Biserica fortificată Prejmer (UNESCO)

The only place in Romania with three stars in the Michelin Green Guide

Few monuments in the country can claim to have received the Michelin guide's highest distinction, and Prejmer is one of them. Considered the best-preserved peasant fortress in Europe, the fortification in the north of Țara Bârsei still looks almost as it did a few centuries ago: a ring of white walls, thick and silent, in the middle of which a Gothic church is hidden. It is not just a landmark to tick off, but a place where you understand how the Transylvanian Saxons lived when danger was knocking at the gate.

From the Teutonic Knights to the fortified village

Construction of the church was begun around the year 1218 by the Teutonic Knights, in the Burgundian Gothic style, a style rare for Transylvania and related to that of the Cârța monastery. The church has a plan in the shape of a Greek cross, almost unique in this part of the country. Later, in the 15th century, the Saxon community surrounded the place of worship with massive walls, turning it into a fortress of refuge. Since then, Prejmer has withstood numerous Ottoman sieges, having been conquered, local tradition says, only once and only through cunning.

The wall with over 270 tiny chambers

The defensive walls reach roughly 12 metres in height and are between 3 and 4 metres thick. Inside them, arranged on several levels, are around 272 tiny chambers, one for each family in the village. In times of peace they served as storerooms, and during sieges they became temporary dwellings. You can still see them today, lined up like the cells of a honeycomb, connected to one another by wooden stairs and galleries. Above, the covered sentry walk, in places several metres wide, is remarkably well preserved.

The organ of death and the old altar

Among the pieces worth seeking out is the polyptych altar, dated to around the year 1450 and considered one of the oldest in Transylvania, with scenes from the Passion of the Lord on a golden background. Here, too, is kept the so-called organ of death, a rotating defensive device fitted with firing ports, an early and ingenious form of defence that frightened the attackers.

How to get there and what is good to keep in mind

Prejmer lies in the north-east of Țara Bârsei, about 15 kilometres from Brașov, on the opposite side from Râșnov. Setting off from Râșnov, where you are, the route usually passes through Brașov, so it is worth combining with a day of exploring the area. The fortress is today administered by the Evangelical community, and the schedule and prices may change, so check the schedule and prices on the official source before your visit.