Cetatea de Baltă

Cetatea de Baltă lies in the valley of the Târnava Mică in central Transylvania. Its medieval castle gave its name to an estate encompassing many settlements between the two Târnava rivers. In the late fifteenth century the Hungarian crown granted the stronghold to Stephen the Great of Moldavia, whose position beyond the Carpathians made his allegiance valuable to the king. Vladislaus II confirmed Stephen's possession in 1492. Moldavian emblems found in neighbouring villages recall the links between this Transylvanian estate and the princes who held it across the mountains.