Cetatea Bisericii Biertan

The Fortified Church of Biertan is one of the most impressive Saxon fortified churches in Transylvania, inscribed on the list of protected world heritage, set in the village of Biertan in the hilly area of the former German communities. Raised in the late Gothic period, at the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century, the church rises on a hill in the centre of the village, surrounded by an imposing system of three rings of defensive walls, towers and bastions that turned it into a true fortress, a refuge for the inhabitants in times of danger. The interior preserves a remarkable polyptych altar with many painted panels, carved pews and a famous sacristy door with a locking mechanism of extraordinary complexity, a testament to the skill of the craftsmen of old.

Biertan was long the seat of the Saxon Evangelical bishops. The ensemble, with its medieval architecture and authentic rural setting, is a living witness of Saxon civilisation in Transylvania. Visitors can climb the covered passage linking the village to the citadel and explore the fortified walls.