The Reformed church in Ocna Sibiului is a fortified church, with three naves, in the Roman style. It began being built in 1240, but the construction was interrupted by the Tatar invasion in Transylvania, which is why it was finished as late as 1280. The city wall was built later, in the early 1300, to defend the church from the second wave of Tatar invaders. The oldest and most precious element of the church is the bas-relief above the south entrance, dating back to the early 1200s. A few frescoes were uncovered in 1910. The most important is the fresco above the central nave made by a painter from Sibiu called Vincentius in 1522, portraying the last days in the life of Jesus. It was initially a Roman Catholic church, and became a Reformation church in 1596, when the Hungarian community converted. For hundreds of years, the church was used by Evangelical Saxons.
The south wing of the church houses a small museum, as Father Lorand told us:
"The oldest exhibit here is the archbishop's chair built in 1515. We also have chalices, platters and fonts used from the 17th to the 18th centuries, but also clay pots made by salt mine workers between the 18th and 20th centuries. You can visit the church at any time. We have guided tours in several languages. We also have fliers telling you about the church in Hungarian, English and German. The church is visited annually by people from all corners of Europe, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, England and France. In my opinion, if you visit Sibiu, Ocna Sibiului is a must, not just for the treatment, but also for the history, which comes alive between these walls. Which is why we welcome you here with open heart."
https://www.rri.ro/

Ocna Sibiului fortified church

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In the 16th century Sibiu and Mediaş were two important burgs in the south of Transylvania and the road connecting them was constantly under threat from enemy attacks.
Thus, in mid-16th century, in several stages, they erected the Slimnic fortress on the road from Sibiu to Mediaş. This was a simple military architecture complex with some defence towers. Inside, the fortress also hosted a small gothic chapel, the only one which can still be admired today; the planned hall church was never finished due to the countless attacks on the fortress. For instance, the sieges from 1529 and 1706 proved to be devastating for the fortress. The church was built in the second half of the 14th century and its patron was St. Bartholomew. Around the year 1500 the wooden ceiling of the church is replaced with a gothic vault.
The fortress is placed on a hill above Slimnic and its high, reddish ruins (because of the brick) are noticeable from afar. 
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The peasant fortress from Slimnic

At mid-15th century, the former Romanesque basilica from Cristian was almost entirely redecorated and turned into a gothic hall church with three naves and a belfry.
The authorities wanted to build a very solid church to resist to the passing of time and to the merciless attacks and also to respond to the modern architecture of those times. Thus, the very famous stone-mason Andreas Lapicida, known in that region of Transylvania for his craftsmanship was commissioned to perform the works.
Because the settlement was in an open field and it had difficulties in defending itself from the invaders, the church was surrounded by two defence curtain walls and the exterior wall was equipped with five towers. During the attacks the families would withdraw inside the church and defend it, taking their animals and food with them. The lard and bacon were well kept in a specially designed tower, the so-called Lard Tower or Pantry Tower which can still be seen today.
The financial claims of craftsman Lapicida which set the local authorities on fire were well grounded - the Cristian church is impressive through its greatness and the stone mason’s art has lasted well through centuries.
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The fortified church from Cristian

Brukenthal Palace and the collections put together by Baron Samuel von Brukenthal represent the nucleus of the present Brukenthal National Museum.
Since the baron and his wife had a daughter as the only child (who died at the early age of four) his testamentary dispositions stipulated that, on the death of the last heir in the male line of succession, the entire inheritance was to be placed in the custody of the Evangelical Church of Sibiu while the palace presenting his collections to be open for the public, event that happened in the year 1817.
During the 19th century, the main concern of the Museum was to preserve the extant patrimony, to enlarge the main collections through the means of acquisitions and to establish new collections, especially in the range of the German-Saxon Culture.
In the year 1948, the Museum was nationalized, becoming the property of the communist Romanian state.
In 1948, the Transylvanian Society for the Natural Sciences in Sibiu ceased its activity, the museum under its patronage being included in the national patrimony. In 1957, the Museum of Natural Sciences became a part of the Brukenthal Museum.
The “August von Spiess” Museum of Hunting has its opening in 1966.
1972 is the opening year to the Museum of Pharmacy.
In 1988 was inaugurated the History Section of the Brukenthal National Museum, at present the Museum of History, in the Altemberger House.
The Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal National Museum is the most recently acquired location (2006), since 2014 functioning as a Museum of Contemporary Art.
http://www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/

