The Transylvanian region is location in central Romania, ringed by the Carpathian mountains. It has a long and storied history having been settled and invaded many times by numerous different peoples over the course of the centuries. During the 12th century in particular, a large migration into the area by the Saxon (Germanic) people began when it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Saxons were tasked with defending Transylvania, and many of the current Transylvanian villages show those Saxon influences. Large fortified churches are prominent in almost every village as well as architecture that would be familiar to anyone from central Europe. Most of the Saxon population eventually emigrated away - particularly at the end of communist rule in Romania, but their influence still runs deep in the area. In many ways it is also considered "the land that time forgot" with very little heavy industry and agriculture that is common throughout the rest of the continent, with the locals still maintaining farming practices that have been unchanged for centuries.