Bran Castle was built by the Teuton knights in the 13th Century as a defense fortress to protect the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. In the 15th Century, Dracula, (“Vlad the Impaler”) was incarcerated here. For centuries people have been looking for the truth behind Dracula. On this trip you’ll hear the legend, the truth and true stories of the locals. You’ll taste the local produce and most importantly you’ll have fun.

This  is an impressive 14th Century Fortress built on top of a 150 m hill which was elevated by the Saxon colonists to protect the crop. The simple, yet effective structure still stands against all enemies and time. As we drive by the scenic Bucegi and Piatra Craiului Mountains, the Rasnov Fortress appears like a fairy tale Castle on top of the hill. On the side, the deepest well in Eastern Europe was built, with a depth of 146 meters. In order to build the well, 2 Turkish prisoners worked for 17 years in exchange of their freedom. From the Fortress, on sunny days, there is a visibility of up to 30 km away  with beautiful views of the Bucegi & Piatra Craiului Mountains. The Fortress was built to protect 11 villages around Rasnov. In 800 years of existence none of those has ever been conquered in a battle or war. Our next stop is the Harman Church!

The Harman Church is thought to have been built by the Cistercian monks, an obscure order of Roman Catholics originating in France, who were severe in their beliefs in reformism and simplicity (they’re now affiliated with the Benedictines and Trappist monks). The sect gained popularity in Hungary, and considering the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s presence in Transylvania, explains how they ended up here. The Cistercian monks didn’t last long, and the church was taken over by Saxons and fortified. Like Prejmer, the walls also have chambers in which residents could take refuge. Unfortunately, this fortified church wasn’t able to fend off invaders as well as Prejmer, and fell under siege 47 times!

After visiting Harman, we go further to the fortress in Prejmer, which is definitely the most impressive fortified church in Transylvania. The church was built by the Teutonic knights in the 13th Century and then the local community of Saxons built the wall for protection. What’s really interesting about this fortified church is that within the walls there are 272 chambers, and each one is numbered exactly as the houses in the village. They did this so that each household would have a place to store supplies in case they were attacked. Behind the chambers there is a passageway that goes along the perimeter of the wall, where guards were stationed to toss arrows or boiling oil at the attackers. We can actually go into the chambers and walk along the guard’s passageway, and I’ll tell you all the stories. Prejmer’s fortress is so amazing it’s been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Similar trips: Harman & Prejmer Saxon Fortified Church • Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress & Poiana Brasov  • 3 Castle Tour • Day Tour to Caves & Keys • Day Tour to Bran & Countryside • Day Tour to Saxon Villages in Transylvania