The first mention of the Rupea Fortress was in 1324 although it stands on one of the oldest archaeological sites in Romania with the first signs of human settlement dating back to 5500 BC. It was founded by the German colonists and saved many lives during internal fights like the 14th century conflict with King Charles Robert of Anjou of Hungary.
By the early 17th century, the fortress was inhabited by hundreds of people from the local Saxon community, life in the fortress having all the prerequisites of the time: a chapel, a parish, a local market, a fountain, a place for carriages, military towers, and even a bacon tower (presumably like the lard tower).
The incorporation of Transylvania into the Habsburg Empire and the decrease of the Ottoman threat eventually made the medieval fortification system obsolete and the fortress was gradually abandoned in the 18th century when its inhabitants moved to the village at the base of the hill. 1789 was the last year when it was used for defensive purposes.
By now it was extremely hot and I think our attention spans were quite short. There was nothing particular to look at and very little information so we just sort of wandered around.
The view from the top was quite spectacular. This is one of the largest villages we've seen and certainly bucks the trend of a single row of houses lining the road.
Time to move on, we still have another 65 kms before we reach Brașov.