About Slimnic Fortress
On Burgbasch Hill, which overlooks the village of Slimnic (Stolzenburg in German), ~18 km north of Sibiu, stand the ruins of a Saxon peasant fortress. For centuries it guarded the road between Sibiu and Mediaș on the northern edge of the Königsboden, and the villagers took refuge here in times of danger.
The oldest part is the Gothic chapel of the 14th century, over which the three-storey bell tower was raised. In the 15th century the fortress was enlarged and ringed by high brick walls laid out as two enclosures, and around 1450 the Saxons began a Gothic hall church in the middle of it, on a trapezoidal plan. Turkish invasions halted the work, the vaults were never built, and the villagers put their strength into strengthening the walls instead. The fortress was taken in 1529 by the troops of John Zápolya and retaken the same year, withstood a Turkish siege in 1658 and fell in 1706 to the Kuruc rebels, who set it on fire when they left and destroyed the southern enclosure. Tradition says it was built by one of a sorcerer's three daughters, who raised it alone in three weeks.
What you can see
From the village you climb the hill to the fortress gate. In the northern courtyard rises the bell tower with its tiled roof, restored in 1958–1959 together with part of the walls. The most striking sight is the ruin of the hall church: the south wall and the pointed arcades on two levels still stand, and on the west wall you can see the machicolations showing that the church roof, too, was meant to be fortified. The brick walls, braced by slender buttresses, enclose a wide grassy courtyard, and from the walls and the tower you can see the village and the surrounding hills.
Good to know
The ruins are centuries old and partly collapsed; watch your step and keep children close.
Information verified on 23 October 2026.
- The three-storey bell tower, raised over the Gothic chapel of the 14th century.
- The pointed arcades on two levels of the unfinished Gothic hall church.
- The machicolations in the west wall, a sign that the church roof was meant to be fortified.
- The wide courtyard between the walls and the view over the village and the surrounding hills.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: Slimnic lies on the DN14, the road between Sibiu and Mediaș, ~18 km north of Sibiu (~20–25 minutes). The fortress stands on a hill at the southern edge of the village, above it, and you climb up on foot.
- Rules
The ruins are visited at your own risk: high walls and collapsed sections, with no railings. Wear comfortable shoes and do not climb the walls.
- Facilities
open-air ruins · no access with pushchairs (climb up a hill)
Frequently asked questions about Slimnic Fortress
- How long does a visit to Slimnic Fortress take?
- A visit to Slimnic Fortress takes about 45 min (the ruins and the view).
- Can you visit Slimnic Fortress with kids?
- Yes, Slimnic Fortress is suitable for children (old, ruined walls).
- How do I get to Slimnic Fortress?
- Slimnic Fortress is located at On Burgbasch Hill, above the village of Slimnic, Slimnic, Sibiu County. By car: Slimnic lies on the DN14, the road between Sibiu and Mediaș, ~18 km north of Sibiu (~20–25 minutes). The fortress stands on a hill at the southern edge of the village, above it, and you climb up on foot.
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