Tour Fortified Saxon Curches - Brasov � Prejmer � Harman � Viscri � Saschiz � Brasov

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Tour : Fortified Saxon Churches

Brasov – Prejmer – Harman – Viscri – Saschiz – Brasov

departure from Brasov at 9 am
visit Prejmer Fortified Church
visit Harman Fortified Church
visit Viscri Fortified Church
visit Saschiz Evangelic Church
return to Brasov around 7 pm

Departure from Brasov is at 9 am, from Council Square (Piata Sfatului)or your Hotel or Pension.

We begin our journey with Prejmer Fortified Church which is one of a series of UNESCO-listed historic churches in Romania and is known for being the largest church of its kind in the south east of Europe. Built in 1212 and completed in 1225, Prejmer Fortified Church was build by the Roman Catholic Teutonic knights. With its thick circular walls rising 40 feet, advanced weaponry and underground passageways, Prejmer Fortified Church was heavily defended, demonstrating the turbulent nature of the region at the time. The fortress was in fact subject to fifty sieges, only one of which resulted in its capture. This occurred in 1611, when it was taken over by the Prince of Transylvania, Gabriel Báthori.

Next stop in our tour is Harman Fortified Church, built in the 13th century by Saxons colonists in order to protect the church from different invaders. The church was surrounded by walls and bulwarks and had on its sides massive towers. The belfry tower, located on the church’s western side was built in the 14^th century. During the 15^th century, the circular-shaped curtain wall surrounding the church was fortified with prismatic towers, and additional defensive structures including a moat and a zwinger to the southeast. On the inside of the curtain wall, storage rooms are located on two levels around the wall’s perimeter. Particularly interesting are the storage rooms that were added above the basilica’s southern nave. Located in the eastern tower’s ground floor is the 14^th century funerary chapel which has preserved valuable mural paintings in Late Gothic style, dating from the late 15^th century. The frescoes are among Transylvania’s few completely preserved medieval mural paintings, illustrating three major iconographical themes: “The Last Judgment”, “The Crucifixion”, and “The Beatification of Saint Mary”.

From here we travel to Viscri village, to visit Viscri Fortified Church which is one of a series of UNESCO-listed historic churches in Romania.It is first mentioned in a 16th century accounts book of the bishopric of the county of Rupea. A century later, it is listed as a free commune with 51 households, three shepherds, a teacher and two paupers. It appears that before the Saxons (alii Flandrenses) arrived here as colonists sent by King Geza II in 1162, a Szekler community (Secui) lived here. They had built a rectangular chapel with a round altar in white-greenish limestone. The coins and the head-band earrings found in the graves inside and outside the chapel date from around 1100-1120. The old chapel was used for a while by the Saxon community that slightly modified it by adding a wooden loft on the western side.Two Romanesque capitals preserved in the choir, one of which is used as a font, date from the same period. Viscri Church was built around 1100 by the Szekler population and taken over by Saxon colonists in 1185. In the 14th century, the eastern section was rebuilt and around 1525, the first fortification walls with towers were added. In the 18th century, the church was endowed with a second defensive wall. During 1970-1971, the fortified church underwent major renovations.

After lunch in Viscri Village ,we travel to Saschiz. Saschiz is renowned not only as home to one of Transylvania’s finest fortified churches but also as a carpentry and wood-painting center. The Evangelical Church of Saschiz was built between 1493 and 1496 by Saxon colonists. The monument is very impressive due to its sheer size and the way the fortifying elements have been adapted to the shape of a church building. From the outside, the church appears to be a bulwark, but its defensive role is surpassed by the beauty of its gothic elements: huge arches, massive buttresses and decorative stone and brick aspects. Due to the significant distance between the center of the village and the hill on which a Saxon fortress was built in 1496, the fortified Evangelical church became the main refuge for the inhabitants of Saschiz during invading raids. As for its architecture, the fortress belongs to the end of the Romanic style towards the beginning of the Gothic style (it was finished in the XIV th century).

Then return to Brasov around 7 pm.

Shared tour from Brasov :

1 person	185 €/pers
2-3 persons	95 €/pers
4-5 persons	90 €/pers
6-7 persons	85 €/pers

Included: transport, english or german guide , permanent assistance.

Not included: lunch, entrance tickets, other services not specified on the intinerary, photo and video fees, banking or e-payment fees.

We can organize trips for bigger groups and prices are negociable.

For private tour please contact us .

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Contact Data

E-mail: office@discovery-transylvania.ro
Phone: (004) 0744352325

Tour Fortified Saxon Curches - Brasov � Prejmer � Harman � Viscri � Saschiz � Brasov