Among the Saxon villages worth visiting in the heart of the Tarnava Valley between Sibiu and Sighisoara, don’t miss Biertan with its fortified church (1493-1522) behind imposing ramparts. It is one of Romania’s last Gothic hall-churches (nave and aisles of the same dimensions) and has a remarkable 16C altar comprising 28 panels showing clear German influence. In 1993, it became a Unesco World Heritage site.