581, Stefan Báthory founded the University of 

Cluj, to which he granted the income of the 

monasteryfromCluj-Mănăștur,withsixvillages. 

At the end of the 17 th century, Cluj came under 

Austrian rule. After a forced agreement signed 

by Mihai Apafi I, the city of Cluj was forced to host 

the troops of the Duke of Lorraine, providing them 

withaserviceof100,000florins. 

Withapopulationof10,660inhabitants,thefortress 

becomes the capital of Transylvania, which leads to 

itsmodernization,butalsotoincreasingthenumber 

ofRomanianinhabitants. 

The important revolutionary movements of 1848 

also include Cluj. The city hosted the negotiations 

between Nicolae Bălcescu and Cezar Bolliac, for the 

union of the Romanian revolution with the 

Hungarian one. The defeat of the Hungarian 

revolution led to the establishment of the absolutist 

regime. The capital was moved to Sibiu, in order to 

have a greater Austrian influence over the 

authorities. 

Following the Ausgleich (compromise) by 

which Austria-Hungary was established in 1867, 

Cluj and Transylvania were reintegrated into 

the Kingdom of Hungary. During this period, the 

city was the second largest in the kingdom, after 

Budapest, and the residence of Cluj 

County.During Belle Époque were built University 

"Franz Josef", Central University Library building 

Unitarian High School, National Theater, Palace of 

Justice,PalaceHall,PalaceofFinanceetc. 

UnionSquare 

Featuring baroque, gothic, Renaissance and 

neoclassicalbuildings,thesquareallowsresplendent 

with 18 th and 19 th century buildings and is home to 

manyshopsandrestaurantsandisdominatedbySt. 

Michael's Church and the Banffy Palace. Flanking 

the church on the south side is a 1902 equestrian 

statueofthe15 th centuryruler,MateiCorvin. 

St.Michael'sChurch 

This church is one of the most beautiful gothic 

monuments in Transylvania. St. Michael's Church 

waserectedbetween1350and1487onthesiteofthe 

former St. Jacob's Chapel. The altar, built around 

1390,istheoldestpartofthechurch.Themostrecent 

section is the tower, erected in neo-gothic style in 

1860. The star-shaped vault, the stained-glass 

windows and the sculptures impress with their 

beautyandgrandeur.Repeatedrestorationsrevealed 

early15 th centurymurals. 

In front of the church is the equestrian statue of 

MatthiasCorvinus,erectedinhonourofthelocally 

bornKingofHungary. 

Another landmark of Cluj-Napoca is the Palace of 

Justice, built between 1898 and 1902, and designed 

by architect Gyula Wagner in an eclectic style.This 

building is part of an ensemble erected in Avram 

Iancu Square that also includes the National 

Theatre, the Palace of Căile Ferate Române, the 

Palace of the Prefecture, the Palace of Finance and 

thePalaceoftheOrthodoxMetropolis. 

With one of the most vibrant economies in the 

countryandapopulationofaround330,000,Cluj,is 

todayavibrantculturalandeducationalcity.Thecity 

is one of the most important academic, cultural, 

industrial and business centres in Romania. Among 

other institutions, it hosts the largest university in 

the country, Babeș-Bolyai University , with its 

famousbotanical garden . In 2015, Cluj-Napoca was 

theEuropeanYouthCapital. 

http://romaniatourism.com/cluj-napoca.html 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluj-Napoca

ThePalaceofJustice(1898)

TheNationalTheater

SaintMichael’sChurch(1350)

ThestatueofMatthiasCorvinus

HUNEDOARA/CORVINCASTLE

HUNEDOARACASTLE 

HunedoaraCastle,alsoknownasCorvinCastle, 

orHunyadiCastle,isaGothic-Renaissancecastlein 

Hunedoara,Romania.Itisoneofthelargestcastles 

in Europe and figures in lists of the Seven Wonders 

ofRomania. 

