Harman and Prejmer Fortified Churches Tour from Brasov

The tour of the two fortified churches from Transylvania is starting with the visit to Prejmer Fortified Church which is listed on UNESCO historic churches of Romania and is known as one of the best-preserved fortified churches in Transylvania and the largest fortified church in southeastern Europe.

The beginning of constructing the fortified church was in 1212, Prejmer Fortified Church was built by the Teutonic Knights. With the circular walls rising 40 feet, advanced defence and underground passageways, Prejmer Fortified Church were extreme good defended. The fortress was attacked by fifty times, but only once was captured, in 1661. The access to the church was through a 100-foot-long arched passage fortified with two rows of gates. Each village family had a designated room for shelter in case of attack. The red-roofed wall accommodated 272 rooms, stacked over four stories and linked by wooden staircases.

The next stop in our tour is Harman Fortified Church, built in the 13th century by Saxons colonists in order to protect the church from different invaders. The church was surrounded by walls and bulwarks and had on its sides massive towers. The belfry tower, located on the church’s western side was built in the 14th century. During the 15th century, the circular-shaped curtain wall surrounding the church was fortified with prismatic towers and additional defensive structures including a moat and a Zwinger to the southeast. On the inside of the curtain wall, storage rooms are located on two levels around the wall’s perimeter. Particularly interesting are the storage rooms that were added above the basilica’s southern nave. Located in the eastern tower’s ground floor is the 14th-century funerary chapel which has preserved valuable mural paintings in Late Gothic style, dating from the late 15th century.