Castles, fortresses, fortified churches

Turnul apărat şi întreţinut de bresla ţesătorilor de in a fost construit în două etape, între anii 1421 – 1436 şi 1570 – 1573. • În prima etapă, au fost construite primele două nivele dintre cele trei galerii de luptă. Primul nivel a fost amenajat cu guri mari de tragere pentru folosirea armele de foc de calibru mare, bombarde şi archebuze, precum şi cu găuri pentru aruncarea materialelor incendiare. • Galeriile superioare, construite între anii 1570 – 1573, erau destinate armelor de calibru mic, care puteau fi folosite prin gurile de tragere înguste, de formă circulară, prezente pe tot parcursul traseului galeriilor de tragere. Au fost ridicate două turnuri de veghe destinate corpului de gardă care supraveghea oraşul atât din punct de vedere militar, cât şi din perspectiva observării unor eventuale incendii. • Construcţia de formă hexagonală închide o suprafaţă de 1616 m², străjuită de ziduri care, în unele segmente, măsoară 4,30 m la bază. Intrarea în incintă se făcea din suişul străzii Castelului, printr-o poartă culisantă, întărită cu turn şi un gang lung de aprox. 5 metri. După prăbuşirea turnului din nord-est, în urma cutremurului din 1710, a fost ridicat bastionul actual (1750). Pe faţada intrării în incintă se află încrustat într-o grindă de susţinere a plafonului anul 1807. Atunci au fost construite cele trei încăperi destinate unor ateliere școlare pentru pregătirea viitorilor meşteșugari ai oraşului. Evoluţia tehnicii militare, în special a armelor de foc, a dus la pierderea rolului militar și deja încă din anii 1750 – 1800, bastionul a fost abandonat. În anul 1910, deteriorarea monumentului a determinat autorităţile să întreprindă vaste lucrări de restaurare şi consolidare a zidurilor şi a galeriilor din lemn. Următoarele lucrări de restaurare şi întreţinere au fost efectuate în anii 1950, 1959 – 1961, 1970, 1975 și 1990 – 2001. După restaurarea din anul 1910, Bastionul Ţesătorilor a devenit muzeu. În prezent, aici este prezentată Expoziţia permanentă – Bastionul Ţesătorilor – „Braşovul/3 M” Sursa

Due to its strategic location, the fortified church of Prejmer was particularly strengthened. The building of the church was started by the Teutonic Knights in 1218 and continued by the Cistercians after their expulsion. The floor plan in the shape of a Greek cross was modified between 1512-1515 by adding two unequal side aisles and by extending the main nave. Above the crossing a high bell tower was build in 1461. The church itself was never fortified, but protected by a surrounding 14 m high wall, strengthened by five towers, a kennel and a moat. A special feature, preserved until today as a whole is the four-story residential rooms and pantries, and behind them the parapet walk. The simple interior of the church preserves no frescoes and the 19th Century painting was removed during late restoration. The highlight is the Gothic winged altar with the Crucifixion scene in the midfield. Contact: Parish Office Prejmer phone: 0040268362042 Opening times: Summer Monday-Saturday 9:00-18:00 Sunday 11:00-18:00 Winter Monday-Saturday 9:00-16:00 Sunday 11:00-16:00 Text source: http://kirchenburgen.org/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/webTVBrasov

From the newly refurbished square in Codlea one can admire the fortified church and picture its centuries-old history. The bell tower dominates the fortified church in Codlea. Its walls reach a thickness of 5 m after having undergone several construction phases. The church was built during the 13th century and was transformed into a Gothic single-nave church two centuries later. The first Ottoman invasion convinced the villagers of the necessity of a good defensive system. Thus an 8m high and 2m thick defence wall equipped with embrasure and machicolation surrounded the church. Granaries were also constructed in its interior, and so not only the lives of the residents were protected, but also their goods. The interior of the church is dominated by the painted panelled ceiling, which was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century and consists of 252 panels. Also impressive is the 1783 organ, one of the most valuable instruments in Transylvania built by the craftsman Prause of Silenzia and decorated by the artist Oelhan. Contact: Codlea Evangelical Parish Office phone: 0040268251853 address: Lungă Str., no. 110 e-mail: zeiden@evang.ro, or Mrs. Hedda Bardon phone: 0040747169859 address: Măgurii Str., no. 52 Text source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

The fortified church in Bod went through difficult times, strongly affected by fire and earthquakes. The Romanesque basilica with a bell tower built in the 13th century was partially destroyed by fire only two centuries later. Starting with the late 18th century, the events precipitated: the bell tower collapsed only to be rebuilt nine years later. But after three years the church was massively destroyed by an earthquake, together with its fortification wall. The polygonal wall with outer bailey and defence towers was almost completely dismantled after this episode. Today in Bod one can admire the church built in 1806, whose tower damaged by the earthquake in 1977 was subsequently stabilized. The interior of the church houses the altar from 1869, which forms a whole together with the organ built in 1816. Original bells, dating back to Catholic times were destroyed when the tower collapsed. One bell that escaped the damages of war and further two bells made of bronze in 1922 accompany the Sunday service today. Contact: Mrs. Emilia Schuster; phone: 0040268283172; address: Hărmanului Str., no. 276 Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

The fortified church of Bunești was built with marine sedimentary rocks as one can see from the fossils in the masonry. Residential houses of the same period were built with timber. When the village was under attack, the inhabitants took refuge from the looters and arsonists inside the fireproof fortifications. The 13th century late Romanesque pillar basilica was early prepared for battle by demolition of the side naves and fortification of the central nave and the tower by adding defence levels. The chancel was heightened in 1500 by adding a defence level with machicolations. The 1847 added tower marks the present image of the church. The interior impresses with its tall and narrow proportions, underlined by the two-story balcony on the northern side, erected between 1680 and 1775. The railings were painted by the Roessler family, grandfather and grandson. The fortification wall, originating in the 14th century was strengthen by four towers and had grain storage rooms on the inside. Contact: fam. Wagner, phone: 0040268248702, Bunești no. 14 Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

