Situated a few kilometres away from Brasov, we find a village called Prejmer, which has an important tourist attraction: Prejmer Citadel, a round construction that shelters an old, fortified church.
The Fortified Church of Prejmer
The first time the village was mentioned in writing was in 1240, but it is believed a much older settlement used to exist here, as the name Prejmer is of Slavic origin.
The Prejmer Church is the most well preserved citadel-church in Eastern Europe and has therefore well earned its place among the UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites.
The church has an alter made of painted wood, and the style and shapes remind of the Carta Monastery and of the Evangelical Church of Bartolomeu in Brasov, which means it dates back to the half of the 18th century.
The Peasant Citadel of Prejmer
Prejmer village was a vulnerable spot, in the way of the Turks when they attacked from BUzau, which led to the fortification of the church.
The tall citadel was surrounded by a ditch and had 3-4 metres thick and 12 meters high walls, with bastions, iron gates and mobile bridges.
The Prejmer Citadel also has fire holes in the walls, where pitch, boiled water and hot oil were poured to be fired and avert the invaders.
The interior walls of the citadel have 272 sleeping chambers, salons and galleries meant o shelter the entire village in case of attack. The chambers are arranged on 4 stories, almost like in a beehive. Each room had a number and every family knew its assigned place in case of an emergency. When the village was not under attack, the rooms were used by the families to store their belongings.
The Prejmer Citadel and Church should be on the “to visit” list of every visitor who stops by Brasov for more than a couple of days.