Sighișoara
锡吉什瓦拉 · Sighișoara, Romania
A medieval fortified old town that is still lived in, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999; its 64-metre Clock Tower, guild towers and covered wooden staircase of 1642 are its emblems.
Know before you go
- Making noise late at night in residential lanes
- talking loudly in churches and cemeteries
- photographing residents' houses and private courtyards without permission
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Birthplace of Vlad III
Vlad III, later known as Vlad the Impaler, was born in Sighișoara; historians place his birth at around 1428 to 1431. His father, Vlad Dracul, lived in the town while in exile and minted coins here. The vampire count in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula may have borrowed his name from this family title, but the vampire himself is purely a literary creation.
Legend
The yellow house by the Clock Tower
Locals believe Vlad III was born in a small yellow-painted house beside the Clock Tower; today it has a restaurant downstairs and a small exhibition room upstairs. There is no firm proof that this was really his birthplace, so you may enjoy it as part of the local legend.
Source: Transylvania Tours: Sighișoara Medieval Citadel Travel Guide
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Sighișoara lies in Mureș County, Romania, its old town built on a hill by the Târnava Mare river. It is one of Europe's well-preserved medieval citadels that are still inhabited, and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999. The 64-metre Clock Tower has mechanical figures that change with the days, colourful burghers' houses and guild towers line the streets, and a covered wooden staircase built in 1642 leads up to the Church on the Hill. In the mid-12th century the King of Hungary recruited German craftsmen and merchants — the Transylvanian Saxons — to settle here and build a fortified town, known in German as Schäßburg. The walls and towers were maintained by different guilds, and names such as the Tailors' Tower, the Butchers' Tower and the Shoemakers' Tower survive today. People still live inside the citadel; it is not an empty stage set.
Local customs
- Climb the Clock Tower for views over the red roofs and the river valley, and visit the history museum inside
- walk the covered wooden staircase of 1642 up to the Gothic Church on the Hill and the old cemetery
- look for the guild towers along the walls
- during the Medieval Festival each July, watch knight tournaments and craft markets.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Making noise late at night in residential lanes
- talking loudly in churches and cemeteries
- photographing residents' houses and private courtyards without permission
Locals appreciate DO
- Keep your steps light in the citadel at night
- keep quiet in churches and cemeteries
- ask permission before photographing residents' houses
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The citadel itself is free to wander
- the Clock Tower museum charges admission, with exact prices as published officially. There are many cobbled lanes and stairs, so please wear flat shoes
- accommodation is tight during the Medieval Festival in July, so booking ahead is wise.
- You can reach the town by train from Brașov, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and elsewhere, with journey times and schedules as published by Romanian Railways
- the citadel is best explored on foot. The summer Medieval Festival is the liveliest time, while spring and autumn are mild with fewer visitors
- in winter the citadel is quiet under snow, though some venues shorten their opening hours, as officially announced.
Photos
Photos
Cosmin Stefanescu · CC BY-SA 3.0 RO
Radu Ana Maria · CC BY-SA 3.0
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