Wellcome to Biertan, Sibiu County!
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.
Representing late-gothic architecture with heavy doors and double exterior walls, the church boasts the largest Transylvanian multi-paneled wooden altar and a remarkable wooden door which once protected the treasures in the sacristy. The altar was built by artisans from Vienna and Nurenberg between 1483 and 1513. The door, a true marvel of engineering, has a particularly ingenious locking mechanism with 19 bolts that can be simultaneously activated by a key.
One of its treasures is the church's organ featuring some 1,290 pipes, as well as 25 registers, built in 1869 by the Hessian Company in Vienna.
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