# Codlea Fortified Church [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Brașov County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/brasov) › [Codlea](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/codlea) > A 15th-century Gothic hall church in the middle of an oval 85 m enclosure, with a keep-like bell tower, a 1702 coffered ceiling of 252 painted panels and an 18th-century organ. **At a glance:** Churches in Codlea, Brașov County. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 24 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Visit duration:** 45 min — the church and a walk round the wall - **With kids:** Yes — wide yard inside the enclosure - **Best season:** All year round — the wall can be seen from the square all year - **Address:** Strada Lungă, Piața Centrală, Codlea, Brașov County - **Coordinates:** 45.69989, 25.44614 - **Phone:** +40 268 251 853 - **Website:** https://kirchenburgen.org/location/zeiden-codlea/ - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_fortificat%C4%83_din_Codlea - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18537967 - **Categories:** [Churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserici), [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetati-si-fortificatii) ## About Codlea Fortified Church In Codlea's central square, a tall bell tower with a pointed spire rises above a stone wall pierced with loopholes. The Evangelical church stands in the middle of an oval enclosure some 85 m across at its widest, built by the Saxons, who called the town Zeiden. From the first church, of the 13th century, the west portal survives, with three stepped recesses and capitals carved with palmettes and human figures; in the 15th century it was rebuilt as a Gothic hall church, with a polygonal choir and a vault with brick ribs in a net pattern. The wall, 8–10 m high and up to 2 m thick, with loopholes and machicolations under the crest, was raised after 1420, following the first Ottoman raids. In 1612 the fortress was taken by the troops of Gabriel Báthory, and the people of Zeiden won it back through the cunning of Thomas Göbel, who is said to have put the guards to sleep with wine mixed with sleeping powder. The bell tower, a massive keep whose walls grew to 5 m thick over several building phases, was given its present Neo-Gothic look in 1892. Between 2017 and 2023 the complex was repaired and restored with European funds. ### What you can see Inside, the eye goes to the **coffered ceiling** of 1702, with 252 painted panels showing variations on Luther's rose. The organ, completed in the 18th century by the master Prause from Silesia, is regarded as one of the most valuable in Transylvania; the Neo-Gothic altar, of 1904, is the work of Johannes Bartel of Brașov, and the pulpit bears the year 1841. In the yard you can see the enclosure wall, with three of its original five towers still standing, and the provision stores along its inner face. Attached to the bell tower, the former town hall of 1828–1830 houses the Museum of Traditions and Administration. ### Good to know The church is a place of worship in use, and visits may be restricted during services. Do not confuse it with the ruins of the Black Fortress (Schwarzburg) on Măgura Codlei. In the Burzenland there are also the fortified church in [Cristian](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cristian) and [Râșnov Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-rasnov). ## Don't miss - The coffered ceiling of 1702, with 252 painted panels. - The 18th-century organ by the master Prause from Silesia. - The keep-like bell tower, with walls up to 5 m thick and a Neo-Gothic spire of 1892. - The Romanesque west portal, with three stepped recesses and capitals with palmettes and figures. - The 8–10 m enclosure wall, with loopholes and the provision stores on its inner side. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** from Brașov take the DN1 (E68) towards Făgăraș and Sibiu; Codlea is ~15 km away (~20 minutes) and the church stands in the town centre, in the Central Square. **Public transport:** Codlea is linked to Brașov by the regional trains Brașov–Făgăraș and by buses; the journey takes ~20 minutes. ### Rules Visits may be restricted during services; inside the church, dress and keep quiet as is appropriate in a place of worship. ## Details - **Construction period:** 13th–15th centuries - **State of preservation:** good - **Denomination:** Evangelical - **Architectural style:** Gothic ## Frequently asked questions about Codlea Fortified Church **How long does a visit to Codlea Fortified Church take?** A visit to Codlea Fortified Church takes about 45 min (the church and a walk round the wall). **Can you visit Codlea Fortified Church with kids?** Yes, Codlea Fortified Church is suitable for children (wide yard inside the enclosure). **How do I get to Codlea Fortified Church?** Codlea Fortified Church is located at Strada Lungă, Piața Centrală, Codlea, Brașov County. By car: from Brașov take the DN1 (E68) towards Făgăraș and Sibiu; Codlea is ~15 km away (~20 minutes) and the church stands in the town centre, in the Central Square. Public transport: Codlea is linked to Brașov by the regional trains Brașov–Făgăraș and by buses; the journey takes ~20 minutes. **When is the best time to visit Codlea Fortified Church?** The best season for Codlea Fortified Church: All year round (the wall can be seen from the square all year). ## Nearby attractions - [Ghimbav Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-ghimbav) — Churches · Ghimbav, BV · 30 min · 8 km A Gothic Lutheran church of the 15th century, 8 km from Brașov, enclosed in a fortress with a defensive wall, massive towers and floral painting from 1902 on its interior walls. - [Cristian Fortified Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-cristian) — Churches · Cristian, BV · 11 km A Saxon church fortress in the Burzenland, near Brașov: a 19th-century Neoclassical church ringed by a double medieval wall with eight surviving defensive towers. - [Cumidava Roman Fort](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/castrul-roman-cumidava) — Monuments and historic sites · Râșnov, BV · 30 min · UNESCO World Heritage · 12 km The auxiliary fort that guarded the way out of the Bran Pass into the Bârsa Land, north-west of Râșnov: a square of earth banks in the middle of the fields, part of the UNESCO site of the Dacian limes. - [St Bartholomew's Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-sfantul-bartolomeu-brasov) — Churches · Brașov, BV · 30 min · 14 km A 13th-century Saxon church in the Bartolomeu district, surrounded by a medieval enclosure wall, with a Saxon cemetery and a sundial on its south wall. - [Râșnov Fortress](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cetatea-rasnov) — Fortresses and fortifications · Râșnov, BV · 10 lei · Top 100 · 16 km A medieval peasant fortress on a rocky hill above Râșnov, looking out to the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains; the upper enclosure is under restoration, but the Fortress Garden and Báthory Tower are open. - [Solomon's Rocks](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pietrele-lui-solomon) — Parks and gardens · Brașov, BV · Free · 1 – 1½ hours · 16 km A group of limestone crags at the end of the Șchei district of Brașov, on the Valea cu Apă valley, with a picnic area, small cascades and a forest road towards Poiana Brașov. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/biserica-fortificata-din-codlea.md Last updated: 24 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania