Michelsberg Fortified Saxon Church, Stray Dogs and Sibiu Architecture

Jim and I got a late start today; needed to catch up on sleep. We drove just southeast of Sibiu to a village called Michelsberg (Cisnadie).

Drive to Michelsburg (Cisnadie)

 

 

Police Dog training center just outside of Sibiu!

 

When we arrived in the village we drove down a few streets before heading to the main square to park and hike up to the church.

Old Saxon Buildings in Michelsberg (Cisnadie)

 



 

 

Many stray dogs were around the village on this warm fall day. After the visit to the church we headed back to Sibiu through a couple of other nearby villages.

 

It is so heartbreaking to see these freshly born pups with no home. This little guy was quite lethargic, probably sick and will most likely not make it very long.

 

 

 

Michelsberg Fortified Saxon Church

 

Above the village on a hill is a fortified Saxon Evangelical Church that was built in 1080! The views are incredible from the church; including the snow capped Fagaras (Fog-Uh-Rosh) mountains just to the East. The church is an incredible building that can be seen for miles around and was a defensive structure when the Ottoman Turks would try to invade the area to conquer Europe. A large ringed stone wall with armament windows surrounds the structure. Inside are marble tablets of the World War I veterans who died in battle from the village. Many young men dies during the war fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Army just like my Great-Grandfather Stefan Fising did. After the visit to the church we headed back to Sibiu through a couple of other nearby villages.

Fagaras Mountains snow capped from all the recent snow and cold temeratures

 



The stairs that lead up to the church from the gate

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of the newer Saxon Evangelical Church from the trail.





Looking up to the fortified walls of the church

 



Entrance door and gateway to the church grounds

 

 

The Exterior of the church and grounds

 

 

The interior of the church

 

 

Stone tablets honoring village citizens and those that fell in World War I

 

A bride was there today taking her wedding photographs with her future husband

 

The fallen are listed as Musketeers, Infantry and Land Infantry

in the Austro-Hungarian Army.

 

The armament windows in the fortified church walls

 

 

View of Cisnadie from the church wall

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful flora on the church hill. They have a flower that resembles a Colorado Columbine!

It is hard to believe that there is still flowers growing since at night it has

dropped to 32 deg. farenheit (0 deg. Celsius)

 The Romanian Orthodox Church and the Saxon Evangelical Church in Heltau

on the way back to Sibiu

 

 

In Sibiu we had dinner at Crama Ileana, a fantastic restaurant with great ambiance and design. We will definitely be back to that restaurant! It is located in a old wine cellar of a building near the National Theater. It has tremendous woodwork inside and out!

 

 

Smoked pork and bean Transylvanian soup

 

Salate (Salad)

 

 
Beet and horseradish salad (I never thought that this combination would be good)...
It was great!!!

Fresh Bread

Sarmale (Stuffed cabbage with minced pork) and pork tenderloin

Rice with mushrooms and pork rib

 

After dinner we walked through the historic streets of Sibiu admiring the architecture and the design of the old buildings. We also walked along the old fortified wall of the city. There were three concentric defensive fortress walls in old Sibiu to again ward off attacks by the Ottoman Turks

 

Sibiu Franciscan Church from 1716 right across from our apartment

 

 

Defensive walls and monuments around Sibiu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sibiu Catholic Church in Piata Mare (Big Square)

 

 

 

Saxon Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sibiu in Piata Mare

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we were in Michelsberg I spent time with a friendly stray that reminded me of Wally the dog from two years ago that hung around my apartment. Sure it was not him, but on the way back to the apartment I swear that Wally ran right past me. He did not stop and was skiddish just like he was before. Last time I fed him sausage and he finally warmed up to me. Hopefully i will run in to him again?

Wally from last year in picture # 1 and new dog in picture # 2