Brukenthal Palace

Legendara reşedinţă a familiei Bolyai din satul Buia, dar şi castelul de la Boarta, construit în stil baroc în 1770, au rămas acum doar ruine printre care se mai plimbă uneori localnicii bătrâni, copleşiţi de amintiri.
Pe un deal mic, pe care urci dintr-un drum neasfaltat, ruinele reşedinţei falnice de odinioară a familiei Bolyai zac încremenite într-un timp demult apus, plin de poveşti de care acum se interesează, din păcate, din ce în ce mai puţini.    Prima atestare a castelului datează din 1324, iar în perioada de înflorire avea 12 camere, o curte splendidă cu mese din pietre rotunde, cu brazi de jur-împrejur, o alee străjuită de castani şi o pivniţă ”de gheaţă” în care petrecea nobilimea. Peisajul era întregit de o biserică, cu fresce pictate de pereţi.    După bătălia de la Şelimbăr, din 1599, Sigismund Bathory îi donează castelul lui Mihai Viteazul, iar legendele povestesc că, după bătălii, domnitorul ar fi lăsat-o aici, timp de două săptămâni, pe doamna Stanca. Tot legendele spun că, după aceeaşi luptă, voievodul ar fi venit aici cu bijuterii puse într-o piele de bivol, pe care le-ar fi îngropat în jurul castelului.    Turnul cu coase şi teiul de spânzurătoare   De ruinele de acum, pe vremuri splendidă reşedinţă nobiliară, se leagă încă numeroase legende. ”Exista un turn de execuţie dotat cu coase şi o cameră de plângere lângă turn. Iobagii care nu se supuneau moşierului erau executaţi, iar cel care urma să fie executat trebuia să-şi spună păcatele în camera de plângere, apoi era aruncat între coase. La intrare, în partea stângă, era un tei, un copac de spânzurătoare, unde erau spânzuraţi iobagii care nu se supuneau”, povesteşte Karoly Szobo (77 de ani), fost învăţător în sat vreme de 40 de ani.    Tot legenda mai spune că în zidul castelului erau zidite călugăriţe care ieşeau doar noaptea şi cântau, dar şi că edificiul era legat printr-un tunel de satul Mighindoala, aflat în apropiere.    Dispensar şi magazie   În 1920, povesteşte Karoly Szabo, satul a ajuns în proprietatea statului român, iar până în 1978 aici a funcţionat un dispensar, pentru care au fost modificate şi amenajate două dintre camere. ”După ce a dispărut dispensarul nu s-a mai ocupat nimeni şi a fost abandonat, în timpul colectivului îl foloseau ca şi magazie”, povesteşte fostul învăţător.    Astăzi, castelul considerat monument istoric este doar o ruină, cu bucăţi de ziduri printre care calci cu grijă, pentru că pot oricând să se prăbuşească. Din când în când, îi mai trec pragul turişti, iar fostul învăţător povesteşte zâmbind că printre ei mai sunt şi acum persoane care vin şi caută bijuteriile ascunse ale lui Mihai Viteazul.    Castelul Tobias din Boarta, scos la licitaţie   La câţiva kilometri de Buia, în satul Boarta, un alt monument de patrimoniu, castelul Tobias, construit în anul 1770, în stil baroc, a rămas doar o ruină. În ultima şedinţă de Consiliul Judeţean, cea din 28 martie, aleşii au aprobat un proiect de hotărâre prin care se propune concesionarea prin licitaţie publică a castelului, pe o perioadă de 25 de ani.    Preţul de pornire la licitaţie este de 1200 de lei/an, cu o perioadă de graţie de 3 ani, timp în care concesionarul se obligă să restaureze imobilul şi să îl introducă în circuitul civil.    ”În ansamblu castelul se află într-o stare avansată de degradare. Lipsa întreţinerii, a amenajărilor exterioare, a canalizării, a colectării şi evacuării apelor pluviale sunt principalele probleme în conservarea imobilului. Starea avansată dee degradare constituie un real pericol în caz de cutremur sau vânt puternic. Urmare acestui fapt, pentru siguranţa şi prelungirea în timp a duratei de existenţă a imobilului se impune consolidarea pentru punerea în siguranţă a imobilului din punct de vedere seismic, restaurarea şi reabilitarea structurală”, se arată în proiectul de hotărâre.
https://adevarul.ro/

