It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, it is a listed monument of national value (LMI code SB-II-a-A-12582), and it holds 4.5 on Google from more than 570 reviews.
About the place
The present church was built in the 15th century on the site of an older one, recorded in 1414. Around 1500 it was fortified: the choir became a tower with three defence storeys and brick walls 1.5 m thick, topped by a fourth, projecting storey with a timber-framed parapet. A defence storey was raised over the nave, the west entrance was walled up, and the north and south doors were fitted with portcullises; the north one, from 1525, survives intact.
The oval enclosure has walls 6–7 m high, with a wall-walk on brick arches, three towers and a gate tower. Inside the church are pews from 1528, a tabernacle from 1504, an organ from 1709 and an altar from 1779 painted by Stephan Folberth of Sighișoara. The enclosure also holds a small museum of the Evangelical Church. UNESCO listed the church in 1999, when the site of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania was extended from Biertan to six more villages.
Good to know
- From Mediaș it is about 15 km, roughly 20 minutes by car: take the DN14 towards Copșa Mică and, in Copșa Mică, turn left onto the DJ142G to Valea Viilor.
- The church is opened by a caretaker. On Google the hours are Monday to Saturday, 10–13 and 14–18, closed on Sunday; some visitors have still found it shut, so it is worth calling ahead.
- For children aged 8 and over, the Fortified Churches Foundation has a free quiz about this church that you can download from its website; it takes about 30 minutes, and those who get everything right receive a surprise from the caretaker.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.