A Journey into the History, Architecture and Spirit of Transylvania

There are places in Transylvania that you visit because they are famous.

And then there are places that you visit because they help you understand why Transylvania is what it is.

Mediaș is one of those places.

Located in the heart of southern Transylvania, Mediaș is a town of medieval walls, fortified churches, narrow streets, old Saxon houses, towers and stories that reach back hundreds of years. For travelers interested in the history of the Transylvanian Saxons, Mediaș offers something especially valuable: it is not simply a beautiful historic town—it is an important part of the larger Saxon story that shaped this region.

And for guests staying at The Inn at Richis, Mediaș is particularly easy to incorporate into a Transylvanian journey.

Richis is close enough that you can spend part of a day exploring Mediaș, then return to the quiet of a small Saxon village, where the pace slows, the countryside surrounds you, and the evening becomes part of the experience.

Because that is the difference between simply visiting Transylvania and actually experiencing it.

“Transylvania is a way of Life.”

Mediaș and the Story of the Transylvanian Saxons

To understand Mediaș, it helps to understand the people who shaped so much of the cultural landscape around it.

Beginning in the 12th century, German-speaking settlers—today generally known as the Transylvanian Saxons—were invited by the kings of Hungary to settle in parts of Transylvania. Over succeeding generations they established communities, developed agriculture and crafts, built churches, organized guilds and created towns and villages with a distinctive social and architectural character.

Their settlements eventually became an extraordinary network of towns and villages across southern Transylvania.

Among the best-known Saxon urban centers are Sibiu, Sighișoara, Sebeș, Brașov, Bistrița and Mediaș, with historical traditions differing somewhat over exactly which seven cities are represented by the name Siebenbürgen. One important historical interpretation connects the name to the seven principal Saxon fortified cities.

The administrative history is even more fascinating.

Mediaș was not simply another village within the Saxon world. By the 14th century, Mediaș and Șeica were known together as the “Two Seats” — Zwei Stühle — a distinct administrative area within the Saxon lands.

That history helps explain why Mediaș developed into an important medieval town rather than remaining simply a rural settlement.

And when you walk through its historic center today, you can still see the legacy.

A Town Built Around Its Fortress

One of the first things visitors notice about Mediaș is that its history is not hidden away in a museum.

It is all around you.

The medieval center retains portions of its old defensive system, including towers, walls and gates. At the heart of this historic area stands the fortified church dedicated to St. Margaret, the landmark that dominates the old town.

The church was first documented in 1414 and became the center of the local Lutheran Evangelical community. Its fortified enclosure illustrates the unusual combination of religious and defensive architecture that became such a defining characteristic of Saxon Transylvania.

The fortified churches of Transylvania were more than places of worship.

They were places where communities could seek refuge during dangerous times.

Churches were strengthened with defensive walls, towers, galleries and other structures. In a landscape repeatedly affected by warfare and invasion, the church became both the spiritual and physical center of the community. The region around Mediaș contains one of the greatest concentrations of these fortified churches in Transylvania.

That is why visiting Mediaș feels like stepping into a much larger story.

You are not looking at isolated monuments.

You are looking at pieces of a civilization.

The Magnificent St. Margaret’s Church

At the center of Mediaș stands the impressive fortified church of St. Margaret.

Saint Margaret Evangelical Church

Inside and around the church are reminders of the town’s medieval wealth, craftsmanship and religious history.

The church contains historic works of art, medieval mural paintings and a remarkable bronze baptismal font dating to the second half of the 14th century. The fortified complex itself preserves the atmosphere of a medieval Saxon Kirchenburg—a church fortress designed to protect the community as well as serve its religious life.

But perhaps the most recognizable feature of Mediaș is the tower.

The Leaning Trumpeters’ Tower

Look across the rooftops of Mediaș and you will see the Trumpeters’ Tower, or Turnul Trompeților.

Trumpet Tower

It is one of those architectural landmarks that immediately makes a place memorable.

