Wooden Churches of Maramureş

These eight churches are outstanding examples of a range of architectural solutions from different periods and areas. They show the variety of designs and craftsmanship adopted in these narrow, high, timber constructions with their characteristic tall, slim clock towers at the western end of the building, either single- or double-roofed and covered by shingles. As such, they are a particular vernacular expression of the cultural landscape of this mountainous area of northern Romania.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/904

The Wooden Churches of Maramures are a selection of eight examples of traditional wooden architecture. They were (re)built in the 18th and 19th centuries, after the last great Tatar invasions ended in 1717. 

They are a response to a Hungarian prohibition against stone Orthodox churches. The churches are made of thick logs, are quite small and dark inside, and painted with rather 'naïve' Biblical scenes. The most characteristic features are the tall tower above the entrance and the massive roof that seems to dwarf the main body of the church.

The 8 churches included are located in:

- Barsana

- Budesti

- Desesti

- Ieud Deal

- Plopis

- Poienile Izei

- Rogos

- Surdesti 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site.php?id=904

Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania

These Transylvanian villages with their fortified churches provide a vivid picture of the cultural landscape of southern Transylvania. The seven villages inscribed, founded by the Transylvanian Saxons, are characterized by a specific land-use system, settlement pattern and organization of the family farmstead that have been preserved since the late Middle Ages. They are dominated by their fortified churches, which illustrate building styles from the 13th to the 16th century.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/596

The Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania are examples of defensive vernacular architecture made by Saxon settlers. They date from the 13th to the 16th century. Transylvanian villages were often organised around a fortified church, to protect them from invading Mongols and Turks. 

The following six former Saxon and one Székely villages comprise this WHS: 

- Biertan

- Câlnic

- Dârjiu

- Prejmer

- Saschiz (on the postcard)

- Valea Viilor

- Viscri 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/transylvania.html

Historic Centre of Sighişoara

Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighişoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/902

The Historic Centre of Sighisoara is a well preserved small medieval city built by Saxon settlers. It was strategically placed on a hill, City Hill, as protection against Tatars and other invaders from the steppes in the East.

The city played an important commercial role due to its guilds of craftsmen and its position on the trade routes between Central Europe and the Ottoman Empire. It is estimated that during the 16th and the 17th centuries Sighisoara had as many as 15 guilds and 20 handicraft branches.

Both the Upper Town (Citadel) and Lower Town are included. The Citadel is surrounded by a wall with watchtowers, of which 9 out of the original 14 are still standing. A Clock Tower guards the stairway that connects the Lower with the Upper Town. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/sighisoara.html

Danube Delta

The waters of the Danube, which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas. The Danube delta hosts over 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/588

The Danube Delta is the largest continuous marshland in Europe and a critical site for bird conservation. 

The Delta is on the flyway between central and eastern Europe and the

Mediterranean and Middle East and Africa. It is also the major site for two threatened species, the pygmy cormorant and the red-breasted goose.

The area consists of a low alluvial plain, mostly covered by wetlands and water. There is an intricate pattern of marshes, channels, streamlets and lakes. 

At inscription, IUCN suggested that the site should be extended with the Ukrainian part of the Delta (the Dunay Ramsar site). 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/danube.html