Gheorghe Alexandru’s guidebook
Equestrian center
Explore the hidden mysteries of the nature in Transylvanian Highlands on horseback or in an old fashioned cart ride. If you are a beginner or have never ridden a horse before, visit one of the horse riding centers in the destination and you can receive customed horse riding lessons. You will enter the magical world of horses in an authentic, simple and wonderful decoration. Do you prefer an extremely authentic experience and want to truly experience life in the country? Then you can ride the cart through the village or on the roads that connect the villages.
RECCOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:
The maximum recommended weight for a person who wants to try a horseback ride is 95 kg. The outfit must also be adequate, especially for the inexperienced: boots and long pants.
OUR ADDRESS
Villa Abbatis Equestrian Center
27, Apos, Sibiu county
557036
Romania
+40 724 736 025
+40 735 334 500
villaabbatis@yahoo.com
OPENING HOURS
By appointment only.
Villa Abbatis Equestrian Center
Explore the hidden mysteries of the nature in Transylvanian Highlands on horseback or in an old fashioned cart ride. If you are a beginner or have never ridden a horse before, visit one of the horse riding centers in the destination and you can receive customed horse riding lessons. You will enter the magical world of horses in an authentic, simple and wonderful decoration. Do you prefer an extremely authentic experience and want to truly experience life in the country? Then you can ride the cart through the village or on the roads that connect the villages.
RECCOMMENDED EQUIPMENT:
The maximum recommended weight for a person who wants to try a horseback ride is 95 kg. The outfit must also be adequate, especially for the inexperienced: boots and long pants.
OUR ADDRESS
Villa Abbatis Equestrian Center
27, Apos, Sibiu county
557036
Romania
+40 724 736 025
+40 735 334 500
villaabbatis@yahoo.com
OPENING HOURS
By appointment only.
Sightseeing
Biertan Fortified Church is included in many of our tours in Transylvania. More tours on www.uncover-romania-tours.com
One of the top cultural attractions in Transylvania, the fortified church of Biertan is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the strongest of these unique fortifications built here centuries ago.
Located in the center of the village once famous for its vineyards, this imposing monument has a history that goes back to the end of the 15th century when its construction started. It’s one of the largest fortified churches in Transylvania, built when the local Saxons already had a vast centuries-old experience in defending themselves in this innovative way.
Biertan Fortified Church
Biertan Fortified Church
Saxon from the very beginning
The village of Biertan was first mentioned at the end of the 13th century. It was part of the Two Chairs unit, and it nearly became a town in the 16th century. In fact, in 1510, the village population was the double of today. Competing with nearby Mosna and Medias for the control over the Chair, locals decided to build a grandiose church on the location of an older one, right in the village center. This was not an unusual practice, the villagers from Saschiz chose the same strategy when they were competing with nearby Sighisoara.
The result is truly spectacular even today. Biertan Fortified Church dominates the landscape of the village. It has three fortification walls, eight towers and the church itself was equipped from the very beginning with solid defensive elements. Beyond political aspirations, the Ottoman threat was still very real to the region and fortified churches were the main defensive structure in the rural world.
Biertan Fortified Church
Biertan Fortified Church
Unique church elements
The most important religious center of Saxons from Transylvania for almost three centuries, from 1572 to 1867, during which time it served as a Bishop See, this monument is today one of the best conserved from all the hundreds of fortified churches built after the Saxons settled here. The hall-church was finalized in 1525 in a Late-Gothic style with Renaissance elements visible in the portal doors. It still preserves many of its original elements, including the early 16th century painted pews and a beautiful pulpit carved from one single piece of stone in 1500.
Biertan Fortified Church
The locking system of the sacristy door
In the church, you’ll also see the original altar — the largest in Transylvania — with 28 painted panels, dated to 1515, partially inspired by the altarpiece of the Scottish Abbey in Vienna. The piece of resistance is, nonetheless, the door of the vestry. Decorated with inlays representing fortified towers and coffins and dated to 1515, the door has an ingenious system that simultaneously activates 15 locks when the door is closed. Used to protect the most valuable goods of the church in case of need, the door was also presented at the World Fair from Paris in 1889.
Fortification elements
The main goal of a fortified church during attacks and sieges was to defend the lives of locals. Depending on the time when they were built, several defensive solutions were used. Biertan Fortified Church is one of the best examples of the know-how and experience local Saxon had acquired in transforming churches into real fortresses.
In this case, an extra level was built on top of the nave and choir, and the church was surrounded by enclosing walls connected through tower gates.
