Viscri Fortified Church

This traditional Saxon village in Transylvania is one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval towns. Built and inhabited by Germans who immigrated here in the 1100s, Viscri was all but deserted in 1989 after communism collapsed and Germany’s foreign minister invited Eastern Europe’s German-speaking population to return to the homeland. Only a few families stayed behind in Viscri. But, with the help of a foundation, a trust, and an investment by Britain’s Prince Charles, the village and its heritage were saved. A visit to Viscri takes you back hundreds of years to an place where shepherds tend their flocks, a village blacksmith forges horseshoes, horse-drawn carts ramble along dirt roads, and the 12th-century Viscri Fortified Church still stands protectively over the town.