Prejmer
an UNESCO world heritage monument from Transylvania
Prejmer looks like it was built a few years ago. Not a few centuries. Its walls don't make you say "Brrrr!". On the contrary you feel the need to run on its corridors, to play "hide and seek". At least these were my feelings.
Still its walls have 14 m high and 5 m thick. It was attacked 50 times by the Turks but never conquered. Wow!!
Teuton knights started to build the church at about 1250. It was built in the Gothic style, in the shape of Latin cross. The church's chancel is the oldest from Transylvania. It also has a little painted pulpit from 18th century.
The Saxon villagers in built the circular fortifications surrounding the church during the15th century as defense against the Ottoman attacks.
The access inside is gained through a tunnel in the wall ended with a vertical closing lattice doorway.
Inside the fortifications you'll find 272 rooms disposed on 3 levels. Each family in the village had a room in the fortress. The whole family used to leave in such a room in wartime. And they kept their provisions here in peace times. The number of each room correspond to the number of the house in the village.
Beside all ordinary defending things you can see an unusual one. It's called "The Death's Organ". It's about a device consisting of more guns which shut all at once and brought panic among the enemy's rows.
If you happen to be in Prejmer in the last weekend before the Easter fasting you can participate to Spring Carnival (Fasching is the Saxon name of the fest). It's an old Saxon tradition lost for 15 years and revived by a few Saxons together with some Romanian teenagers three year ago. Just don't miss "The Pancake Suite". It"s wonderful and unique. And the pancakes are delicious.
- by train
The nearest rail station is Brasov. All trains stop here. And near the rail station there is the bus station. - by bus
You'll find the bus station near the rail station. There are regular buses between Brasov and Prejmer. - by car
- E 577 (European road): Brasov - Sfantu-Gheorghe till near Harman (only 10 km from Brasov) then turn right on DN 10 and drive another 6 km till in Prejmer
- E 577: Sfantu-Gheorghe - Brasov till near Harman (about 20 km from Sfantu-Gheorghe) then turn left on DN 10 and drive another 6 km till in Prejmer
Other Saxon villages: Biertan, Calnic, Darjiu, Saschiz, Valea Viilor, Viscri.
Read more about fortified churches and Saxon villages of Transylvania.
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