The tower rises dramatically above the historic center—and, like another famous tower in Europe, it has a noticeable lean.

According to the official tourism information for Sibiu County, the tower rises approximately 8 meters and is tilted about 2.28 meters from the vertical. Its traditional name comes from the trumpeter who would stand watch from the tower and warn the town of approaching danger.

There is also a fascinating connection to one of Transylvania’s most famous historical figures.

In 1476, Vlad Țepeș, better known to the outside world as Vlad the Impaler, was reportedly held in the tower because of a conflict with King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary.

Whether your interest is medieval architecture, Saxon history or the legends surrounding Transylvania, Mediaș gives you another layer of the story.

Walk the Old Streets of Mediaș

But don’t make the mistake of visiting Mediaș only for the church.

The real pleasure is walking.

Take your time.

Explore the historic center. Look at the old façades. Follow the narrow streets. Notice the surviving towers and sections of the medieval fortifications.

Mediaș’ Citadel

The town’s historic center retains a medieval character, with winding streets, historic houses and squares that reveal the layers of its past.

You will also encounter surviving defensive towers associated with the old town, including the Goldsmiths’ Tower and Blacksmiths’ Tower.

Goldsmiths’Tower 

Blacksmiths’ Tower

These structures remind us that medieval Mediaș was not simply a collection of pretty buildings.

It was a working town.

Craftsmen, merchants, farmers, clergy and townspeople lived within a highly organized community. Guilds played an important role in economic life and, during times of danger, in the defense of the town.

The walls tell that story.

The towers tell that story.

And the streets tell it too.

Mediaș Was Part of a Much Larger Saxon World

One of the reasons Mediaș is so interesting for travelers is that it doesn’t stand alone.

It sits within a landscape filled with Saxon villages, fortified churches and historic towns.

From Mediaș, travelers can explore places such as Biertan, Richis, Moșna, Alma Vii, Valea Viilor, Ațel and other historic settlements.

The official tourism routes of Sibiu County specifically connect Mediaș with Richis, Biertan and numerous other Saxon heritage sites. One route runs directly through Mediaș – Moșna – Alma Vii – Richis – Biertan, making the relationship between these places particularly clear.

This is where the location of The Inn at Richis becomes especially important.

Why Stay in Richis When Exploring Mediaș?

You could simply visit Mediaș, take a few photographs, have lunch and continue on your way.

But you would miss something.

You would miss the opportunity to experience the countryside and villages that give the Saxon towns their context.

That is why The Inn at Richis makes such a natural home base for exploring Mediaș and the surrounding region.

Richis is a historic Saxon village in the heart of Transylvania, close to both Mediaș and Sighișoara. The Inn’s own history describes Richis as Reichesdorf in German and Rechesdref in the local Saxon dialect, placing the village firmly within the historical Saxon landscape.

Instead of changing hotels every night, you can establish yourself in one beautiful, peaceful location.

Wake up in Richis.

Spend the day exploring Mediaș.

Continue to another Saxon village.

Visit a fortified church.

Discover Sighișoara or Biertan.

Then return to Richis.

Return to the quiet.

Return to the countryside.

Return to a place where the day does not have to end simply because the sightseeing has ended.

That is one of the great advantages of staying at The Inn at Richis.

From Medieval Mediaș Back to Village Richis

Imagine the experience.

You spend the morning walking through the medieval streets of Mediaș.

You stand beneath the towering church of St. Margaret.

You explore the old citadel and its defensive towers.

You discover another piece of the Saxon story.

Then, instead of spending the evening in another busy tourist center, you drive back toward Richis.

The landscape changes.

The town disappears behind you.

The roads become quieter.

The hills and fields open around you.

And eventually you arrive back in the village.

This is where the experience changes.

Mediaș gives you history.

Richis gives you atmosphere.

Mediaș tells you about the Saxon towns.

Richis lets you experience the Saxon village landscape.

And together they tell a much richer story.

The Spirit of Richis

There is something important about making Richis your base.

