Excellent guide, extremely knowledgeable, customer-oriented, and very punctual. We thoroughly enjoyed all the stories and history Florin shared with us throughout the entire day. He made our trip to Sighisoara one to remember!
I did this tour in a “special personalized” way, which speaks to the openness, the flexibility, and the determination on part of Florin, my guide, to tailor tours to the needs and requests of their visitors rather than to offer “carved-in-stone standard packages”. We started the trip an hour earlier as usual, because I had an interest to see the fortified church in Agnita, which is not usually part of this tour. Fortified churches are typical for the region, not found outside Transylvania, and represent massive bulwarks medieval settlers had constructed to defend their communities against the attacking Ottoman armies. The church in Agnita has recently been beautifully renovated and restored, and I enjoyed taking a few pictures. From there, we traveled further to Sighișoara, a fortified town in an elevated location. We visited the famous Clock Tower and then made our way up to the Church on a Hill, through a steep wooden roofed staircase. Once you are up there, definitely spend the 10 Lei (2 Euro) to enter the church and its macabre crypta. Next, in order to not take the staircase a second time, we walked down the winding path back to our van and drove to Biertan. In Biertan, a Bishop Seat in ancient times, you find the largest fortified church in all of Transylvania, and its massive walls and defensive towers containing numerous embrasures and machicolation are more than impressive. If you have not yet been there, and you like the medieval flair, this is the place you want to be. Because I had already been to Biertan a few days earlier, we had only a brief picnic outside the walls, on my specific request. Instead of visiting Biertan, we drove to another nearby fortified church in Valea Viilor, which (like Biertan) is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cool thing about Valea Viilor is the fact that the tower is accessible for those who are brave enough to climb up through a system of wooden ladders. Those who make it, are rewarded with a gorgeous view not only of the enormous fortifications built around the central church, but also of the beautifully green surrounding landscape, featuring hills and meadows, pastures and sheep herds, and the Carpathian Mountains in the distance. Next, on our way was Mediaș, a city famous for its wine, where we visited St. Margaret’s Church. The church features some of the oldest Catholic frescos in Transylvania, which - as was usual at the time - had been overpainted with white paint, after the Saxon communities converted to Protestantism.
In St. Margaret’s Church some of the colorful frescos have been meticulously restored, and they are very much worth a visit. Finally, the last stop on our way home was the fortified church at Axente Sever. This stop was also added on my specific request, and Florin - my tour guide - was even so nice to call the church ahead of our visit to inquire when it would be open, and he planned the visit accordingly. Axente Sever is a massive medieval bulwark that from further away looks more like a military construction than a church. Its massive tower is also open for climbing, and I could not resist. Overall, this was a fantastic tour and an unforgettable day. Thanks Florin for your flexibility and your help to make this work!
Florin was a great guide! Informative, friendly, punctual and a good driver. I’m sure that you’d be in good hands for any of his tours.