Next stop on the Fortified Churches trail was Biertan, probably the most impressive as it is set high on a hill, surrounded by 3 walls and 6 towers (internet image).
When we arrived there were two coaches in the small car park so we expected the place to be busy but we must have timed it just right as we didn't see many people at all.
Completed in 1525 it was the most important religious centre of the Saxons in Transylvania for almost three centuries, from 1572 to 1867, during which time it served as a Bishop See. The monument is also one of the best conserved from all the hundreds of fortified churches built by German colonists in the region.
The way up was via a covered staircase.
However we ducked off to the right down a cobbled passageway to find the loo.
And then approached the church from a different angle. I love the little face on the tower!
The altar is the largest in Transylvania and is decorated with 28 painted panels depicting the life of Christ.
The pulpit is apparently carved from a single piece of stone.
The most impressive piece though is the door to the vestry which is decorated with inlays representing the fortified towers and coffins. It has an ingenious system that simultaneously activates 15 locks when the door is closed. Used to protect the most valuable goods of the church, the door was also presented to the Paris World Fair of 1889.
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There were large "please do not touch" signs on the wall, so although the door wasn't open at the perfect angle for photography I just made do. The two blokes following us thought it quite acceptable to move the door around and fiddle with the lock.
The outside
I do love old doors.
The views from the top were lovely.
This is the Eastern Bastion AKA The Marriage Prison which represented the medieval alternative to couples’ therapy. A small room with one bed, one plate, and one table was the place where couples were locked until they found a solution to their marriage problems. A solution that apparently worked as in the 400 years of use only one couple got a divorce.
It was possible to climb this tower but quite frankly after our experience in Valea Viilor we'd had enough of steep steps and dodgy ladders.
The view down the stairs going out of the fortification.
Handily placed at the bottom were a few stalls selling local produce, honey in this case. We resisted but did enjoy an ice cream whilst we wandered around in the sunshine.
