Sibiu

Places of Interest - Romania

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introduction

Sibiu alias Hermannstadt is an old medieval city in the heart of Romania.

Despite the fact that the city is the capital of the old Transylvanian Saxon cities, it has long played a second violin behind cities such as Brasov and Sighisoara. This changed when the city was declared Cultural Capital of Europe. Extra attention was payed on the eyes of Sibiu. With complete surrender, a new Sibiu was worked on with all its might - the result is perfect - the streets are all cluttered, the houses are renewed with a new layer of paint, but the traditional atmosphere has been retained.

In addition to the tourist center, the city has a rich past; the Romanians are now in the thicket (about 95%) but that has been different - in the beginning of the last century the Germans were still a majority (53%) followed by about as many Hungarians as Romanians.

highlights

The historic center:

In the old town the houses are decorated with small dormer windows, the so-called eyes of Sibiu. But also the Gothic and Viennese-Baroque (Habsburg) houses demand attention in the inner city of the former German Hermannstadt.

The German influence is also visible through the presence of the evangelical church where also the tombstone of Vlad Tepes son (Dracula) can be found. The old streets are now all decorated with vowels and most of the chipped colored houses with orange roof tiles are provided a new layer of paint.

You can take a look at the three adjacent squares in the car-free center (Piata Huet, Piata Mica and Piata Mare) in one of the many museums in the city or in the quiet park Astra where old men play a game of chess under the trees. The most impressive building is the City Hall (Banca Agricola) which also houses the information center.

Do not forget to look in the lower town and peek through the beautiful old gates where you can see the real traditional Romanian life passing by. Here you can still see dilapidated peeling houses, old carved wooden doors and gates and empty streets without too many cars. Many streets have yet to be refurbished here, but the board is busy. One of the bridges built over the streets that go to the lower city is the iron bridge that is also known as the liars bridge.

This is because many "cunning" salesmen were here in the past and young couples immortalized themselves here for each other's love. Finally, you should not miss a visit to the old city walls; Built in the 16th century it was "normal" that each of the guilds guarded a tower. The pottery and painter towers have been restored and the "Haller" tower is also in a perfect state again. A salient detail is that if the city was plagued by the plague, holes were made in the wall to remove these bodies quickly - the gate of the bodies was then a fitting name.

Other attractions:

The Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization.

Sibiu-Eyes-Buildings-Church-Romania-Streetlife

history

The city Sibiu was founded as Hermannstads in the 12th century by German immigrants at the invitation of the then king of Hungary. "Hermannstadt" would have been built on an old Roman settlement called Cibinium. In the settlement it was only possible until the 18th century to receive civil rights if you could prove that you were Saxon; thus the city remained one of the most important cities in Transylvania meaning literally seven mountains or fortresses.

The Hungarian nobility was limited while the city was chosen as the capital of the province for Austrian governors. The German population would be the majority until the start of WWI - then they (when the city was annexed to Romania) were overshadowed by the Romanians, while the number of Germans decreased considerably due to immigration and deportation.

A salient detail is that in 2004 Romanians chose a German mayor who opened doors for foreign investors and European subsidies because of his tight and solid policy. The city was declared as Cultural Capital of Europe in 2007 together with the city Luxembourg (this is because the Saxons originally came from the Moselle).

tips & advice (2013)

The bus and train station are located just north of the center (next to each other).

Sibiu - Biertan: the most sensible thing is to take a train (there seems to be a lot of roadwork) from Sibiu to the city of Medias. Often the train doesn’t depart though (4x per day) but there is one at 07:30 that takes about one and a half hours.

Normally a ticket costs 10 Lei, but I paid 7 Lei. Once there you have to wait three hours in the not very beautiful city; at 12:20 there is a bus to Biertan. This takes about an hour.

You can eat at the Grand Plaza located just outside the center (9 Mai) which has many real Romanian dishes at a very reasonable price. The staff speak little English but is helpful and friendly. So you can try Sarmale, Mititei and Tuica. You can also eat something different at the Chinese restaurant Beijing where I slept (Piata Armelor) (read: Chinese).

Of course you can go and have a drink on one of the many very touristy terraces on one of the squares in the historic city. But if you want to sit between the locals on a very intimate terrace, visit Pensiune Halamadero in the "Lower town" - a fantastic terrace hidden among the houses under a hedge of grapes. The draft beer is probably the cheapest you can get in Romania.

Sibiu-Traditional-Clothing-Celebration-Party-Romania

Name: Chinese restaurant Beijing

Address: Piata Armelor

Price: 170 Lei for 3 nights

Content:

I think it’s a bit illegal but fine for a few nights - to my knowledge this man has a number of different (types of) rooms available but I've only seen mine. Located in the "lower town" in the center I had a spacious room with large hall and a separate large bathroom (with toilet and shower).

There is WiFi but you have to ask for the password yourself. There is also a 2p bed and a TV (which I have not used and I think he doesn’t work properly). It smells a bit musty (moisture) but there are two windows. You get your own key with which you can enter and exit the restaurant (and your room) whenever you want. Getting a receipt is not a problem, but do not expect official stamps and that kind of thing.

The only thing that bothers you is that if you have "neighbors" (no idea if they are guests or people who work in the restaurant) it can be noisy - the bed of them is next to your room and their toilet next to yours. You also have to pull the "bell" when you leave really early so that the owner will open the door (due to the night lock).