Feldioara Fortress

Feldioara Fortress, formerly known as Marienburg — "The Fortress of the Holy Mary" — is the most important vestige of the Teutonic Knights' presence in Țara Bârsei and one of the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Romania. Its history begins in 1211, when King Andrew II of Hungary invited the Order to settle in Țara Bârsei in order to defend the southern borders of Transylvania against Cuman incursions. The Teutonic Knights used Feldioara as the Order's main residence in Transylvania for 14 years, initially constructing an earthwork and palisade fortification, which was later transformed into a stone structure. In 1225, the Order was expelled by the same king, who had grown dissatisfied with the power they had accumulated. The fortress passed into the administration of the local Saxon community and continued to be expanded during the 14th–17th centuries, reaching its maximum state of development in the 17th century. Built on an elongated oval plan, the fortress has four towers oriented toward the cardinal points, connected by massive stone and brick walls. The inner courtyard houses the ruins of an old Cistercian monastery, a well, and a belvedere area overlooking Țara Bârsei. The fortress was fully restored between 2013 and 2017 and currently hosts permanent exhibitions on history, archaeology, and ethnography, distributed across its three visitable towers. Every year, the festival "Cavalerii Teutoni se întorc în Cetatea Feldioara" takes place within the fortress grounds, featuring medieval reenactments, knight combat, and craft workshops.