„The Cats’ Village” (Katzendorf) appears relatively late in written documents (around 1400), but the aspect of its church testifies immediately to an origin over a century before. The edifice is among those well preserving the basilical structure of the nave (end of the thirteenth century), with semicircular arches and tower on the western facade. One can still see today the twin towers of the main nave, located above the side naves. Unhappy about the choir, anyway too long in comparison to the naves, the villagers extended it in the fifteenth century, provided with polygonal ending and only furbished its vault. Some of the old decorations were on the western facade and can still be seen there today, making viewers wonder how such elements ended up there and what might their meaning be. The bell tower is the result of late restoration and building works (from the nineteenth century), when the strange sacristy was also added to the southern side of the choir. Unlike other churches, when the defense buildings in Caţa had to be consolidated, they did not affect the church, only its surroundings. The result was a prolonged polygonal curtain wall, provided with four rectangular towers placed on the outside. Two of them are located on the north; one of the southern towers was demolished during the nineteenth century, while the gate tower, on the west, seems to have been only built along the second, outer curtain. The latter might have been built sometime after 1550, as indicated by the constructive family of the south-eastern tower, with the corner along its axis. Another tower, on the northern side, was also demolished. It is significant that despite other complexes, the outer curtain in Caţa proved to be high and long lasting. Contact: Mrs. Markus Anna, phone: 0040268248564, address: Cața, no. 282 Text and photo source: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/

The fortified church in the village of Criţ, where more than 400 years ago the first village school law in Transylvania was enacted, lies on a hill in the middle of the place. The neo-classical hall church with chancel and western bell tower was built between 1810 and 1813, after the collapse of the initial construction, first mentioned in documents from 1270. But there is no information concerning the aspect of this former church. It is, though, supposed to have been represented in a drawing on one of the church’s pews, dated 1793. The interior hosts the altar with organ gallery, the pulpit and the font, which were made partially at the same time with the construction itself, but also in 1822. Only the ring wall and four defensive towers are still preserved from the 15th century fortification system, while the fifth tower collapsed in 1925 and was never rebuilt. On the southern side, next to the former kennel, only the ruins of the old Saxon school still exist today. Contact: The keys are with Mr. Dietmar Depner phone: 0040740597493 In Summer open daily Groups are kindly asked to make an appointment with Mr. Depner. Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/; http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/

The evangelic church and the ruins of the Teutonic Knights’ fortress, separated only by a ditch, are the pride of Feldioara. The 13th century Romanesque basilica with three aisles and a later added bell tower shows an interesting particularity, a vaulted gallery at the second level of the tower dedicated to the founder of the church. During the 18th century the tower is provided with a roof, constructed after the model of the Black Church in Braşov. The interior of the church is covered with crossed vaults, which in the chancel are supported by half-column piers. Their capitals are decorated with vegetal, anthropomorphic and biblical motifs. From the pre-reformation altar only few parts were preserved and moved later to the Black Church. From the curtain wall only some remains still exist, while the boulder walls of the nearby Teutonic fortress still stand. The latter’s defence walls were 4 m thick and enforced with four towers. The remains of a chapel within the enclosure can still be seen today. Contact: The keys are with Mr. Gheorghe Taus phone: 0040727188557 Adress: Octavian Goga str., no. 90 Text source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

On the settlement founded in the 13th century by the Teutonic Order, the 15th century Gothic basilica evolved by altering the preceding Romanesque church. Later on it was fortified and surrounded by a curtain wall with five defence towers, an outer bailey, a moat, and the tower of the church was provided with arrow loops. After battle damages, the church was re-built in its original shape in 1658, but the vaults of the nave were added later in 1775. Remaining details of the Gothic period, besides the plan composition of the ground floor, are the Gothic cross rib vault of the chancel and the domical vault of the apse as well as the trefoil tracery windows. In the reconstruction phase the distinctive roof of the tower in form of a truncated pyramid with an open level for the bells was built. The interior setting was created during the 18th and 19th century. Unique in Transylvania is the 1902 colourful floral and ornamental painting covering all walls and vaults. Contact: The keys are with Mr. Ioan Matei, phone: 0040746403310, address: Ghimbav, Morii Str., no. 170. Text and photo sources: http://kirchenburgen.org/; http://www.ghimbav-turism.ro/

Late Romanesque church later fortified. A tower, probably incorrectly labeled as a keep, was built over the ancient choir. As long as both chronology and owner remain unknown, one can hardly accept the tower’s function as keep without precaution. Its military role becomes more evident when compared to the ancient bell tower that is shorter and incorporated in the church’s building on the west. Unlike the bell-tower, the one erected over the altar is much more impressive (11 meter-long sides and 3 meter-thick base). Presently, the latter extends over 8 levels and that fits a fifteen-century building. It was accessed through a spiral staircase that one could enter on the southern side. Above the church’s choir vault, the access continued with wooden annexes. The firing gallery and pyramidal roof underwent several rebuilding stages. Two curtain walls are grouped around the church. The one closest to the church follows a pentagonal polygon shape in ground plan, consisting of a rectangle whose upper side was bent almost in the middle. Traces of the wooden firing gallery are visible on all sides, with severe degradations at the level of its stairs and floors. A 1788 written source mentions their rebuilding. Each major corner of the ideal rectangular curtain was provided with a tower. All these towers seem to have been located on the corners. The tower on the north-eastern corner has lost all its sides (1899) except the one connecting it to the curtain wall. The south-eastern and south-western towers were rectangular in ground plan and covered with shade roofs. The only tower that is more elaborated is that on the north-western corner. It is pentagonal in ground plan, with the edge corresponding to the curtain’s angle, and has a shingle roof. The only attested (re?)construction year (1657) is also connected to this tower. The outer curtain wall, today incomplete for several reasons, including the erection of the school building over part of its eastern and northern sides, seems to have lacked flanking elements. As in the case of other monuments, one must interpret it as having functioned as protecting precinct for the community’s animal husbandry in case of siege. A well functioned there as well. One knows that the monument underwent sieges and fires during the military events of 1623, 1658, and 1663. Contact: Fam. Marton, phone 0040268286609 Text and photo source: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/

