The small village of Viscri is typical of countless small villages and cities across Romania: picturesque with an air of “almost unchanged.” Viscri is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site that benefits from its proximity to Bucharest. Many of the village houses have become vacation homes; perhaps the most distinguished is a blue stuccoed house belonging to HRH the Prince of Wales. We were able to put our heads inside the door and have a look at the renovations. Village residents say Prince Charles is an easy going person. Viscri is one of the Saxon villages, although only two or three Saxons remain in the village. After World War II Germans were punished, exiled, deported; an effort is underway to welcome Germans back to family homes. Above Viscri is one of the fortified churches. The walled complex has a small church at its center; surrounding the church are store rooms and lodging for villagers who fled to the fortress when the village was under attack. I found the church in Viscri to be one of the more interesting smaller fortress churches.
