Romania's UNESCO World Heritage Sites
UNESCO has included up until now, 7 sites in Romania on the list of World Heritage Sites.
Romania's UNESCO World Heritage Sites are : Horezu Monastery, Medieval fortified churches of Transylvania, Historic center of Sighisoara, Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, Wooden Churches of Maramures, Dacian Fortress of the Orastie Mountains and Danube Delta.
Horezu Monastery
Founded in 1690 by Prince Constantine Brancoveanu, the monastery
of Horezu is a masterpiece of the 'Brancovenesti' style. The monastery
houses precious collections of frescos and icons dating from the end
of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century.
The legend says that its construction took place only by night when the
birds sang and the Ottomans could not hear the building noise. In fact,
the monastery was named after a nocturne species of birds - huhurezii.
Medieval fortified churches of Transylvania
Transylvania is home to nearly two hundred villages with fortified churchesbuilt by the Saxons between the 13th and 15th centuries. Having to withstand constant invaders, the villages’ central areas, where the church was located most of the time, were fortified with defense walls, having the capacity to shelter a large number of people.
These curches are among the best cultural attraction in Romania, especially for their medieval aspect. Seven of the fortified churches have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites: Biertan, Calnic, Prejmer, Viscri, Saschiz, Darjiu and Valea Viilor.
Biertan is a wonderful destination you should not miss. Surrounded by quaint
streets and vineyards, the 15th century fortified church at Biertan is perched high
on a hill in the middle of the village.
Three tiers of 35-foot-high defensive walls, connected by towers and gates,
encircled the complex, making the church impossible to conquer during medieval
times. The formidable door to the church’s sacristy, a true marvel of engineering,
has a particularly ingenious locking mechanism with 15 bolts that can be
simultaneously activated by a key. The astonishing engineering of these locks,
operated by a single, intricate mechanism, won first prize at the Paris World Expo
in 1900.The imposing Saxon church is located 27km southwest of SighiÅŸoara, in
central Transylvania.
First mentioned in a 1269 document, the fortress served as a residence for Saxon
nobility until 1430, when it was sold to the peasant community of Calnic, the church
at Calnic (German: Kelling) is one of the most imposing defensive structures in
Transylvania.
The largest fortified church in southeastern Europe, Prejmer (Tartlau in German)
was built by Teutonic knights in 1212-1213. Endowed with bastions, drawbridges
and a secret, subterranean passage through which food supplies could be
transported, the church's most famed war device was the "death machine," made
of several weapons that could shoot simultaneously, causing the enemy severe
losses.
One of the most interesting Saxon fortified churches is located in the village of
Viscri (Weisskirch in German). The name comes from the German Weisse Khirche,
meaning white church. Roughly 40km southeast of SighiÅŸoara the Saxon village of
Viscri is still home to some 25 Saxons. The 12th-century fortified church has a short
tower with a rather frightening, open staircase leading to the top with lovely views
of the valley. The less intimidating climb to the top of the bastions provides virtually
the same views. Additionally, the church has a surprisingly worthwhile two-level
village museum.
However, the real allure of this low-key detour are the brightly painted homes
lining the dirt road, the free-roaming ducks and the quiet, traditional village
experience.
One can spend the night here, with a little luck, sleeping in one of the coveted
200-year-old ‘Saxon beds’: oversized cabinets with a pull-out mattress.
Prince Charles, a frequent visitor and supporter of Romanian heritage, has
purchased and restored two houses in Viscri.
Historic center of Sighisoara
Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania,
Sighisoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an
important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several
centuries.
Sighisoara is one of the most beautiful towns in the heart of Transylvania and
it looks today much as it did 500 years ago. Among Sighişoara’s worthy attractions
are the 500-year-old clock tower with its 210-feet high , the neat cobblestone streets
lined with colourful buildings and a collection of arresting museums.
This medieval town was also the birthplace of Vlad Dracula - nicknamed Vlad Tepes
(Vlad the Impaler) - ruler of Walachia from 1456 to 1462. Dracula enthusiasts will
want to set aside 30 minutes or so for a generous pour of the reddest wine served
in the restaurant that now occupies the home where little Vlad did his teething.
The painted Monasteries of Bucovina
The historic region of Bucovina, located in northeast Romania, is scattered with a collection of 15th-century painted monasteries - many of which have the unusual distinction of having beautiful frescoes (featuring portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of angels and demons, heaven and hell), deemed as masterpieces of Byzantine art. These churches are one-of-a-kind architectural sites in Europe.
How, after centuries of being exposed to the elements, these vibrant, exterior murals have survived is only part of the appeal.
Many of the monasteries were founded by Stephen the Great as thanks to God for his victories over the Ottomans. While many of the monasteries can be accessed by public transport, joining a guided tour is a good idea to maximize time and glean the most information.
Whether you are interested in religion, history, art or architecture, you will be intrigued by the construction and decor — exterior and interior — of these edifices. The best preserved are part of monasteries in Humor, Moldovita, Patrauti, Probota, Suceava, Sucevita, and Voronet. Another, a small church, is located in the village of Arbore. Seven of the churches were placed on UNESCO’s Word Heritage list in 1993. The eight one, Sucevita, is awaiting sanction to be added soon.
The wooden churches of MaramureÅŸ
Maramureş is home to some of Europe’s last peasant villages, hidden among rolling
hills and steeped in local customs and history.
These villages contain an assortment of ancient wooden churches, ingeniously
hand built, eight of these churches being World Heritage Sites, including the ancient
church in Ieud (dating from 1364) and the church in SurdeÅŸti, with a
disproportionately gigantic steeple (72m), one of the tallest wooden structures
in Europe.
Dacian Fortress of the Orastie Mountains
Dating from the 1st centuries B.C. and A.D the Dacian fortresses in Orastie Mountains
built as a defense mechanism against Roman invasion, show an unusual fusion of
military and religious architectural techniques and concepts from the classical world
and the late European Iron Age. Built as a defense ring around the capital of the
Dacian kingdom Sarmizegetusa (also Sarmisegetuza), the fortresses at Banita,
Capalna, Costesti - Blidaru, Costesti – Cetatuie, Luncani - Piatra Rosie once formed
the nucleus of the Dacian Kingdom.
Hiking enthusiasts can pack their booths and enjoy the trails in the nearby Retezat
National Park, the oldest in Romania (established 1935). Covering 95,000 acres of
pristine forests, alpine meadows, peaks, and some 80 glacial lakes, the area was
designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reservation and provides unforgettable hiking
experiences among its peaks, valleys, rivers and gorges.
Danube Delta
The Danube Delta is a wildlife enthusiast’s (especially a bird watcher’s) paradise. The best preserved delta in Europe and one of the large wetlands in the world, Danube Delta has the third largest biodiversity in the world (over 5,500 flora and fauna species), exceeded only by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador. More then half of the Delta Biosphere Reserve is virtually intact.
It extends over a surface of 3446 sq km, most of which found in Romania, in the Dobrogea region, a small part is part of Ukraine. The territory represents the most recent formed land on the European continent. Fresh water lakes interconnected by narrow channels featuring expansions of aquatic vegetation.