The center of the settlement was organized around the architectural complex of the Evangelical church. Its history already started in the thirteenth century. The original building was a three-nave basilica, as indicated by the central nave, the only standing today, after severe transformations. The new polygonal altar is certainly of Gothic origin. Two inscriptions from the first half of the seventeenth/sixteenth century indicate the building schools employed. One does not know if the altar was soon changed when the decision was made to turn the church in a real fortification block. Anyway, almost none of the medieval jewels are well preserved. The sacristy, for certain, still holds its old medieval dowry. Though the church was renovated around 1621-1623, it burned down during the Turkish-Tatar invasion of 1858. The furniture, including stalls and tribunes, is dated by inscriptions to 1788. The present-day bell tower was only built around the middle of the nineteenth century. The precinct around the church was designed according to a principle of classical simplicity, as a rectangle with corner towers. Among them, the only fully preserved tower is located on the south-eastern corner and there are traces of the tower once standing on the opposite corner. The towers were built by cutting the curtain’s corners. Almost the entire western half of the old church fortification was demolished or partially included in other buildings during the erection of a parish house and of a confessional school. The aspect of the corner building, with stepped buttresses, does not fit the characteristics of a very new construction. The access gate was located in the same sector. The present-day gate, well strengthened with iron bars, dates back to the seventeenth century. The preserved sectors, rising no higher than 6-7 meters from the ground, still include two rows of loop holes that one could reach by wall walks built on several levels one on top of the other. The upper ones project well to the exterior/ provide appropriate firing positions indicating that the walls were super-elevated during a late building stage. A second curtain, with only one side still visible today, was built according to a triangular ground plan, annexed to the southern side. Its access ways were also located in the sector where the new buildings now stand. Text and photo source: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/

The evangelical church in Meșendorf has a coherent aspect, with proportional choir and nave, both vaulted and supported on the outside by equal buttresses. A buttress on the northern side of the choir nevertheless indicates the location of the old sacristy. During the last modifications of the church, making it fit for defense against Turkish attacks and civil wars, both components of the church were super-elevated, but on the upper part the defense solution of choice consisted of a wooden wall corridor supported by corbels. During the same time the inner vaulting systems were abandoned. Some of their elements were surprisingly preserved: several ogee crosses depicting God’s Right Hand (Dextra Domini) and a Marian rosette, initially used in the eastern end of the ogee network. The opening of the old windows was preserved, unlike the original decoration. Inside, one still finds a tabernacle with preserved ironwork, though it is not necessarily medieval in origin. The tribune’s panels are of great value since in 1765 Georg Rosenauer painted them with naive landscapes that include building complexes. The fortification is also based on the church’s bell tower whose height dominates the entire complex. Contact: Mrs. Doina Scoica phone: 0040740903744 address: Meșendorf, no. 102 Text and photo source: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/

In Viscri one can find a particularly well-preserved and complete ensemble of regional typical rural architecture, an authentic image of the early 19th Century. Due to its great cultural and historical value, the village together with the fortified church were listed in 1999 as UNESCO World Heritage site. The fortified church in Viscri still stands as a striking example of Transylvanian defensive architecture. On the foundations of the former Romanesque basilica, built by the first Székely settlers a new chancel was erected after dismantling the apse. In 1500 the church was fortified. Therefore the hall was prolonged and connected with the western, until then freestanding, dungeon, which most probably belonged to an early extinct noble family. The tower was heightened with one level with room for bells and parapet walk and another defensive level with loopholes for arches was built in the roof. The defence level of the chancel was demolished in 1743. The 7 m high ring wall was built in early 16th century and during the 17th century was strengthened by fortified houses, defensive towers and parapet walk. In the more peaceful times following 1743 grains storage rooms for the inhabitants replaced the parapet walk. The interior of the church still preserves the paneled ceiling from 1743 and the sober furnishing. Contact: Mrs. Gerhild Gross, phone: 0040742077506 or 0040742069477 Text and photo sources: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/; http://kirchenburgen.org/

The church in Cristian with its double ring wall and the eight well preserved defence towers represents one of the most impressive examples of medieval military architecture. The bell tower is the only remainder of the former Gothic basilica, which was entirely demolished in 1839 and replaced by today’s neoclassical hall church. A pointed spire and four corner turrets were built on the tower in 1803. Its portal and the rose window originate from an earlier construction phase. Pairs of pillars that support the domical vaults segment the church’s interior. The altar and the pulpit were built at the same time as the church. The assembly is still surrounded by a double defence wall, which was constructed, enlarged and endowed with nine defence towers across more than three centuries. Only eight towers still stand today. Contact: Mr. Erhard Porr phone: 0040268257191 Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

Capela construită în a doua jumătate a sec. al XIII-lea in Cincșor a fost punctul de plecare pentru ridicarea actualei biserici finalizate în 1421. Edificiul a fost fortificat pas cu pas in sec. XV- XVI, după cum mărturisesc structurile de tip “fachwerk”. Corul a fost sprijinit cu contraforți și prevăzut cu drum de strajă, sistem construit și la clopotniță. Sătenii au ridicat în jurul bisericii un zid de incintă cu patru turnuri de apărare și un șanț cu apă la exterior. Au folosit în acest scop inclusiv pietre provenite din ruinele unei tabere militare romane care se aflase pe un deal în apropiere. Ansamblul şi-a păstrat până astăzi imaginea medievală: între ziduri şi turnurile de apărare timpul pare că a stat pe loc. *Pentru vizitatori individuali: cheile sunt la d-na Iuliana Cseh, tel. +40756584739 *Grupurile de vizitatori sunt rugate să se anunțe în prealabil la d-na Carmen Schuster, tel: +40744373090 *sursă text & foto *sursă text & foto 

Between Codlea and Feldioara lies Hălchiu – in the year 1377 the village was first mentioned in a royal privilege. A special feature is the altar of the fortified church: the choir of the Gothic hall church is rich in colour and unusually large, but its oldest structural elements date back to the 13th century. The double-winged altar is 8.1 m high and 7.7 m wide. The predella shows the visitor five figures, namely Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Peter and Paul. The figures trace the path to the divine redemption of mankind to the former parish priest Johannes Reichart. With the proclamation of the Gospel by Peter and Paul, this path is complete. Above the predella is the central shrine; the altar has two fixed wings and two movable wings painted on both sides, mainly in red, green and gold. When the altar is open, four saints appear to the observer: each picture is also a story. The depictions with the saints show the martyrdom of the apostles Andrew and Peter and the execution of James. In a fourth picture, Saint Andrew saves a bishop from temptation by the devil. The middle of the holiday side of the altar is decorated with a Christ figure flanked on the left and right by the four evangelists. Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

