# Hosman Fortified Church [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Transylvania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/transilvania) › [Sibiu County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/sibiu) › [Hosman](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/hosman) > A 13th-century Romanesque church with a richly carved portal, enclosed by a double ring of walls in the Hârtibaciu valley, with the Făgăraș Mountains behind. **At a glance:** Churches in Hosman, Sibiu County. The visit takes 45 min. Information verified on 10 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** Neither the parish nor the local association publishes opening hours. The Sibiu County tourism page lists Monday–Sunday 10:00–16:00, but the administrator has not confirmed this. The church holds services mostly in summer; phone the number below before you go to check that someone will open it for you. - **Visit duration:** 45 min — estimate, with the tower and the yard - **With kids:** Yes — large yard, quiz for children - **Best season:** All year round — safest in summer, when services are held - **Address:** in the centre of the village, on the DC45, Hosman, Sibiu County - **Coordinates:** 45.83134, 24.42671 - **Phone:** +40 769 668 634 - **Website:** https://kirchenburgen.org/location/holzmengen-hosman/ - **Wikipedia:** https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_fortificat%C4%83_din_Hosman - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18537973 - **Categories:** [Churches](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/churches), [Fortresses and fortifications](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/fortresses-and-fortifications) ## About Hosman Fortified Church Hosman (Holzmengen in German) lies in the Hârtibaciu valley, and the church tower can be seen from far away, with the Făgăraș ridges behind it. The Lutheran church was built around 1270 as a Romanesque basilica with three naves. What survives is the west portal, with numerous carved friezes, and the piers with arcades that once separated the main nave from the side aisles. Around 1500 the bell tower was raised and given a wall-walk on corbels, and the side aisles were taken down. In the 15th century the Saxons surrounded the church with two defensive walls linked by a gate tower. The walls, 7–8 metres high, still keep traces of the wall-walk and firing slits. After most of the Saxons left in the 1990s, the complex was looked after by the Fortified Churches Foundation, by the community of those who left (HOG Holzmengen) and by the CEPIT association, with the help of volunteers. ### What you can see The west portal is the main reason to visit: capitals with fabulous animals, human faces and biblical figures, close in style to the portals at Avrig, Săcădate and Toarcla. High on the west face of the tower is a relief with two figures, read either as the Baptism of Jesus or as Adam and Eve. You can pass under the gate tower, with its timber portcullis (a "hersă"), and look at the whole complex from the yard between the walls. Inside are the Neoclassical altar, the pulpit and the organ of 1808, built by Samuel Maetz, who was born in Hosman. ### Good to know In 2025 work was under way to dry out and repair the inner wall of the church, and further repairs (roof, windows, towers) are planned. Hosman also has a restored mill and a cultural barn run by the Hosman Durabil association, but they are not connected with visiting the church. ## Don't miss - The Romanesque west portal, with capitals showing fabulous animals, human faces and apostles. - The relief in the tower with two figures: the Baptism of Jesus or Adam and Eve. - The double ring of walls with the gate tower and its timber portcullis. - The view of the village with the Făgăraș Mountains behind, one of the most photographed scenes in Transylvania. - The 1808 organ by Samuel Maetz, restored in 2019. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** Hosman belongs to Nocrich commune and is ~31 km from Sibiu (~35 minutes) and ~72 km from Sighișoara (~1 hour 20 minutes). The church is in the centre of the village, on the DC45. **Public transport:** no public transport to Hosman is confirmed; driving is the safest option. ### Where to park Sibiu County's tourism page lists parking for cars and coaches near the church; charges are not published. ### Fees & discounts There are no published admission prices. ### Rules The church is still in use for worship: dress modestly, keep your voice down and respect services and the Saxon cemetery. The walls and towers are old and not fitted out for visitors, so take care on the steps and do not climb the walls. ### Facilities toilets · tourist information · accommodation and camping in the parish house (CEPIT youth centre, 25 places) · stopping place for groups ## Details - **Construction period:** 13th–15th centuries - **Founder:** the Saxon community - **Denomination:** Evangelical - **Architectural style:** Romanesque ## Frequently asked questions about Hosman Fortified Church **How long does a visit to Hosman Fortified Church take?** A visit to Hosman Fortified Church takes about 45 min (estimate, with the tower and the yard). **Can you visit Hosman Fortified Church with kids?** Yes, Hosman Fortified Church is suitable for children (large yard, quiz for children). **How do I get to Hosman Fortified Church?** Hosman Fortified Church is located at in the centre of the village, on the DC45, Hosman, Sibiu County. More under “Getting there”. **When is the best time to visit Hosman Fortified Church?** The best season for Hosman Fortified Church: All year round (safest in summer, when services are held). ## Nearby attractions - [Cârța Cistercian Abbey](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/carta-cistercian-abbey) — Monasteries · Cârța, SB · ½ – 1 hours · 15 km The ruins of the only surviving Cistercian abbey in Romania, built around 1200 in the Early Gothic style, with its choir now serving as an Evangelical church. - [Brukenthal Summer Palace in Avrig](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/brukenthal-summer-palace-in-avrig) — Castles and palaces · Avrig, SB · 1 – 1½ hours · 16 km The summer residence of Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, governor of Transylvania, built in the Baroque style on a terrace above the Olt, with its Baroque garden, orangery and a small exhibition in the palace rooms. - [Panoramic Park Viking Village](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/panoramic-park-viking-village) — Parks and gardens · Avrig, SB · 35 lei · 1½ – 2 hours · 17 km Viking-inspired theme village in the Avrig Valley, with a Nordic house, weaving workshop, forge, stories, bird farm and playgrounds for a family outing. - [Clay Castle of Fairy Valley (Castelul de Lut Valea Zânelor)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/clay-castle-of-fairy-valley) — Castles and palaces · Porumbacu de Sus, SB · 1 – 1½ hours · 21 km A fairy-tale building of clay, sand, straw, wood and river stone, raised between 2014 and 2017 at the foot of the Făgăraș Mountains. Today it is a restaurant and guesthouse: you enter with a reservation, not a sightseeing ticket. - [Brambura Park](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/brambura-park) — Parks and gardens · Avrig, SB · 15 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · 22 km A family theme park in the Avrig Valley, home to the Upside-Down House, a 200 sq m tilted house built upside down, plus a mini zoo, tubing and playgrounds. - [Steam Locomotives Museum](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/steam-locomotives-museum) — Museums and memorial houses · Sibiu, SB · 45 min · 27 km An open-air museum inside the CFR depot in Sibiu, opened in 1994: dozens of steam locomotives from 1885 to the 1950s, mainline and narrow-gauge, plus snow ploughs and cranes. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/hosman-fortified-church Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/biserica-fortificata-din-hosman.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/kirchenburg-von-hosman.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/chiesa-fortificata-di-hosman.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/eglise-fortifiee-de-hosman.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/iglesia-fortificada-de-hosman.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/holcmanyi-erodtemplom.md Last updated: 10 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania