by Lonely Planet author Leif Pettersen

Viscri

Transylvania

You may never want to leave this place; partly because it's so flipping cool and atmospheric and partly because the 10km ghastly that leads here will have you arranging for your chiropractor to be choppered in for an emergency alignment.

There's no access to this village, 40km southeast of Sighisoara, by public transport and no tour buses will take out the necessary insurance to forage that road, so things here are pricelessly quiet, allowing you to soak up the Saxon beauty. Aside from melting into village life, the main attraction here is the fortified church, a Unesco World Heritage site, dating from 1185.

You can (and should) spend a night here. There are a bunch of unmarked and unofficial pensions in town, hosted out of cool Saxon homes – with pit toilets, just so you know... Just ask around town or contact Carolina Fernolend (Tel +40 (0) 740 145 397; Str Principala 13), who speaks English and offers accommodation for about 20 euros per person, including meals and homemade wine. In fact, you'll want to plan ahead in July and August, jut for luck.

Agonizing over travel insurance? Maybe I can help...

Home