Sighișoara

Sighisoara is located on the Tarnava River in Mures county, Romania . It is located in the historic region of Transylvania. German craftsmen and merchants, The Transylvanian Saxons, were invited here by the King of Hungary during the 12th century, to settle and defend the frontier. Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city and it has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Each year a Medieval Festival takes place in the old citadel in July. Sighisoara is a popular tourist destination due to its well preserved walled old town. The landmark of the city is The Clock Tower, a 64 meter high tower build in 1556. It is presently a Museum of History.

It's such a small town that you will have no problem in going around walking. If you need any suggestion there is a tourist information office inside the Café International and Family Center or the tourist information booth, both located in the main square Piata Cetatii; they will help you reaching the fortified churches in the surrounding. For more information see the Eat section.

Must to See

- Sighisoara Citadel - a 12th Century Saxon edifice, it is the historic center of the city. Still inhabited, the citadel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Inside the Citadel:

- Clock Tower ("Turnul cu Ceas")- Built in 1360 and standing at 60 meters tall atop the citadel hill. History museum inside, balcony with a great view on the top.
- Monastery Church ("Biserica Mânăstirii") - Lutheran church in late Gothic style, located next to the Clock Tower, built starting with 1291 by the Dominican Order
- Weapon Museum - next to Vlad's birthplace. Very small, but it contains an interesting selection of medieval weapons (swords, arrows, etc.).
- Covered Staircase ("Scara Şcolarilor") - an old stone staircase with a wooden roof along the whole span. This leads up to the Church on the Hill, the cemetery and the Joseph Haltrich High School (a.k.a. "School from the Hill").
- Church on the Hill ("Biserica din Deal")- Lutheran church in late Gothic style, contains many frescoes and a crypt. Close to the cemetery on the side of the hill, which contains many German tombstones.
- Vlad Dracul House ("Casa Vlad Dracul") - allegedly the place where Vlad Tepes "The Impaler" (a.k.a. "Draculea") was born.
- Bust of Vlad Tepes - located around the corner from his birthplace, within sight of the Clock Tower.

Outside the Citadel:

- Orthodox Cathedral - located across the Târnava river
- Corneşti Church ("Biserica din Corneşti") - oldest Orthodox church in town, built in 1797, located in the "Corneşti" neighbourhood
- Vila Franka - a restaurant on a hill surveying the Târnava valley, offers an outstanding panorama point. Can be reached by car or on foot (~1 hour walk/hike from the Citadel)

Things to do

Special events:

  - Sighişoara Medieval Festival: During the annual event, the town receives around ~30,000 tourists, doubling its population. Numerous cultural events take place during the 3 days of the festival - theatre, indoor and outdoor music concerts, handicraft demonstrations and exhibitions, painting, sculpture, seminars, film projections etc.
  - Pro Etnica - annual interethnic music and art festival, with indoor and outdoor performances (music, dance, film) of representatives of most ethnic groups living in Romania.
  - Sighişoara Blues Festival.

The town in itself is quite small, so one day to visit it is enough. In any case, you can consider staying more to visit the surroundings.

  - Hike or cycle up to the great Oak forest on the Breite plateau - a wonderful walk in nature.
  - A great picnic location is Vila Franka, on the hill to the south of the city directly opposite the clock tower (get your bearings from the lookout at the base before you set off). Grab some goodies from a local shop and walk up any road leading to that hill. Just keep going up and, eventually, the road will die out to grass which you can walk over (it's public land) towards the defunct communications tower on the hill. A seat up here will give you a grand view of Sighisoara and the villages beyond.
  - A day out on a bike which you can easily rent (1EUR/hr or 10EUR/day) involves heading south out of town to Soas, then on to Apold where you can see the fortified church. From Apold head left by the church towards Vulcan (signposted). The road becomes a stony track. After a few km, turn left following signs to Vulcan. At Vulcan, bear left over a tiny bridge and then onto a dirt track. Follow this uphill out of Vulcan. At the brow of the hill go straight across and down the valley to Sighisoara. Be aware that if it has rained in the last couple of days or is raining, the track from Vulcan to a few kilometres south of Sighisoara will be a quagmire. It is a very beautiful descent into Sighisoara though. Just be prepared for mud!
  - Visit the beautiful fortified churches in the surroundings:
        - The fortified church of Biertan has been nominated World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is about 30 km away from Sighisoara. There is no public transport going there, you can rent a car or ask somebody to plan the trip for you. Another choice is to go to Dumbraveni by train and continue hitchhiking. For more information, go to the Café International information office. Biertan is a small town that was built next to the church. There is nothing to see there but the church, though. On the way back you can consider stopping at Dumbraveni.
        - About 13km away due south is Apold with a fortified church. You can rent bikes and cycle here very easily or get an infrequent local bus. The church is locked and you'll need to request a key. Workers in the garden will let you in on request if there are any. The gate tower can be climbed for free for a great view over the village.

The best thing to do when you want to visit the surrounding villages and beautiful nature is taking a tour with eyetours. Tours take about 6 hours by Aro (4x4) and includes 5 offroad villages and a visit to a shepherd/cheesefarm. For more information visit.
  - Saschiz is another UNESCO World Heritage site, with a fortified church and a fortress. It is 20 km away from Sighisoara.