Viscri is one of the most famous Saxon villages in Transylvania, mainly due to fortified churches included in the list of UNESCO monuments. It is located 42 km away from Sighisoara.
It is a place with its own rules, old of hundreds of years, where there are no double-pane windows or bright-colored facades. It has no more than 500 inhabitants, out of which only 27 are Saxon. The force of the village is represented by the unity of the inhabitants.
The documents show that Viscri has always been a free village, never being part of a noble property. By the year of 1500, there were 51 households in the village, three shepherds, a teacher and two poor people.
The present church from Viscri is a Romanesque church-hall, and it has inside a museum that preserves objects of hundreds of years old.
The church and citadel have been thoroughly restored between 1970 – 1971, when the architectural assembly has regained its grandeur. Then, restoration works took place in the 90s. One should not miss climbing the church tower. From there, you may admire the image of the village, the surrounding meadows and the woods bordered by shady forests of oak and beech or gentle hills that invite you for a walk.
Schedule for visiting the church: April – September 10 – 13; 15- 18. Entrance fee is 4 lei/person.
The church is closed between October – Match, but it provides free access to the courtyard.
Viscri is also famous due to accomplishments of Mihai Eminescu Foundation, governed by the Prince of Wales. Prince Charles has bought a house in Viscri dating from 1875, according to the inscription on the beam. Rooms are simple, with old wooden furniture. Across the street, one may also see Mrs. Caroline Fernolend’s house, the lady who has founded Mihai Eminescu Foundation and who fights, together with her family, to preserve the authenticity of Saxon villages in Transylvania.
Artisanal crafts for manufacturing felt, hats and shoes, knitted woolen stockings are still kept here. Everything is hand-made. These objects are sold at the gates of the inhabitants’ houses. The village also has a good blacksmith who not only makes horseshoes but also hinges for windows and doors. These are made only with a hammer, without any other modern tools.
The jam with polenta and cheese or ribs with polenta and jam is the traditional food, cooked the same as during old times.
A visit of 2-3 days in the area helps you get in touch with the countryside life and with the local customs, with the typical cuisine and with the charming accommodation places in houses full of history. Do not miss the walks on the quiet streets where you can admire the restored facades of the houses where birds and cows coming back from the pasture cause all the tumult. You may also schedule a trip by carriage for 2-3 hours for a fee of about 60 lei, which will walk you through the village up to a brickyard and up to the blacksmith shop.
The streets in Viscri have no names and the guesthouses do not have a name or a logo. Their name is Viscri accompanies by the number of the house.
Accommodation may be made to families which own guestrooms or to guesthouses, former Saxon houses arranged for welcoming guests. The fee is about 125 ron/person, breakfast included.
Other tourist attractions in the area:
Rupea Citadel – 14 km
Bunesti Fortified Church – 8 km
Saschiz Fortified Church – 23 km
Sighișoara Medieval Town – 42 km
