Experience Historic Elegance
From the cities modeled after the style of Western Europe, with meadows blazed with color, to the villages where “time has stood still”, visitors of Transylvania are invited to discover the wealth of patrimonial, medieval architecture, the blend of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance influence and the military, political and community history of these people of Transylvania. At the centre of the beauty of untouched nature and of the historic grandeur at the shadow of the tower in Medieval Richis, along with the air and atmosphere, opens the gates into Transylvania former times.
From here to Richis, the guests of Transylvania Inns are greeted with the cuisine, the clothing and the enthusiasm of the people who shaped the untamed spirit of the Saxons, to discover the authentic traditions within the walls of the fortresses. He who searches for a authentic ancient Transylvanian history, architecture and customs, is welcomed to discover Richis and the organic feasts within the Inn, built from the ancient distinction of medieval fortresss.
Welcome To Transylvania!
Siebenburgen And Its Urban Treasure
Enjoying a high level of autonomy in exchange of the duty to defend the Transylvanian region, the Saxons organized and created 7 seats or administrative units, what would become the seat of Siebenburgen. In literal translation, Siebenburgen means The 7 cities, but historians are still debating on the meaning of this word, many considering it to be the German translation of the name Transylvania.
However, generically, Siebenburgen is represented by 7 Saxon cities, the 7 historical urban treasures: Sebeş, Oraştie, Sibiu, Mediaş, Sighişoara, Braşov, Bistriţa and Cluj-Napoca. Some have developed towards Modernism, others have kept the ancient medieval spirit by becoming unique worldwide, like Sighişoara – the only inhabited medieval city of Romania and the best kept medieval fortress in the world.
Sibiu is an unparalleled promoter of human and cultural development, from medicine, to education, arts and transportation to the metal industry. Being declared the European cultural capital in 2007 along with Luxembourg, the fortress of Sibiu is the noble darling of Transylvania.
Sighișoara is part of the Unesco Heritage since 1999, one of the largest Romanian tourist attractions; it is the only inhabited medieval fortress in the country, one of only 3 left in the entire Europe and one of the pledges of the legend of Dracula, born here a century ago.
Braşov, a medieval and artisan city, solid and very well preserved, was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211. In 1395, at the plea of Sigismund of Luxembourg, the fortress of Braşov was erected, with impressive bastions 110m from each other.
The cosmopolite Cluj of today reveals its marvellous medieval treasures later, but the Cluj fortress is attested from the beginning of our era, being one of the localities of Roman Dacia. A millennium later, around 1270, it became the Royal Fortress, when King Stephen V of Hungary reigned the land.
The medieval fortress of Bistriţa was initially built around 1241 and was devastated on two different occasions by the Mongols and then rebuilt with tall walls, 10m high and 1.5 wide. In 1465 it had 18 towers and bastions from which the Coopers’ Tower survives today.
Mediaş is one of the oldest cities of Transylvania, founded, based on some historical sources, in 1146. Medias and its surroundings are the shelter of dozens of well-preserved medieval fortresses, two one them being part of the Unesco World Heritage.
As full of history as the cities already mentioned, the third city of commercial importance during the early days of the Saxon seats, pillaged by the Mongols and rebuilt by the surviving inhabitants, left us plenty of medieval treasures as testimony, from the end of the 14 th century being completely surrounded by masonry fortifications with 7 towers.
Events in Transylvania
Transylvania In Pictures
