Bystrzyca is a city located in the Carpathians, between the Kelimeńskie and Roniańskie Mountains. It has a beautifully preserved historic center with a gothic evangelical church and remains of the city walls.
The city was founded in the 13th century by German settlers. For several centuries it developed as a commercial center and aspired to be the most important in the entire region. Its importance declined after a series of Turkish and Tatar invasions, after which it remains a provincial, but picturesque center with numerous interesting monuments.
The Evangelical Church is one of the most important attractions of Bystrzyca. It was erected in the 14th century, but it obtained its present shape during the renaissance reconstruction at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. It boasts a 75-meter-high tower-belfry, which is one of the tallest in Romania.
Many Gothic and Renaissance merchant houses have been preserved in Bystrzyca and now regain their former splendor as a result of renovations. They include Casa Argintarului, that is, the House of the Goldsmith, and the urban complex "Șirul Sugălete" consisting of several arcaded buildings with decorated facades. The Bednarzy Tower is a remnant of the old fortifications of Bystrzyca.