Tobias Boarta Castle

The three-nave fortified Evangelical church was built at the beginning of the XIII century in honor of Saint Walpurga. First written records date back to 1349. The church was fortified following the Turkish raid: the main tower was raised and loopholes were added, two bastions-, and three surrounding walls were built. The walls had ailes, towers, bastions and were surrounded by ditches filled with water.
The watchtower, the city hall tower, the bacontower, the sickle makers' tower, and the schooltower are still standing. The belfry is 32,50m high. It has been burnt down by lightning several times. This led to the installation of the first lightning rod in Transilvania, following the Raimarus model. For centuries the church has guarded the treasure of Cisnădie, which represented the assests of the church. The treasure was hidden in the wall and it was always only two people who knew the location. In 1793 the opening up of the hiding-place resulted in a number of valuables from the middle ages.
Part of the valuables were used to pay for the restructuring of the church. The remaining have been exhibited in the museum in Sibiu since 1915. The church guards a bell, cast in 1664, a font, and the gate of the old altar. The northern wall of the choir bears the remain of XV century paintings. The church also guards the blue gemstones inlaid cross of the first settlers in the XII century. The upper part of the old altar, painted by Vincentius Cibinensiss in 1525, is guarded in the Brukhental museum.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Evangelical church in Cisnadioara

In the second half of the 12th century they built a Romanesque basilica. In the early 13th century, the basilica became the property of King Andrew II and later on it was donated to the Cistercian Abbey in Cârţa.
The church is made up of three naves and surrounded by a precinct wall unfolding along the Mihail Hill plateau (which gives the settlement its German name - Michelsberg - Michael’s Hill). What makes this church different from other similar churches in Transylvania is that it has not suffered too many subsequent alterations.
It was reinforced with three towers: the southern Gate Tower, the tower in front of the west portal and the eastern tower, 5 m outside the precinct wall.
The walls were about 4-6 m high; a particular feature was represented by the 8 door-like openings under the guard route. They were equipped with oak doors and could be blocked from the inside; from here they would throw rocks at those attempting to attack the fortress. Part of these rocks can still be seen inside the fortress. The church hosts the tombstones of the soldiers who died in this region during the First World War.
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The fortified church from Cisnădioara

The Gothic Evangelical Church of Șeica Mică was built in 1411. The lodge has three ships, a bell tower and an elongated choir. The ships have a straight ceiling, and the choir is ribbed, and five beautifully decorated windows.
The central ship connects to the lateral corridors by gothic arches resting on four pillars. The church had two altars built in 1552 and 1762 respectively. The old one was stolen in 1999, the current one is marble.
Inside the church there is also the tombstone of the priest Michael Oltard, who served here 23 years and died in 1623. The tower was built in 1463. The fortification of the church was made in the 16th century, the first time it was surrounded by a a defense tower with three towers, after which the transverse walls and the second defense wall were lifted, which was preserved in its entirety. From the inner wall only the arch of the defense gallery on the south-west side of the church were preserved. The beautiful bronze crystals made in 1556 are in the church Sf. Margareta din Medias.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Șeica Mică Evangelical fortified church