Biertan Fortified Church
Fortification walls
While most of the towers are closed for visitors, you can still take a peek inside the Mausoleum Tower where the funeral stones of nine Saxon bishops are exhibited. Next in line is the Marriage Prison Tower that represented the medieval alternative to couples’ therapy. A small room with one bed, one plate and one table was the place where couples were locked until they found a solution to their marriage problems. A solution that apparently worked as in the 400 years of use only one couple got a divorce.
Don’t miss the Catholic Tower, it preserves pre-Reformation fragments of frescoes, a very rare case in the Saxon space of Transylvania where Catholicism was replaced by Protestantism. If you look carefully, you’ll recognize Saint George, Virgin Mary with baby Jesus and the Three Kings, plus the scene of the Last Judgement with Christ as the ultimate judge.
Biertan Fortified Church
The marital prison
A wonderful example of the typical Saxon architecture so widespread in the villages surrounding Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara, the fortified church of Biertan is a must-see attraction in Romania. Its grand dimension, its unique and original elements, its monumental Late-Gothic style transform it into a masterpiece of Saxon Transylvania.
8 Einheimische empfehlen
Die Kirchenburg von Birthälm
Biertan Fortified Church is included in many of our tours in Transylvania. More tours on www.uncover-romania-tours.com
One of the top cultural attractions in Transylvania, the fortified church of Biertan is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is one of the strongest of these unique fortifications built here centuries ago.
Located in the center of the village once famous for its vineyards, this imposing monument has a history that goes back to the end of the 15th century when its construction started. It’s one of the largest fortified churches in Transylvania, built when the local Saxons already had a vast centuries-old experience in defending themselves in this innovative way.
Biertan Fortified Church
Biertan Fortified Church
Saxon from the very beginning
The village of Biertan was first mentioned at the end of the 13th century. It was part of the Two Chairs unit, and it nearly became a town in the 16th century. In fact, in 1510, the village population was the double of today. Competing with nearby Mosna and Medias for the control over the Chair, locals decided to build a grandiose church on the location of an older one, right in the village center. This was not an unusual practice, the villagers from Saschiz chose the same strategy when they were competing with nearby Sighisoara.
The result is truly spectacular even today. Biertan Fortified Church dominates the landscape of the village. It has three fortification walls, eight towers and the church itself was equipped from the very beginning with solid defensive elements. Beyond political aspirations, the Ottoman threat was still very real to the region and fortified churches were the main defensive structure in the rural world.
Biertan Fortified Church
Biertan Fortified Church
Unique church elements
The most important religious center of Saxons from Transylvania for almost three centuries, from 1572 to 1867, during which time it served as a Bishop See, this monument is today one of the best conserved from all the hundreds of fortified churches built after the Saxons settled here. The hall-church was finalized in 1525 in a Late-Gothic style with Renaissance elements visible in the portal doors. It still preserves many of its original elements, including the early 16th century painted pews and a beautiful pulpit carved from one single piece of stone in 1500.
Biertan Fortified Church
The locking system of the sacristy door
In the church, you’ll also see the original altar — the largest in Transylvania — with 28 painted panels, dated to 1515, partially inspired by the altarpiece of the Scottish Abbey in Vienna. The piece of resistance is, nonetheless, the door of the vestry. Decorated with inlays representing fortified towers and coffins and dated to 1515, the door has an ingenious system that simultaneously activates 15 locks when the door is closed. Used to protect the most valuable goods of the church in case of need, the door was also presented at the World Fair from Paris in 1889.
Fortification elements
The main goal of a fortified church during attacks and sieges was to defend the lives of locals. Depending on the time when they were built, several defensive solutions were used. Biertan Fortified Church is one of the best examples of the know-how and experience local Saxon had acquired in transforming churches into real fortresses.
In this case, an extra level was built on top of the nave and choir, and the church was surrounded by enclosing walls connected through tower gates.
Biertan Fortified Church
Fortification walls
While most of the towers are closed for visitors, you can still take a peek inside the Mausoleum Tower where the funeral stones of nine Saxon bishops are exhibited. Next in line is the Marriage Prison Tower that represented the medieval alternative to couples’ therapy. A small room with one bed, one plate and one table was the place where couples were locked until they found a solution to their marriage problems. A solution that apparently worked as in the 400 years of use only one couple got a divorce.