The Castle was laid out in 1446, when construction 

beganontheordersofVoivodeofTransylvania,who 

wantedtotransformtheformerbuiltbyCharlesIof 

Hungary. The castle was originally given to John 

Hunyadi's father, Voyk (Vajk), by Sigismund of 

Luxembourg, King of Hungary and Croatia, as 

severancein1409. 

Thissymbolissurroundedbymysteryandlegend-it 

is said that Iancu de Hunedoara was actually the 

illegitimatesonofSigismundofLuxemburg,kingof 

Hungary and a beautiful local woman named 

Elisabeth. To protect Elisabeth from shame, 

Sigismundofferedherashusbandoneofhisknights, 

togetherwithagoldenringwhichsheshouldpasson 

to her son, to be recognized by the king later on at 

court. After some time, during a visit at court, a 

raven stole the golden ring and the young Iancu hit 

the raven in the heart with an arrow and recovered 

the ring and since then, the raven with the golden 

ringbecamethesymboloftheHunedoarafamily. 

Iancu de Hunedoara is also the one that stopped 

TurkishinvadersatBelgradeontheirquestthrough 

the Balkan to Europe, after having conquered 

Constantinolopesin1456-throughadecisionofthe 

Vatican,theCatholicChurchringsthebellsmid-day 

tohonorthisvictory. 

Built in a Renaissance-Gothic style and constructed 

overthesiteofanolderfortificationonarockabove 

the smaller Zlaști River, the castle is a large and 

imposing structure with tall towers, bastions, an 

innercourtyard,diverselycoloredroofs,andmyriads 

of windows and balconies adorned with stone 

carvings. The castle also features a double wall for 

enhanced fortification and is flanked by both 

rectangular and circular towers, an architectural 

innovation for the period's Transylvanian 

architecture. Some of the towers (the Capistrano 

Tower, the Deserted Tower and the Drummers' 

Tower)wereusedasprisons.TheBuzduganTower(a 

type of mace after which it was named) was solely 

built for defensive purposes and it had its exterior 

decorated with geometric motifs. The rectangular 

shaped towers have large openings to accommodate 

largerweapons. 

Thecastlehasthreelargeareas:theKnight'sHall,the 

Diet Hall and the circular stairway. The halls are 

rectangular in shape and are decorated with marble. 

The Diet Hall was used for ceremonies or formal 

receptions whilst the Knight's Hall was used for 

feasts. In 1456, John Hunyadi died and work on the 

castle stagnated. Starting with 1458, new 

commissions were being undergone to construct the 

Matia Wing of the castle. In 1480, work was 

completely stopped on the castle and it was 

recognized as being one of the biggest and most 

impressivebuildingsinEasternEurope. 

The 16 th century did not bring any improvements to 

the castle, but during the 17 th century new additions 

were made, for aesthetic and military purposes. 

Aesthetically, the new Large Palace was built facing 

the town. A two level building, it hosted living 

chamber and a large living area. For military 

purposes, two new towers were constructed: the 

White Tower and the Artillery Tower. Also, the 

external yard was added, used for administration 

andstorage. 

As one of the most important properties of John 

Hunyadi, the castle was transformed during his 

reign. It became a sumptuous home, not only a 

strategically enforced point. With the passing of the 

years,themastersofthecastlehadmodifieditslook, 

adding towers, halls and guest rooms. The gallery 

and the keep - the last defense tower (called 

"Neboisa" which means "Don't be afraid" in Serbo- 

Croatian language), which remained unchanged 

from John Hunyadi's time, and 

the Capistrano Tower (named after the saint, 

FranciscanfriarfromtheBattleofBelgradein1456) 

are some of the most significant parts of the 

construction.Othersignificantpartsofthebuilding 

are the Knights' Hall (a great reception hall), the 

Club Tower, the White bastion, which served as a 

foodstorageroom,andtheDietHall,onwhosewalls 

medallions are painted (among them there are the 

portraits of Matei Basarab, ruler from Wallachia, 

and Vasile Lupu, ruler of Moldavia). In the wing of 

the castle called the Mantle, a painting can be seen 

which portrays the legend of the raven from which 

the name of the descendants of John Hunyadi, 

Corvinuscame. 