Biserica evanghelică fortificată din Țapu, comuna Micăsasa, județul Sibiu, a fost construită în secolul XV. Ansamblul bisericii evanghelice fortificate este format din biserică, incinta fortificată, cu turn de poartă și acces secundar fortificat și este monument istoric, cod LMI SB-II-a-A-12575 și are următoarele obiective:
cod LMI SB-II-m-A-12575.01 - Biserica evanghelică fortificată, sec. XIV - XV, transf. 1625, 1838;
cod LMI SB-II-m-A-12575.02 - Incintă fortificată, cu turn de poartă și acces secundar fortificat, csec. XIV - XVI.
Localitatea
Așezarea și locuitorii săi au fost supuși unui proces lung de schimbare a unui statut de comună aservită din secolul al XIV-lea, până la cel de comună liberă ca urmare a desfințării iobagiei din secolul al XIX-lea, respectiv anul 1848. Din documentele existente rezultă că localitatea a făcut parte în secolul al XIII-lea din proprietățile abației de Igriș, motiv pentru care i se spunea pe atunci Villa Abbatis sau altfel spus "Satul Abatelui". În a șaptea decadă a secolului al XV-lea, un document menționează că Țapu împreună cu alte trei localități: Șoroștin, Mănărade și Cenade, făceau parte dintr-o uniune religioasă al cărei decanat se situa la Cenade. Ulterior, aceste localități au format și o uniune administrativă. Au existat numeroase încercări din partea nobilimii maghiare de despărțire a acestor uniuni administrativ - religioase, încercări soldate cu eșecuri repetate datorită faptului că acestea se bucurau de protecție regală. Mai târziu, cele patru, au intrat în posesiunea principelui Gheorghe Rákóczi al II-lea, adică la mijlocul secolului al XVII-lea. La sfârșitul secolului al XVIII-lea, Maria Terezia le arondează conților Teleki.
Biserica
Biserica-hală se află pe dealul care domină comuna și este înconjurată de o incintă ovală. Construită din piatră bătută de carieră, biserica datează de la începutul secolului al XV-lea, așa cum reiese din formele stilistice caracteristice goticului târziu. Corul lung și îngust este împărțit de două arce frânte într-un pătrat boltit în cruce și o absidă pentagonală. În mod similar bisericilor din Axente Sever și Agârbiciu, s-a încercat construirea unui turn deasupra corului, dovadă în acest sens stând grosimea pereților existenți astăzi. Lipsurile financiare au împiedicat, însă, realizarea acestui proiect. Pe peretele din nordul corului se poate vedea o nișă de tabernacul cu un frumos baldachin, ferestrele corului păstrând încă mulurile traforate în arc frânt. În anul 1625, ferestrele naveiau fost tranformate în formă rectangulară, au fost ridicate portalurile laterale ce au arhivolte în arc frânt și s-au construit contraforții care sprijină pereții bisericii. Într-o cu totul altă etapă s-a alipit sacristia pe latura nordică a corului, pentru ca în anul 1838 să fie adăugat portalul nordic cu portic.
Fortificația
Fortificația este construită din piatră de râu și de carieră, înaltă de 6 metri și este prevăzută cu două rânduri de metereze. De asemenea se pot vedea urmele unui drum de strajă în consolă. Intrarea se face prin vest, pe sub un turn cu trei niveluri, sprijinit de contraforturi. Turnul este prevăzut cu un drum de strajă construit sub acoperișul în patru ape. O hersă protejează intrarea pietonală.
Alipite pe interiorul incintei se regăseau până în anul 1941 diverse cămări de provizii, unde se păstrau băuturi, cereale, fructele și nelipsita slănină. Similar, în secolul al XIX-lea, au fost construite astfel de cămări și pe peretele nordic al bisericii, ele având un rol suplimetar în protecția contra incendiilor. De asemenea, în incintă a existat până în anul 1852 și o capelă destinată credincioșilor catolici. Capela a fost demolată și cu materialele rezultate s-a construit o școală.

Fortified Evangelical Church

In the early 14th Century an early Gothic basilica was built in the middle of the village. The aisles were removed and the arcades were bricked up in 1500, when the church was fortified. Above the chancel a defence tower was erected. The chancel’s polygonal closure was heightened with two defence levels and the buttresses were connected by arches, in order to build a machicoulis gallery behind them. The ensemble was strengthened by a surrounding wall in 1502, completed by a gate building and an adjoining bacon Chamber on the north-west side . The tower was heightened in 1827 and received its striking pyramidal roof. At the same time its defence systems together with the defence level of the chancel were removed . The typical western gable of the church was erected in the same time with the renewal of the roof in 1854. Inside the church the mainly 18th-century furniture is still preserved.
Place and surroundings
For centuries, music has added nobility to the wonderful fragrance of the gardens in Agârbiciu. The choristers, the organists, the school teachers, the priests and the pupils used to be responsible for the musical life of the Transylvanian Saxon villages. Beginning with the 16th Century, the brass bands appeared in the Southern and Central regions of Transylvania and their instrumentalists brought their contribution to the social harmony of rural life by the musical harmony they produced. Can there be anything more charming than Christmas carols sounding in perfect unison with the snow-covered landscape and the smell of homemade cakes? The brass band used to play in the tower of Agârbiciu not only on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but also at weddings, balls and on various other occasions. Historical dissonances, wars and Communism have caused the unfortunate end of this tradition. But even without music, the village and its fortified church and old houses harmoniously vibrate with the lively natural environment that surrounds them like the frame of a pastoral picture.
https://kirchenburgen.org/