Transylvania
Viscri
The Saxon village with a UNESCO fortified church.
Viscri is a Saxon village in southern Transylvania, in Brașov County, that has become one of the most beloved symbols of authentic Romanian rural landscape. Hidden among gentle hills at the end of a country road, the village keeps a single main street lined with houses painted in shades of blue, green and yellow, with massive gates and old outbuildings. At its centre rises the fortified church, built by Saxon colonists and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list alongside other fortified churches of Transylvania: a twelfth- to thirteenth-century ensemble reinforced with walls, towers and a refuge for the villagers in times of danger, from whose tower a broad view opens out.
Viscri won international renown thanks in part to the interest shown by King Charles III of the United Kingdom, who owns a restored traditional house here. The atmosphere is one of profound calm, with horse-drawn carts, blacksmith and wool-slipper workshops, and a rhythm of life unchanged for decades. The cuisine is rustic and Saxon: soups, meat dishes, preserves and farm produce.
Viscri is reached by a side road off the DN13. It is worth visiting for its UNESCO fortified church, its authentic village and its rural peace.
