Category: Romania

The village of Daia is located in Mureș County, Romania. It is a small Transylvanian village that belongs to the commune of Apold, which is about 8 km away. To reach Daia, you’ll need to drive along a dirt road, adding to its remote charm.

The Evangelical fortified church in Daia

In Daia, you’ll find the historic Evangelical fortified church, built in the 15th century in the Gothic style. What makes this church especially unique is that its tower was constructed outside the fortification walls, separated by a dirt road. This is unusual because, in most fortified churches of Transylvania, all key buildings were enclosed within the fortification walls for protection during enemy attacks.

Unfortunately, the exterior of these historic buildings is in poor condition. Over the years, large cracks have developed in the church tower, affecting its structure and causing it to tilt. Despite its current state, this church remains an architectural gem, and there’s hope that one day it will be restored to its former glory.

After spending some time near the Evangelical church and exploring the quiet village, it was time to head back to Apold. The weather that day—cold, gray, and rainy—shortened our visit. By the time we decided to leave, it had even started to rain.

Other important places to visit nearby?

About 23 km from Daia is the Sighisoara Medieval Citadel, a place I highly recommend visiting. This well-preserved fortress is full of history and charm, making it a must-see destination in Transylvania.

On your way to Sighisoara, you can make a short stop in Apold, the next village along the route. Here, you’ll find the Lutheran Fortified Church, another fascinating example of Transylvanian history and architecture.

Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital center of the Dacians during the Roman Empire and it can be found in the Orastie Mountains at an altitude of approximately 1200 meters. From the small Transylvanian city of Orastie, you will have to drive about one hour until you reach the small parking lot located in a small valley close to the former Dacian capital. Despite that there is a paved road up to the ruins, you are not allowed to drive up there with your car.

After you pay for a ticket, you can follow the main path which leads directly to the old sanctuaries.

About Sarmizegetusa Regia

Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital of the Dacian Kingdom, which flourished from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The Dacians were an ancient people who inhabited the territory that is now Romania. It’s important to mention that it was a major political, military, and religious center for the Dacians. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The old defense wall

Not very far from the east gate, the first thing that you will find is some large old stone blocks that were built using the Murus Dacicus (Latin for Dacian Wall) construction method. These old walls used to protect the Dacian capital.

Paved road

If you continue your walk on the main path towards the old sanctuaries, the next interesting thing that will see is the remains of an old paved road built by the Dacians who once lived here.

The sanctuaries area

As you make your way down from the fortifications, an enchanting sight unfolds to your right amidst the trees – the limestone sanctuary and the renowned centerpiece of Sarmizegetusa Regia, the great circular sanctuary. This lower section holds sacred significance, housing distinct religious structures that contribute to its spiritual aura.

The scenery next to the parking lot

Since I visited this place in early winter, the alpine scenery was amazing, as you can see from the photos below, a large part of the forest was frozen.

The Orastie Mountains

After we drove back to Orastie and since the sun started slowly to set, I decided to capture a landscape photo of the beautiful Orastie Mountains.

The Transylvanian commune of Apold is located in Mureș county, Romania. By car, you can actually reach it in almost 20 minutes of driving from the city of Sighișoara. The first thing that you should visit is the Fortified Saxon church. You will find this church almost in the center of the commune right next to the commune’s hall.

Another historical monument in Apold, besides the fortified church, is St. George’s church with its long covered stairway. This smaller church is actually a couple of streets away from the old Fortified Saxon church.

Is there something else to explore in the area?

Not far from the commune of Apold, you will find the village of Daia. Over there you will have the chance to discover another interesting old Saxon church. This one is truly unique compared to the rest of the fortified churches in the historical region of Transylvanian because the church’s tower was not built inside the fortification walls surrounding the church.

Also I have to mention the medieval citadel of Sighisoara which is only about 15 km away from Apold.

After visiting some old fortified churches in the area, like the one form the Transylvanian village of Mălâncrav, on our way back, I’ve decided to capture some photos of the Sighișoara medieval citadel as well.

The Clock Tower

The starting point of this photo shoot was at the Clock Tower because this buildings is one of the most important in Sighișoara. That day despite that outside was very cold, in the citadel I saw a lot of tourists wondering around and admiring the old buildings.

Dracula’s house and the Stag House

According to the legends, the building painted in yellow was the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula. If you take a closer look, you can even see in the background of the photo the Church on the Hill.

Not far from Dracula’s birthplace you will find another interesting building which is called the Stag House. The reason for its name is that you will find a stag head right on the corner of the building.

The Covered Stairway in the citadel

The covered stairway was built 1642 and it offered a safe climb to the Lutheran church and to the school especially in the winter season. The stairway is also know as the Scholar’s stairs.

Exploring the upper part of Sighișoara medieval citadel

Once you climb all the stairs of the old Covered Stairway you will end up in the upper part of the medieval citadel. Over there you will find the Church on the Hill which originally was a catholic church and after the 1547 Reform, the majority of the inhabitants of Sighișoara shifted to Lutheranism so after that, the Church on the Hill was turned into a Lutheran church. Near the church is the old Saxon cemetery and the Ropemaker’s tower.

More photos about Sighișoara

If you would like to see more amazing hidden gems in the inhabited medieval citadel then I highly recommend to check out my other post about Sighișoara.