Don’t miss the Catholic Tower, it preserves pre-Reformation fragments of frescoes, a very rare case in the Saxon space of Transylvania where Catholicism was replaced by Protestantism. If you look carefully, you’ll recognize Saint George, Virgin Mary with baby Jesus and the Three Kings, plus the scene of the Last Judgement with Christ as the ultimate judge.
Biertan Fortified Church
The marital prison
A wonderful example of the typical Saxon architecture so widespread in the villages surrounding Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara, the fortified church of Biertan is a must-see attraction in Romania. Its grand dimension, its unique and original elements, its monumental Late-Gothic style transform it into a masterpiece of Saxon Transylvania.
There’s no place like Sighisoara if you wish to step back in time to the medieval centuries when the Transylvanian Saxons settled central Romania, and when legendary princes like Vlad the Impaler were making history in the battle against the Ottoman Empire.
With its dazzling well-preserved architecture and fortifications, Sighisoara is one of the most beautiful and authentic small medieval towns in Europe, also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its ‘outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons’.
Medieval history
Due to its geographical position, Sighisoara was for many centuries an important commercial and strategic point of Central Europe. It is also one of the seven fortified citadels the Transylvanian Saxons built after their settlement in this region starting with the 12th century.
Attested at the end of the 13th century under the German name Schespurch, Sighisoara rapidly developed into a powerful economic and commercial center due to its many craftsmen and tradesmen that fortified the settlement with 14 towers and five artillery bastions in the coming centuries against Ottoman invasions.
Each guild took responsibility for the maintenance in time of peace and defense during attacks of a tower named after their craftsmanship, for example, the Blacksmiths’ Tower or the Goldsmiths’ Tower. The local importance of the guild was also reflected in the dimensions and endowment of their towers. Even the members of the local council were in charge of defending the city from their own tower, the Clock Tower, that guarded one of the main access routes to the Upper Town.
During the violent 15th century, Sighisoara became the second political center of Transylvania, after Sibiu. During this century, its Romanian name of Sighisoara was first mentioned in a document by Prince Vlad Dracul, the ruler of the territory south from the Carpathians and the father of Vlad the Impaler who was born here. While we know this for a fact, there is no actual historical proof of the house where he was born, don’t get fooled by the local ‘house of Dracula’ attraction.
Medieval attractions
You can find most of the medieval attractions of the town in the area of Sighisoara Citadel, located on a hill above the Lower Town. The Upper Town is, in fact, the part included on the UNESCO Heritage List with hundreds of houses more than 300 years old.
The Clock Tower
Nine towers still exist of the original 14, but most of them are closed for visitors. The Clock Tower, one of the symbols of Sighisoara, guards the citadel entry and going all the way up to the top is a must. The highest and the most imposing tower, it was used until 1556 for the reunions of the Town Council. Due to its dimensions, the Clock Tower offers an excellent view from the last floor balcony over the historical center and the whole town of Sighisoara.
Today, it hosts the History Museum and each room has a thematic exhibition, starting from the ancient time. You can even see the mechanism of the clock and the figurines that announce the exact hour every single day for the past hundreds of years.
The City Square
Next, you can admire the historical buildings from the small squares in the Upper Town where most of the commercial activity took place in the past. You can also visit the Church of the Dominican Monastery, first mentioned in 1298, and the Museum of Weapons, or admire the Venetian House and the Stag House among the many that belonged to the richest members of the local community. From the City Square, you’re only a few meters away from medieval towers like the Tailors’ Tower or the Cobblers’ Tower.
The Scholars’ Stairs
The Scholars’ Stairs are a distinctive attraction, built in 1642 to protect school children during winter time, connecting the City Square with the School on the Hill, the Church on the Hill, the Ropemakers’ Tower and the Evangelical Cemetery. After the 175 steps, you’ll reach the most peaceful part of medieval Sighisoara, and we strongly suggest you don’t miss the chance of the vast open view of the town and its green surroundings. If the stairs prove too much, try an alternative route that starts next to their base.
While here, don’t miss a tour inside one of the most representative Gothic constructions in Transylvania, the Church on the Hill, and a walk in the centuries-old Evangelical Cemetery. Its caretaker lives next to the church, in the Ropemakers’ Tower, the only inhabited tower of the remaining nine. From the cemetery, you can go back down on a small paved street without taking the stairs again.
Inside the Evangelical Church
Sighisoara offers many attractions besides its historical monuments. Its old colorful houses with their bizarre doors and windows, its crowded streets with tourists and artists during the Medieval Festival of Sighisoara that takes place each July make Sighisoara a great place for those of you in search of memorable experiences. The city is also an excellent starting point for the discovery of the Transylvanian Saxons’ heritage, one of the special elements that make this region a world-unique destination.
