Saschiz fortified church, Fortress church in Saschiz, Romania
The fortified church of Saschiz is a Gothic fortress church built from quarried stone, located in the small village of Saschiz in Transylvania, Romania, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is surrounded by thick defensive walls with narrow openings, and a pointed tower with colorful roof tiles rises above the village.
Construction of the current church began in the late 15th century, built over the remains of an older place of worship. Over the following centuries, the fortifications were modified several times and repaired after earthquake damage.
The fortified church of Saschiz is still an active place of worship, not only a monument to visit. The altar, brought from Vienna, and the organ, brought from Brasov in the 18th century, show how connected Transylvanian Saxon communities were across the region.
The church entrance is easy to reach on foot from the village center, and a tourist information point is located at the base of the tower. The site is open daily from May through October, and sturdy footwear is a good idea if you plan to walk up to the hilltop castle ruins nearby.
The bell tower next to the church houses an old clock mechanism that once struck the quarter hours, making it one of the oldest such mechanisms still preserved in the region. It is rare to find a clock of this age in a village rather than in a larger town.
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