7 buildings

Fortified Churches of Transylvania
Romania's region of Transylvania has always been a very diverse place, consisting of Romanians, Hungarians, Germanic "Saxons", and others. One of the more notable features of Transylvania's landscape is that of the fortified churches. These unique churches were built during the late middle ages by the German minority group who were under constant threat from invaders. Since it was difficult for the armies of the Holy Roman Empire to ensure the protection of these villages, they were forced to build their own fortifications around the village's largest building, its church. There were once around 300 of these fortified churches, but today only around 7 of them are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.