Its name seems to have come from the Slavic word sol and appears in 1311 as Salchelk.

The church
The church, dedicated to St Catherine, was first built in the 14th century and later modified in the 1500s. The lofts were added above the collateral naves in the 18th century and on this same occasion the three naves were incorporated under the one roof.



 The church is a massive building which is well preserved. An element of interest in the church is the beautiful bronze font made in 1477 by a craftsman known as Leonard of Sibiu which takes the shape of a challis.


The fortification
In the 14th century the fortifications were surrounded by an earthen rampart with a row of pales. The gate tower was built in the same century and had three floors, to which two more were added in 1825.





The first eight-meter-high mantle wall, enclosing an oval precinct, was built in the 15th century. It had a defensive corridor supported by arcades and covered with a single-slope roof. On the north-west side there is a bastion with a similar roof.

The second mantle wall was built in the second half of the 16th century some 12-15 meters away from the first one. It included a wall passage supported by wooden brackets. A second gate tower stood on the spot where the school is now located. It had a drawbridge that could be lowered over the ditch that surrounded the walls.

You can find more information about this church and many others on this CD dedicated to the fortified churches in Transylvania.