MyContinental Sibiu
Sibiu - 2-4 Calea Dumbravii
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Sibiu is one of Romania’s most beautiful and touristy cities, thanks to its distinctive and unique architectural heritage. Founded in 1190 by Saxon settlers on an ancient Roman settlement called “Cibium”, in the Transylvania region, Sibiu was the wealthiest of the 7 fortified citadels and lay along the trade route between East and West. In 2007 it was designated European Capital of Culture.
Divided into Upper Town and Lower Town, Sibiu’s historic centre features narrow, steep streets lined with 17th-century buildings with characteristic gabled roofs, vast squares and defensive towers. In the Upper Town you’ll find 3 squares: Piata Mare, or Great Square, with its Baroque Roman Catholic church, Council Tower and late Baroque Brukenthal Palace, Piata Mica, or Small Square, flanked by shops and cafés, and Piazza Huet where you’ll find several Gothic buildings and the Evangelical Cathedral. The Lower Town is more rustic and is connected to the upper section by the Bridge of Lies, Romania’s first wrought iron bridge. Goldsmiths’ Square is also charming.
Piața Mare (Great Square) is Sibiu’s main square and also the largest, measuring 142 metres long and 93 metres wide. A vibrant hub of city life since the 15th century, it’s overlooked by some of the most important buildings, including the Brukenthal Palace at the north-west corner, the Jesuit church on the north side, and the Council Tower, which provides access to Piața Mica, the Small Square.
The Turnul Sfatului, or Council Tower, stands at the city’s centre and dates back to the 13th century. Originally the gateway to the second line of the city’s fortifications, it’s now a symbol of the city, and the building housing Sibiu’s town hall stands in its immediate vicinity.
The tower you see today bears no resemblance to the original structure: it has been rebuilt several times throughout its history, most recently in 1962. Today, the Turnul Sfatului hosts exhibitions and displays, and above all it’s one of the city’s finest viewing terraces: from its summit you can admire all of Sibiu and the Fagaras Mountains in the background.
The Lutheran Cathedral of St Mary, dating from the 14th century, is Sibiu’s most famous Gothic church. Its bell tower, standing over 70 metres high, has become the city’s symbol. For three centuries, the church was the burial place of the city’s leading figures, including mayors and bishops. This practice was forbidden in 1796, but an exception was made in 1803 to inter the remains of Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, the German governor of the Principality of Transylvania.
The 4 small towers built on the peak of Sibiu’s Lutheran Cathedral were a warning to outsiders: they needed to know that the city had the right to execute prisoners.
The Brukenthal National Museum dates from the late 18th century and is housed within Brukenthal Palace. It’s divided into six wings, with the main one being the art gallery featuring around 1,200 works from major European schools including Flemish, German, Italian and French. The gallery also displays bas-reliefs, coins and minerals.
Inside Brukenthal Palace you’ll also find the Brukenthal Library, which houses over 300,000 books including a collection of rare manuscripts, specialist journals, contemporary works and some books written in Old Romanian.
The other wings of the Brukenthal Museum house the History Museum, the Pharmacy Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Weapons and Hunting Trophies Museum.
The impressive city fortifications made Sibiu one of Central Europe’s most important fortified cities. Several lines of walls were built around the historic centre, many of them from clay bricks. Today, the fortifications on the south-east side are the best preserved, where all three parallel lines are visible. All structures are connected through a labyrinth of tunnels and passages, designed to ensure the transport of materials and goods between the city and the defensive lines.
In the 16th century, more modern elements were added to the fortifications, mainly bastions. Two of these are still visible today: the Haller Bastion and the Soldisch Bastion.
Around 30 kilometres from Sibiu lies the village of Sibiel, famous for the Zosim Oancea Museum which houses the largest collection of religious icons on glass, an art form very popular in Transylvania since the 18th century. In the surrounding area you’ll also find the fortified Saxon Churches, Curtea de Arges, Fagaras Fortress and the medieval towns of Sighisoara and Brasov.
For accommodation in Sibiu, we recommend staying in the immediate vicinity of Piata Mare, so you’ll have all the city’s tourist attractions and services within reach, including supermarkets, pharmacies and cash machines, as well as shops, bars and restaurants. Hotels are affordable and of excellent standard, and there are also some properties from major international chains including Ibis and Ramada.
If you’d prefer to experience the city like a local, we strongly recommend staying in a guesthouse or apartment: run by local families, these establishments offer more basic amenities at even lower costs.
Sibiu International Airport unfortunately doesn’t currently have direct flights from the UK, although it’s a medium-sized facility handling almost a million passengers annually. Therefore, flying in requires a connection, or alternatively landing at Cluj-Napoca, almost 3 hours away.
You can also reach Sibiu by car, though distances are considerable: approximately 15 hours from London and around 18 hours from Paris. Those who enjoy overland travel might consider arriving by bus, but journey times at least double due to the numerous passenger stops and slower speeds.
Its position astride the Carpathians, in the heart of Transylvania, means Sibiu is never particularly close to any other major city. Besides the already mentioned 3 hours to Cluj-Napoca, it takes approximately 5 hours from Bucharest, 7 hours from Constanza, 3 hours from Timisoara and 7 hours from Iasi. Sibiu also has a railway station, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre: the train could be a relatively convenient and certainly economical option.
What's the weather at Sibiu? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Sibiu for the next few days.
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