Sighisoara is probably the best preserved fortified
town in Transylvania, being built by the Saxons between the 12th and the 17th centuries.
It is located on the Tarnava Mare river in a picturesque setting. The citadel, a beautifully
preserved medieval complex, dominates the town with its hilltop setting. The old town enclosed
within the citadel walls has narrow cobblestone streets and brightly painted 16th century Saxon
houses. There are nine surviving towers; the most beautiful is the striking Clock Tower, the main
gate into the citadel. From its balcony one can see beautiful views over the whole town and
countryside. We took about 20 pictures of the Clock Tower and looking at them now, it looks like
none is good enough and none looks as beautiful as the original in the afternoon light.
Sighisoara fame is drawn mainly from being the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler which some
still believe served as the inspiration for the novel "Dracula". The house in which he was born
lies at the foot of the Clock Tower. Since we don't care too much about the myth of Dracula, we prefered
other sights of Sighisoara, like the above mentioned Clock Tower or The Church on the Hill, with its
beautiful 500 year old frescoes; to get to it you can climb the Covered Stairway, which was built in
the 17th century. Or see the Church of the Dominican Monastery which has been built and rebuilt for
800 years. You can also have fun by trying to find all the towers that are still standing or simply
just by walking inside the citadel and looking at the old houses in which life still goes on after
so many centuries (Sighisoara citadel is still inhabited).
If you want to know how much time to budget for Sighisoara, I believe a day is enough (plus a few
days more for visiting the Saxon churches in nearby villages). Sighisoara is usually very quiet but
in the first or second week of July an annual Medieval Folk Festival takes place here. This festival
attracts hundreds if not thousands of young Romanians and if you come to visit during that time expect
to find some hippie-looking crowds hanging out all around the town. Finally, if you like to collect
UNESCO World Heritage Sites Sighisoara is one of them so you can add one more to your list :-)
Follow the links below to find out more about Sighisoara