53 Einheimische empfehlen
Sighișoara
There’s no place like Sighisoara if you wish to step back in time to the medieval centuries when the Transylvanian Saxons settled central Romania, and when legendary princes like Vlad the Impaler were making history in the battle against the Ottoman Empire.
With its dazzling well-preserved architecture and fortifications, Sighisoara is one of the most beautiful and authentic small medieval towns in Europe, also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its ‘outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons’.
Medieval history
Due to its geographical position, Sighisoara was for many centuries an important commercial and strategic point of Central Europe. It is also one of the seven fortified citadels the Transylvanian Saxons built after their settlement in this region starting with the 12th century.
Attested at the end of the 13th century under the German name Schespurch, Sighisoara rapidly developed into a powerful economic and commercial center due to its many craftsmen and tradesmen that fortified the settlement with 14 towers and five artillery bastions in the coming centuries against Ottoman invasions.
Each guild took responsibility for the maintenance in time of peace and defense during attacks of a tower named after their craftsmanship, for example, the Blacksmiths’ Tower or the Goldsmiths’ Tower. The local importance of the guild was also reflected in the dimensions and endowment of their towers. Even the members of the local council were in charge of defending the city from their own tower, the Clock Tower, that guarded one of the main access routes to the Upper Town.
During the violent 15th century, Sighisoara became the second political center of Transylvania, after Sibiu. During this century, its Romanian name of Sighisoara was first mentioned in a document by Prince Vlad Dracul, the ruler of the territory south from the Carpathians and the father of Vlad the Impaler who was born here. While we know this for a fact, there is no actual historical proof of the house where he was born, don’t get fooled by the local ‘house of Dracula’ attraction.
Medieval attractions
You can find most of the medieval attractions of the town in the area of Sighisoara Citadel, located on a hill above the Lower Town. The Upper Town is, in fact, the part included on the UNESCO Heritage List with hundreds of houses more than 300 years old.
The Clock Tower
Nine towers still exist of the original 14, but most of them are closed for visitors. The Clock Tower, one of the symbols of Sighisoara, guards the citadel entry and going all the way up to the top is a must. The highest and the most imposing tower, it was used until 1556 for the reunions of the Town Council. Due to its dimensions, the Clock Tower offers an excellent view from the last floor balcony over the historical center and the whole town of Sighisoara.
Today, it hosts the History Museum and each room has a thematic exhibition, starting from the ancient time. You can even see the mechanism of the clock and the figurines that announce the exact hour every single day for the past hundreds of years.
The City Square
Next, you can admire the historical buildings from the small squares in the Upper Town where most of the commercial activity took place in the past. You can also visit the Church of the Dominican Monastery, first mentioned in 1298, and the Museum of Weapons, or admire the Venetian House and the Stag House among the many that belonged to the richest members of the local community. From the City Square, you’re only a few meters away from medieval towers like the Tailors’ Tower or the Cobblers’ Tower.
The Scholars’ Stairs
The Scholars’ Stairs are a distinctive attraction, built in 1642 to protect school children during winter time, connecting the City Square with the School on the Hill, the Church on the Hill, the Ropemakers’ Tower and the Evangelical Cemetery. After the 175 steps, you’ll reach the most peaceful part of medieval Sighisoara, and we strongly suggest you don’t miss the chance of the vast open view of the town and its green surroundings. If the stairs prove too much, try an alternative route that starts next to their base.
While here, don’t miss a tour inside one of the most representative Gothic constructions in Transylvania, the Church on the Hill, and a walk in the centuries-old Evangelical Cemetery. Its caretaker lives next to the church, in the Ropemakers’ Tower, the only inhabited tower of the remaining nine. From the cemetery, you can go back down on a small paved street without taking the stairs again.
Inside the Evangelical Church
Sighisoara offers many attractions besides its historical monuments. Its old colorful houses with their bizarre doors and windows, its crowded streets with tourists and artists during the Medieval Festival of Sighisoara that takes place each July make Sighisoara a great place for those of you in search of memorable experiences. The city is also an excellent starting point for the discovery of the Transylvanian Saxons’ heritage, one of the special elements that make this region a world-unique destination.
Located in Turda, the second-largest city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Turda Salt Mine is a must-see Romanian tourist attraction.
The mine which dates back to the Middle Ages now serves as a genuine history museum of salt mining. But there’s more to it than that!
If you decide to come visit, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to also discover a one-of-a-kind underground amusement park built deep inside the enormous mine.
If you want to learn more about this stunning site in Romania, we’ve got you covered. All you have to do is keep on reading.
A Bit of History
Turda Salt Mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. It was dug during medieval times for salt exploitation, with the first documented reference of the mine dating all the way back to 1271.
Excavations continued until 1932. After that, the salt mine served multiple purposes. The mine was used as a cheese storage unit, as well as a bomb shelter during World War 2.
turda salt mine
Despite the passage of time, the mining and machinery used to transport salt were kept in an excellent state of preservation. And, in 1992, the salt mine was opened to tourists, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the past.
The mine entered a broad process of modernization and improvement in 2008. Now, history and innovation meet harmoniously here.
Turda Salt Mine: Main Attractions
The mine consists of an assembly of beautiful operating rooms and mine galleries, including:
The Iosif mine: famous for having a powerful sound echo, it can be visited through balconies carved in salt.
Crivac room: where visitors can see a rudimentary installation used for lifting salt rocks on the surface originally installed here in 1864.
Terezia mine: featuring halls of impressive measurements: 90 m height and 87 m in diameter.
Rudolph mine: which marks the last place where salt was exploited in Turda.
Gizela mine: that currently serves solely the work of health treatment. The underground gallery of the mine is a geological reserve, and tourists have no access to this area.
turda salt mine
A labyrinth of lifts and stairs takes visitors deep into the heart of the salt mine.
There, 400-feet underground, you’ll find a theme park that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. This unique attraction includes:
a large amphitheater,
a Ferris wheel,
a bowling alley
a mini-golf course
pool tables
a sport’s field
ping-pong courts
an underground lake you can explore on a paddle boat.
Considering all the available attractions, it’s easy to see why Business Insider placed the mine on top of their list of “coolest underground places in the world“.
However, visiting this Romanian gem is not only fun and exciting, it also yields significant health-related benefits.
Its microclimate provides the best conditions for the implementation of various rehabilitation therapies for internal diseases.
86 Einheimische empfehlen
Salzbergwerk Turda
7 Aleea DurgăuluiLocated in Turda, the second-largest city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Turda Salt Mine is a must-see Romanian tourist attraction.
The mine which dates back to the Middle Ages now serves as a genuine history museum of salt mining. But there’s more to it than that!
If you decide to come visit, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to also discover a one-of-a-kind underground amusement park built deep inside the enormous mine.
If you want to learn more about this stunning site in Romania, we’ve got you covered. All you have to do is keep on reading.
A Bit of History
Turda Salt Mine is one of the oldest salt mines in the world. It was dug during medieval times for salt exploitation, with the first documented reference of the mine dating all the way back to 1271.
Excavations continued until 1932. After that, the salt mine served multiple purposes. The mine was used as a cheese storage unit, as well as a bomb shelter during World War 2.
turda salt mine
Despite the passage of time, the mining and machinery used to transport salt were kept in an excellent state of preservation. And, in 1992, the salt mine was opened to tourists, offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the past.
The mine entered a broad process of modernization and improvement in 2008. Now, history and innovation meet harmoniously here.
Turda Salt Mine: Main Attractions
The mine consists of an assembly of beautiful operating rooms and mine galleries, including:
The Iosif mine: famous for having a powerful sound echo, it can be visited through balconies carved in salt.
Crivac room: where visitors can see a rudimentary installation used for lifting salt rocks on the surface originally installed here in 1864.
Terezia mine: featuring halls of impressive measurements: 90 m height and 87 m in diameter.
Rudolph mine: which marks the last place where salt was exploited in Turda.
Gizela mine: that currently serves solely the work of health treatment. The underground gallery of the mine is a geological reserve, and tourists have no access to this area.
turda salt mine
A labyrinth of lifts and stairs takes visitors deep into the heart of the salt mine.
There, 400-feet underground, you’ll find a theme park that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. This unique attraction includes:
a large amphitheater,
a Ferris wheel,
a bowling alley
a mini-golf course
pool tables
a sport’s field
ping-pong courts
an underground lake you can explore on a paddle boat.
Considering all the available attractions, it’s easy to see why Business Insider placed the mine on top of their list of “coolest underground places in the world“.
However, visiting this Romanian gem is not only fun and exciting, it also yields significant health-related benefits.
Its microclimate provides the best conditions for the implementation of various rehabilitation therapies for internal diseases.