The fortified church in Hărman was repeatedly besieged and attacked especially in the 16th and 17th century, but it was never taken. In January 1612 the villagers even succeeded to defend the castle against a strong 7,000 men army of the Hungarian prince Bathori. The three-aisles Romanesque basilica, already strengthened by a defence wall, was equipped with a bell tower on the western side in 1290. At the beginning of the 15th century, both the tower and the nave were adapted to the Gothic style and a second ring wall was erected. The first defence wall was heightened up to 12 m and strengthened by seven defensive towers and an outer bailey. A third wall, which did not survive to this today, surrounded the moat that was filled up in 1814. A parapet walk was built on the inside of the first defence wall, which is partially preserved today. Remarkable are the granaries and the rooms attached to the southern side of the church. The western tower, the tallest in Ţara Bârsei, was provided with a new spire in 1794. The inner furniture mostly dates back from the 18th century. A pre-reformation chapel in the eastern tower is richly decorated with outstanding frescoes depicting the Last Judgement and the Punishment of Sinners among others. Contact: Dan Ioan Ilica-Popescu phone: 0040729745210 Opening times: in the summer: Monday-Saturday 9-18h, Sunday 10-18h in the winter: daily from 10-16h (it is possible that visiting is not allowed during certain events) Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

The fortification in Roadeş consists of the former aisle-less hall church with polygonal chancel and bell tower built in the 14th century. The church was fortified in the 15th century and the tower was surrounded by a massive wall, which enclosed the former open entrance atrium. The chancel and the nave were provided with defence levels on buttresses and loopholes. Sideways a two-level sacristy was built and the tower was heightened by five levels and a defensive platform. Most of the defensive systems of the chancel, nave and the tower were demolished in the 19th century. The church was surrounded by a curtain wall with outer bailey and five defensive towers. Only three of them still stand today. The interior features a late Gothic chancel vault, a partially two-level gallery painted with images of the Roadeş church in its Baroque phase, before the demolition of its defence levels, as well as the 1838 organ. The valuable winged altar from 1533 has been moved to the Saint John’s Church in Sibiu. In February, 2016 it came to a partial collapse of the tower. Contact: The keys are with Mr. Gerhard Hietsch. phone: 0040741959588 address: Roadeș, no. 63 Text and photo sources: http://kirchenburgen.org/; http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/

The church in Sânpetru was built in 1794, replacing a medieval basilica from the 14th century, which was demolished after its tower had collapsed twice. The new church was unusually provided with a western chancel and a tower was built in 1817. The interior was endowed in neoclassical style, from organ and scarcely decorated pillars to the column-altar in the chancel. Only ruins are still preserved from the exterior and second curtain wall. But the first fortification wall stands complete even today, preserving its five towers and the two level rooms built on its interior. On the southern side of the assembly the old school and the old town hall were erected. The 13th century pre-reformation chapel was fortified in the 15th century by addition of two levels. Valuable mural paintings from 1400 decorate the chapel’s walls. Contact: Parish Office Sânpetru, phone: 0040268360550 fortress, phone: 0040268250778, e-mail: petersberg@evang.ro, Internet: www.petersberg.sitew.org Opening times: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00-17:00h Sunday from 12:00h Monday closed Church service every Sunday at 11:00h Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

În NE–ul unei piaţete, pe strada principală a satului, se ridică cetatea bisericească. De la bazilica cu hramul Sfântului Petru, realizată la începutul sec. 14. se păstrează doar 2 chei de boltă, astăzi, înzidite în masa altarului, care reprezintă un „Agnus Dei” şi Sfântul Petru . Biserica medievală a fost demolată în 1794 şi în 1797 a fost terminată noua biserică care are corul orientat spre vest şi este o biserică hală cu 3 nave. Patru perechi de piloni cu secţiune octogonală cu capiteluri ionice legate prin arce” mâner de coş” suportă un tavan drept. În navele laterale sunt balcoane. Corul are înspre vest o absidă semicirculară. Biserica este în conjurară de 2 respectiv trei incinte. Zidul interior, de 8m înălţime, are un plan oval iar spre est două segmente de linie dreaptă la a căror intersecţie este un turn cu plan pentagonal din anul 1676. Zidul de incintă este prevăzut cu fante de tragere şi guri de păcură. Biserica a trecut printr-un proces de reabilitare în perioada 4 februarie 2020 - 17 noiembrie 2023, datorită implementării unui proiect finanțat prin Programul Operațional Regional 2014-2020. Lucrările au inclus reabilitarea fundațiilor, curățarea și refacerea rosturilor, refacerea legăturilor elementelor dislocate, eliminarea drenului perimetral, precum și conservarea diafragmelor portante și a bolții de la capelă. De asemenea, s-au efectuat consolidări la planșeele bisericii, completări la turnuri și reabilitarea scărilor, toate contribuind la îmbunătățirea rezistenței, stabilității, siguranței în exploatare și durabilității ansamblului. Astfel, Biserica Evanghelică Fortificată din Sânpetru renaște în toată splendoarea sa istorică, pregătită să ofere o experiență autentică vizitatorilor interesați de patrimoniul cultural și arhitectural al regiunii. Sursă text: https://www.agramonia.com/

Only the triumphal arch is preserved from the 13th century Romanesque basilica. A vault carried on stone ribs, which end on consoles decorated with face-masks, covers the late Gothic chancel that was built two centuries later. After the church was destroyed by the troops of Gabriel Báthory, the community needed more than 50 years until it started rebuilding in 1665. The vault of the chancel and the paneled ceiling of the nave were built in that time. More than a century later the bell tower was erected and in the same time the wooden galleries inside the church. On the baptismal font from 1741 two inscriptions in German and in Latin can be read. They are also mentioned in a church book dating back to the 18th century. A portcullis and a machicolation secured the entrance of the 14th/15th century curtain wall. The view of the main entrance is blocked by the town hall today. Inside the fortification several good preserved granaries can be visited. An interesting visit can be the one of the Evangelic cemetery located behind the church. The tombs sheltered on the perimeter under a common roof and the stories about those resting there are worth paying a visit. Contact: The keys are at the Parish Office Vulcan. phone: 0040268256477 or Uwe Seidner phone: 0040745108974 e-mail: pfarramt@kg-wolkendorf.ro Text and photo source: http://kirchenburgen.org/

