# Cricău Fortified Reformed Church [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Alba County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/alba) › [Cricău](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/cricau) > A Romanesque church of the 13th century with a keep-like tower and an oval stone enclosure, preserving fragments of medieval frescoes among the oldest in Transylvania. **At a glance:** Monasteries and churches in Cricău, Alba County. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 13 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** Visiting hours are not published by an official source; access to the interior can be arranged with the Reformed parish. Ask in the village or at the parish before you go. - **Visit duration:** 45 min — church and enclosure - **With kids:** Yes — open yard, low wall - **Parking:** Yes, free — on the lane next to the enclosure - **Best season:** April – October — more pleasant in dry weather - **Address:** Strada Dealul Cricăului, Cricău, Alba County - **Coordinates:** 46.17425, 23.56567 - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_reformat%C4%83_din_Cric%C4%83u - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18537430 - **Categories:** [Monasteries and churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/manastiri-si-biserici), [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii) ## About Cricău Fortified Reformed Church The church at Cricău, ~17 km from Alba Iulia, is one of the oldest places of worship built by the Saxon settlers in Transylvania. It was raised in the 13th century in the Romanesque style as a Roman Catholic church, later passed to the Lutherans, and today belongs to the Reformed (Calvinist) community. Two Gothic portals show that it was reworked in the late 15th or early 16th century. In the 16th century the tower became a keep and the nave was raised to the third floor and turned into a defensive position; around it rose an oval enclosure of rubble stone, ~64 m by ~55 m. The wall, today 1–3 m high, preserves traces of two bastions. The complex was restored in 1966–1967, and bricks brought from the Dacian fortress at Piatra Craivii, stamped by a Roman legion, were used for the floor of the sanctuary. ### What you can see From the outside you notice the semicircular apse with narrow round-arched windows, the massive tower with its pointed roof and the surrounding enclosure wall. Inside, research carried out in 2011 identified three layers of wall painting, from the 13th–14th centuries: a Last Judgment on the north wall, Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child, and fragments of the Last Supper and Christ before Pilate. The Legend of Saint Ladislaus, on the south wall of the nave and dated to the second half of the 13th century, is considered the oldest known depiction of it in Transylvania. ### Good to know On the west side of the enclosure stands the Csáky Mansion (also known as the Bürger Mansion), from the 18th century. The parish does not publish visiting hours; access to the interior can be arranged with the Reformed parish. ## Don't miss - The semicircular Romanesque apse and the keep-like tower with its pointed roof. - The fresco fragments of the 13th–14th centuries, including the Last Judgment and the Last Supper. - The Legend of Saint Ladislaus on the south wall, the oldest known depiction in Transylvania. - The oval enclosure wall, with traces of two bastions. - The sanctuary floor, laid with Roman bricks brought from Piatra Craivii. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** from Alba Iulia (~17 km) take the road towards Zlatna; after the railway crossing at Șard turn right onto the DJ107H, which leads straight to Cricău. The church stands in the village, on the hill at Strada Dealul Cricăului. **Public transport:** there is no verified service; the nearest major town is Alba Iulia. ### Where to park There is no known organised car park; leave the car in the village, on the road next to the enclosure. ### Rules The church remains a working place of worship: modest dress (shoulders and knees covered), quiet inside, discreet photography. Access to the interior is arranged with the parish. ### Facilities no known public facilities · accommodation at the nearby manor house and at Ighiu, ~6 km away ## Details - **Construction period:** 13th century - **Founder:** the Saxons - **Denomination:** Reformed - **Architectural style:** Romanesque ## Frequently asked questions about Cricău Fortified Reformed Church **How long does a visit to Cricău Fortified Reformed Church take?** A visit to Cricău Fortified Reformed Church takes about 45 min (church and enclosure). **Can you visit Cricău Fortified Reformed Church with kids?** Yes, Cricău Fortified Reformed Church is suitable for children (open yard, low wall). **Where can I park at Cricău Fortified Reformed Church?** There is free parking at Cricău Fortified Reformed Church (on the lane next to the enclosure). There is no known organised car park; leave the car in the village, on the road next to the enclosure. **How do I get to Cricău Fortified Reformed Church?** Cricău Fortified Reformed Church is located at Strada Dealul Cricăului, Cricău, Alba County. By car: from Alba Iulia (~17 km) take the road towards Zlatna; after the railway crossing at Șard turn right onto the DJ107H, which leads straight to Cricău. The church stands in the village, on the hill at Strada Dealul Cricăului. Public transport: there is no verified service; the nearest major town is Alba Iulia. **When is the best time to visit Cricău Fortified Reformed Church?** The best season for Cricău Fortified Reformed Church: April – October (more pleasant in dry weather). ## Nearby attractions - [Ighiu Reformed Church Ensemble](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-reformata-ighiu) — Monasteries and churches · Ighiu, AB · 30 min · 7 km The Late Baroque Reformed church of Ighiu, set within the remains of a medieval enclosure whose gate tower now forms part of a house; the grave of the scholar Péter Bod lies in the churchyard. - [Șard Reformed Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-reformata-sard) — Monasteries and churches · Șard, AB · 30 min · 8 km A medieval fortified church inside an oval enclosure of river stone, with a ruined gate tower on the north side; built on the site of a Romanesque basilica of the 13th century. - [Ighiu Earth Fort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-ighiu) — Monuments and historic sites · Ighiu, AB · Free · ½ – 1 hours · 10 km A small Roman earth fort on the summit of Măgulici hill, at 492 m, with its rampart and ditch still visible and a view towards Alba Iulia, ancient Apulum, about 10 km away. - [Coronation Cathedral](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-incoronarii) — Monasteries and churches · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 45 min · Top 100 · 15 km The Orthodox cathedral inside Alba Carolina Fortress, built in 1921–1922 for the coronation of Ferdinand and Marie as king and queen of Greater Romania, with a 58 m bell tower and royal portraits in fresco. - [St Michael's Cathedral](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/catedrala-romano-catolica-sfantul-mihail) — Monasteries and churches · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 45 min · Top 100 · 15 km Romania's oldest and longest cathedral, Romanesque and Gothic, at the heart of the Alba Carolina Fortress; it holds the tomb of John Hunyadi and the first Renaissance chapel in Transylvania. - [Alba Carolina Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-alba-carolina) — Fortresses and fortifications · Alba Iulia, AB · Free · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 20 · 15 km Romania's largest bastion fortress, a seven-pointed star built by the Habsburgs in 1715–1738 at Alba Iulia; baroque gates, cathedrals, the Union Hall and a changing of the guard, all with free access. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-cricau Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/biserica-fortificata-cricau.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/biserica-fortificata-cricau.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/biserica-fortificata-cricau.md Last updated: 13 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania