Both this site and the city of Sighișoara owe much of their existence to King Géza II of Hungary who, in the 12th Century, invited Saxon settlers to migrate to the southern edge of his realm to solidify his territorial claims in what is now Transylvania. The churches of these villages were fortified in the wake of the Mongol invasions in 1241-42 and repeated Ottoman Turkish incursions from 1395 until as late as the 18th Century. Seven of these villages with fortified churches built by the Saxons are inscribed on the WHS list (Biertan, Câlnic, Dârjiu, Prejmer-Tartlau, Saschiz-Keisd, Valea Viilor, and Viscri) but there are around 150 villages with fortified churches in various states of repair in the region. Many Saxons converted to Lutheranism during the Reformation like their Germanic brethren, forming an exclave of Protestantism inside the Catholic lands of what would become the Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire but the Saxons retained their ancient status as a privileged class of merchants and craftsmen until the 19th Century. Following World War I, the Treaty of Trianon transferred Transylvania to the Kingdom of Romania. When Romania joined the Axis powers in World War II, local Saxons signed up or were conscripted into the Nazi military and, after their defeat, many survivors fled to Germany as Romania joined the Soviet Bloc. Under the Ceaușescu regime, there was a scheme with the West German government by which Transylvanian Saxons were allowed to emigrate in exchange for money to the Romanian government. The return of freedom of movement after the fall of the Iron Curtain led to a further exodus and, today, there are only an estimated 12,000 Saxons left in Transylvania compared to 240,000 or so in 1910.

Today, these villages are mostly populated by ethnic Romanians or Hungarians with a sizable Romani minority. As I remember from my time there in the early 2010s, the main roads through the area of a good standard but the surface quality varies quite significantly once inside the villages themselves. The villages follow a similar pattern with rows of coloured houses, behind which stretch long gardens, along the streets that converge on a central church. Historically, the churches served not only as defensive structures and places of worship but also as the centre of cultural life in the village, with the walled complex often also housing the village hall and school. In modern times, some of the churches still function whilst others are well-preserved tourist attractions – of the inscribed churches, I have only been to Viscri (picture attached) but imagine the rest are of a similarly good state of conservation. I cannot comment on the best way to reach the site, having been driven there by minibus after spending the day directing traffic for a cycle race stood outside another (unlisted) fortified church in the village of Meșendorf. I was rewarded for my efforts with an entire spit-roast bull and small concert in Viscri along with the rest of the race organisers and contestants. Whilst there I visited the fortified church for a small fee, I think about 10 lei (~€2). This granted access to the courtyard, where there was a small museum with some local crafts on display, and the chapel, which featured an organ, chandelier, and various frescoes and paintings. I also took the opportunity to climb the tower, which was a precarious affair up steep rickety wooden stairs and ladders but offers an excellent view of the church complex and surrounding village.

Some of the other churches not on the WHS list are sadly neglected and crumbling (I recall Daia as one such example) but hopefully can be revitalised with increasing interest in this unique area of Europe. Indeed, the villages of Transylvania have attracted attention from such figures as the future King of the UK, Prince Charles, who bought a house in the village of Viscri. His interest lies in the sustainable farming practices still practiced in the area as agriculture continues in a traditional manner using techniques largely unchanged since the Medieval period with the horse and cart still a regular sight on the roads. Arable farming occurs in the flat bottom of valleys around the villages with pasture and hay meadows for livestock on the sides of the valley whilst the ridges between valleys remain forested. Ploughing, planting, and harvesting are all done by hand with only basic machinery and no artificial fertilisers or pesticides, having successfully resisted attempts to make farming more industrial under Ceausescu. This non-intensive agriculture provides a haven for wildlife that is otherwise threatened in the rest of Europe, such as brown bears and a wide variety of bird, small mammal, flowering plant, and butterfly species. I saw no large mammals besides red and roe deer but did spot bear and wild boar tracks on walks in the woods. The area has been likened to England in the Middle Ages, hence the Prince of Wales’s interest, and was a fascinating place to visit, full of friendly people, good food, and a unique collection of fortified churches, each with its own idiosyncratic design.