Bran Castle (located 22 km from Predeal and 35 km from Brasov) is one of the most famous architectural and historical monuments in Romania, and attracts a large number of visitors. From the cliff on which it is built, it dominates all its surrounding settlements with its height. It was first documented on November 19, 1377, when Ludovic I of Anjou issued an act whereby the Braşovians received the royal approval to build the castle. The castle served military functions as a fortress against Ottoman invasions and also functioned as a customs point. As a token of appreciation for the Queen Mary of Great Romania, the city council of Braşov decided to offer her Bran Castle on 1 December 1920. Restored between 1920-1927, Bran Castle was transformed into a beautiful summer residence with an English park with two ponds and a Tea House.  Through its authentic medieval atmosphere, Bran Castle is associated with the famous legend of Dracula (which originated in the Transylvanian Middle Ages).

Castelul Brâncoveanu de la Sâmbăta de Sus – situat în sectorul apusean al satului Sâmbăta de Sus este o atracție turistică a localității, totodată fiind și un monument istoric valoros. Primul castel a fost construit în 1708 de Constantin Brâncoveanu, care s-a degradat în timp și a fost și s-a construit un nou castel de către Grigore Brâncoveanu, nepotul domnitorului în anul 1800. Istoric Moşia Sâmbăta de Sus intră în posesia marelui vornic Preda Brâncoveanu, bunicul lui Constantin Brâncoveanu, la 11 martie 1654, de la Susana Lorantfi, văduva principelui Gheorghe Rakoczi.  În anul 1708, Constantin Brâncoveanu construieşte aici un palat după modelul celor de la Potlogi şi Mogoşoaia, pentru a se putea retrage şi adăposti în caz de pericol turcesc. În perioada 1772-1802 moşia trece din stăpânirea familiei Brâncoveanu la negustorul Dumitru Marcu.  La sfîrşitul secolului al XVIII-lea, palatul este dărâmat de guvernatorul Transilvaniei, din motive de securitate militară, datorită apropierii de vechiul hotar către Ţara Românească. Din palat s-au păstrat doar pivniţele.  În secolul al XIX-lea Grigore Brâncoveanu ridică palatul actual, înglobând pivniţele vechiului palat. Urmaşii Brâncovenilor stăpânesc domeniul până în anul 1922, la reforma agrară. În perioada 1927-1944, palatul funcţionează drept casă de odihnă a scriitorilor. După război, timp de câteva decenii, este transformat în şcoală primară. DESCRIERE În prezent, ansamblul curţii brâncoveneşti de la Sâmbăta de Sus este alcătuit din palatul construit în prima jumătate a secolului al XIX-lea de Grigore Brâncoveanu, puternic modificat în perioada recentă, şi din poarta de piatră de acces în incintă, care păstrează piese bogat decorate ale ansamblului edificat de Constantin Brâncoveanu. În subsolul palatului se pot identifica vechile pivniţe brâncoveneşti: plan pătrat, alcătuit din patru încăperi acoperite cu calote pe pandantivi susţinute de arcuri care se întâlnesc într-un stâlp masiv central, ca la Mogoşoaia şi Potlogi.   Sursa

Now located at the intersection of two streets of the locality, the castle is remarkable by its still imposing architecture, specific for the late Renaissance . The castle has a rectangular planimetry with long sides to the south and north and corners with circular towers on top. The entrance was placed to the middle of the southern part, under the protection of a rectangular tower which dominates the entire complex. The circular tower from the left and right of the entrances were doubled by rhombus-like strongholds, with an far outwards pushed shaft, which are now much lower than the other components. The interiors still hold traces of old decorations (arch supports, fragments of stone and stucco profiles, wooden windows with Renaissance features and al secco paintings). The arrangement of the kitchen flue that occupies the entire interior and the roof of the round, southwestern tower is impressive. Text source and photo: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/ Opening Hours: 01 November – 31 March 9:00 – 17:00 01 April – 31 August: 9:00 – 20:00 01 September – 31 October: 9:00 – 17:00 Rates Adults: 10 lei Kids: 5 lei Groups: 8 lei Adults 4 lei Kids

The inhabited medieval fortress of Brașov is one of the few medieval fortresses in Europe which is still inhabited on its old settings. The fortress of Brasov, built between the 14th and 17th centuries, is considered one of the most powerful in Transylvania, maintains numerous traces which due to the restauration works undertaken in the las few years, made it possible for them to become major tourist attractions, including the following: Furriers’ Bastion, Drapers’ Bastion, Weavers’ Bastion, The Museum of Brașov Fortress, Ropemakers’ Bastion, The Black Church, Casa Sfatului – The Museum of History, The White Tower, The Black Tower, The Butchers’ Tower, Graft Bastion – fortified bridge over river Graft, Ecaterina’s Gate, The Citadel, Blacksmiths’ Bastion, “Casa Mureșenilor” Museum.

