The Biertan Fortified Church, a historical monument of breathtaking beauty, was one of the first Transylvanian Saxon settlements in Ardeal, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hundreds of tourists come here every year, and coming here you too will find out what makes this place special.
Located in a small town that dates back to 1224, the church impresses through its stunning scenery and particular construction – built on a hillock in the center of town, surrounded by three defensive walls and 7 bastions.
The pièce de résistance of the Biertan Church is without a doubt the door of the sacristy, made in 1515 out of solid oak. What makes this door so unique is its complex lock mechanism consisting of 19 bolts. To activate the system, one would have to use a key for 4 of the 19 locks, and a hand crank for the rest, a work of engineering which astonished even the people in Paris.
In 1910, this door was showcased as the Paris World Exhibit, and received an award for its advanced and ingenious design; some even say it might be the first lock system in the world.
Furthermore, this Romanian tourist attraction is also known for its innovative method of preserving the institution of marriage, which has been so successful that only one divorce has been recorded in Biertan in the past 300 years.
The so called “matrimonial prison” was a building within the fortified compound, where couples contemplating divorce were confined to a small room, with one bed, one chair, one spoon, bread and water, until they reconciled.
This fun fact will certainly amuse your friends and loved ones, and once you show them all the beautiful pictures and souvenirs you brought back from your trip, it will surely make them want to join you on your next vacation to Romania.
We include Biertan Fortified Church in the program in multiple forms of booking tours to museums, monasteries or medieval villages, but this must only tell us when and how you have scheduled vacation just to you can suggest and overlap with various events that occur frequently, such as concerts, festivals, plays, fairs and exhibitions itinerant, seasonal discounts, etc…
