Sibiu

Known in German as Hermannstadt and in Hungarian as Nagyszeben, Sibiu has been the centre of Transylvania's German minority since medieval times. Even today, it contains Romania's largest German community, and due to initiatives by the local government, the Germanic feel of the area has been maintained. Sibiu also has a Hungarian minority, remnants of Transylvania's past as part of the Hungarian Empire and, later, Austria-Hungary. Despite this, Sibiu is also distinctly Romanian (95% of the population today are ethnic Romanians) and manages to fuse these three cultures, as well as smaller minorities of Roma, Slovaks and Ukrainians into a city that is as wonderful as it is vibrant.

Today, Sibiu is one of Romania's cultural and tourism landmarks, attracting tourists due to its wonderful medieval charm, excellent views of the surrounding landscapes, great food, and stunning parkland. Sibiu today is also doing excellently economically, having an income per capita higher than the Romanian average.

Much of the city was reconstructed in preparation for being the European Capital of Culture in 2007. The people in Sibiu are much more relaxed and friendly than in Bucharest, and much of the city is pedestrian-friendly.

You need a bicycle (hire available), (rental) car (compare online!) or bus to reach the ASTRA outdoor folk museum (bus #13), listed below, or the Transylvanian villages. Also, booking a tour is an option.

The Old Town is beautiful. It was mostly built in the late medieval period by the German merchants who were encouraged to settle in and around Sibiu. It’s in excellent condition, having escaped modern encroachments, and having been thoroughly renovated to be European Capital of Culture in 2007. (Standards were maintained in the following decade, in spite of economic woes.) Within Old Town, the Upper Town, containing most of the historic sights, is ranged around three squares: Piate Mare the Great Square, dominated by the RC Cathedral, Piata Mica the Little Square has most of the bars and cafés, and Piata Huet is an attractive Gothic conglomeration around the Lutheran Cathedral. The Lower Town is home to many charming buildings and cobbled squares.

Piata Mare and Piata Mica are linked by a passageway, above which stands the “Council Tower” or Turnul Sfatului.

• 🌍 The Great Square (Piața Mare). 
• 🌍 Huet Square (Piața Huet). 
• 🌍 Turnul Sfatului. Climb the tower and get a panoramic view of Sibiu. 2 lei entry as of October 2023. 

Multiple routes connect the Upper and Lower Towns, the two best being Pasajul Scărilor – the stairway from Piata Huet down into Str Turnului, and alternative cobbled ramp – and down Str Ocnei from Piata Mica under the Iron Bridge. This, being the traditional rendezvous of merchants and of lovers, is better known as “The Bridge of Liars”. About 200 m south of Piata Mare, paralleling Str Cetatii, is the surviving section of the Citadel Walls, with a series of towers and bastions. Beyond this hurries the traffic of the sprawling modern town: the spell is broken.

Churches of interest include:

• the Roman Catholic Cathedral on Piata Mare,
• St Mary's Lutheran Cathedral, on Piata Huet. The church is mostly closed for renovations in 2018 and 2019, but you can still see its excellent collection of medieval tomb covers, including that of Vlad the Impaler's son, Vlad III, who is said to have been murdered by his enemies outside the church after an Easter Sunday service. The tower gives you the highest lookout over the city, and is reached via a series of steep wooden and stone staircases -- this is not for those with mobility or heart problems. Adults 10 lei. (updated Sep 2018)
• St Ursuline’s, Str General Magheru. (updated Jul 2023)
• 🌍 Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral (Catedrala Ortodoxă Sfânta Treime), Str Mitropol. Stunning. (updated Jul 2023)

The only museum that ranks as “must-see” is the skansen, the outdoor ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization (Muzeul Civilizației Populare Tradiționale) 5 km south of the centre, and listed below. Sibiu’s other museums and galleries are important in a local context, for a nation that is not well endowed – where else could a Romanian go to see a genuine Egyptian mummy, or a Brueghel painting, without leaving the country? But Westerners have huge multicultural riches on their own doorsteps. See the other museums here if time and interest allow, but not through “fear of missing out”.