Virtual tour of the Făgăraș Fortress ▶️ https://tur3d.real-tour.ro/show/?m=DYQpi61HQPE Făgăraș Fortress is the most important monument of Făgăraș, one of the largest in the country and even in Europe. The feudal Complex in Făgăraș, whose construction began in the late fourteenth century and continued through successive additions until the middle of the eighteenth century, was preceded by a wooden fort, surrounded by a moat and earth mound, archaeologicalz attested to the XIIth century.  This fort, evidence of local feudal political organisation as a "voivodat", was destroyed in the middle of the thirteenth century, following a serious fire, as attested by the remains revealed from archaeological excavations that accompanied the restoration.  In XV century the fortress of stone and brick from Făgăraș, which was a military defence fortress, had a quadrilateral enclosure with four towers and bastions at the corners and a barricade type tower outpost on the east side. After the splitting of the Hungarian Feudal Kingdom in 1541, following the defeat of Mohacs, Transylvania became an autonomous principality under Ottoman suzerainty. In this framework, the domain and the Făgăraș fortress became the property of hereditary princes of Transylvania. Many have given Făgăraș special attention contributing to cultural and economic development of the entire area.  Michael the Brave, ruler of the Romanian Country between the years 1593-1601 and the first unifier of the three Romanian countries had, according to an ancient "voivodal" tradition, the title of "herțeg of Făgăraș", since 1597-1599 and claims the domain as his territory based on an "ius antiquum vaivodarum valachiae transalpinae ("voivodal" old law of the Romanian Country). In 1599, following the campaign in Transylvania, Michael the Brave comes into possession of the Făgăraș domain and at the end of the year the city and the domain are given to his wife Doamna Stanca, becoming a place of shelter for their assets and family. Michael the Brave gave special attention to Făgăraș due to its strategic location: in April 1600 the castle becomes the meeting point for his armies before the campaign of Moldova and in autumn 1600, after the defeat at Mirăslău, he regrouped his forces here.  In the 17th century, the building adaptations and additions to which the Fagaras Fortress is subjected will culminate in its transformation into a princely prestigious residence, this being the peak of the history of this majestic monument. The destination of the 85 rooms of the castle was deduced from the inventories of the Făgăraş Fortress, especially those from 1632, 1637, 1656, 1676. În urma acestor lucrări efectuate în secolul al XVII-lea, Cetatea Făgărașului devine reședință a principilor Transilvaniei și centru politico-administrativ al marelui domeniu al Făgărașului, fiind un impunător centru medieval.  At that time, major works were undertaken in the Făgăraș Fortress led by the principles Rackozi Gabriel Bethlen and Gheorghe Rackozi I.   Thus, Gabriel Bethlen (1613-1629) bild open loggias in arches on massive masonry piles. At the same time, at the corners of the fortress the four strongholds are built in Italian style (three "with ears" and one in the shape of a feather). During Gheorghe Rackozi I ’s rule (1631-1648), the exterior walls were doubled on the southern and northern side and the space created was filled with earth, obtaining an 8 feet thick wall. He also build the guards buildig in the northern part of the east side, the defens moat around the castle is widened, made deeper and filled with water from the Olt river, becoming a real lake.  The domain of Făgăraș (the Făgăraș Country) becomes one of the largest and richest areas of Transylvania, including over 50 villages administered by two secondary courts.  Since 1696, after the permeation of the Austrian army into Transylvania, Făgăraș became Crown property of the Habsburgs. Change of the Guard  The fortress guards can be seen each Saturday and Sunday at 11:00. This way the municipality tries to reinstate some of the medieval atmosphere at the fortress.  The presence of swans completes the new image.  Text and photo source: http://www.info-fagaras.ro/  Video - https://www.youtube.com/Discover Romania

Ridged by the Teutonic Knights, the Feldioara Fortress is the oldest fortification in Brasov County, being documented since 1225. At the time of its construction, t had strong walls and was the most important fortification in Transylvania. Built on a 150-meter-high limestone rock, the fortress was later extended with the help of the Saxons of Râşnov, Cristian and Vulcan. The western, northern and eastern sides were protected by a continuous gallery, two anteforts and seven towers. On the southern, more steep side, there were only two towers. The fortress was destroyed in 1430 by the Turks, as well as by Vlad the Impaler in the 1457 campaign, the inhabitants rebuilding it in the same year. During the communist years, ite was left to decaz and become an almost ruined. Only the Northwest tower, the fountain in the middle, the stone foundation of the chapel, and most of the cellar remained. Archaeological discoveries have highlighted that the hill of the fortress was inhabited thousands of years ago, revealing surprisingly well-preserved artefacts from the Neolithic (Cucuteni), Geto-Dacian and Medieval periods that will be exhibited in the museums that will exist in the towers of the city. According to the Feldioara Tourist Information Center, in the Fortress of the Teutons all the towers and the walls of the premises (the North, South, East, West and Zwinger protection towers)have been restored, and the original teutonic fortifications have been preserved. Inside the inner courtyard, the remnants of an initial chapel and a Cistercian monastery were highlighted by ground marking. The fountain was also rebuilt and a viewing area was set up on the guard wall, from where the Bârsa countryside can be admired. Text source: turismistoric.ro/

