Sighisoara is one of my favorite places in Romania. I went there many times during school trips, and only this summer I managed to go there twice (yay for free train tickets for Romanian students haha). So, when I am asked about beautiful places in Romania, Sighisoara has to be one of them. Historic Centre of Sighisoara was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. If you love history, colorful houses, narrow streets and Dracula (Vlad The Impaler, who became the model for Bram Stoker’s famous novel), and is said to have been born here, then Sighisoara is for you.
How to get there?
Approximately 5 hours by train from Bucharest, 66 lei per person or 99 lei for First class. But you can also go there by car or bus or join a tour. Sighisoara is a small town so you can reach the main attractions by foot but if you feel tired, you can take a taxi from the train station to the city center (around 10 lei for a trip).
Accommodation
We stayed at Casa Wagner, and loved it! The furniture is all old and very well preserved, and the way the rooms are decorated in really makes you feel like you are taking a trip back in time. Its location right in the city center, close to all the main attractions and many restaurants, makes it easy to locate and makes your stay pretty comfortable. They also have a nice restaurant and if breakfast is included in the option you choose, you can enjoy a delicious Romanian breakfast!
What to do and see?
You can see the whole city in a day, so don’t worry if you only have one day to spend here. But if you can allow more time, 2-3 days will let you slowly enjoy the city and try as many delicious restaurants as possible (food in Sighisoara is really good!).
Sighisoara, considered the most beautiful and well-preserved inhabited citadel in Europe, has many things to offer. You can walk around the Historic Center and see its many towers. Out of the 9 towers, the most important one is The Clock Tower, a 64 m-high tower, built in the 13th century, now being a museum of history. You can go up and enjoy a beautiful view of Sighisoara from above.
A variety of churches can be found in this town, with beautiful, unique architecture. One of them is the Church on the Hill, near the Hilltop School, and it can be reached by going up the Scholar’s stairs. The stairway is covered and it was used by schoolchildren and churchgoers in order to safely reach the hill even during unfavorable weather conditions. The stairs have 175 steps nowadays, but it originally had 300.
I was telling you above that if you love Dracula, you should come to Sighisoara to see the house where he was born and where he lived for the first 4 years of his life. Vlad Dracul’s House is located in Tin Street No.1 and now hosts a traditional restaurant, but can also be visited for only 5 lei (a spooky surprise awaits its visitors inside).
Besides Vlad Dracul’s House, another beautiful house among the many that you can find in this small but charming city is The Venetian House, so called because of its windows, said to imitate Venetian style.
After so much walking, you might want to take a break and eat something, and my favorite thing to eat in Sighisoara is the bean soup with smoked meat, served in a bread bowl. It can be found at most restaurants in the area but I recommend Casa Saseasca, a blue building located right in the middle of the citadel, this soup along with their homemade beer make a perfect lunch/dinner. You should try it!
Another great restaurant where you can have good food for a reasonable price is Gasthaus AltePost. Their Papanasi were amazing! I hope the photo below can convince you that I’m not lying.
And for a delicious dessert and a coffee break, I recommend Medieval Cafe. The really nice medieval atmosphere and yummy cakes, especially their carrot cake was super good.
If you have time, go and see the city by night as well. It is even more fascinating during night time! But don’t expect many parties or clubs in town and enjoy the peacefulness of the place. Let me know if you visited or plan to visit Sighisoara someday! Multumesc (Thank you) for reading!
