Saschiz Evangelical Church was built in the late 15th century ( between 1493-1496 ) by the Saxon colonists. The monument impresses by the expressive beauty of the proportions and the rigorous adaptation of fortifying elements to a place of worship. From the outside , the building appears as a bastion, with giant buttresses built over […]
The Biertan citadel is found in the town with the same name, in Sibiu and it entered the UNESCO heritage in 1993.The citadel is actually a Fortified Evangelical Church with defensive design located on the church and its premises. This is one of the biggest and the most famous fortified churches in Transylvania.The church was […]
The old title Kreuz (cross) is due to, according the local tradition, a big cross, visible from a distance from three neighboring villages “Crit, Cloasterf and Mesendorf. The first houses were built around the cross and a stone church was erected. In the 15th century an enclosure wall with irregular oval shape was built. Four […]
Dârjiu fortified Unitarian Church is a historical and architectural monument from the 13th-14th centuries, one of the six fortified churches in Transylvania included in 1999 in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. The Church represents one of the most important fortified Saxon churches, present in all the references to such monuments in Transylvania due […]
Away from the main road that connects Brasov to Sighisoara, Viscri village is one of the most spectacular fortified Saxon Churches, and also one of the six registered in the UNESCO world heritage. When the Saxons colonized Viscri, there was a little chapel here. In time, it has undergone several transformations. The present church of […]
Rupea fortress is one of the oldest archeological vestiges on the territory of Romania, the first signs of human settlements dating back to Paleolithic and early Neolithic (5,500 -3,500 BC). The first written documents date back to 1324 when the rioting Saxons against King Carol Robert, of Hungary took refuge in the city, Castrum Kuholm. […]
The settlement was founded by German settlers (actually Franconi North Rhine region), who had been invited to settle in Transylvania by the Hungarian King Géza II to defend the eastern borders. In this historical period ethnic German people were named Saxon, but true German settlers known as “Transylvanian Saxons” have no connection with the Saxons […]
Most of us know that the idea of building a road belonged to the dictator, Ceausescu. The reality is that there were sketches and plans made before 1960 containing details of a road through Fagaras mountains. The project was abandoned because, at the time, the budget was not enough to cover such expenses . After […]
Sibiu was and still is one of the most important and flourishing cities in Transylvania, one of the main centers of Saxon colonists settled in the area. The city was the capital of Transylvania between 1692-1791 and 1849-1865. It has known a significant economic and cultural revival in recent years. Sibiu is currently one of […]
The medieval fortress is supposed to have been built between 1211-1225, as theTeutonic Knights took possession of Barsa Land, and after the departure of the Crusaders, the wooden fortress was rebuilt in stone. Although there is no written evidence in documents confirming the following hypothesis, it is supposed however, that since ancinet times, a hill […]
It is said that in August 1866, Carol I arrived in the area, and spent the night at the monastery of Neag Bridge ( as it was known at that time Sinaia ). The wild and picturesque scenery attracted him so much that he decided to build a castle here. Therefore, in 1972 he buys […]
Bran castle is known by tourists from the whole world as Dracula’s castle. The count Dracula’s myth is based on the fictional novel „Dracula” published in the United Kingdom in 1897, having as author the Irish writer Bram Stocker. Characters from the novel „Dracula” are the results of the author’s fantasy ,but facts about Count […]
Kálnoky is one of the historical families in Transylvania their roots going back to medieval times. It is believed that in the 13th century a saxon by the name Kálnoky had saved the life of the King of Hungary during a hunt, aiming with his arrow the bear that had attacked the king. The monarch […]
Szentkereszty Castle is a historical monument in Arcus commune. Once here was the Benkos Mansion which was bought in 1840 by Count Kalnoky György and his wife, the Baronesse Haller Anna. After Kalnoky György’s death, Haller Anna married Baron Szentkereszty Zsigmond, and the masion was rebuilt by the two spouses in 1870. Back then there […]
The word “kula” is of Turkish origin, meaning “tower”. Kulas are actually fortified constructions or tall, fortified houses specific to Oltenia or West Muntenia counties. They had been built since the beginning of the 16th century by noblemen in order to protect themselves from the raids of the Turks at the Danube. They are characterized […]
Kula from Curtisoara, also known as kula Cornoiu, was built since the first half of the 18th century and was bequeathed by Radu Pistescu to nobleman Cornea with all his estate. The building is structured on three levels with the well in the basement and loopholes and crenels at all levels. By the way it […]
The castle was built in the 17th century by the family of the Austrian General Gyulay Ferencz. In 1834 the castle was altered by Ludovic Gyulay, the last heir of the family. The changes were made in a classicist style. After Ludovic’s death was handed over to Count Geza Kuun, a distant nephew. He had […]
Once considered the Versailles of Transylvania, Bánffy Castle in Bontida is one of the most beautiful array of historical buildings in the Carpathian Byzantium. Although there was probably once a nobiliary residence in the 14th and 15th centuries, the written documents only date back the 16th century. Denes Bánffy, a counsellor of the Prince of […]
Bethlen Castle in Arcalia is one of the ‘unknown’ castles of Romania. It was built around 1850s and it belonged to Count Bethlen Balazs and his family of Hungarian noblemen. An unprecedented aspect of Bethlen Castle is that it is the only construction in byzantine style in the whole of Transylvania. Another feature of the […]
The present day castle construction was started in the 15th century by the family of the noble Losonczi Dezsofi. In the following 150 years the owners of the domain change multiple times. The castle has a square outline, a courtyard and towers at the corners – two taller towers and two shorter ones. Many windows […]