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Transilvania – The medieval land of Strongholds
Situated in the heart of Romania, it has a special cultural landscape, resulting from the multicultural combination of some ethnic groups that came here down through the centuries. This region presents a unique characteristic in that it is home to a great number of rural strongholds and fortified churches, most of them from war-times. Some urban strongholds, castles and medieval houses constitute an admission of the constant preoccupation in defending the placements from destruction by the enemies.
STRONGHOLDS AND FORTIFIED CHURCHES
Immediately after you pass the great gates of the fortified strongholds you’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time. Forget about everything else as you pass through the narrow and dark galleries. Built on higher ground (for defence purposes) but still quite accessible, the rural strongholds usually have two entrances. One fortified by a tower at the gate and the other, a trench or moat, often concealed, in front of the main entrance. Inside, you will find churches built in different styles. Legend or truth, the stories you will hear, when you visit these strongholds, are fascinating and unforgettable.
You can visit the fortified strongholds in Biertan (patrimony of UNESCO since 1993), Prejmer, Harman, Valea Viilor, Rasnov, Rupea, Viscri, Calnic, Cristian etc. And if you decide to spend another day in the region, there are plenty of guest houses to choose from.
SIGHISOARA
Who hasn’t heard of Sighisoara? Why should we hear of it? Because the medieval Stronghold of Sighisoara, situated on the Stronghold Hill (425 m altitude) is the only stronghold lived in in Europe. Surrounded by high walls of 8-10 m, 930 m long, the stronghold has 14 defense towers, the most famous being The Clock Tower that watches over one of the stronghold’s entries and which sheltered the Local Council. Another feature is the Wooden Ladder with 175 steps situated in the School on the hill and the Church on the hill, one of the oldest in Romania. In Sighisoara you can also visit the house lived in by Vlad Dracul in the period 1431-1436. This is the oldest stone structure in the stronghold and is decorated with sculptures in a gothic style and valuable mural paintings dating from the XV century.
Each summer, they stage the Festival of Medieval Art, an opportunity to mingle with artists and tourists alike.
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