During Roman times, a Roman fortress named “Media” stood on the site of today’s city. Later, in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Hungarian kings settled German and Western European settlers—known as the Transylvanian Saxons—in this area of Media.

The town is located in the Kokel Valley, in the Carpathian Foothills, and is surrounded by numerous mountains. It is bordered to the north by the steep slopes of the Galchberg, the Hunsrück, and the Keppenberg, and to the south by the Busder Plateau, the Hasengarten, the Vogelstange, the Hirschberg, the Kreuzberg, and the Stempelwald. The market square of Medias lies at an elevation of 305 meters above sea level; the highest point in Medias is the Weberln Mountain at 555 meters.

Medias was settled in the mid-13th century by Transylvanian Saxon settlers from the “Altland” region of the Sibiu Province through inland colonization. It was first mentioned in a document in 1267. The name Medias may derive from the Latin per medias via (roughly meaning “at the crossroads”). However, it could just as easily refer to the center of historic Transylvania, which Mediasch roughly marks. Another explanation is that the place name was adopted from a pre-existing Székely settlement called Medyes. The name is said to refer to the tree cover in the area and means “sour cherry” (Modern Hungarian: Meggy), from which the current name is believed to have evolved over time through sound shifts.

In the earliest documented references, the name appears as Mediesy (1267) or Terra Meddies (1289), among others. Later, the German name Medwisch also appears (on the Honterus map from 1532).

Visit Mediasch and explore its historic buildings and rich history, including St. Margaret’s Church, the Trumpeter’s Tower, the historic old town with its defensive walls, the City Museum, and the fortified church. Stroll through the historic alleys or take a trip to nearby Sighisoara or the village of Biertan and its fortified church.