Activities

The Saxons came from the Rhine and Moselle regions of Northern Europe–most from the German state of Saxony. They arrived in Transylvania–“land between the forests” in the mid-1100s, invited by the ruler of this Romanian land. They stayed in this hilly region for 850 years and named their lands Siebenburgen after the seven fortress cities they built to protect themselves and their towns. Over the centuries, the Saxons and their descendants not only farmed and protected the fertile lands between the forested Carpathian Mountains, but formed guilds and became wealthy traders. Respected for their skills and talents, the Saxons gained a degree of freedom previously unheard of in medieval Europe. In their adopted homeland, any Saxon could move up in society based on merit.

Today, nearly two hundred of their citadels stand in Romania as a tribute to their skills and courage. Their fortifications usually encircled churches, villages, peasant refuges, or military outposts. In southern Transylvania, their fortresses dot the countryside, mere minutes or, at most, a few hours apart.