Is Sibiu worth visiting?

Is Sibiu worth visiting? Are you kidding me? I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard Jo’s question. It’s not the right question, I replied! It’s not a matter of worth visiting….In fact, you should even make sure not to miss it during your trip to Transylvania. It will definitely surprise you! Actually it’s one of the best cities to visit in Romania!

Although I am not from Sibiu, this is my favorite city in Romania. It’s like a little Vienna in the heart of Romania. Chic old buildings in the historic center, small streets inviting you to wander around, amazing restaurants makes it perfect for a city break in Transylvania. I visited it Sibiu so many times and it is wonderful in all the seasons. In the winter get lost at the Christmas Market in the Large Square, taste the delicious caramelized almonds and try the Transylvanian mulled wine while looking for the perfect gift.

In the summer just take a walk along the old walls or enjoy a frappe on a chic terrace on a secluded street…

Enough with the memories, let’s get you organized and see what to visit in and around Sibiu so you can spend some unforgettable days in the heart of Transylvania.

•  The Old Center of Sibiu has a special charm. A large pedestrian street will get you here. It’s an amazing street full of traditional small shops, bakeries and restaurants. Chose some souvenir, buy a traditional Romanian blouse called ia,  taste  a “placinta” (Romanian pie) and finally arrive in the Grand Square (with a few kilos more :)). Nowdays there are organized here various concerts and fairs on Easter or Christmas where you can find a lot of traditional gifts from Romania to take home.

• In the past, merchants used to meet here to sell their goods. If they lied to their clients, they were punished under the Bridge of Lies (right next to the Square). The legend warns us if one tells a lie on this bridge, it will shake and may even collapse. Go on and test the legend! You will recognize the bridge by the red geraniums next to which all the tourists take photos.

   

• On the opposite side of the Bridge is the Brukenthal Museum, the oldest museum in Romania – if you are passionate about paintings and history, pay a visit. If not, I’m recommending below an unique museum in Romania. In the meantime, look up and you will see the Council Tower, the tallest tower in Sibiu. You can climb it and take some amazing pictures of the city. You can really see a wow panorama of Sibiu and the Fagaras mountains.

  

• The tower connects Grand Square and Small Square, where you will find the “houses with eyes” that made Sibiu famous.

• Take a walk, admire old buildings, but make sure to stop and eat something on a terrace. Take a traditional plate, try “mici”, a bean soup in bread or a “ciorba de burta”, sarmale (cabbage rolls) and finish with papanasi… something that will make you feel like you are in Transylvania.

• The Walls of the Citadel are located on the street parallel to the main pedestrian street suggestively called Citadel’s Street (Strada Cetatii in Romanian). It is said to be the most beautiful street in Sibiu…. Go on and convince yourself!

Now let’s see what to visit around Sibiu:

•  Astra Open Air Museum is the largest of its kind in Romania and one of the largest in Europe. You wouldn’t even say from the picture below that you are at the museum, right?Well, 10 kilometers of trails in the heart of nature are just waiting for you. Here there are organized many fairs with popular artists where you can taste many goodies from different parts of Romania. There are also several traditional restaurants inside the museum where you can recharge your batteries.

• Transfagarasan, the most beautiful road in Romania, as Top Gear said, starts from Cartisoara, near Sibiu. It would be a pity not to stay another day in Sibiu and drive on it . Find out what you can see on Transfagarasan here.

• Fairies Castle or Clay Castle will take you back to your childhood in the story of Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. Also another beautiful story continues just across of it, in the Calendar’s Tale attraction park. If you have kids, this area is a must. You can visit it on the way to Transfagarasan.

• Transalpina passes near Sibiu and if you are passionate about driving and wow roads, it would be a shame not to see the beauties on it. In order not to miss anything, find out what are the tourist attractions on Transalpina here. One day you can do Transfagarasan and another day Transalpina.

• Paltinis – maybe you didn’t know, but near Sibiu there are mountains, where in winter you can ski and in summer you can go hiking.

So what do you say, are you taking your next vacation here? Now you know what to visit in Sibiu and around this amazing city.  It is clear that you will not get bored! I would come back anytime.