TouristsaretoldthatitwastheplacewhereVladthe 

Impaler, Prince of Wallachia, was held prisoner by 

JohnHunyadi,Hungary'smilitaryleaderandregent 

during the King's minority. Later, Vlad III entered a 

political alliance with John Hunyadi, although the 

latter was responsible for the execution of his father, 

Vlad II Dracul. Because of these links, the 

Hunedoara Castle is sometimes mentioned as a 

sourceofinspirationforCastleDraculainBran. 

Inthecastleyard,nearthe15 th -centurychapel,there 

isawell30metersdeep.Accordingtothelegend,this 

fountain was dug by 3 Turkish prisoners to whom 

liberty was promised if they reached water. After 15 

years they completed the well, but their captors did 

not keep their promise. It is said that the inscription 

on a wall of the well means "you have water, but not 

soul". Specialists, however, have translated the 

inscription as "he who wrote this inscription is 

Hasan, who lives as slave of the giaours, in the 

fortressnearthechurch". 

On April 13, 1854 a fire caused by lightning have 

destroyed all the wooden parts of Corvin castle (the 

roof, wooden beams, stairs, ceilings and doors) 

except the five-hundred years old door of the 

dungeon.After10yearsofabbandonment,a40-years 

longrestorationprocessbegan. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvin_Castle 

http://romaniatourism.com/castles-fortresses-romania-corvincastle-hunedoara.html 

https://www.romanianfriend.com/tours/categories/corvinhunyadi-castle-tours

Renaissance-GothicstyleCastlebuiltin1446Knight's Hall

Knight'sHall

Doublewallforenhancedfortification

ALBAIULIA

ALBAIULIA(KARLSBURG) 

Thegentleclimateandtherichnessofthesoilmade 

the area around Alba Iulia inhabitable since ancient 

timesandestablishedAlbaasaleadingwinegrowing 

region since 1 st century AD. Northwest of Alba Iulia 

are the Apuseni Mountains and in the east the 

TransylvanianPlateauwithitsrollinghillsanddeep, 

wide valleys. One of the oldest settlements in 

Romania, known in ancient time as Apulum, Alba 

Iulia served as the largest military and economic 

centerduringtheRomanoccupation. 

An Episcopal citadel and an important political, 

military and cultural center, Alba Iulia reached its 

peakbetween1542-1690,servingasthecapitalofthe 

independent Principality of Transylvania and the 

residence of the Transylvanian princes. In 1599, 

MihaiViteazul(MichaeltheBrave)achievedherefor 

a brief period of time the union of the three main 

provinces of Romania: Walachia, Transylvania, and 

Moldavia. The town later became an important 

printing center. The peasant revolt led by Horea, 

CloscaandCrisan,executedonFebruary28,1785on 

thePitchforkHill(DealulFurcii)turnedthecityinto 

a symbol of the fight for justice and freedom. It was 

here that on December 1st 1918 the province of 

Transylvania announced its unification with 

Romania. In 1922 Prince Ferdinand was crowned 

KingofRomaniainanactwhichmirroredtheunion 

achieved more than four centuries earlier by Mihai 

Viteazul. 

Albameanswhiteandcomesfromthetimewhenthe 

Slavics called the settlement Belgrade ("White 

Castle"). Iulia comes from the name of Romanian 

PrinceGelu(IuliusinLatin)whoruledovertheland 

aroundAlbaIuliaduringthe10 th century. 

The Habsburgs tried to impose the name Alba 

Carolina (Karlsburg) in honor of the emperor 

CharlesVI.In1918thetownbecameonceagainAlba 

Iulia. 

