Exploring Romania: From May 24 through July 5, we visited the historic towns of Transylvania: Cluj-Napoca, Sighişoara, Sibiu, Brasov, and Sinaia. After a week in Bucharest, Romania’s capital city, we returned to Transylvania for a longer visit in Sibiu.
The train ride from Sighişoara to Sibiu was interesting. The train was quite old, rather dirty, and sweltering hot with no air conditioning or ventilation. And it was a slow ride with lots of stops in tiny villages along the way. When we finally arrived, it was a fifteen-minute walk that seemed much longer due to the heat and to an uphill climb along with our luggage.
Great Location: But we were very pleased when settling into our accommodation, a cozy Air BnB that was fine for our short stay. Best of all it was located right off the Piata Mare (the Large Square) which is the center of everything in Sibiu.
We quickly learned to love Sibiu, which is quite a contrast to the preserved hilltop fortress of Sighişoara. Sections of the old city walls, along with a few towers, are well-preserved along Cetatii Street. Most notable is The Goldsmith’s Tower from the 13th century. The architecture here is lovely, but most of it reflects the 18th and 19th centuries more than its medieval times. While it’s rich in history, Sibiu is quite a vibrant, cultural center. As we walked the squares and streets, we could easily see why it was named a European Capital of Culture in 2007.
Sibiu is also known as “The City with Eyes” due to its unusual architecture, with roofs that feature “eyes,” looking out over the town. You’ll see them in the pictures.
In medieval days, Sibiu was named Hermannstadt. To appreciate that name, it’s time to learn about the Transylvania Saxons and the Siebenbürger Sachsen, the Seven Saxon Cities.
Beginning in the twelfth century, nobles and workmen from western Europe, from areas that are today in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, were invited by the King of Hungary to build and live in Transylvania. Since these “Saxons” were good businessman, craftsmen, miners and builders, the rulers wanted them to develop a rich and dynamic economy and to build fortresses to protect this eastern area through which enemies would attack.
Sibiu, then named Hermannstadt, was one of largest and wealthiest of the Siebenbürger Sachsen, the seven walled and fortified cities in Transylvania. The others were Bistrița: Nösen/Bistritz, Cluj-Napoca: Klausenburg, Brașov: Kronstadt, Mediaș: Mediasch, Sebeș: Mühlbach, and Sighișoara: Schässburg/Schäßburg. These weren’t the only walled towns built by the Transylvania Saxons. Other fortified towns include Orăștie, Reghin, Cisnădie, Râșnov, and Rupea. In many smaller settlements, there was no walled town, but there was always a church. So Transylvania today also features many “Fortified Churches.” When under attack, villagers could at least retreat into a strongly built, walled church for their defense. In Brasov we also learned that the walled town was for the Transylvania Saxons, not for the native Romanians who had to live outside the walls.
The Squares: Sibiu’s Large Square really is huge, and often the site for festivals and gatherings. It’s surrounded, of course, by restaurants and shops, the TI, and the Town Hall with its clock on the Council Tower. Just off the Large Square is the Small Square, and just off that is the Piata Huet, another square that features the lovely Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary. Also off the Large Square is the Nikolae Balcescu Street, a beautiful cobblestoned pedestrian walkway featuring cafes, bakeries, outdoor restaurants and boutique shopping.
Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary: This beautiful church sits high above the lower town. With its white walls and tall steeple, it’s visible from afar, and its tower offers a better view than even the Council Tower in the main square. While Sara climbed the first few flights of stairs, I climbed the rest to get the great shots over the city. Two of the organists were setting up and playing a bit while we visited – so very nice.
The Bridge of Lies: A great name generates a great many legends. Just so the “Bridge of Lies” has inspired several. Is this where merchants lied about their wares? Where young men pledged love that never lasted or young women vowed their virginity? Who knows? In any case, it’s a lovely spot to take a few pictures.
The Stairs Passageway: This is another great photo opportunity on a passage leading from the upper to the lower town. So many buildings and walls in Sibiu recall the history of centuries ago. They make for lovely, and evocative photos.
The Brukenthal National Museum: Samuel von Brukenthal (1721-1803), once the Governor of Transylvania, left his palace in Sibiu right on the main square, and his extensive art collection, to found what is now the National Museum. A statue of Brukenthal sits in front of the palace today.
“ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization” sits in a forested area about 3km south of Sibiu. One day we took a taxi there to explore this unusual outdoor museum. It’s a huge, open-air museum covering nearly one square kilometer. It features more than 300 buildings: traditional Romanian houses of bygone times, barns, workshops, chapels, even windmills. All are historical buildings, not re-creations, brought here from different regions of Romania, and thoughtfully placed in this natural setting. It was fascinating to walk the beautifully kept paths and to see so clearly preserved how people lived here hundreds of years ago.
Wine Not: We found a recommended wine store with this clever name, “Wine Not.” It proved to be a pleasant stop with very helpful staff and a great variety of Romanian wines. We met a couple of American women there – Cheryl and Val — who like us thought “Wine Not.” Val was already so in love with Sibiu that she planned to purchase a building and relocate here from her home in Arizona. Sara and I enjoyed sampling great Romanian wines and visiting with Cheryl and Vall. In fact, we arranged to meet them again for a second evening at Wine Not. Well, Why Not? By the way: Romanian wines are very good.
Our few days in Sibiu passed much too quickly. We really enjoyed this town and agreed that we would love to return to spend more time here. But now, it’s time to move on. So “On to Brasov.”