• 🌍 Brukenthal National Museum (Muzeul Național Brukenthal) (western corner of Piata Mare). Named for Samuel Brukenthal, 18th-century governor of Transylvania. Paintings from the Dutch and Flemish schools, Italian schools and, of course German, Austrian and Romanian collections. Also displays Brukenthal's personal collection dating from the 15–18th centuries. (updated May 2017)
• 🌍 "Franz Binder" World Ethnography Museum (Muzeul de Etnografie Universala "Franz Binder") (on Piata Mica). Curios that Binder and colleagues collected on their global travels. (updated May 2017)
• 🌍 ASTRA Museum of Transylvanian Civilisation (Muzeul Civilizației Transilvane "ASTRA") (on Piata Mica by the Iron Bridge). Small exhibition space. In April 2017 it displayed 19th-century and modern icons. (updated May 2017)
• 🌍 Steam Locomotives Museum (Muzeul locomotivelor cu abur). Decaying locomotives near the railway station. (updated May 2017)
• 🌍 ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization (Muzeul Civilizației Populare Tradiționale "ASTRA") (5 km south, bus 13 runs here. By car follow signs for Rasinari and Paltinis past the cemetery and zoo. The map on this wiki page is correct: ignore Google Map, which will try to take you to the other Astra museums in city centre.). Daily 09:00-18:00. Huge outdoor collection of traditional farmsteads, waterwheels, mills, labourers’ cottages, churches and so on, picturesquely ranged around a lake in Dumbrava Forest. Pick a fine day, but the circuit track is tarmac so it is okay when wet. Allow 3 hours to stroll round. 35 lei adult, 15 lei concessions. (updated May 2024)

• Sibiu Music Festival. 2nd weekend in Sep. Stages in each of the piatas and near the old city walls. (updated Jul 2023)
• After visiting ASTRA, continue driving south through the village of Rasinari, to see that charming rural Romania isn’t just in a museum. From there continue up to the road end at the ski resort of Paltinis. Or turn east for more village scenery via Cisnadioara and Cisnadie, till you loop back to Sibiu via the main north-south highway.
• Ocna Sibiului – A bathing resort some 15 km NE of Sibiu. The lakes are salt, formed by the flooding of ancient salt mines. In some, the waters are utterly black and opaque. Enticing, yes?
• Hike Fagaras Mountains and Cindrel Mountains.
• Guided bike tours around Sibiu.
• Guided enduro trips in the mountains, riding levels from tourist to hard.
• Go on the Transfăgărășan road, crossing the Fagaras mountains with dramatic views. Or 🌍 Transalpina. , an even higher road.

• Lots of souvenir and craft shops, especially on Piata Mica.
• German language book, incl. history and calenders, at the market square
• Local beer in 2½ L bottles.
• Second hand from rest of Europe

You won’t go hungry. Food & drink here is to a good standard, and cheap by West European standards – reckon €30 for two people with two courses and drinks. The main concentration of restaurants, cafes and pubs is in and around Piata Mica. Hearty Transylvanian fare includes "ciorbă" (sour soup with various meat or veg), “sarmale” (stuffed cabbage leaves), stews and grills, often with mamaliga (polenta). Vegetarians and vegans shouldn’t starve but will need to enquire carefully. Also lots of fast food from familiar chains, but you can do better.

• Crama Sibiu Vechi (The Old Sibiu Restaurant), Str Papiu Ilarian 3, ☏ +40 269-210461. noon-midnight. Excellent cellar restaurant offering traditional Romanian cuisine at reasonable prices. (updated May 2017)
• 🌍 La Cuptor, 9 Mai 7, ☏ +40 742 396 696. Daily 13:00-23:00. Good food at reasonable prices. (updated Apr 2018)
• Butoiul de Aur (Golden Barrel), Pasajul Scărilor (foot of stairway down to Str Turnului), ☏ +40 746 779 283. Daily 11:00-23:00. Long-established atmospheric place, good food. (updated Apr 2018)

A local speciality is a "meter" of beer served in pubs.

• Liquid The Club, Strada Someșului 19. A night club which plays mainstream music. The audience is about 50% tourists/locals. (updated Jul 2023)

Sibiu and its approach roads have 4G from all Romanian carriers. As of Aug 2022, 5G has not reached this area.

• Medieval fortified churches – You will need your own transport. The Saxon settlements of Transylvania came under attack in the 15th and 16th centuries, but instead of erecting castles, they fortified the churches with walls and lookout towers. Many are clustered around Medias, the best being the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Biertan and Valea Viilor.
• Sighisoara – This town has an attractive old citadel. Other notable old towns include Cluj-Napoca, Targu Mures, and Brașov.
• Curtea de Argeș – Further south, into Wallachia, this is an old fortress city in the Muntenia region.
• Bucharest – Try to visit it before Transylvania. It is interesting but far from pretty, and it is going to look especially drab after seeing Sibiu.