Description 

The fortress is located in Rasnov, a town placed in the Saxon area of southern Transylvania, 15 km from Brasov, on the road that links Transylvania with Wallachia, in the Burzenland (Tara Barsei) area.

In the middle age, Rasnov was the second most important city of the Saxon region of Burzenland, after Brasov and together with Brasov, the only fortress that resisted the great Tatar invasion of 1335.

DESCRIPTION
Rasnov is a fortress built by the villagers in order to defend from the frequent invasions from the Orient. Around the year 1.200, together with the Teuton Knights, Saxon settlers were brought to the region. Together with the Romanian inhabitants, they created in Rasnov one of the strongest fortifications in Transylvania. One of the oldest part of the fortification dates from this period. Like several other fortifications of southern Transylvania, Rasnov was a major transit point for Transylvanian and Wallachian merchants.

The Tatar invasions
The great Tatar invasion of 1241 was the turning point for the Rasnov local community. The whole area was destroyed so the villagers decided to build a stronger defensive systems, 5m tall walls made of stone and bricks. There were two yards, one is exterior - for cattle and various activities - while the other is located inside the walls. A 143m deep well was digged in the inside yard, so that the people can resist a longer siege. Their efforts paid off, as in the next major Tatar invasion in 1335, the fortresses of Brasov and Rasnov were the only ones who resisted.