Cisnădioara, Romania
Cisnădioara is a village located 2 km west of Cisnădie. Initially, it was listed as one of the ten possessions of the Cistercian abbey at Cârţa. The fortified church, built entirely of stone, was first referred to in a document dated November 20, 1223, which mentioned its donation to the abbey. The oldest Romanesque style church in Romania, it stands atop a 100-meter high hill, surrounded by circular fortifications, with a defensive turret above the entrance. Some of the original walls have been preserved to this day. The layout of the church, composed of a small basilica with three naves, as well as the decoration of the carved western entrance portal, dating from 1260, attest to the strong influence of Rhineland architecture.