The south-eastern Transylvania region in Romania currently has one of the highest numbers of existing fortified churches from the 13th to 16th centuries.
It has more than 150 well preserved fortified churches of a great variety of architectural styles (out of an original 300 fortified churches).
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania are seven villages (six Saxon and one Székely) founded by the Transylvanian Saxons.
They are dominated by fortified churches and characterized by a specific settlement pattern that has been preserved since the Late Middle Ages.
The Saxon villages of Transylvania appeared in the twelfth century when the Kings of Hungary settled German colonists in the area.
They had a special status among nations in the province and their civilisation managed to survive and thrive, forming a very strong community of farmers, artisans and merchants.
