Turul Cetății Sighișoarei

During Sighisoara sightseeing tour we’ll explore one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, being designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. A walk through the Schassburg (in German) citadel with its original medieval architecture, magical mix of winding cobbled alleys, steep stairways, secluded squares, towers, turrets and bastions, is like a travel back in time.

In Eastern Europe, Sighișoara is one of the few fortified towns that are still inhabited. The town is made up of two parts. The medieval stronghold was built on top of a hill and is known as the “Citadel” (Cetate). The lower town lies in the valley of Târnava Mare river.

The houses inside Sighișoara Citadel show the main features of a craftsmen’s town. However, there are some houses that belonged to the former patriciat, like the Venetian House and the House with Antlers.

In the morning, I will pick you up from your accommodation (or other place from Brasov, as you wish), then we’ll drive to Sighisoara (about 120 km). After reaching the town, we’ll leave the car in the lower town and we’ll walk to the citadel.

We will start Sighisoara sightseeing tour by entering through the main gate, guarded by the imposant Clock Tower – Sighisoara’s main point of attraction. Built in the second half of 14th century and expanded during the 16th century, it’s famous because of its two-plate clock, with figurines carved from linden wood. Since 1899 it houses the History Museum; after visiting the museum, from the top of the tower, we’ll admire the view of the town.

In the shadow of the Clock Tower, we’ll find Vlad Dracul House (the place where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s famous Dracula, was born in 1431 and lived with his father, Vlad Dracul, till 1435) and Venetian House, a beautiful neo-gothic style building from 16th with the upper part of the windows forming a three-lobe arch.

The Church of Dominican Monastery is our next stop. It is attested for the first time in a document in 1298 as part of a Dominican monastic settlement, becoming the Saxons’ main Lutheran church in 1556. The monastic complex has been demolished in 1888 and its place was taken by the present town hall. Only the church has remained from the original structure.
Further on we’ll walk around the walls of the citadel reaching in order Blacksmiths’ Tower (Turnul Fierarilor), Cobblers’ Tower (Turnul Cizmarilor), Tailors’ Tower (Turnul Croitorilor), Furriers’ Tower (Turnul Cojocarilor) and Butchers’ Tower (Turnul Macelarilor).

We’ll have a short break, before following The Scholar’s Stairs corridor with its 175 steps that will lead us to the Church on the Hill, one of the most representative gothic-style structures in Transylvania and the only church with a crypt. First mentioned in a document in 1345 and replacing a former Roman basilica, its construction lasted almost 200 years. Initially a Catholic church, it became the main church of the Saxon inhabitants of Sighisoara, who had shifted from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism after the 1547 Reform.

We’ll complete Sighisoara sightseeing tour in the Main Square of the citadel; during the old days, markets, craft fairs, public executions and witch trials were held here. This is the right place to have a good traditional Transylvanian lunch, just before driving back to Brasov.

If you will consider visiting Transylvania, a bit more, you cannot miss Bran Castle and Rasnov Citadel.