Medium‐sized heterocycles (8‐membered to 10‐membered) are prevalently found in organic chemistry as key intermediates in the synthesis of more complex structures or as core structures in natural products or pharmaceutically important compounds. At present, the production of such rings remains a challenge in organic synthesis. During the past decade, an increasing amount of interest has focused on the generation of cyclic lactones and peptides, as well as on hairpins and β‐turn mimics, and such medium‐sized rings were thought to represent suitable fragments. Furthermore, heterocyclic structures of this type are a characteristic of a range of complex natural products, and total synthesis of these is a broad field for organic chemists to test new strategies and to develop new methods. The aim of this review is to discus some modern strategies for synthesizing unsaturated 8‐ to 10‐membered heterocycles, with the scope restricted to the production of ring systems incorporating a N, O, and S function in combination with (E)‐olefins. The planar‐chiral properties thus induced have been exploited for further stereoselective and regioselective reactions. Although a number of conversions has described only the generation of simple structures without complicated stereogenic properties, most of them seem to offer undiscovered potential in terms of stereoselective syntheses. However, the emphasis of the methods is focused on stereoselective processes. The review is subdivided into two major chapters: ring‐closure and ring‐enlargement reactions, and additional information is given on cycloadditions and fragmentations.