You aren’t simply staying somewhere close to the attractions.

You are staying inside the history you came to experience.

Richis itself was part of the Saxon world that produced the remarkable churches, houses, traditions and communities scattered throughout this part of Transylvania.

The fortified church in Richis is part of that same architectural and cultural landscape. The regional tourism authority specifically includes Richis on its fortified-church routes alongside Mediaș and Biertan.

After a day exploring a medieval town, you can return to a village where the surroundings are quieter and the experience becomes more personal.

This is “The Spirit of Richis.”

It is not about rushing from attraction to attraction.

It is about allowing the places between the attractions to become part of your journey.

Gemütlichkeit in Transylvania

There is another word that fits this experience beautifully:

“Gemütlichkeit.”

It is difficult to translate perfectly.

It suggests warmth.

Comfort.

Friendliness.

A feeling of being welcome.

A relaxed enjoyment of one’s surroundings.

And perhaps most importantly, a willingness to slow down.

That feeling is part of what makes a stay at The Inn at Richis different from simply checking into a hotel after a day of sightseeing.

After Mediaș, you don’t need another attraction.

You can sit.

Have a glass of Romanian wine.

Talk about what you saw.

Enjoy the evening.

Listen to the village.

Watch the light change across the rooftops.

Let the day become a memory.

That is “Gemütlichkeit.”

And that is part of “The Spirit of Richis.”

Mediaș, Richis and the Saxon Journey

For travelers fascinated by Transylvanian history, Mediaș can become one of the anchors of an unforgettable itinerary.

You can begin in Richis and explore outward.

Visit Mediaș and its medieval citadel.

Continue to Biertan and its magnificent UNESCO-listed fortified church.

Discover Sighișoara and its extraordinary medieval center.

Explore smaller Saxon villages where fortified churches still rise above the rooftops.

Visit vineyards and countryside.

Follow old roads through the Târnava Mare landscape.

And each evening, return to Richis.

This is one of the reasons we believe that a longer stay in Transylvania is so rewarding.

You don’t have to choose between the famous places and the quieter ones.

You can experience both.

You can have the medieval town and the village.

The history and the landscape.

The architecture and the people.

The sightseeing and the stillness.

More Than a Day Trip

Mediaș deserves more than a quick photograph through a car window.

Its importance comes from the way it connects so many elements of Transylvania’s history.

The Saxons who settled here.

The communities they created.

The churches they built.

The walls they constructed.

The guilds that shaped their towns.

The traditions that survived for centuries.

And the landscape that still connects these places today.

When you visit Mediaș from The Inn at Richis, you are not simply checking another destination off a travel list.

You are following a historical thread.

That thread leads from Mediaș to Richis.

From Richis to Biertan.

From Biertan to Sighișoara.

From one fortified church to another.

From one Saxon community to the next.

And ultimately, it leads to a better understanding of what makes this corner of Romania so extraordinary.

Come Discover Mediaș. Come Experience Richis.

Perhaps the greatest gift of Transylvania is that it doesn’t have to be rushed.

There is always another village around the next bend.

Another church tower rising above the trees.

Another medieval square waiting to be explored.

Another story hidden behind an old wooden door.

And at the end of the day, there is Richis.

A quiet Saxon village.

A place to breathe.

A place to slow down.

A place to experience “The Spirit of Richis.”

And a place where the idea behind our philosophy becomes real:

“Transylvania is a way of Life.”

Make The Inn at Richis your home base while you explore Mediaș, Biertan, Sighișoara and the remarkable Saxon villages of Transylvania.

Don’t simply visit Transylvania.

Stay long enough to feel it.

Come to Richis. Explore Mediaș. Discover the Saxon heart of Transylvania.

And then return to the Inn, relax, and let the evening unfold.

Experience “The Spirit of Richis.”

Experience “Gemütlichkeit.”

Experience Transylvania.

Make your reservation at The Inn at Richis and make Richis your home in Transylvania.