The clock tower of the fortified church in Saschiz looks oddly familiar if you have just come from Sighișoara, and that is no accident: it was built in the image of the famous clock tower of the nearby town, a statement of local pride by the Saxon villagers who built it in the late fifteenth century. The church belongs to the World Heritage inscription for villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, a group of German-speaking Saxon communities that fortified their churches against Ottoman and Tatar raids. Above the village, on a wooded hill, are the ruins of a peasant citadel, where the inhabitants took refuge during attacks.
Saschiz, called Keisd in German, is a village of about two thousand, on the main road between Sighișoara and Brașov. Most of the Saxons emigrated to Germany after 1990, and the village is now mainly Romanian and Roma, but the houses still have their colourful facades and big wooden gates. The village is known for its blue-painted pottery, a tradition revived in recent years, and for local products such as jams and syrups made from wild fruits. The surrounding countryside is one of the most beautiful in Europe, with meadows full of flowers, ancient oak pastures and wildlife including bears and wolves.
The riding is a pleasure, but with a catch. The main road through Saschiz is a busy international route, full of trucks, and needs care. But the side roads to villages such as Viscri, Criț and Mesendorf are quiet, winding through hills and valleys, some paved, some gravel. The surface on minor roads can be poor, so take it easy. Spring and early summer are the best seasons, when the meadows bloom. Fog lies in the valleys in the morning, and summer brings thunderstorms. Winters are cold.
Saschiz has a few shops, guesthouses and a café; for reliable fuel, Sighișoara, about twenty kilometres away, is the safe choice. Food here mixes Romanian and Saxon traditions, with soups, stews, smoked bacon and cakes. Many guesthouses serve home-cooked meals with local ingredients. Climb up to the citadel for the view over the village and the hills, then visit the church, whose painted interior is a surprise after the austere exterior.