The Roman Catholic Cathedral is the oldest and 

most valuable monument of architecture in 

Transylvania. The Catholic Cathedral, built in the 

13th century on the site of a Romanesque church 

destroyed during the Tartar invasion of 1241, 

featuresoneofthemostimpressiveearlyRenaissance 

interiorsinTransylvania. 

The light coming in from the Gothic windows helps 

create inside an ethereal atmosphere. The tomb of 

PrinceIancudeHunedoara(c.1400–1456)islocated 

inhere,aswellasthatofPolish-bornIsabellaJagiełło 

(1519–1559),formerQueenofHungary. 

http://romaniatourism.com/alba-iulia.html

TheRomanCatholicCathedral(1241)

APUSENIMOUNTAINS

APUSENIMOUNTAINS 

In Western Romania lies a splendid mountain 

plateau that is little known: the Apuseni Mountains 

(the” mountains at the sunset”), also known as 

Western Carpathians. The main access roads in the 

country swing around it, the towns are built at its 

margins. It’s a huge plateau cut in two by the scenic 

AriesRiver.TheApuseniMountainsareaworldunto 

itself. Comprising a large variety of geographical 

forms, not very high (the highest peak is Bihorul 

Peak – 1849 m) but with breath-taking karstic 

landscapesandtraditionallivelihoods,hostingarich 

fauna and flora, Apuseni Mountains are unique in 

Romaniaand,inmanyrespects,inEurope. 

This world of deep forests and large silky meadows, 

impressivegorgesandcanyons,legendarywaterfalls 

and fascinating caves is generous home for an 

abundant variety of animals and plants. The unique 

flora of Apuseni Mountains makes the region extra 

attractive. Several micro climates and the complex 

geographic structure of the mountains created ideal 

conditions for a wide variety, numerous endemic 

andevenalotofextremelyrareplants.Bigpredators, 

suchasbrownbearsandwolvesarestillroamingthe 

Carpathian Mountains in Romania. In Apuseni 

Mountains one should not be surprised to hear the 

wolves howling late in the freezing winter night, 

under the full moon or meet the mother bear with 

hercalvesinspring,lookingforfreshfood.Thereare 

also lynx and wild cats as well as chamois, but they 

are extremely shy and therefore meeting them is 

simply a privilege. And then, not to mention the 

various bats colonies living in the numerous caves, 

mostofthembeingnaturereserves. 

The Apuseni Mountains have a complex 

heterogeneousgeologicstructure.Duringmillionsof 

yearsthemountainswereseveraltimesliftedupand 

submerged by the sea. Different climates, starting 

with tropical, then subtropical and later glacial 

climates followed each other. In this relative small 

areaonewillfindageologicmosaicofconglomerate, 

crystalline,volcanicrocksandlimestone. 

People&LocalCulture 

In Apuseni Mountains nature and people have been 

livinginaperfectsymbiosissinceever.Here,youwill 

meet people whose unique way of life is still a long 

row of traditions and customs and whose stories are 

as old as the mountains. Regarded as the most 

representativemountainpopulationofRomania,the 

Moţipeoplegivecharactertothearea,throughtheir 

wayoflife,specificarchitectureandlocalcustoms. 

Harvesting the forest is still mostly pure man and 

horse-power. Logs are moved down the slopes by 

horses,andthentransportedbyhorsepulledcartsto 

the summer villages where they are cut to timber. 

Most of these remote places have no electric power 

andallmechanizedtoolsaresomewherepoweredby 

tractorsorotherengines.Theycomeuparoundmid 

of May and stay for 3-4 months, till end September, 

thetimethegrassisgone.Themencutandtransport 

the trees and then cut them to timber. The women 

takecareofthehouseholdandthefarmanimalsand 

oftenhelploading,unloadingtimber. 

