Jimbor Fortress

If the ruins we see today on Jimbor Hill could speak, they would surely tell us the story of a beautiful Saxon fortress, with an important role in the lives of the locals. It served as a refuge in times of hardship, but also as a place of joyous celebration on festive days.

Jimbor Fortress was built from stone, occupying a small area. The enclosing wall has the shape of an irregular pentagon. The fortification included a bastion, a gatehouse, and a quadrilateral tower, where the bell was located, alerting villagers in case of danger.

An old inscription records the restoration of 1692, following the invasion of the Tatars who came to aid Prince Emeric Thököly in the fight against the Habsburgs. 

What impresses even after centuries of existence is the architectural value of the medieval construction, a silent witness to the former village community.

Brief historical insight

The exact construction date of Jimbor Fortress is unknown. In 1877, Rozsondai József, the former village priest, wrote that the fortress of Jimbor was built at the same time as the fortress of Rupea and the fortified churches in other neighboring villages, in the second half of the 13th century. However, some authors date the fortification to the 15th or 16th centuries. 

A landmark for the fortress's chronology is represented by the inscription found on the door lintel, where the year of its restoration and the initials of the builders are engraved. The first two characters, in runic script (translated as EGY), are followed by Latin letters: SJ 1692 HJ. MM PL.

Architectural features

The oldest part of the fortification is represented by the bastion located in the southwest corner of the enclosing wall. It has a rectangular shape and consists of three levels. Each level once had two rooms. The entrance was from the inner courtyard. The staircase leading to the upper levels, arched over the entrances from the ground floor and basement, is no longer visible today. 

Until the 1940s, locals stored their lard in the fortress bastion, according to an old custom known in all Saxon villages in the Burzenland.

Unique Experiences

If you have arrived in these beautiful lands, you must be prepared to stay for a few days. There is much to see! 

To begin with, you can explore the wonderful creations of nature: the Extinct Volcano, the Emerald Lake, the Basalt Columns at Racoș, or the Mud Volcanoes at Băile Homorod. In the village of Mercheașa, you will meet the Ancient Oak, the winner of the "Oldest Tree in Romania" contest held in 2009. 

You can then opt for an excursion into the history of the place by visiting Rupea Fortress and the fortified Evangelical churches in Rupea, Homorod, Mercheașa, and Jimbor.