The Fortified Church of Saschiz (Keisd), Mureș County

In this destination guide we will visit the Saxon fortified church of Saschiz (Keisd) in Mureș County, Romania.

From Sighișoara to Saschiz

After a decent night of sleep at Casa Wagner, it was time to leave Sighișoara again and to continue my road trip along the Saxon fortified churches of Transylvania.

Although I had a short walk around the old town of Sighișoara the evening before, I couldn’t resist to take another stroll on the beautiful cobblestoned streets of the citadels.

Sighișoara is at its absolute best on an autumn morning like this as the rising mist creates a mystical atmosphere and makes for some wonderful views.

It was tempting to stay around longer but as I have visited Sighișoara many times before, I nonetheless decided to pick up my car from the parking lot and drive to the nearby town of Saschiz, which is located 21 kilometres to the east.

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The old town centre of Sighișoara in the early morning. ©Paliparan
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Cobblestone streets of the old town citadel of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
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View towards the upper part of the citadel. ©Paliparan
sighisoara old town citadel
Sighisoara is at its absolute best on an early autumn morning when the streets are empty and the mist rises up from the valley. ©Paliparan
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Streets of Sighisoara. ©Paliparan
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Walking through the old town of Sighișoara in the early morning on a crisp autumn day. ©Paliparan
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Sighisoara morning walk. ©Paliparan
tailors tower
I left the old town through the Tailors’ Tower in order to pick up my car again from the parking lot. ©Paliparan

Saschiz

The small town of Saschiz (named Keisd in German) is located on the main road (DN13) between Sighișoara and Brașov.

In fact, the main road goes right through the heart of Saschiz so even from the car window you really can’t miss the massive fortified church towering high above the town.

I’ve taken the DN13 many times before and although I must have driven through Saschiz dozens of times, I never actually stopped in the town until now.

There is plenty of space to park your car right next to the fortified church if you want to explore the town.

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Saschiz and its fortified church as seen from the main road. ©Google Streetview

Saschiz fortified church

Although it’s not as picturesque as other churches in Transylvania due to its location right next to a busy road, the Saxon fortified church of Saschiz is impressive when it comes to its size.

The fortified church of Saschiz was built in late Gothic style in 1493.

Most of the walls and defensive structures have been dismantled, although the impressive North Tower with its fine spiral and clock still stands tall.

The church building itself feels just as massive as the tower and is strengthened by 22 buttresses.

The inside of the hall church is in baroque style, although unfortunately I didn’t manage to actually visit it as the doors were firmly shut and I didn’t manage to contact the keyholder.

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Although it doesn’t have the most picturesque location, the Saxon fortified church of Saschiz is still impressive. ©Paliparan
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Saschiz fortified church. ©Paliparan
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Side view of the fortified church. ©Paliparan
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Fortified church entrance. ©Paliparan

A walk through town

Saschiz is rather small and although the town has a couple of pensions, a grocery shop or two and a school it was all rather quiet when I visited.

It’s however still worth it to walk a bit around the town centre to admire the fine Saxon houses around the church.

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Traditional Transylvanian Saxon houses in Saschiz. ©Paliparan
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Saxon houses around the fortified church. ©Paliparan
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Houses in Saschiz, which is known by the German-speaking Saxons as Keisd. ©Paliparan
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Saxon houses in Saschiz. ©Paliparan
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Walking through the village streets. ©Paliparan
saschiz saxon fortified church
Saschiz. ©Paliparan

Saschiz fortress

Besides the Saxon fortified church, the hilltop fortress is worth seeing as well in Saschiz.

Even though the fortress is in a badly ruined state, the views over Saschiz makes a drive or walk up the hill worth the effort.

Currently the fortress itself is being renovated and therefore closed for visitors for the time being.

When the works will be finished it should however make for a nice visit.

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The hilltop fortress can easily be seen from the town centre. ©Paliparan
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As the fortress is still quite an uphill hike from the fortified church, I decided to drive up. ©Paliparan
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Saxon town houses along the road up the hill. ©Paliparan
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View over the surrounding countryside. ©Paliparan
rough road
The roads on the hill are a bit rough. ©Paliparan
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Upper part of the village. ©Paliparan
saschiz castle
From the road, you still have to walk on a track through the forest to reach the fortress. As the fortress was anyway closed during my time of visit, I decided not to walk any further. ©Paliparan
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Even from points halfway up the hill there are some fantastic views over Saschiz. ©Paliparan
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The Saxon fortified church of Saschiz towers high above the town. ©Paliparan

Conclusion

Due to its location on the main road between Sighișoara and Brașov, the Saxon fortified church of Saschiz is almost impossible to miss.

No matter how you construct your Transylvanian itinerary, you are likely to pass through this town if you explore the region by car.

Although Saschiz (called Keisd in German by the local Saxons) isn’t the most idyllic of the Saxon towns thanks to the busy road running right through it, stopping here is well worth your time.

The fortified church itself is one of the bigger ones in the region, although none the defensive bastions and walls apart from the North Tower remain.

If you visit Saschiz, you should definitely walk or drive uphill to admire the fine views and to visit the fortress.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Visiting the Saxon Fortified Churches of Transylvania‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. The Fortified Church of Harman (Honigberg), Brasov County
2. The Fortified Church of Prejmer (Tartlau), Brasov County
3. The Fortified Church of Feldioara (Marienburg), Brasov County
4. A Visit to Rupea Fortress
5. The Fortified Church of Homorod (Hamruden), Brasov County
6. Racoș: Exploring an Extinct Volcano and Abandoned Castle
7. In the Footsteps of King Charles: A Visit to Viscri, Romania
8. A Visit to the Fortified Church of Viscri, Brasov County
9. A Night Walk Around the Citadel and Old Town of Sighisoara
10. Review: Hotel Casa Wagner, Sighisoara, Romania
11. The Fortified Church of Saschiz (Keisd), Mureș County (current chapter)
12. The Fortified Church of Cloasterf (Klosdorf), Mureș County
13. The Fortified Church of Mesendorf (Meschendorf), Brasov County
14. The Fortified Church of Crit (Deutsch-Kreuz), Brasov County
15. The Fortified Church of Biertan (Birthälm), Sibiu County
16. The Fortified Church of Hosman (Holzmengen), Sibiu County
17. Review: Brukenthal Palace Hotel, Avrig
18. A Visit to Sambata de Sus and the Brancoveanu Monastery
19. Into the Carpathians: A Beautiful Drive to Moieciu de Sus

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Koen

Koen works as a freelance journalist covering south-eastern Europe and is the founding father and editor-in-chief of Paliparan. As a contributor to some major Fleet Street newspapers and some lesser known publications in the Balkans, he travels thousands of miles each year for work as well as on his personal holidays. Whether it is horse riding in Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, exploring the backstreets of Bogotá, or sipping a glass of moschofilero in a Greek beachside taverna, Koen loves to immerse himself into the local culture, explore new places and eat and drink himself around the world.

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