The Fortified Church of Mesendorf (Meschendorf), Brasov County

This destination guide covers a visit to the Transylvanian village of Mesendorf (Meschendorf) and its Saxon fortified church.

A visit to Mesendorf

Having visited the Saxon fortified church in Cloasterf, I headed back into my car for the short ride south to see two more fortified churches in this part of Transylvania.

If you take the main DN13 road and drive from Mureș County into Brașov County, there are two beautiful villages with a fortified church almost immediately after you pass the county line.

When driving south, you will see a turn-off on your right-hand side which leads to the villages of Criț and Meșendorf, both of which have a Saxon fortified church.

I decided to drive towards the end of the road to Mesendorf first and to visit Criț afterwards when driving back to the DN13.

Again, it was a short but lovely drive through the verdant rolling hills of Transylvania, which looked glorious on this lovely autumn day.

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On the road to Mesendorf. ©Paliparan
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View from the road. ©Paliparan

Walking through the village

I parked my car at the entrance of the village right next to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Although you can already see a road sign here with the Romanian words “Biserica Evanghelică Fortificată” denoting the Saxon fortified church, it’s clear that there aren’t that many visitors who make the journey to Mesendorf.

Indeed, while walking through the village I didn’t spot any other tourist at all.

With there not being any sign of a fortified church on the main road, you have to know about the existence of the village in advance.

Besides, with there being so many other, better-known Saxon fortified churches in the direct surroundings such as Viscri, it’s not a surprise that Mesendorf doesn’t receive the same number of visitors.

It’s all the better for you as Mesendorf really felt like an undiscovered little gem.

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The entrance to the village of Mesendorf. ©Paliparan
tractor village
Tractor riding through the village. ©Paliparan
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The main road running through Mesendorf. ©Paliparan
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Typical Transylvanian houses in Mesendorf. ©Paliparan
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Walking through Mesendorf. ©Paliparan
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Village houses. ©Paliparan
old school building
Old school building. ©Paliparan
village houses
Houses in the village. ©Paliparan

Autumn colours

Meșendorf (known in German as Meschendorf) quickly turned out to be one of the most delightful of all the Transylvanian Saxon villages I had visited so far.

The village felt quiet, authentic and had plenty of pretty Saxon farmhouses and even an old school building.

What I also liked about Mesendorf were the many trees throughout the village and on the surrounding hills, making it feel like you are in the middle of nature.

On this beautiful day, there autumn foliage and the colourful leaves on the ground made for an enormously pretty backdrop.

Just like many of the other traditional Saxon towns, there aren’t actually that many Transylvanian Saxons remaining in Mesendorf.

According to the census of 2002, 199 of the 344 inhabitants of the village were Romanian, followed by 124 Roma, 10 Hungarians and only 7 Germans (Transylvanian Saxons).

It’s a big population change when you compare the statistics with the year 1941 when 70,6% of the town population of 782 was ethnic German.

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It was a gorgeous sunny autumn day in Transylvania. ©Paliparan
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Beautiful autumn colours in Mesendorf. ©Paliparan
Meșendorf
Meșendorf. ©Paliparan
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I loved the green character of the village. ©Paliparan
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Village green. ©Paliparan
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Well in the heart of Mesendorf. ©Paliparan

Mesendorf fortified church

At the end of the main village street you will find the Saxon fortified church of Mesendorf.

The church was built between the 14th and 16 century, first in Romanesque style while it was later restored in Gothic style.

The fortifications feature a so-called “zwinger”, a narrow space between two outer defensive walls which featured as a kill zone in which an attacking force could be trapped.

Originally, the fortifications featured three defensive towers, although only two remain.

Sadly, the fortified church was closed when I visited and I couldn’t reach the key holder by phone.

I therefore have to return another time to Mesendorf in order to see the interior of the fortified church, which is reportedly decorated with baroque paintings.

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Mesendorf fortified church. ©Paliparan
mesendorf meschendorf fortified church
The Saxon fortified church of Mesendorf. ©Paliparan

Back to the car

Even though the fortified church was closed, I still tremendously enjoyed my visit to Mesendorf.

On my way back to the car, quite a few locals whom I came across warmly greeted me.

Mesendorf really felt like a peaceful place and a nice little countryside retreat away from the main road.

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Walking along the main village road back to my car. ©Paliparan
village street
Village road. ©Paliparan
orthodox church
The Orthodox Church in Mesendorf. ©Paliparan

Conclusion

I really enjoyed my visit to the beautiful and peaceful village of Mesendorf.

Although the Saxon fortified church of Mesendorf was closed when I visited, it should be an interesting place to explore if you can get in contact with the key holder.

Even when the church is closed, Mesendorf is still a great place to visit.

As Mesendorf is beautifully located between forested hills, it is one of the most picturesque Saxon Transylvanian villages to explore and I certainly loved how quiet and authentic it felt.

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
12. The Fortified Church of Cloasterf (Klosdorf), Mureș County
13. The Fortified Church of Mesendorf (Meschendorf), Brasov County (current chapter)
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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