Sighisoara Information

 

The Clock Tower (Turnul cu ceas), one of the symbols of Sighişoara, guards the main entrance in the citadel. It is the only tower which did not belong to the craft guilds and hosted, in the course of time, the town council, the courthouse, and later the prison and an arms dump. Inside the tower you can visit the History Museum, the Torture Chamber in the building’s underground and a small museum of medieval weapons.

 

Stroll through the Citadel Square (Piaţa Cetăţii), the civic and commercial centre of the community, the spot where the trials and public executions used to take place in the past. We recommend you to spend your afternoon here, in the lively atmosphere of the open air cafes.

 

The Citadel Square (Piaţa Cetăţii) and the Museum Square (Piaţa Muzeului) are bordered by houses which present an interesting architecture, such as the Venetian House (Casa Veneţiană) with its Gothic windows, the Stag House (Casa cu Cerb), which belonged to one of the mayors of Sighişoara, Duldner House (Casa Duldner) and Vlad Dracul House (Casa Vlad Dracul), the place where Vlad Ţepeş, also known as Count Dracula, was born in 1431.

 

The Church on the Hill (Biserica de pe deal) and the Church of the Dominican Monastery (Biserica Mânăstirii Dominicane) are the most important religious monuments in Sighişoara. Here you can attend organ recitals, held every Thursday at the Church of the Dominican Monastery and admire the murals of the Church on the Hill.

 

If you want to see a curiosity of Sighişoara, walk to the end of the School Street (Strada Şcolii) to see the Scholars’ Stair (Scara Şcolarilor). This staircase, consisting of 175 steps, was built in 1642 in order to ease pupils’ access to the school on the Citadel Hill’s upper plateau.

 

If you go to the Lower Town, outside the medieval citadel, you can have a lovely dinner in Hermann Oberth Square (Piaţa Hermann Oberth), where you will find cafes, pubs and restaurants full of tourists.

 

Participate in the Medieval Art Festival (Festivalul Artei Medievale), held in the last weekend of July, which transforms Sighişoara in an outdoor stage. You will be surprised by the medieval atmosphere, by the vintage costumes’ parade, but also by the cultural manifestations organized on this occasion.

 

 

The Saxon fortified church and citadel in Saschiz offers a complex image of the Transylvanian architecture. If you travel on the national road between Sighişoara and Braşov, stop at Saschiz, located 21km from Sighişoara. The church was built in the 15th century in Gothic style. On the hill which borders the village, you can also find one of the few preserved Saxon citadels.

 

Bethlen Castle in Criş is one of the most beautiful medieval castles in Romania. You can reach it on the national road which links Sighişoara and Mediaş, 9km from Sighişoara. When it was built, the castle included modern baths, a kitchen, a wine cellar, a chapel and even a sauna. The castle is now being renovated in order to be transformed in a museum and a hotel.

 

After the halt at Bethlen Castle in Criş, continue for 6km more, until you reach Mălâncrav. Here you will discover the Mălâncrav Church, considered to be Transylvania’s "Sistine Chapel", because of the outstanding murals displayed inside the church. These frescoes, describing scenes of the Old and New Testament, were realized around 1350. 

 

 

 

Photos: © MyDestinationRomania Team (1 - Clock Tower; 2, 3 - Citadel Square; 6 - medieval costumes)

Photos: © Dragoş Asaftei (4 - Scholars' Stairs; 5 - Medieval Art Festival)