The Citadel of Râşnov is the most well-known touristic attraction from the city which carries the same name. It is also known as “The peasant Citadel Râşnov”, and it is a national monument belonging to the A class. The only access path into the citadel is the currently used road, which was dividing into other three roads: one towards the fair, one towards the road between Cristian and Brașov, and one towards Cetății Quay. The field around the citadel, now covered with trees, used to be only an empty cliff covered only with wild rose bushes. Because of this, the place was called before The Valley of Roses. In 1388 appeared the first documentary proves of the settlement, under the name of Villa Rosarum, or Rosendorf, in translation The Village of Roses. Etymologically, the word rosé comes from the Celtic rhodd or rhudd, which means red, and the word rose come from the neo-Greek trandaphilos, in translation 30 leaflets. THE DACIAN CITADEL On the Citadel Hill, archeological researches have proven the existence of some fortification elements from the Bronze Age. The defensive system included three moats and defence waves in the vulnerable place, meaning in the east. The Dacian fortification precedes the Romans’ conquest, and it seems to end close to the Dacian Wars. The settlement included principal living areas and cottages. The last archeological researches, which date back from 2010, seem to confirm the existence on the Citadel Hill of the famous “Comidava”, a Dacian settlement mentioned among the “bright cities of Dacia” by the geographer Claudius Ptolemeu from Egypt’s Alexandria. Latinized, the toponym has become “Cumidava”, and under this name it appears on a monument which dates back from the time of the Roman emperor Alexander Severus (222 - 235 B.C.). THE TEUTONIC CITADEL The medieval fortress is supposed to be built in 1211–1225, in the time when the Teutonic chevaliers ruled Bârsa County. After the crusaders have left, the wooden fortress was rebuilt or transformed into one made of stone. There is no documentation to confirm this hypothesis, but the fortification of the peek starting in the antiquity, the military orders received by the German community in Bârsa County in the second half of the XIII century, the construction technique, the foundation and the elevation of the first building, identified by most of the historians in the XIII century, could be solid arguments to support the existence of a citadel previous than the one first mentioned in documents. THE BURGH ON THE PEEK The first documents mentioning the Râşnov Citadel refer to a strong fortification, resistant to an enemy’s siege, which saves the lives of the inhabitants sheltered inside its walls. The Citadel dates back from 1335, when during a Mongolian invasion in Transylvania, Bârsa County was completely devastated. The first Turkish siege is mentioned in documents in 1421. The citadel has heroically resisted, and the Turkish have stopped the siege and headed towards the yet not fortified Braşov, which they have destroyed. The Turkish have also sieged with no success the Râşnov Citadel in their campaigns from 1436 and 1441. During the natural catastrophes but also the military invasions, the settlement’s only chance to survive was the sheltering of its inhabitants in the citadel on the peek which dominates the road of Bran. The citadel, built on an abrupt cliff, is accessible only on its eastern side. Therefore, its architecture was adjusted to the relief, the fortification targeting the efficiency of the hill’s defence, without any architectural beauty claims. Imposing through its placing, emphasized by the clear cliffs, the citadel has had walls with the average height of five meters, a maximum number of eight bastions and a strongly fortified entrance. For the construction, different types of rocks were used. For the framings in the Báthory Tower and the Weapons Tower, a volcano tufa with spongy aspect was used. Rock was used for the barbicans, the Axel edged Tower, and most of the constructions in the citadel. The main material used for binders, the limestone, was cut directly from the Citadel Hill cliff, processed in a burnt furnace, and then mixed with sand and water in a lime chest. The furnace was located under the Lower Citadel’s gothic cathedral and the lime chest to the north of the Big Barbican. The citadel has two yards: an exterior and an interior one. In the exterior yard, also called the “front yard of the citadel” or the “citadel garden", the cattle was sheltered. Starting in the XIV century, in the exterior yard, a chapel was built. Concerning its shape, it is triangular, rising until the cliffs inside the citadel, and having a rounded edge towards the Báthory Tower. This construction technique hasn’t been used since the XVI century, due to its low efficiency against the artillery. After the modernisation of the siege techniques, the down citadel has become vulnerable and hard to protect. The walls were protecting the enemy and represented a great danger for the citadel’s defendants, fact demonstrated by the siege of Gabriel Báthory, in 1612. The solution found by the citadel’s inhabitants was to partially knock down the walls of the down fortress to ensure the visibility. The material remained after the walls’ demolish was used to modernize the Upper Citadel. THE FOUNTAIN The greatest disadvantage of living in the citadel was the lack of current water into the fortress. When the sieges were extended, and the water reserves were ending, the refugees from the citadel were going out during the night on the main gate and were bringing water from a spring only they knew. In March 1612, the ruler of Transylvania Gabriel Báthory, an enemy of the Germans, trying to restrict the freedom of the Transylvanian Saxon community, has organized a military campaign in the south of Transylvania. The Citadel of Râşnov has been protected by the inhabitants of Râşnov, Ghimbav, Cristian, and a draft of Romanian troops, which have been part of the army of Muntenia’s ruler, Radu Şerban. The German chroniclers state that the cannon balls from Báthory’s army have caused little damage to the walls, but the siege has become extremely efficient after a part of the enemy’s troops have occupied the eastern gradient, blocking the defenders’ access to the spring. On April 3rd, 1612, after multiple negotiations with the Hungarian ruler, the leaders of the Râșnov community have surrendered the citadel. The inhabitants of Râşnov took charge of the citadel again in June 1613, after a deal with the Hungarian ruler. Therefore, the Germans were paying a 3000 florins redemption for the citadels Râşnov and Bran. The battles in 1612 have proved the necessity of a fountain. The citadel’s fountain has been delved in 1623 – 1640, until a depth of 76 fathoms, meaning 146 meters. Despite the legend of the fountain delved by two Turkish prisoners, who have been promised the freedom when the work has been done, the fountain was actually completed by German masters hired by the mayor of Râşnov. It has been used until 1850. The water in the fountain was full of limestone, and it has been used only for animals and washing, and only in extreme cases for drinking. HISTORICAL CONFESSION In the XVIII century, the changing of the political and military situation in the South-east of Europe towards the Habsburg Empire, the securing of the southern borders, allowed a continuous economic development of Râşnov, a border borough, but also due to the diminish of the military invasions’ danger, a decrease of the Râșnov community for the maintenance of the medieval citadel. Moreover, in 1802, an earthquake has destroyed a part of the cannon balls and it rushed the transformation of the abandoned citadel into a ruin. In the citadel lived only one guardian who rang the bell in case of fire. During the revolution in 1848 – 1849, Râşnov has been crossed by the Hungarian revolutionary army, but also by the imperial Austrian and Russian troops. Because of this, the settlement’s inhabitants preferred to take refuge together with their precious objects behind the fortress’s walls. ROYAL RESIDENCE? Impressed by the advantages gained by the inhabitants of Bran after transforming the Bran castle in a private residence of Queen Mary, the City Council of Râşnov, after meeting in a festive reunion on August 2nd, 1923, decided to give the Citadel of Râşnov to the Eire Prince Carol of Romania, hoping that the future king Carol II will transform the citadel into a “resting residence, as a relaxing place in the healthful corner of the Bârsa County”. Carol however has never shown interest in living in a medieval citadel, just as he has never shown enthusiasm towards his mother’s, Queen Mary’s idea to transform the Bran castle into a royal residence. THE CITADEL RESTORATION In 1937, after visiting the Citadel of Râşnov, Octav Şuluţiu has left for the posterity a beautiful description, but also a wise suggestion: “It would be a pity for this historical confession to be destroyed. A reconstruction of it should be necessary. But not a renovation which would fake it, by bringing new elements. To be remade everything there is, and that’s it”. The earthquake on November 11th, 1940 has strongly damaged the citadel. The renovation mentioned by Octav Şuluţiu has become absolutely mandatory. Delayed by the war and the confusing years of instauration of the communist regime, the restoration of the Citadel of Râşnov took place only in 1955 – 1956. THE CITADEL AND THE MOVIE The Citadel of Râşnov entered the history of the Romanian cinematography as the favorite decor of the director Sergiu Nicolaescu for his historical movies Dacii (1966) and Nemuritorii (1974). In 1967, in Râşnov has been directed the movie Columna; a coproduction Romanian-German-Italian directed by Mircea Drăgan, and having in the main roles Ilarion Ciobanu, Richard Johnson, Florin Piersic, Antonella Lualdi, Gheorghe Dinică. The movie was nominated the next year for the “Golden Globe” and “Oscar” for the best foreign movie. During the filming, in the citadel have been discovered traces of Dacian living. THE LAST SIEGE In 2000 – 2007, the medieval fortress has been damaged by the illegal interventions of the citadel’s renter SC Drumuri Publicitare SRL, represented by Alberto Drera. On the ruins of the evangelic chapel has been built a tower in which glass fiber reservoirs were installed, in the interior yard a restaurant-terrace has been built, in the chambers accommodation spaces were going to be built, the catholic chapel in the citadel’s garden was completely destroyed and the terrain was leveled with the excavator, causing a massive reduction until complete annulation of the possibility to study the layering of the archeological site, in the Triangular Tower Vellux windows have been installed etc. The Mayor of Râşnov, the owner of the citadel has canceled in 2004 the concession contract and starting the summer of 2008 it has completely overtaken the administration of the historical monument. Text source: http://www.rasnov-turism.ro/

