Travel Guide Mălâncrav

Off the Sighișoara-Mediaș axis, Mălâncrav (Malmkrog in German), a village of 1,000 inhabitants, nestles among hills and meadows, at the very end of a small dead-end road. Here, perched high up in the hills, is a pretty Saxon church in the rural Gothic style. Built in the 14th century, it was fortified in the 15th. The frescoes inside are superb. The village itself is well worth a visit, with its beautiful Saxon houses, colorful facades and flower gardens. This is one of the places where the Saxon population is proportionally the largest in the country. Traditions are deeply rooted here, and worship is still conducted in German. The village's two other churches (one Orthodox, built in 1700, the other Catholic, built in 1865) bear witness to the religious tolerance that reigned here. The Mihai Eminescu Trust is very active here. It has worked to promote the craftsmanship of the villagers, particularly in weaving (workshops atnos. 162 and 302). An abandoned apple orchard has been brought back into use to produce a delicious organic juice.