Thenatureprotectedareas 

anditswilderness 

Karsticlandscapeswithsprings,sinkholesandlakes, 

large carnivores still roaming free over beech and 

resinous forests, alpine pastures on the high ridges, 

iconicbirdssuchasgoldeneagleorcapercaillie,high 

number of endemic botanical species, geological 

phenomena – all are sheltered in nature protected 

areas like Apuseni Nature Park, Scariţa-Belioara 

NatureReserveorCrişulRepedeValleyaswellasin 

several other geological, botanical, speleological, 

forestryreservesandprotectedareas. 

Theundergroundworldofcaves 

Probablythemostpopularhighlightsandasourceof 

proud for this area and its inhabitants, there are 

morethan7000caves,manyofthemstillunexplored 

completely. Limestone jewelleries and aragonite 

beauties, cave bears (Ursus spaeleus) skeletons and 

footprints of Neanderthal humans, underground 

glaciers and colonies of bats – this is the priceless 

dowryofApuseniMountainsundergroundworld. 

In Apuseni Mountains the trails will take you 

through deep fir-tree forests and sunny glades, you 

will cross quick streams and creeks and you will 

admire gorges and visit unique ice caves. You will 

meet human settlements situated at the highest 

altitudesinRomaniawheremountainpeoplenamed 

Moţi are still living according to old traditions and 

you will get a sense of their culture by listening to 

theirtales,tastingtheirfoodandwitnessingthemin 

some of their traditional occupations such as wood 

carvingandshepherding. 

TheicecaveofScarisoara 

Atanaltitudeof1,165m.theScarisoaracaveishome 

tothesecondlargestundergroundglacierinEurope, 

a4000-year-oldnaturalmonumentpreservedthanks 

totheaircurrentsandthelowtemperaturewhichis 

sometimes close to 0 degrees even in the summer, 

perfect for cooling off if you took a jacket with 

you. The entrance is through an impressive chasm 

fromwhichyouhavetogodown(thenbackup)270 

stepstoenterthecave.Ithousesahugeglacierwitha 

volume of 80,000 cubic meters, but also huge 

stalactites and stalagmites that never thaw. 

Throughouttheyear,theicemeltsandthenremakes, 

whichmeansthatthesceneryisneverthesamefrom 

yeartoyear. 

Apuseni Mountains in Romania have been praised 

in a recent report on CNN. “From Norwegian 

islands high above the Arctic Circle to forest-covered 

mountainsinRomania,windsweptsandybeachesin 

Wales and icy lakes in the Balkans, Europe is a 

spectacularly varied place” according to the source 

and are the best kept secret in Eastern Europe.” 

“These mountains are isolated, with ancient forests 

and limestone caves descending into underground 

riversateveryturn.Timestandsstillhere,withlittle 

elsetodobutbreatheinthepine-tingedairandkeep 

an eye out for the abundant wildlife. Wolves prowl 

through the trees, with ospreys circling on thermals 

highabove,”furtherreadsthedescription. 

https://www.adventure-tours.ro/self-guided-trips-inapuseni-mountains-from-romania-self-guided-treks-inthe-western-carpathian-mountains.html 

https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-travel-apusenimountains 

https://www.romaniajournal.ro/travel/apuseni-mountainsfeatured-on-cnn-as-ones-of-the-most-beautiful-places-ineurope/

TheicecaveofScarisoara

NATIONALVILLAGEMUSEUM(SATULUI)BUCHAREST–SUMMER 

TRANSYLVANIANTRADITIONS

PerformingatraditionalTransylvanianwedding

Themuseumopenin1936andextendstoover100,000m 2 ,containing 272authenticpeasantfarmsandhousesfromalloverRomania

NATIONALVILLAGEMUSEUM(SATULUI)BUCHAREST–WINTER 

TRANSYLVANIANTRADITIONS

PerformingChristmascelebrations


DimitraStasinopoulou 

January31,2021

ROMANIA - WONDERS OF TRANSYLVANIA

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