Virtual tour of the Rupea Fortress ▶️ https://tur3d.real-tour.ro/show/?m=y63YcnPT3pe The fortress of Rupea nowadays covers an area of approximately 11 ha (~27 acres) together with its walls, towers and inner courtyards. Because of its dominant position near the European route E60, to the north, and on the right of the city, it is a remarkable presence from a great distance. Despite some speculations made by certain authors, it is certain that its current area was inhabited during prehistoric times, but not in Antiquity, by Dacians or Romans. Another certain fact is that it represents a medieval creation, a major architectural complex, with functional levels ranging across five centuries. While it was first attested in 1324, the fortress wasn`t built at that precise moment, but must have been realized at least a few decades earlier. When it began to function, it was always connected with the public authorities that were organized in typical medieval form: king – voivode – castellan – seat and seat authorities. The relationship between them changed only in the sense of eliminating the intermediate parties, so as to have, in the end, a centre of the Seat of Rupea and a recognized authority in the Principality of Transylvania, often mediated only by the “University” of the Saxons (autonomously organized), with its centre at Sibiu. The components of the fortress are better understood if we follow a sectoring based on the dominant hill, where we have: “The Upper Fortress” (the first precinct), “The Middle Fortress” (the second and third ones), and “The Lower Fortress” (the fourth and last precinct). Each of them is identified by a distinct curtain wall, corresponding to different eras, marked by the evolution of warfare or by the development of the settlement and of the seat, upon which it depended financially. At the same time, each tower has an identity pointed out by its own name, which, partially, betrays their particularities (often functional ones), resulted from their historical development. It is obvious that, unlike many other Transylvanian fortresses, Rupea had the advantage of an exceptional preservation. In the first half of the eighteenth century, since the first reliable documentation drawings date (made by the military), the degradations were always connected with the disappearance of the rooftops and the rapid collapse of some masonry left unprotected. The first historical record of the fortress was marked by a battle fought between rebels from the Saxon elite against the henchmen of Transylvania`s voivode (1324). Afterwards, it can be speculated that it was abandoned by the representatives of the voivodeship after the Turkish invasion from 1421. Fact is that the fortress was given over, around that time, to the Seat of Rupea. The very stingy information directly concerning it, are due to this affiliation and to the fact that the local archives have been preserved only since the middle of the seventeenth century. In the sixteenth century, a significant segment of the privileged local Saxon community permanently moved inside the fortress. Then, the fortress must have looked like a miniature city, where a few hundred people constantly lived. Intensely populated before the year 1621, the fortress gained the entire planimetry that we encounter today. Its inhabitants had all the facilities they required: housings, locations for the community and Seat administration, a chapel, a parish, a place for carriages, a warehouse (for documents, supplies and weapons), a fountain, and a marketplace (in the “Lower Fortress”). The architectural climax was probably reached during the seventeenth century, ever since we hold most of the construction/repairing inscriptions (the majority of which unfortunately lost). Then, at the dawn of the century, the Hapsburg army used the fortress as quartering and campaign training base. The settlement had a market town status, and its rediscovered material culture proves that the architectural ensemble was never a “peasant fortress”. Its connection with some peasants was made later, drifting away from the conceptions of the bourgeois democracy, and then consolidated because of the Marxist historiography, by association with fortified churches. The local rulers, however, have only referred to their ensemble with the terms “cetate” (English: “fortress”; German: “Burg”) or “castel” (English: “castle”; German: “Schloss”). Due to the fortifications and the wisdom of its managers, Rupea was never attacked, conquered or plundered. It was gradually abandoned, since the first half of the eighteenth century, after the political insurance guaranteed by the army of the Hapsburg Empire. On one single occasion, the refuge inside the fortress was registered, in 1789, due to the panic caused by a probable Turkish invasion. That was truly the last time when the fortress was required for defence purposes. Life moved on at the base of the fortress hill, surrounding the placement of the evangelical parish church (former catholic). But, a special fund for the maintenance of the fortress was created by the city hall in 1838. The funds and donations existed throughout the nineteenth century only for the purpose of maintaining the complex, already referred to as “monument”. Moreover, a permanent guardian, with his residence and family, was maintained in the fortress (in a house probably remade in the 1850`s). A proto-museum collection existed in the fortress for a long time. In 1792, among other items, there were 53 firearms, cannonballs, and moulds for casting bullets. Also from that year, armour parts were mentioned, as well as helmets and chain mail armours. It is also known that in 1812, one cannon of the fortress, dated 1613, was melted, part of the inventory was scattered during the 1848-49 Revolution, but, by the end of the century, other weapon items belonging to the old arsenal (that every great Transylvanian fortress had) were still to be found. The most radical change of the fortress was made during the restoration program from 2010-2012, when it recovered and renewed most of its original “dowry”, that had been for a long time in a state of oblivion. Text and photo sources: http://www.rupeaturistica.ro/; https://www.facebook.com/rupeaturistica/  Video: https://www.youtube.com/webTVBrasov